![\"Taiwan](\"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/Taiwan-Cycling-Festival.jpg\" "\\"Taiwan")
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So, as detailed earlier<\/a>, I was invited to attend the the 2010 Taiwan Cycling Festival<\/a>, which officially took place from October 16 to October 24th. \u00c2\u00a0Taiwan’s government, with support from its cycling industry, has been working hard to promote itself as a bike-friendly tourist destination. Over the course of two weeks, I had a chance to see the results of these efforts first hand, and now that I’m (finally) back, it’s time to tell you about it.<\/p>\n Wait, Taiwan<\/em>? <\/strong><\/p>\n Taiwan, for those living in the United States, isn’t a short flight away. \u00c2\u00a0For me, it was a five hour flight from Washington to Los Angeles, and then another 14 hour flight from LAX to Taipei (TPE). \u00c2\u00a0From a US-based traveller’s standpoint, there’s a pretty steep initial cost to any trip to Taiwan: aside from the ticket itself, the 14 hours in a plane (minimum) and the resulting jetlag means that the destination has to be worth all that trouble. \u00c2\u00a0And Taiwan? \u00c2\u00a0Absolutely was. \u00c2\u00a0I was blown away by it. \u00c2\u00a0But speaking of blown away . . .<\/p>\n The Plan Meets Typhoon Megi<\/strong><\/p>\n The original plan for this trip was constructed, in large part, around the inaugural Taiwan Cup. \u00c2\u00a0The Taiwan Cup was designed to be a professional road race highlighting the and headlining a week of amateur racing and organized rides. \u00c2\u00a0Unfortunately,\u00c2\u00a0Typhoon Megi<\/a> changed these plans, not only forcing the cancellation of the Taiwan Cup, but also\u00c2\u00a0resulting in a number of casualties<\/a> along the eastern coast of Taiwan.<\/p>\n We made an initial effort at sticking to the plan, before the severity of the typhoon was apparent, but ultimately had to retreat back to Taipei and the western side of Taiwan. \u00c2\u00a0This was the resulting itinerary:<\/p>\n \n\n
![Typhoon Megi<\/a> changed these plans, not only forcing the cancellation of the Taiwan Cup, but also\u00c2\u00a0](\"http:\/\/farm2.static.flickr.com\/1147\/5105727702_a88a5d70e3.jpg\"){kind=link}