For those of us who live in the US, the hardest part of any trip to Taiwan isn’t just the the long flight there – but also settling in to Taiwan’s rhythms once we arrive.  Coming from DC, it was a 12 hour shift for me.  Unlike some trips, where it’s not unreasonable to ride the same day you arrive, Taiwan demands a bit of a transition, which is what I talk about in this post at Blacknell.net.  It’s a photo illustration of our arrival in Taipei and flight out to Taitung, where the riding begins.  It’s also, on the other side of the break, a quick introduction to the others on the trip:

From left to right: Niamh (of Adventures Abroad), John (our guide/magician/miracle worker), Kate (of GlobalSoulAdventures), Mark (of Bikehugger.com), and Beverly (of Beverly Garrity Design & BevCycle).  You’ll be seeing more of them later.  For now, this is their best side.