See the True Taiwan: an insiders guide

A lot of people who visit and relocate to Taiwan are curious about getting out on two wheel in what has been described as a cycling paradise. The idea this island is paradise is a misnomer and puts way too much pressure on this island to perform. Taiwan is most correctly called a good place to cycle. All of Taiwan's cities are easily biked because the infrastructure is set up for scooters. You'll be moving slower than scooters and you won't be treated the same way, but there is definitely more respect than you'd get in most western cities. Drivers in Taiwan rarely have issues with bikes, and they're not driving badly to piss you off or to make a statement about the place bikes have in society. If they're driving poorly it's just because they're bad drivers, plus the driving culture here is based on perceived privilege and the idea that might makes right. There are also some rather glaring flaws in the legal system for punishing drivers who hit ped...

While enjoying a picnic lunch in a park gazebo on a rain soaked afternoon recently, I watched a foreign couple scampering from shelter to shelter trying to stay dry under their undersized umbrellas. Due to the sheer volume of rain for the previous days there were deep, foot drenching puddles which were best avoided. The guy jumped a tiny baby hop over the puddle in his shoes, the girl side stepped the deepest part in her sandals. The guy fell flat on his ass, and the girl didn't. This is from where I was sitting when he fell. He slipped on the exact same tiles which - seen here - are obviously an accident waiting to happen. Get off balance for a single second, and down you'll go. At the risk of jinxing myself to fall and break something, I'd like to say that Taiwan on a rainy day becomes half ice rink half obstacle course. Visitors be warned, and residents, be re-warned. The above sidewalk is outside of a massive twenty story apartment complex. Chi...