Saturday Morning Bicycle Ride

What a perfect day for a bicycle ride, of course including a pitstop at a far-away 7~11 for a coffee with........

Fruity Friendly Hualien

Here they say it with fruit!

Thank you Karin and hubby! ( of Pony rent-a-car).

The one and only way to eat SUPERB Hualien Watermelon!

Hualien, old busstation. The place has changed since our previous visit (2002).

But the mountains still look inviting...

An other day we rented a car and drove South of Hualien. On the way back we took the coastal road. Nice to be in port.

Hualien Adventures

What's happening here?
Well, first of all, we are mobile. Eh?
Yes, we scored some really nice bicycles here in Hualien.
According to the stories, Taiwan is one of the better places to buy a GOOD bicycle. So we went to town to find out. Indeed, and even after a short survey, we agreed and cycled back to the harbor. And the beauty is, these bicycles are soo light, it's a charm to handle them on and off the boat.

Hmmm, only our bums are complaining right now.
What else? Well, yesterday we rented a car for the day, so at sunrise the crew of Tweed and Alishan drove to the TARAKO GORGE. Years ago, Marijke and I had walked the gorge (from top to bottom), now it was time to do it a bit more comfy. Again we enjoyed every turn in the road~river~mountain trails.

Some of the big differences with last time : More digi pictures were taken (over 300!) and +++ buses with mainland China tourists were overloading the place. Luckily, they "don't do mornings" so it was only at the final part of our trip that we had to share the views.

Beside some small boat projects, we enjoy the food, the fruit, hmmmm yummy durian, the people, the scenery, the cycling & running and birding.

Alishan will be in Hualien for 1 more week, then if the weather is good, we will sail to Ishigaki, Japan.

Salute.

Hualien by G E

Down there some where is sy Alishan

Hualien

Finally the weather and sea conditions were okay enough to let us make the 80 mile run from Green Island to Hualien.
Position is:
23 degree 59.7N
121 degree 38.1E
The trip was an overnighter, little, but of course, Nose Wind. A confused and bumpy sea at first but the going was good: by times 8 knots over ground. We arrived at the harbor entrance at 7 am and were alongside this "fine" concrete wall by 8:30.
Here to the officials were easy to us....Don't know how about if they made it easy for Terry ;-))
Terry is one of the local yachtsmen who is so kind to help us out..like with the paperwork and dealing with those officials.
Showing us around and finding the ever needed bits and pieces...and oh yes: tomorrow has a coin laundry on the list.
Again, it's sooo good to be in Taiwan with OUR Alishan.

Salute

Enterring the main port at Green Island

Yes the name is Green Island, but there is also a bit of grey concrete...wonder why?
It's a nice place to visit esp on our own keel.

Position at Green Island

Alishan is alongside a nice, okay a bit rough, concrete wall at:
22 degree 39.6N
121 degree 28.3E

Salute