Thanksgiving 2009

I am thankful for this life, for the chance of roaming the earth in the arms of my beloved family, by the hands of my awesome friends.

The Giant Iguana, my bike, is ready, loaded with enough food for a day. It is amazing how cheap food is in Taiwan. The bill for water, fruit, orange juice, half a chicken, bread and a sausage was 382 NTD, a little bit more than 10 USD. The day is just about to start, the sea is waiting, always waiting...

Hsinchu is not Taipei, a left alone Lexus, its engine purring with nobody in sight, reminds me. Taiwan is not Mexico, an arms dealer shop which is empty of costumers makes me have the day nightmare of such a store back home...

Quality of life, city parks to sit and enjoy breakfast at the shade of a massive tree while a traffic department lady checks the cars for parking permits. Civilization, being able to bike without risking one's life enjoying statues here and there; unblemish statues, grafitti seems to be as foreign as it sounds. Hsinchu is not a big city, respect seems to be still a currency...

The fields, the city is left behind, come with a realization: Taiwan is a secesionist of China. Jet fighter patrols taking off every 10 minutes and landing accordingly make me thing about the surrealism behind living in a country that is not a country, at least not for the UN and the world biggest players. The war birds are as beutiful as dangerous. Fear is not up for the trip. This is a trip of peace, a thanksgiving tour...

A small town, Hsinchu Harbor, appears. Crisis, an unfinished highway stays in the middle of the river leading to a certain death if one were to follow it. It reminds me of the ghost mall and hotels in downtown Hsinchu City, another face of the same coin. There were always better times in the past...

The sea! The needle sting of sand blast off by the wind. The sea! Immense, surrounding everything, both peaceful and turbulent. A lively sea. At last we met windy Taiwan Straight. The sand is dark, the sea is brave, the wind is strong. I'm home. Beware me, shouts the sea, once you dwell on me nothing is the same...

The Harbor's park is lively, kytes flight up on the sky, families group around the jungle gyms, fish are taken out of the water by amateur fishermen, tandem bykes parading love around. It's a thursday in Taiwan...

17km await, flirting, promising time to think and the companionship of just the sea. The common sense tries to stop me as the batteries of the gps give up half way. Now it is time to get lost, in order to find something...

The sun sets on the horizon, wind turbines swoop, the mangroove stands still. Peace...

The way back flows, no need for senses, no need for maps, no need to trace your steps back. Just flow...

9 hours and 50km later I'm back home, thankful for this life, for this place, for this chance.