Planning is half the fun and the past few days have seen me glued to the computer screen, zooming right in on Google Maps and using their Street View in a quest for quiet back roads down in the southern part of Taiwan. Actually, with it being a rural landscape it's not proved taxing, and finding some gems has added to the sense of anticipation. Small lanes bisect uber-agricultural Pingtung County, where pineapples, rice and other crops are cultivated.

Chinese New Year is the longest holiday in Taiwan and traditionally it's a time for family reunions and a big dinner, but many people nowadays travel and go sightseeing. Consequently hotel rates go up and many get fully booked. The good thing is I'm getting away early - nearly a week before most people clock off for a week. Debbie has to work a few days longer then me so won't be coming along.

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Debbie and I once reached Pingtung's southeast coast and looped around the bottom tip of the island, but it's well over a decade since we were there, and it was only a brief visit. This time I'll explore the west side of the county as well as the city of Koahsiung.

There's no fixed timetable and as with most of my rides, getting lost is a given. Sometimes it seems pointless planning, but the thing is I just like looking at maps, wondering what it's all going to be like. As always it'll be a case of suck it & see.