With only eight days in Taiwan I didn't want to spend all of it in Taipei and I wasn't interested in spending much time on the more populated west coast. Taiwan's east coast is home to many of the country's natural wonders. Yesterday I thanked Erwin for his hospitality and then I made my way to Hualien. Janet and Leigh are a nice couple whom I met via BeWelcome when I was in Hong Kong. They've been to Taiwan before and recommended Taroko Gorge. Taking a bus from Taipei, I had to get on a train at Luodong. I meant to get on the slightly faster train but I ended up getting on the slower (and cheaper) local train. Off I stepped into another world and another part of Taiwan in Hualien. I couldn't find a CouchSurfing host in Hualien so I checked into Big Bear Hostel, complete with giant stuffed teddy bears all over the place. What amazes me is how Taiwan is such a developed country yet it's so inexpensive. Staying at the hostel costs only about $8 (US) per night and overall, the cost of food in Taiwan is very reasonable. Last night I met a gorgeous, bubbly lady named Mel. She's originally from Zimbabwe and raised in England. She and I would stay up fairly late and talk and then we decided on making a run for Taroko Gorge today.
After three grey days in Taipei and fickle weather in Hualien yesterday, we finally had a sunny day today. Mel and I would have breakfast and coffee at 7-Eleven and then walk hand-in-hand toward the bus terminal. The bus ticket to Taroko Gorge includes a map with some ideas of hikes and stuff to do. My mouth dropped in awe at my first sight of Taroko Gorge as we made the turn in away from the coast. Mel originally wanted to hire a motorscooter. Initially I felt the Taiwanese are good drivers but after seeing an accident last night and another on the way to Taroko today I decided against that idea. The driver's personal belongings were strewn about and his motorscooter was severely damaged but it appeared he was OK. Buses aren't too expensive and it seems it's not too difficult to hitchhike so it's better to be safe than sorry. Mel and I would exit the final stop in Tianxiang.
After introducing Mel to geocaching (she seems to really enjoy the game) I feasted on kung pao chicken for lunch. There's even a 7-Eleven deep in Taroko Gorge. I wanted to do a bit of hiking but foolishly I wore thongs (flip-flops) today. With hiking out for now we were focused on just admiring the beautiful scenery. A geocache would lead me to this...
I flew Juliett for the first time in Taiwan, soaring her to 500 metres for some great shots of the gorge.
This would end up being the only time I flew Juliett in Taiwan but I sure picked a great place to do it. By about 4 PM we were tired and decided we could possibly come back here tomorrow. It seems to be only in Taiwan you'll find cool stuff like this as we disembarked in Hualien.
Mel and I would run around like maniacs this evening trying to find a good place to eat. I wanted to take her to a bento restaurant I had dinner at last night but they were closed. All our running around paid off as we found a fabulous restaurant serving Taiwanese hot pot. "I feel we've hit the jackpot" I said to Mel as I knew this would be an interesting cultural experience. This is what the table looks like without being set...
She opted for beef and I opted for lamb...
We had to wait a bit for it to cook...
The end result is one of the most delicious meals I could ever have! Mel and I were both in awe this evening. Whilst there were a few little bits I wouldn't eat the hot pot was delicious. Whilst I enjoy the Asian dining scene I have to be careful what I eat as well. Who ever thought of eating chicken feet, duck tongue, pig intestines, and dog meat, amongst other things? Things I wouldn't try in a million years. Dinner tonight certainly didn't break the bank: it only cost us about US$4 each and included ice cream and tea. All the running around made it worth it.
I really like Mel. She's very sweet with a very bubbly personality. She enjoys what I do and seems really impressed by all the travelling I've done. We'd stay up late again talking about our time in Taiwan and about how wonderful it is here. It's come from a country that I never really gave any thought to, to being one of my favourite destinations. I flat-out love it here! Who am I to complain when I'm faced with friendly locals, gorgeous gorges, delicious hot pots, and a wonderful lady?
