bentontaiwan: Day 27 - 31 - Boring Hualien Train Back to Taipei

5 Days Spend - NTD 2658
Total Spend - NTD 17923

We spent 3 nights in Hualien, 2 nights in Love East Homestay were quite expensive NTD 1100 but the room was quite satisfactory and clean. The owner Mr Liu and wife were very friendly ,and Mr Liu himself is a very keen competitive cyclist participated in many races,although at the age of 52,but we told him we were only interested in smell the roses slow cycle touring.We decided to move to another cheaper stay just round the corner for only NTD 600 for our last day in Hualien. The room was quite spacious,a little bit old but the bathroom was surprisingly new with bathtub,for that we saved NTD 250 each. Hualien city in itself has nothing much to see, it more or less become a night stopping town for tourists planning to explore the Taroko Gorge which we had already done earlier. So our 3 days stay is pretty much of eat,sleep,internet while waiting to board the train back to Taipei on 29 Oct. It took only 3 hr to arrive in Taipei Main Station and we had to cross a street to collect our bikes. We rode a distance of 5 km to Rod Lin, my warmshower's apartment in Kinmen Street,Guting, and Rod's friend Matilda was there to pass the key for us. At last we were able to meet Rod , a very friendly, tall and handsome young man,brought up and educated in US.We did not chat long enough as Rod looks very tired after his work. Next day our main task is to source for 2 bike boxes to pack our bikes.Mind you, this is by no means an easy task,and we only have 1 day to do it. First we had to surf the net on bike shops nearby with some help from Rod,and then we went to the shops, were disappointed some shops were either closed, or being told no boxes available now,if we don't mind comeback few days later. We thought of the worst scenario of just wheel in our bikes straight without boxing them.Thank goodness, we don't have to and we finally got 2 dismantled boxes in one of the Giant bikeshop, some 8 km away from where we stay.The owner charged us NTD 50 per box and bought 2 rolls of packing tapes 3 shops away. Now come the problem of transportation,Tony volunteer to carry by fastening them at the rear rack using used inner tube with the help of the shop owner.With me riding at the back so that i can give instruction for him.Watching from the back,a funny ride like this, is part and parcel of the bike touring adventure. With our bikes all boxed in,feeling happy and relief,we treated Rod a steamboat dinner for his kindness and hospitality at the start and end of our Taiwan tour.

Bangla caught in stealing boxes