Three elderly men aged 78, 70 and 66 recently set off from Tainan on a cycling trip around Taiwan. Despite having a combined age of 214, the men were relaxed as they faced the challenge of the open road. One of the men, 78-year-old Lu Wen-rui, is the grandfather of singer Crowd Lu. The other two cyclists are 70-year-old Chen Shui-mu and 66-year-old Chen Wu-hsiung.
The three men set off from Tainan County on Nov. 11 on their mission to travel around the island. On the same evening they arrived in Taitung where they spent the night, before heading off to Sansiantai the following day. On the afternoon of Nov. 13 they arrived in Hualien from where they caught a train to Yilan. Upon arriving in Taipei the trio intend to meet up with Lu’s grandson Crowd Lu, then carry on with their trip around Taiwan.
The round-island trip was initiated by Chen Shui-mu. He has been riding his bike for over a year and had always thought about seeing what he was capable of. He originally wanted to do the trip by himself but his family put their foot down due to safety concerns, which is when he roped in his old pals Lu and Chen.
PHOTO: YANG YI-CHUNG 照片:自由時報記者楊宜中
Lu said that his three days on the road have convinced him that Taiwan’s roads have far too many potholes. He says that cars don’t yield for cyclists, and quite a few incidents left him absolutely terrified.
When asked what the trip meant to them, all three agreed that it would be their last major cycling feat and once this journey is over they won’t be doing another long distance trip. In future, they’ll cycle simply as part of their daily exercise routine but will continue to look for new activities to try their hand at.
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU)
三名年紀分別七十八、七十,與六十六歲的老者,從台南出發繞過南台灣進行單車環島。三人年紀共二百一十四歲,以輕鬆的心情,面對嚴苛的路況考驗。其中七十八歲的盧文瑞還是歌手盧廣仲的祖父。另兩名成員是七十歲的陳水木及六十六歲的陳武雄。
挑戰環島的三人,於本月十一日從台南縣出發騎單車環島,十一日晚間在台東過夜,十二日晚間抵達台東三仙台,十三日下午三時就到達花蓮市,傍晚搭火車前往宜蘭,預定抵達台北時,還將與孫子盧廣仲會合,繼續單車環台行程。
這次三名老人挑戰單車環台,是由陳水木發起的。他說騎單車一年多,總想要繳出一份「成績單」,本來想自己一人完成這趟行程,但家人擔心安全問題硬是不同意,於是,他把「老伴」盧文瑞及陳武雄拖進來。
盧文瑞說,這三天行程讓他感覺台灣的道路坑洞實在太多、車輛也不會禮讓自行車,很多驚險的畫面讓他想來還十分心驚。
對於這趟行程的意義,三名老人異口同聲的說,這趟是他們單車運動的「畢業典禮」,這趟行程後,他們不會再嘗試單車長途挑戰,未來會將單車運動當作日常健身的活動,他們還要再去嘗試其他新奇的事物。
(自由時報記者楊宜中)
Tangbao are one of the most internationally renowned delicacies, that win the hearts of both locals and tourists. Their charm lies in the paper-thin flour wrapper that needs to be folded evenly almost 20 times. Folding a tangbao requires skill to deal with a bulging filling and a thin wrapper. Tangbao are served in a bamboo steamer in which they are steamed, not only adding to the visual appearance, but ensuring they do not get cold before reaching the table. The best way to enjoy a tangbao is to dip it in a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce with
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) announced a seismic change in direction on March 19, hiking interest rates for the first time in 17 years. The move represents an unwinding of an ultra-loose — and maverick -- policy aimed at putting Japan’s “lost decades” of stagnation and deflation behind it. The last time the BoJ raised interest rates was in 2007, but its war against deflation began in earnest in 2013 under then-prime minister Shinzo Abe. “Abenomics” combined generous government spending and central bank monetary easing. The BoJ spent vast amounts on bonds and other assets to pump liquidity into the
A: How much is baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani’s new deal? B: Not long ago, he signed a 10-year contract with the Dodgers at US$700 million, breaking the record in MLB history. A: Wow, the deal’s over NT$22 billion. B: And the opening game of the new season is taking place in South Korea this week. A: I can’t wait to see how the “two-way” player performs in the new season. A: 棒球巨星大谷翔平的身價到底有多高? B: 道奇隊不久前,以十年7億美元合約套牢大谷,創下大聯盟歷史新高。 A: 哇高達220多億台幣耶! B: 而新球季開幕戰本週將在南韓開打唷。 A: 真期待這位「二刀流」球星新球季的表現。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
For the first time, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined a company for improper disposal of its defunct satellite. The satellite cable company Dish Network was fined US$150,000 because it failed to move an old satellite that was no longer in operation to a safe distance from others currently being used. The FCC had asked Dish Network to move one of its older satellites, EchoStar-7, 186 miles further from the Earth. However, the satellite had only advanced 76 miles before it ran out of fuel at the end of its operational life in 2022.