Asia

Hello Taiwan

Posted by on 31, Jan 2020 in 2020 - Winter in Taiwan, Taiwan, Tilly the Tandem | Comments Off on Hello Taiwan

Hello Taiwan

http://www.lindaandjon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/VID_20200127_112357.mp4 Everything went like clockwork for the journey from Ipswich to Taipei. The taxi turned up 45 mins early, we arrived at Norwich airport hours early and had an easy check in with no problems with our luggage or Tilly and a nice snack and farewell Jenever at an airport bar at Schipol before boarding the 12 hour flight to Taipei. That went smoothly, was comfortable with plenty of leg room, good food and a good entertainment system too. Shame about the babies that cried non stop but that’s what ear plugs are...

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All packed up and ready to go

Posted by on 27, Jan 2020 in 2020 - Winter in Taiwan, Taiwan, Tilly the Tandem | Comments Off on All packed up and ready to go

All packed up and ready to go

This year we’re off to Taiwan to circumnavigate the island in an anti clockwise direction, hopefully taking full advantage of the winds down the west coast to get our fitness back before we hit the hills on the east coast. We’re flying with KLM from Norwich and have as usual got to strip Tilly down to the bare essentials to get in our weight and size limits. We have 23kg and dimensions of 205 x 25 x 75 to squeeze her into and surprisingly this year it was all fairly straight forward. Sadly our battery on the phone ran out at the end of the time-lapse video below toward the end....

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Not North Korea!

Posted by on 30, Oct 2016 in 2016 - South Korea, Asia, North Korea, South Korea, Tilly the Tandem | 0 comments

Not North Korea!

North Korean Border (almost!) 5 days  225km 669m climbed (Grand Total 2213km 8309m climb) ​Once a month the South Koreans allow cyclists to cycle along the DMZ which is as close as you’re likely to get to North Korea on a bike.   We’d signed up for this tour when we arrived in Seoul in October and had thought it would be for a dozen or so people.  There were in fact hundreds of us, all in yellow Jerkins, hard hats and electronic ID cards cross checked against your passport before the trip. You only get to cycle 17km, but it’s an experience cycling next to a...

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Geumgang – our last river

Posted by on 27, Oct 2016 in 2016 - South Korea, Asia, South Korea, Tilly the Tandem | 0 comments

Geumgang – our last river

Mokpo to Dejou 3 days 219km  climb 797m (1985km total) ​We got the bus from Mokpo to the start of our final river The Geumgang arriving in Gunsan just after lunch.  A short cycle later and we were sitting in the tent enjoying the fabulous late afternoon sunshine which, by morning had turned into a thick wet mist.  Not the best thing to find when you wake up in a tent. By the time we’d got packed up the mist was thinning, we’d set off almost needing our fog lights but minutes later the sunshine burst through for another lovely day.  We’ve been...

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Jeju

Posted by on 23, Oct 2016 in 2016 - South Korea, Asia, South Korea, Tilly the Tandem | 0 comments

Jeju

​Jeju island 272km 6 days Climb 1296m (1765km total) Our ferry trip was an experience in itself. We couldn’t buy a ticket in advance but had to make a reservation and then turn up on the day early to pay.  Tilly always causes problems at ferrys.  What do you charge a tandem? Two bikes, one and a half or one? So what usually happens is our phone with a picture of a tandem on, gets passed from staff member to staff member until one of them is prepared to make a decision. Two bikes this time.  Next you have to wheel the bike into the baggage hall and then get waved out of a...

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Up and down stream

Posted by on 17, Oct 2016 in 2016 - South Korea, Asia, South Korea, Tilly the Tandem | 0 comments

Up and down stream

Seomjingang and Yeongsangang Rivers​440km 9 days 1386m climb (1525km total) Getting the bus proved easy. We turned up and asked for tickets at the booth and the lady immediately called a man over who took us out to the coach parkijg with our bike, showed us where the bus parked, checked with other drivers we’d get Tilly on and then bought our tickets for us at an automated machine.  Very helpful. The ride through the countryside was a lovely change from cycling too. Sitting back and watching the world go by in air-conditioned luxury instead of peddling away in sweat conditioned...

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