Taiwan
& Thailand
April
27, 2006 -
June 14, 2006
Two
weeks in Taiwan, Four in Thailand
Why? A
friend, Felipe, who lives in Taiwan (we met while he was attending
school
at the University of Illinois) has always said "Come on over,
anytime". I've always said - "Some day, when I have time".
Since I now
have time - this must be "some
day". What about Thailand? Well,
several have mentioned "If you're going to fly that far you might as
well visit some other area too." OK! Pull out a dart, a map, a
blindfold....
Ride
Reports
Pictures, video, a few notes
(Look in the "Notable Items" column for something of interest
then click a date in the left column to view that days
items)
Date |
Destination |
Miles |
Notable
Items |
April 27 Thu & 28
Fri |
Taipei,
Taiwan |
8630 |
Travel:
Rockford Illinois, U.S.A. to Taipei, Taiwan |
April 29, Sat |
Dayigwong,
TW |
185 |
Taipei
101, National Palace Museum |
April 30, Sun |
Dayigwong,
TW |
50 |
Students
joined in - lunch and swimming |
May 1,
Mon |
Dayigwong, TW |
77 |
On my own and "click happy".
Scenery, Forts, Lighthouse, City gates, Wind generators, Penghu
University, Fireworks [caution:
big page - I am considering breaking it up into
smaller pages (11 MB download if you click it)] |
May 2,
Tue |
Dayigwong, TW |
20 |
Day off, seafood lunch |
May 3,
Wed |
Dayigwong, TW |
50 |
Lunch with Tom, GPS class,
Tug of War, Fireworks |
May 4,
Thu |
Dayigwong, TW |
50 |
Lunch, Students, Dinner |
May 5,
Fri |
Kaohsiung, TW |
140 |
Ferry to Kaohsiung, Follow
my "Hotel Helpers"!!!! |
May 6,
Sat |
Kenting, TW |
102 |
Finally - some mountains,
push a scooter |
May 7,
Sun |
Taitung, TW |
132 |
Oceanfront riding, some side
valley trips |
May 8, Mon |
Hualine, TW |
181 |
Eastern
half of the "Southern Cross Island Highway" !!!! |
May 9, Tue |
(hotel
near the summit) |
110+ |
Coast
south of Hualine, Taroko Gorge & Highway - amazing !!!! |
May 10, Wed |
Chiayi, TW |
155 |
Finish the
Taroko Gorge Highway, Sun Moon Lake. |
May 11, Thu |
Alishan, TW |
48 |
Alishan
Forest Railway (48 miles) - trek up |
May 12, Fri
All or highlights |
Penghu
Islands, TW |
231 |
Alishan
Forest Railway (48 miles) (many photos) - back down, scoot to
Kaohsiung
(78 miles), ferry to Makung (90 miles), Makung to Dayigwong (15 miles) |
May 13, Sat |
Penghu
Islands, TW |
0 |
Chores /
prep for the flight to Bangkok |
May 14, Sun |
Bangkok,
Thailand |
1800 |
Travel:
Taiwan to Thailand [Taxi to Makung airport (25 min, $400 NTD),
flight from there to Taipei domestic (~50 min, $1760 NTD), bus from
Taipei domestic to Taipei International [TPE / Chaing-Kai Shek] (50 min
- $~150 NTD), Plane from TPE to Bangkok (~ 4 hours?), Taxi to
the hotel. |
May
15, Mon |
Bangkok, TH |
20 |
City tour, Thai massage,
Pantip Plaza computer stores |
May
16, Tue |
Pattaya, TH |
91 |
Bus trip down, find a
motorcycle rental (hire) shop, walking about |
May
17, Wed |
Pattaya, TH |
19 |
Chores: currency exchange,
rent a bike, get insurance |
May
18, Thu |
Pattaya, TH |
35 |
Ride about town - nothing
fancy - only two photos |
May
19, Fri |
Chantabury, TH |
133 |
First day out on the bike -
highway roads and some beach roads |
May
20, Sat |
Nang Rong, TH |
240 |
Out into the countryside.
Hills separating Thailand from Cambodia |
May
21, Sun |
Nang Rong, TH |
49 |
Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung
Historical Park (Phanom Rung) |
May 22, Mon |
Buri Ram,
TH |
80 |
Get into
town and find a Honda dealer to do the chain/sprockets work |
May 23, Tue |
Buri Ram,
TH |
77 |
Kick about
the countryside - small roads & final chain work |
May 24, Wed |
Nakhon
Phanom, TH |
277 |
Haul up to
Nakhon Phanom - put some miles on! |
May 25, Thu |
Nong Khai,
TH |
224 |
Waterfall,
Rockets, sunset pix |
May 26, Fri |
Nong Khai,
TH |
138 |
Three
wheeled motorbike taxis, topiary |
May 27, Sat |
Phrae, TH |
362 |
Fun roads
- river scenery, hills. Long trek. |
May 28, Sun |
Phrae, TH |
27 |
(web work)
Wats, jaunting about town. |
May
29, Mon |
Nan, TH |
123 |
Side roads to Nan - remote
mountain twists up, nice valley road along. |
May
30, Tue |
Chiang Mai, TH |
244 |
Mountain roads, waterfall
search, Andrew & Rob |
May
31, Wed |
Chiang Mai, TH |
214 |
A dead ender day - scenic
and FUN - hill villages. |
June
1, Thu |
Chiang Rai, TH |
250? |
Nice scenery - valleys,
hills, clouds. Unexpected curves. Gorge |
June 2, Fri |
Chiang Rai, TH |
6 |
(web work) - no pix |
June 3,
Sat |
Chiang Mai, TH |
178 |
Bike performance issue -
fixed? Yes, Fixed !!! |
June 4,
Sun |
Mae Hong Son, TH |
173 |
Mountain twisties for 85% of
the day - it was a long 173 miles, camera issue - 1.5 hours of photos not
recorded. |
June 5, Mon |
Mae Sot, TH |
268 |
Small road
in remote areas; rain, rain, go away |
June 6, Tue |
Kanchanaburi,
TH |
369 |
A nice day
with pleasant roads and scenery |
June 7, Wed |
Kanchanaburi,
TH |
322 |
Three
Pagodas Pass, good scenery |
June 8, Thu |
Hua Hin, TH |
136 |
River Kwai
bridge, hop to Hua Hin |
June 9,
Fri |
Hua Hin, TH |
5 |
Some rest,
web work, kicking back time - the trip is wrapping up. |
June 10, Sat |
Jomtien
Beach, TH |
265 |
Slogging
along doing transport duty, Bangkok traffic, nighttime beach. |
June 11,
Sun |
Pattaya, TH |
8 |
Return the
bike, final hotel change. |
June 12, Mon |
Pattaya, TH |
0 |
Web work. Kick back and do a
"bunch-o-nutt'n" |
June
13, Tue |
Rockford, IL, US |
10300 |
Travel: Thailand to Home |
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