A cool note from Stephen…

You guys will remember our good buddy Utah Stephen…

I received a nice note from him a couple of weeks ago and I am just now catching up on things.    Check this out…

Hey Joe,

I was just on your blog and I happen to be in Taiwan for a couple weeks working on eyewear/lens stuff. I took these shots the other day and I think it’s line with some of the ones you’ve been posting. You’re China ride looks amazing! Wish I could do that! One of these days I’m going to ride around the perimeter of Taiwan. I wish you the best on your journey. Ride safe!

Stephen

Thanks very much, Stephen.   That’s a great photo.

You know, much to my surprise, I’m not seeing too many cases of overloaded scooters and the kinds of scooter photos people post from other Asian countries.  China is really booming and it is dramatically different from what I saw 20+ years ago when I first started traveling here.   I’m going to write a lot more about that in Riding China.  One of the biggest differences is bicycles.   25 years ago, China was awash in utilitarian commuter bicycles (the famous “Flying Pigeon” brand, for example).  I just haven’t seen any of that on this trip and we are seeing the real China.   The few bicycles I’ve seen have mostly been recreational high-end road and mountain bikes.   There’s quite a story to tell about the changes I’ve seen over the years in this country.