Taiwan: Taroko National Park Chapter 39 - Dec. 26, 2015-Dec 31, 2015

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1 Taiwan: Taroko National Park - Dec. 26, 2015-Dec 31, 2015 Twas the night after Christmas when we (my trustworthy traveling companion & I) embarked upon our trip to Taiwan. This trip had been originally planned for earlier in the year but we had to postpone until December due to financial & scheduling conflicts. I was a bit apprehensive going at this time of the year given my cold intolerance and leaving Chiang Mai with temperatures in the 30 s. But, as it turned out, the temperatures were not such a major factor, but the scarf, sweaters, gloves & heavy jacket of course helped me through this trip! We arrived at the Taipei Int l Airport in Taoyuan via VAir and stayed at the Hotel Today (Taoyuan) which is close to the airport. This was the first time we had flown VAir and it turned out to be a very good flight, nice attendants, etc. The next morning we made our way to the Taoyuan Railway Station by foot ( a very short hike) and departed for Taipei. Once we arrived in Taipei, we took another train to the Hualien Railway Station located on the East coast of Taiwan. Upon arrival, we walked to the Chantai Hotel and checked in. Shortly afterwards, our tour guide arrived to take us to the Taroko Page 1 of 7

2 National Park. We had retained & coordinated with the company named Taiwan Vista Tour earlier in the year for a 1/2 day tour. This tour company turned out to be very good and exceeded our expectations mostly due to our guide, Simon, who went out of his way to get us everywhere we wanted to go and exceeded the time initially allowed for our visit. This and the wealth of information he informed us with led to believe that I would hire them again should I return to Taiwan to explore further. On the way to Taroko, we stopped at the beach along the way & were told the story of the Ocean sunfish, Mola mola, which migrate from the Philippines northward and are caught along the way. After our brief stop here we moved on to higher ground to the Qingshui Cliffs. Here we decided on a group photo as taken by our guide. Page 2 of 7

3 Certainly a breathtaking view indeed! After our stop here, we moved on to Taroko National Park But along the way Simon made a quick stop to allow us to try a local favorite treat Mochi at the Cengji Magi shop. Mochi (Mandarin: muaji) is a popular Japanese confection. They are made from glutinous rice pounded into a paste and formed into balls. Mochi come in various flavors that are either mixed in with the rice paste or added as a filling in the centre, or both. The Mochi I tried was rolled in a peanut powder. Of course, due to its sweetness, I could only have one, but it was very delicious & easy to see why they are popular. So jazzed with a little sugar high, we ventured onward to Taroko NP. Upon arrival we stopped at the Visitor Center to take a brief tour of the complex. Page 3 of 7

4 After we left the Visitor Center we made our way up the road to our first hike, the Shakadang Trail. Our guide dropped us off at the end of a tunnel & stated he would pick us up on the other side. The trail actually starts inside the tunnel & is full of stairs up & down along the canyon wall affording many interesting views. The trail passes through an aborigine reservation that is still being farmed by the Taroko tribe. Occasionally, they ride their motorbikes along portions of the same trail. Page 4 of 7

5 The following are various views along the hiking trails we took My traveling companion & I posing with the Eternal Spring Temple behind us. Page 5 of 7

6 Thoughts of Jurassic Park came to mind while we traversed our way along the canyon walls. Above us the fog was rolling in engulfing the peaks into obscurity. The rock that makes up this area is all marble so it obviously took a very long time to carve out these canyons. Amazingly, despite the harsh conditions, some plants manage to grow in the rock. Page 6 of 7

7 Our tour of the park was over all too soon, but Simon kept us there until almost dark & then gave as ride back into town so that we could explore the local night market. We tried some of the local offerings by various food stalls & were entertained by these lion dancers along the way. I m not sure whether this was the traditional northern or southern lion dance but my guess given our location & the costume it was the southern Cantonese lion style. The following morning headed back up to Taipei via train. The train system here is very well done, was very comfortable, on time & must have been very expensive to construct given the terrain & many tunnels. Next stop Taipei & Alishan National Scenic Area! Page 7 of 7