Beating the Rain in Keelung Taiwan

We were up a 6:00 am on 06 Jan 2019 to catch the Airport Bus to Shanghai Pudong (PVG), and after an uneventful flight to Taipei and an easy metro to train transfer, we arrived at Keelung Station about 3 pm local time. At this point, only 3 hrs in Taiwan, we are already in love with our EasyCards (contactless smart cards) that we purchased at the airport and swiped for the metro ride, the local train ride, and a vending machine coffee. More on the EasyCard in a later post.

The next morning, with a threat of rain, we rode the train south to Fulong, rented bikes for 100 NT (about 3 USD) each for the day, and rode the 20 kilometer Old Caoling Tunnel Bikeway loop counterclockwise followed by the out-and-back 10 kilometer Longmen-Yanliao Bikeway. Highlights of the ride included the 4 km long old tunnel - Wow! - and riding along the sand dunes near Yanliao Park.

After some heavy drizzle during the first half of the ride, we shed our rain gear for the last half. Eventually, on the train ride home, the sun even came out. ;-) A great start to our 7 weeks in Taiwan!

We will be in Keelung in northeastern Taiwan for 4 nights. Within walking distance of our hotel there are more vegetarian restaurants than we can possible try during our stay. Our first night we had some fried noodles with fake meat.


Keelung's famous Night Market.


The Old Caoling Tunnel is very cool to cycle through.






And here is the link if the embedded video does not play: https://youtu.be/Aeko-vBIFyo

After exiting the tunnel we head north along the Pacific Ocean and a steady drizzle at times.


It's nice that the sections of the bike way that are along the highway are separated by barriers.




Only a few other cyclists on the bike way today including this team with electric bikes. Notice the Cape Santiago Lighthouse up on the hill.


We were surprised to see numerous fishermen casting from the rocks into the surf.


Almost back to Fulong and the weather is looking good.


After completing the Caoling Tunnel loop we headed up to Yanliao Park. No more rain.


Very cool to be cycling among the dunes with the Pacific to our right.




Yanlao Park was nice with some sand and driftwood sculptures and an Anti-Japanese monument.




Finally, Sun-Ling was very happy to conquer a phobia and ride all the way across this narrow suspension bridge.


View from the bridge.


It's a cyclist-pedestrian only bridge.


Here's the GPS track of our route.


Transfering at Badu Station on our way home.


And another tasty vegetarian dinner.


This restaurant is buffet style with no set prices. The cashier looks your plate, checks to see if you are hiding any fake meat under your pile of spicy green beans, then tells you the price. In our case it was 160 NT, about 3.50 USD, total for both plates. The soup is free.