Luke Liu, or the beauty of Taiwan
As I drive around the world, I necessarily meet people every day. Some quickly become friends with whom I keep in touch even after sad goodbyes. Luke Liu was one of those friends.
I met Luke in the mountains of Taiwan on my way to Mount Wuling. We see it, moreover, laughing, from 2min30 in this video on my long climb. Himself then produced this video, where he writes about me in Mandarin:
A travel author from Canada,
Who only has his only bike loaded with all his luggage,
Left his footprints in dozens of countries.
This time he goes to Taiwan,
Still alone in another strange land
To ride in the beautiful Taroko.
On a single lane that leads to Wuling,
A nice meeting seems to be inevitable.
Then....
A short, pleasant conversation.
This trip to Wuling is a sign of perseverance,
But also unforgettable memories.
With Luke, right, and James, at one of Taipei's many night markets.
After this climb, I saw Luke, and several of his friends, several times in Taipei, the Taiwanese capital. Despite a certain language barrier, we quickly became friends. So much so that he even organized a group outing to take me back to the ferry that would take me to China.
When I left Taiwan, I knew we would stay in touch.
What I didn't know was that my friend would die the next day.
Luke represented to me all the beauty of Taiwan. He had an openness, energy and kindness out of the ordinary. He had a head full of projects and jumped at every learning opportunity. And didn't wait until later to live and maybe that's why we got along so well.
Luke, thanks for everything. For your family, for your friends… and for you if you can hear me anywhere, here it is, our last bike ride.
It's one thing to go on an adventure alone or as a couple, it's quite another to embark on a cycle tour with children. I spoke to four families who nevertheless demonstrate that with a little preparation and adaptation, cycling remains the best way to travel and grow. Here is the fourth.