Almost from the moment I left Tainan’s Guanmiao District (關廟) and entered Longci District (龍崎), I could hear the distinctive two-note screech of a crested serpent eagle.
These reptile-hunters are often heard and just as often seen in Taiwan’s foothills. Pedaling southeast on City Highway 182, I glimpsed one circling in the distance then I kept my head down and devoted myself to maintaining a reasonable speed on an uphill section. I’m not the kind of cyclist who relishes tough climbs, but I’ve always enjoyed Road 182. None of its gradients are brutal, and the scenery is a mix of