Misty mountains mount memorable siege against my motorcycle,
as modern mechanics triumph [if only I was riding a Triumph],
and we surmount the mountain passes,
only to be turned around by a typhoon.
Monde Moderne Haiku
Reply
Monthly Archives: June 2012
A brief stop on the life’s to do list
Life Goal: Have top practitioners of the 3 tea ceremonies practicing together – CHECK
Life Goal: watch; breath; repeat – CHECK
Knowing I made this happen? – a wonderful feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment – now, back to work.
Extreme ChaXi – Taiwan Coast
What could be more extreme than making ChaXi on a rocky outcropping jutting into the ocean as typhoon driven waves crash violently against the rocks next to you and the rain pounds down with drops the size of hail (seriously, it started hailing as soon as we got back on the bike!) ?
Perhaps nothing but Okapi hunting.
The White Knight – An Every Day Hero
Sometimes, people for no reason but to be helpful and kind, go far out of their way to help others; this is one of those times. As I alluded to in this post, Pat and I got (very) lost on the small section of our ride from Banciao to SanXia, before the mountains ever started. To be fair, that was the trickiest part of our directions (in Chinese) because we had to get on and off and back on to 3 exits / on ramps in a row underneath the actual highway (motorcycles aren’t allowed on the actual raised freeways). We never would have found it without help. And help we had.
With just a simple question of location, Pat and I made a 180 degree U-turn, and then, after reflection, The White Knight (all white 250cc scooter, way faster than our bike, and in a white shirt) was off, coming out from behind us, with his son hanging on, and motioning for us to follow him. It must have looked like a chase scene, because he kept up a fast clip! He spent 15 min getting us on the right on ramp (where this photo was taken).
We don’t have his name, or any way to contact him, so here is our thanks, and a salute to the the Every Day Hero.
Extreme ChaXi – Taiwan Mountain Side
Doing ChaXi is one thing; doing it on the side of a mountain in the rain off your motorcycle is quite another. This is Extreme ChaXi. Welcome to the game.