Zhushan

A problem occurred when I arrived at the accommodation yesterday.  One of the two top rubber corner straps broke on the bike mobile phone holder.  The phone is my lifeline.  I use it for the internet, as a translator and satnav.  The last thing I want is for the phone to slip out of the holder when I cycling and get damaged.

Searching for a temporary solution I remembered I had some black insulation tape.  I tried using it to hold the top of the phone to the holder.  It didn't work!

Whilst sitting on the bed trying to think of a solution I glanced down and saw…….

Never seen them in a hotel.  But they are made of rubber and do stretch.  I could make an elastic band to secure the phone in the holder.  I did wonder what the maid would think in the morning.  One old male on his own and a condom missing.  What did he do?

Getting out of Chiayi City proved to be a trial.  The damned satnav was determined to take me down very narrow and busy alleyways.  Hawker stalls on either side whilst I try to cycle through pedestrians and scooters.  The the satnav got lost taking me back south before then deciding I'd reached my destination.  I switched from OSMAND to Google Maps.  It wasn't much of an improvement.  After directing me down several narrow lanes Google tried to take me over a long pedestrian suspension bridge which had a anti-bike barrier.  Eventually I managed to extract myself out the north side of the city.  But not before I'd wasted an hour and done a number of unnecessary kilometres.

I was hoping for rural roads and little traffic.  Fat chance on this side of Taiwan!  The towns have all grown to the point where their outskirts have joined into one large urban sprawl. 

The most annoying part are the traffic lights.  I'd just get up to cruising speed only to reach the next set of lights that would turn red.  Stop… wait… and start again.

At one set of lights I noticed a large building.

It's the municipal chambers

The road looked like the above most of the way….. Boring!

The rice crop has been harvested. 

I'll probably be going over those hills tomorrow

After 56km I reached my destination for the day - Zhushan.  I couldn't find the first hostel and eventually cycled to a second.  Another 3* Hotel.  The man at reception spoke a little English and we also used Google Translate.  I was rather puzzled when his written Google Translate phase asked if I wanted to rest or stay?

The hotel is similar to the one I stayed at last night with a lockable garage below the room.

Plenty of room in the garage for the bike and there was also a power point enabling me to get the battery charged without removing it from the bike.

Whilst looking for the garage door control box I noticed a soft drink vending machine on the garage wall.  That might be handy!

Being a naïve lad it took me several seconds to realise what the machine actually dispensed.  Some of the items on the bottom row looked particularly interesting.  Should I purchase one and take it home for Jan?  It was at that moment I realise why I'd been asked if I wanted to "rest" or "stay".   You can hire a room by the hour.  And on the wall beside the stairs to the room was a sign.

I believe I know the type of "consumption" they are referring to!!

My room for the night. 

I hope it isn't going to be too noisy