we traveled by slow train from taipei to hualien. the train ride along the east coast of taiwan was gorgeous. it is a perfect mix of mountains and beaches.
when we got to hualien, we got on a tour bus and headed for taroko gorge. it was more incredible than i ever imagined. at the visitors center, and aboriginal taiwanese man tried to teach me how to play one of their cool instruments. {if you want to hear this instrument, it is in a youtube video here. fast forward to about 2min 30seconds.}
we headed off to explore the gorge....
ran into a few creepy crawlers....
isn't this place so beautiful?
this aboriginal woman sits and weaves cloth all day. she had amazing talent. her shop had so many beautiful items. i may have bought a few things for gifts....
we had to wear helmets and beware of "falling rocks"
one components of our hike was a trek up a thousand stairs to get to a buddhist monastery. it isn't hollywood making all those stairs up to the top in karate-kid. there really were a ton, and they were very steep.
then we saw the eternal spring shrine, which is kind of the picture of taroko gorge. it's a waterfall and temple literally in the mountainside.
we finished off the day's adventures with a surprise stop at hualien beach! the sand is actually black rocks, not sand - most of the rocks were at least the size of a black bean. it was stormy and lovely.
our nighttime activity included the jade/coral market {i bought presents!} and a aborginal song/dance performance.
{p.s. this is the view from outside of our hotel in hualien. a little bit quieter than tainan, don't you think?}
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