Taroko GorgeWe woke up after a late New Year’s Eve for a day trip to the Taroko Gorge, a dramatic landscape in one of Taiwan’s most famous national parks. The gorge is inhabited by the Truku aboriginal people, who are ethnically distinct from the Han Chinese majority in Taiwan. We took a windy bus ride to Tianxiang village, where we saw a magnificent Buddhist temple perched atop a rocky outcrop. We then hiked on a ledge carved into the gorge towards Lushui, another small village. Dinner in TaipeiWe returned to Taipei the next day, and Robert visited the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial dedicated to Taiwan’s first president while I took a nap in the hostel. Based on the imposing size and magnificence of the memorial, Chiang’s legacy looms large in Taiwan. We had dinner at Sukiya, a Japanese chain restaurant specializing in gyudon (beef bowls) and curry. Since we wanted something light, we ordered a la carte selections of miso soup, rice, vegetables, and an egg. We walked to Ximending, Taipei’s shopping district, for shaved ice, a popular Taiwanese dessert. AlishanThe next morning, we departed for Alishan. After traveling for much of the day, we arrived at our hotel as it was getting dark and a thick layer of clouds was settling on the town – it was difficult to see even a short distance ahead. With limited dining options available and reluctant to venture out into the fog, we decided to have a cozy night in. Our hotel’s restaurant did not have English menus, and none of the servers spoke any English, so we used Google Translate to decipher the menu and communicate with our waitress. Apparently, this was very amusing to the other patrons who gathered around our table and took pictures of us. We were finally able to get some food – pan-fried fish in a spicy, Sichuan broth. We went to bed early in anticipation of the 5am wakeup call the next morning. Ever since the Alishan Forest Railway was completed in the early 1900s, Alishan has been among the most popular weekend getaways in Taiwan. At about 2,500 meters high (8,200 feet), Alishan is best known for its resplendent sunrises among the mystical clouds and surrounding mountains. Fortunately, the weather had cleared when we walked to the train early the next morning. The full moon shone brightly, and we saw twinkling stars as the train ascended to the viewing spot. When we arrived, soft pink and luminous orange slivers broke over the mountains, and we huddled amongst dozens of Taiwanese and Chinese tourists waiting for the sun to rise fully above the clouds. We briefly escaped the crowd by walking uphill to the helicopter pad to get some better pictures (walking uphill or upstairs for more than three minutes is a guaranteed strategy to avoid crowds). After breakfast, we walked through the winding scenic forest areas home to sacred giant Cypress trees over 2,000 years old. We ate fried rice and hot pot vegetables for dinner at the hotel restaurant. Today, we splurged on the 186mph high-speed train back to Taipei, where we are spending our final night in Taiwan. We are about to leave for a last meal of soup dumplings and beer at Din Tai Fung before tomorrow’s early flight to Bangkok.
3 Comments
Mila Wendt
1/23/2018 04:47:00 am
Hi! We are friends of your cousin Valerie and she shared your blog link with us today.
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Alexa Barsky
1/23/2018 07:33:27 pm
Hi Mila and Gary,
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Mila
1/23/2018 09:03:41 pm
We greatly enjoyed Mandalay, Bagan, cruising the Irawaddy and Inle Lake (despite wet weather at Inle). We rented bicycles in Bagan and took our time. Yangon was least attractive place other than the main temple. Ngapali Beach was a wonderful break of three days. We took the time to go off the beaten track to Lei Thar Gone Guesthouse and were so glad we did. It is a guesthouse that the proceeds fund a school. Originally the children were HIV orphans but the founder, Eric, has broadened to include community children. In addition, he supports elderly women in their homes. A wonderful cause and a serene place. In a small town, Yenangyaung. Leave a Reply. |
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