bentontaiwan: Day 26 Fri 26/10 - Xiuguluan Homestay to Hualian Homestay

Today Distance : 73.3 km
Today's Temp : 21 - 28 C Cloudy
Average Speed : 15.9 km max: 60
Time On Bike : 4 hr 35 min
Average Climb : 3 % max: 12 %
Total Altitude : 628 m max: 189 m
Today's Spending : NTD 1567
Total Spending : NTD 15256

If everything goes well,today might as well be our last day of loaded riding in Taiwan.It's only 60-70 km to Hualian on not so tough terrain,makes me feeling relax,easy and enjoyable ride.While my partner Tony,being so much younger,wanted to finish off faster and always speeding ahead of me,tempting me to follow his pace, but his trick won't work on me as i am a hardcore experience tourer.I know my pace,when to slow and when to speed. In Taiwan,especially if you plan to go bike touring, one important aspect of knowing the kilometer indicated signboard is for example,a signboard say 160 km to Hualian, means only to the outskirt of Hualian, more often than not, you have to add another 15-20 km, that is a lot of different more so if you are already exhausted towards the end of the ride.We arrived in Hualian around 1,20pm and head straight to the railway station. There are lots of accommodations opposite the station, even a Giant bike shop is just located besides the station. We got a clean room for NTD 1100,a little bit pricey for 2 days. Later we went for a late lunch in 7-11 before booking a train ticket NTD 440 on 29 Oct back to Taipei, with our bike check in as baggage NTD 375. Initially we wanted to book on 28 Oct but ticket sold out. Now looks like we will stay in Hualian for 3 nights.No plan yet as our mind is just too tired to think of it.