Hualien and Taroko Gorge

Following our short stint in Yuli, we headed out towards Hualien. In contrast to when we had missed seeing the east coast during daylight hours, we earlier this time in the hopes that this time we would have a better view of the gorgeous mountains alongside the restorative oceanfront. We were not disappointed. Coming down over the mountain pass from Yuli to the oceanside freeway had to have been one of the most spectacular views I've ever seen in my life. The mist that floated in the mountainsides beautifully contrasted the bright blue before us, and I felt like at times I literally didn't want to breathe for fear it might change something. 

Not the greatest representation of our drive, but it gives you a small taste for the beauty.

When we finally reached the coastline, we were delighted to see a piece of old-world Asia, something Dad and I have seen in our other travels, but it was a first for the kids.

Water buffalo!

Between looking at the ocean and the impending storm that was brewing there, as well as the rice fields on our left, we were reminded all over again why so many people rave about why they love this part of the island. It is majestic.

After rolling into Hualien after dark, and feeling absolutely ravenous, we located a restaurant that proved to be equally joyful to what we had seen that day:  Salt Lick Barbecue! We were so happy to have this vestige of home, we all felt we could cry with relief.

Check out those portion sizes. Ah! the love of American BBQ!

Once we were done eating we folded back into our van and on over to our hotel where we would be staying for the next three nights while we enjoyed Hualien's, (and Taiwan's, for that matter) greatest highlight -- Taroko Gorge. 

For those of you who might not be familiar with Taroko Gorge, the name comes from an aboriginal word, meaning "magnificent and beautiful." It features 92,000 hectares of protected land, riddled with enormous marble (and in some cases, jade) cliffs that have been carved out by the vibrant blue Liwu River. Many of its peaks surpass 3000 meters in height, and many drop directly below down to the river. 

As a result of the sheer immensity of its gorges, it is near to impossible to actually capture the full grandeur and glory of this place. For years I had seen photographs of the park, and couldn't understand why people raved and raved about it. Turns out it is because it is literally impossible to take a picture that does it justice, and I hadn't seen any real visual representation of its glory. Seriously . . . There is no camera lens that has enough of a wide angle to capture the height and immensity of it all. (It's like trying to adequately capture the Grand Canyon from within a tight angle from the bottom of one of its small canyons.)

The comparison of the Grand Canyon to this place is not a bad one, actually, and is one we kept making the whole time we were here. We kept saying how incredible it would be to be able to take a helicopter ride above the gorge, or at the very least, someone needs to make an IMAX film that allows you to be able to take it in more accurately, since we felt like ants in something so enormous trying to do so.

On a hike within the gorge. Would that our camera had a wider angle!

Buggas appreciates the local foliage. 

View of us from further back on the Lushui trail.

The rainy mist on our first day not only made for a eerily mysterious atmosphere, but it also allowed our hiking to be so much more comfortable.

Daddy says "hello."

Check out the size of that fern!

On our second day in Taroko, we rose early, so that we might miss the usual onslaught of mainland Chinese tourists that come in droves in the afternoon. As we drove up the canyon, the sun was now shining bright, and much to the chagrin of some of Mr. Bitts who was very concerned, Li-ling and I opened the van doors wide to take everything in.

Before entering the famous Swallow's Grotto:

This place amazing!

A view of the tight fit for our car there.

It just goes on and on . . . 

Check out the road railing up ahead to get a sense of scale. Huge!

A view of the tight fit for the tour buses. This one is coming up behind our car.

After getting through Swallow's Grotto, we headed up the canyon to Baiyan Trail, a highly recommended hike for families. But before, we made sure to accommodate a much needed for Buggas.

Yum!

As if the Walami trail weren't awesome enough, this hike has to take the cake above any hiking we've ever done with the kids. Not only was the majority of the trail flat and walkable with a stroller, but there was more of this incredible scenery:

Also, we saw monkeys!

We saw waterfalls:  

Crossed suspension bridges:

Walked through caves, including one called the Water Curtain Cave:

Make sure you go in properly prepared. :)

This place was awesome, though tricky to capture on film.

This plaque explains the unusual cave, and how it came to be.  

Here's a better shot of the cave, albeit not our own. I love how it just comes down in gorgeous sheets. It made the littles a bit afraid to walk through, though, because the sound of the water in there was deafening. 

Then, to top it all off, we had an older gentleman point out to the kids the opportunity to catch frog tadpoles there. The kids, including Buggas, were fascinated and thrilled!

Can you see the two little legs already developing?

The baby loved playing out in the water.

Can't get enough. We were out here playing for a long time!

Magic!

Finishing off Taroko with such a extraordinary hike was the perfect way to end our time there. We came away from the experience understanding full well why the guidebooks say that it is the #1 thing to do on the island. Feeling in awe of its majesty on both a micro and macro scale, we'd say we'd have to agree.