Hualien
It seems that in Taiwan, everything starts from Taipei. Our Hualien trip was no exception -- we bought the tickets online before the trip (see some really detailed write-up here), and went to Taipei Main Station in the morning to board the train for Hualien. (Click on each image to see the high-resolution version)
Taipei Main Station
In the rain we arrived in Hualien, and in the rain we went out to eat, hoping weather would improve the next day.
Hualien Night
But no such luck. In fact, Wednesday, our only full day in Hualien, had the worst weather of the trip: it rained incessantly the whole day, sometimes quite heavily. We hired a driver for the day, who took us first to Ching Shui Cliff (or Qing Shui Cliff, 清水斷崖). We only made a couple of stops at scenic overlooks, thanks to the nonstop rain. Even under a leaden sky, the water in the Pacific was still aquamarine, and the scenery breathtaking. One can only wonder what it would look like on a sunny day!
Ching Shui Cliff (清水斷崖)
Ching Shui Cliff (清水斷崖)
Ching Shui Cliff (清水斷崖)
Ching Shui Cliff (清水斷崖)
Ching Shui Cliff (清水斷崖)
It was at one of the overlooks, on the wet pavement, we saw some pretty snails. These are almost the only wildlife pictures I took on this day.
Snail
But we continued with our plan despite the rain. In the rain, we entered Taroko National Park. Our first stop was at Shakadang Trail (砂卡噹步道). The trail winds along the river, which is quite limpid. Because of the weather, we only took a short section of the trail.
Scene along Shakadang Trail (砂卡噹步道)
Scene along Shakadang Trail (砂卡噹步道)
Scene along Shakadang Trail (砂卡噹步道)
Some of the rocks in the river have very intricate patterns, no doubt due to the erosion power of the water.
Rock in the Shakadang River
Rock in the Shakadang River
There were numerous waterfalls in the park, and on this day, there was no lack of water. This is one that we saw from the car.
Waterfall
After a quick lunch, we took the Baiyang Trail (白楊步道). This was our longest activity of the day, but again, unfortunately for us, this was when it rained the heaviest. We eventually reached the Baiyang Waterfall (白楊瀑布), however, the Water Curtain (水濂洞) was closed on this day due to unsafe conditions.
Baiyang Waterfall (白楊瀑布)
Baiyang Waterfall (白楊瀑布)
Baiyang Waterfall (白楊瀑布)
The river along the Baiyang Trail is Tacih Jili River (塔次基里溪), in stark contrast to the Shakadang River, its water is dark-gray, saturated with the fine silt washed down from the mountains. At the bridge leading to the viewing platform for the Baiyang Waterfall, the roaring dark river was plain to see.
Bridge
After hiking this mild trail, we made another stop at a suspension bridge, the following waterfall picture was taken from the bridge.
Waterfall
We made a couple of more stops admiring the spectacular Taroko Gorge. The following two pictures were taken near Cimu Bridge (or Motherly Devotion Bridge, 慈母橋).
Taroko Gorge
Taroko Gorge
We made another stop at Swallow Grotto (燕子口), but light was fading fast, I barely had enough time to set up my tripod to take a few pictures.
Swallow Grotto (燕子口)
Swallow Grotto (燕子口)
Finally, we made our last stop at Eternal Spring Shrine (長春祠). It was almost dark and the rain was relentless, and no, we did not actually go into the shrine, I just set up my tripod and took a few pictures across the river.
Eternal Spring Shrine (長春祠)
Eternal Spring Shrine (長春祠)
Eternal Spring Shrine (長春祠)
Thus we hastily wrapped up our visit to Taroko National Park. There is no denying that it was not very satisfactory: the relentless rain made our walk, and especially picture-taking, very difficult (as we had to carry an umbrella most of the time), it also made most of the wildlife disappear -- I did see two new birds here, but the pictures were dismal. This was a great pity, as Taroko Gorge is rich in wildlife, with many unique birds, insects and mammals, including the Formosan Macaque. However, despite the weather, there is also no denying that the beauty of Taroko Gorge and the Pacific Coast at Chingshui Cliff still revealed itself brilliantly. This only makes me determined to make a return visit some day.
When it was all said and done, we
Hualien Night Market
Hualien Night Market
Hualien Night Market
Hualien Night Market
