Road in Hualien ca 6:20pm

The night is dark, the road is straight and I keep my hand firmly locked at the 50 kilometers an hour mark. The wind is ripping at my rain cloak and the rain drops pelt my body like little stones. The helmets visor is covered in droplets that cloud my view, I have to concentrate on the white lines to see where I’m going. Lifting the visor to see better is not an option as the drops hitting my face will sting my eyes and my soft exposed skin. The rain is so heavy I can even feel it drumming on my chest as it wets through the plastic rain poncho. Discomfort is the keyword of this 60 kilometer nightmare drive to the warmth of the hotel bed. I stare out in the darkness and rain ahead of me and grit my teeth as I drive on into the night.