I got invited to go on a trip to Tibet the last week of September, coming back in early October. That certainly sideswipes plans while changing nothing. It will be difficult getting through these next two weeks until the trip without the possibility that the next day may be the day.

But it's Tibet. Anywhere else I would have declined, but with Tibetan Buddhism influencing so much of my thinking and my path, I feel it compelling to take this opportunity to stand on the land, even though it's currently occupied by the Chinese who continue to commit cultural genocide there. I've never felt a need to go to Tibet. I don't expect the feeling I had in Japan or in the Sonoran desert of Arizona that something was very familiar about the land itself. Like an energy emanating from it that told me it once was home.

It isn't lost on me that things like this constantly come up in my life to sabotage any plans towards suicide, and perpetuate the notion that I will, in fact, live forever. Even when I grow old and it really is time for my natural death, I'll simply not die out of habit. Something will have come up.

Not a ride, but exploring the new bridge in Taipei County west of Taipei and it's catwalk access:

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 3:14 p.m. - They anticipated high usage by cyclists and made ramps instead of stairs leading up to the catwalks! Looking east across the Danshui River at Taipei and its landmark buildings.

3:15 p.m. - Same vantage point but looking south. Banqiao city, the Taipei County seat, is dead center between the Xindian River going off to the left and Dahan River to the right. The two rivers drain at this point to form the Danshui River which flows to the coast and drains into the Taiwan Strait.

3:17 p.m. - Literally "new north large bridge". All of the cities and townships of Taipei County are soon to be consolidated into one city that will surround Taipei city. Literally translated it will be called New North City 新北市, but will be rendered in English as New Taipei City. Not very imaginative, but neither is "United States of America". I sure can't think of anything better.

3:20 p.m. - Basically the same as the first pic, including the bridge.

3:20 p.m. - Same vantage point looking the other way. So technically it's more of a flyway rather than a "bridge" and only identifiable as such because of the cable-stay tower, which is all over land. 

3:25-3:27 p.m. - Crossing the Dahan River, the flyway catwalk is built underneath the roadway. My first thought was that this would be a fun place to be during a typhoon! Or not.

3:30 p.m. - Banqiao city riverside park with the Dahan River on the right. Across the river, the townships of Xinzhuang and Shulin further down will become districts of New Taipei City. In the distance are highlands west of the Taipei basin (topographically speaking) which I crossed a few days ago. 

3:34 p.m. - The catwalk system is not contiguous all the way to Taipei. After getting off the flyway catwalk, it's only a short distance to the already-existing Huajiang Bridge to go back to Taipei proper.

3:39 p.m. - Back in Taipei, off the Huajiang Bridge.