The R@SKLs in Taiwan: Day 6

It was a cold, wet and windy Sunday morning.  Not a good time to be outside on a bicycle.

We had other things on our mind anyway.  Firstly, how to fit our bikes back into their cases?  I get there in the end but am never able to duplicate the way I got my bike to fit in its case the last time.

We took our bike cases to the hotel lobby at 8.00am.  Xiao Ger was waiting to load them onto a small truck for transport to Taoyuan Airport.

At breakfast, the thirty-three boxes of Sunny Hills pineapple cake that we ordered were distributed.  Many Taiwanese consider these the best Feng Li Su (pineapple cakes).  I had strict orders to bring some home for my Biker Chick.

TH, Kiam Woon, and Heng Keng went to the Rapha Taipei shop after breakfast.  They wanted to buy Pai a gift in appreciation of all his hard work arranging this trip and looking after us so well.  Sadly they had been misinformed about the Sunday opening times.  The Rapha cafe opens at 9.00am, but the shop doesn’t open until noon on Sundays.  So they came back empty-handed.

As with our arrival, we were on different flights departing Taipei.  Lay, Simon, and Pai were the first at the airport.  They followed the lorry carrying our bike cases, helped unload them, and kept an eye on them while waiting for the rest of us to arrive.

Luane, Voon Kiat, Ralf, and Aaron were next.  I don’t know how the Hong Kong boys convinced Luanne to get drinks for them.

Photograph courtesy of Lai Voon Kiat

Photograph courtesy of Luanne Sieh

The six boys on the MAS flight checked in together.  Which was a good thing for those who had overweight check-in bags.  (Courtesy of the Kavalan distillery shop).  The counter staff allowed us to lump together the weight of our check-in bags so that the average weight came under our individual baggage allowances.

Photograph courtesy of Liew Kiam Woon

Then it was on to one last snack before boarding.

We all had a fabulous time in Taiwan.  And we can’t thank Pai, Xiao Ger, and Ah Dar enough for all that they did to make our cycling visit to Taiwan such a success.