September 23rd

September 23, 2022

Longtan

I know what you're thinking (you heard Joe Biden recently state it)... the epidempic is over. No doubt you regard lockdowns as a thing of the past and haven't worn a mask for months. Well, not here. At least, not yet. Local Covid rates are about as high as they've ever been and while the government has recenetly decided to scrap the compulsory three-day period of quarantine for visitors, many are still not allowed to enter the country.

When I flew back to Taiwan in early July, I actually had a week in quarantine as I'd caught Covid en route - probably in Manchester's chaotic airport. Anyway, cycling in Taiwan was a big no-no after that, what with the temperture during August touching 40°C, but this past week things have become more bearable and cycling is finally on the cards.

With all that in mind, it seems like a good idea to resurrect this journal. It occured to me yesterday while out with Ralph - we cycled 30-odd kilomters south, then got a train home - but I didn't take my camera. Today is nice again, with the temperature around 30°C.

Visiting a coffee shop in Longtan makes for a nice ride of about 25km. I've a new camera and it's obviously been a while since my last visit there - before I flew over to the UK on April 1st.

Outside Louisa Coffee in Longtan at about 10:40

It takes about 40 minutes to cycle to the town of Longtan and the route is one that's very familiar - from the assortment of buildings and the bends in the road to the couple of busy intersections and small fields of rice. Nevertheless, I keep my eye out for anything that's managed to escape my attention and which may make for an interesting photo. It could be a chair, or a window, but I've been thinking of new topics and am toying with the idea of taking shots of allotment sheds. We'll see.

A wooden stool for me and a traffic cone for g

After an iced latte in Louia Coffee, I venture along the main street in Longtan and pop in a clothng store called NET and get 70 percent off five items, then veer down a nearby side street hoping to find some old homes with original features, but soon spot a salvage yard. There's a stack of metal objeccts outside and it occurs to me they might have an old metal window grill. Buying one as a decorative piece for the living room has been on my agenda for a while now.

My luck is in as I spot a turquise painted grill tied up a few metres from the concrete floor. A woman appears and gestures it's not for sale - it is on display along with various other items that offer a kind of exhibition of reclaimed junk. There are vintage bicycles, old TVs and whatnot nearby.

Disappointed, I ask if she gets these kind of things brought in very often and her son then arrives on a motor scooter and his English is decent. He says they get them now and again, but his father wants to keep the small grill on display. Curious, I ask how much something like it would cost if it were for sale and he tells me it depends on the weight, guessing it'd be about NT$100 = US$3. This is cheap and my expectation was the decimal point should be moved and make him an offer of NT$500. He relays this to his father, who then nods in acceptance. Everything has a price.

I bought the turquoise metal window grill for NT$500 - about US$17

The son clambers up a ladder, brings the grill down and helps tie it to my rear rack. It's bulky and a bit heavy, but won't be too much of a problem to get home.

Having got NT$500, the trio know I'm not a timewaster and seem happy to engage in a discusion about other grills, then the father points out one I'd missed. It's big - about 2 metres long - but stacked behind an assortment of scrap metal. It'll need a truck to get this thing home. Nevertheless, I know I'll be back before very long and ask for the son's name card so that Debbie can phone to see how much it'll cost etc.

My vague plan had been to perhaps go on a longer ride involving a couple of decent climbs, but with the grill tied to my bike, I make do with going around the south side of town on a quiet path. As it is my kickstand snapped in the scrap yard while loading teh rack on teh bike - the weight of the grill no doubt hastening its demise. That's OK... like most alloy kickstands, it always seemed a bit wanky.

What looks like slices of guava drying in the sun

Carrying a wide load on the south side of Longtan

The straps on the Carradice bag are frail and snapping

After cruising around Longtan's southern edge I stop at a small cafe that does nice homemade dumplings and order 10. It's a bit busy and I sit at a table with a man who asks where I'm from. He's polite, but says it'd be best if he dined alone at another table due to not wanting to catch Covid. It's not something that people in England would have said.

So far I haven't seen much to photograph. I spotted a couple of windows earlier, but they were not very special and looked fairly modern. I know there are allotments on teh way home and make a mental note to watch for sheds, which are invariably ramshackle strucures made from discarded materials such as advertising hoardings and broken doors.

The first shed I see is almost new and lacks character, but soon after I see one that's comprised of various types of sheet metal. Looking at the display on my camera, it's hard to say if these photos will work.

Waiting for lunch in a small cafe after a customer left the table to dine alone

Shed on an allotment -- maybe this will become a photo project

Chair -- it's been a while since I took one of these photos

Today's ride: 28 km (17 miles)
Total: 1,732 km (1,076 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	3
Comment on this entry	Comment	0