Day 9 Fonggang - Taidong

Ready to ride ~ 我們好了

Nice ride ~ 很好騎

Very tired ~ 好累了

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At 9pm - we were pretty much ready to go. Still lots of wind.. no wonder its called Fonggang [Fong = Wind in Mandarin] Sunny too though. I was welcomed to eat breakfast with the Family who ran the hotel, and we ate steamed buns with jam and sweet potatoes. The Taiwanese dialect they were using was very hard for me to understand, I still tryed though. But speaking in Mandarin, is always easier for us both. The two guys who rode from Tainan and I were off, to Taidong. Very steep at first - Moving at about 5km/hr. Got to the top of the hill, at a place called DaRen in only a couple of hours. Saw many other bikers there, all preparing to take a relaxing journey down.. because both ways were going down now. We met others riding from east to west, North to south, and chat a little more..So all in high spirits, it was time to leave. The most amazing down trip I've ever experienced. Reaching speeds of up tp 55km/h, winding through beautiful, green, mountains, breathing loads of the freshest air. We had to stop a couple of times to wait for each other, and to be safe, as the faster we'd go, the more scenery we'd see, and less concentrate. Had to stop soon, before the next up hill, at a small place called DaNiao [Big Bird in Mandarin!] The town, very quiet and peaceful, not many people around. A man on a scooter stopped and asked If I was the Australian cycling around Taiwan for the cause.. I said yes, he gave me a small donation, and invited us to eat at his shop up the hill. I gave him my thanks, and snapped a photo! Inside this cool little town, not much at all. We couldnt find his shop [as he rode to Taipei just then] but managed to find another place with fried rice or noodles! All we needed! Very local, and very not touristy. After we took essentials - we rode on. Feeling a little drowzy and sleepy after another 20 kms, I felt this was the hardest part of my trip. So we stopped and drank a litre of tea, and fell asleep for 15 minutes! Great! Especially after some of Taipeis finest pineapple cake! We went straight to Zhiben hot springs! So comfortable - A well deserved soak and massage for our bodies.. The staff there took photos with us, and we were off with smiles.. So many Chinese tourists we passed, coming to Zhiben in bus loads. No problems now riding in the dark, all lights on, last 17 km to Taidong city. We met our friend who kindly took us to the nightmarket to eat different types of stinky tofu.. tasty tasty tasty! I like Taidong, kind of reminds me of Taipei, smaller, older streets, not so fast paced. We ended a tiring day with a view ontop a mountain watching fireworks, and the lit up city, of course as well, the clear beautiful stars! Tomorrow - rest day..

Taidond here we come!! ~台東快來!!

Very kind Zhiben hot springs staff ~知本溫泉

Taidong chou dofu ~ 台東臭豆腐