Day 7 Mon 19/10 - Baoshan to Jianshi ( 1st wildcamp)

Total Distance : 39.6 km
Today's Temp : 23 - 36c
Average Speed : 9.1 kph    max: 51.0
Time On Bike : 4 hr 20 min
Average Climb : max: 5%
Total Altitude : max: 980m
Today's Spending : NTD 231.0
Total Distance Todate : 124.8 km
Total Spending Todate : NTD 376

The idea of staying another day in Baoshan to accompany Kimmy on a sightseeing  ride vanished,when her mother need Kimmy to fetch her to Hsinchu to visit another daughter. So I had to say goodbye to them and quickly packed up and leave at 9 am.Anyway,I wish to thank Kimmy and her parents for their hospitality - a 5 star bedroom and simple Hakka village home dishes.Also like to thank Kimmy's relative Yu Kong Fah for driving his car to lead me out from the village to Bao Er Dam . We exchanged contacts as he is interested to visit Malaysia one day. The traffic was not heavy but the weather was hot.I was soak in sweat climbing steep narrow roads up into the moutains.Travelling east into the central moutainous region. Road conditions are good mostly built between 2 or several moutains , small towns and villages scattered along the roads. The tribes mostly belong to the Taiya and the new generations now speak good mandarin although they had their own Taiya language. They are friendly and like to beautify their village with wood carving and paintings on the road walls and railings. Expected to do a wild camping,I filled up my MSR fuel bottle with Ron 95 and bought some rice and can foods. The sun set early here so I had to start looking for possible campsite in between 3 - 4 pm. And tonight's campsite is beside the road with a flowing stream for a wonderful cold shower. The night was quite dark ( wonder where all the stars were hiding!)

Saying farewell to Kimmy and thanks for a warm hospitality - a friend I met in Vienveng ,Laos

A relative of Kimmy, Mr Yu Kong Fah leads me out from the village to Bao er Dam

                                     Fellow cyclists I met and provided useful informations

                        Little shops and houses along the wide river bed almost runs dry - no rain

                                                                  Wide river bed

                                            A Taiya's natural rock caving at the far end

                                           The way up at the upper right hand corner

                                      Pedalling slowly up the moutains - You asked for it!

     Up,up and up!!! You can do it Man! Noticed the beautiful painting by the Taiya tribes on the side railing

                 One of the good thing of bicycle touring - Take a rest and admire the scenery

                      Long bridges crossing are common in Taiwan over very wide river beds

Scarry half tunnel built to prevent rock earth falling . You don't need someone to tell you,PEDAL FAST!!!

                                       Taiya wood carving , a way to welcome visitors

                   Taiya's road decorations - they are good hunter as the drawing say it all

                                                             Taiya's writings in Roman

                                                      Taiya tribe painting on the road wall

                            Taiya are friendly and happy lots, their dummies say it all!

                                   Village no.6 and the amount of falling rocks from the moutain

                   First wildcamping near a stream river.On top is the road.The climb is not over yet

                   This is annoying cos' it makes you itchy if you don't remove them and it take hours.

         Dinner of the night - Rice with can deep fried fish and pessimon. Wow,yummy!!!!!