For the second part of my trip through Taiwan, my next stop was Taroko Gorge in Taroko/Hualien. I had originally planned on taking a bus from Cingjing Farm straight to Taroko Gorge. However, after looking up bus routes, I soon found out that there are, in fact, no direct buses between these two sites. (Note: If you are interested in reading about how I actually got there and you might actually want to visit these sites, then continue reading the paragraph below. If not, please skip it and move on to the next paragraph.

Instead, I read that there are several other options: 1) Take a bus from Cingjing Farm (the bus itinerary made it look like there is only one each day at 12:10) to Lishang (passing by Hehuansan Mountains) in roughly 1 hour and 40 minutes, then transfer buses there, wait one hour, and then take another bus on to Taroko Station in about four hours. The other option was to take a bus back to Taichung, then take the HSR to Taipei, get off and take a tour bus (“Capital” buses, since this is the company that departs from Nangang station) to Luodong station, walk down to the Luodong railway station, and take the local train down to Xincheng station. I actually opted for the latter route mainly because it appeared that I would still arrive maybe three hours sooner than if I just took the two bus rides. It actually worked out OK. I also decided on this route because the website told me that it would cut 40km off of the trip, as opposed to taking a direct train. Xincheng station is also barely a 10-minute taxi ride from Taroko Gorge, too.

Now it was a matter of getting to the B&B called “Crossing the Rainbow Bridge.” After calling the owner about getting a taxi, he stated that he wasn’t at the B&B currently, but that I could take a taxi and that he would reimburse me for it after he arrived later. It sounded great to me!

Once I arrived, I was pleased to see how nice the place looked (even in gloomy weather). There was plenty of plant life all over, as well as views of the distant mountains scraping through the fog and clouds. I was soon shown to my room, but I was told that I needed to take off my shoes (standard etiquette here). I was glad to see that the room did indeed look like the photos that I had seen on booking.com.

Later on, after I got settled in, I went down to scope out what the food situation would be like (since this is a B&B, breakfast and lunch are up to the guest to figure out). I was told that there wasn’t anything nearby, but I was given a map of where food places were, as well as 7/11s, and that I could take a bike (of which there were many) and go across the bridge where there were a number of noodle shops. Having not remembered how long it took to go over the bridge in the taxi, I was a bit hesitant once I started, but it actually wasn’t that long until I made it over. I found a noodle shop and had a simple yet meaty-tasting bowl of beef noodle soup. I thought about ordering a second bowl, but I started to think that perhaps the bike ride back would be less pleasant if I filled my stomach to the brim with broth, so instead I just grabbed some items at a Family Mart and headed back.

Later on, the B&B owner knocked on my door and chatted with me about what my plans were for the next day and told me about the different tour options he could set up. I opted for the cheapest one, a bus that would take us to many of the sites. While chatting, he told me that he is a descendant of the aborigines in Taiwan. He also told me that my (limited) Mandarin was better than his. I sheepishly said “thanks,” but I didn’t know enough to converse in Mandarin. After we had finished, there wasn’t much else to do but settle in for the night and see what tomorrow would bring.

The next day, the small tour bus was on time, and I was, of course, the only foreigner on it. On the way to the first point, Qingshui Cliffs, we were stuck in traffic. Eventually, I saw why. A tow truck passed by, towing a badly totaled car that had collided with the truck. That is always something that one has to watch out for whenever you go through any mountain area. The narrow, twisting roads can suddenly turn on you if you’re not careful.

Finally, we arrived at Qingshui Cliffs. There were a few places to view the cliffs and sea from, but I only took a few photos, one of which managed to capture the beauty of it.

It was here that a young couple on the bus decided to talk to me and ask where I’m from. The man told me he was from Beijing, and the woman said she was from Guangzhou. When I listed the places I had been to already in China, they seemed impressed and noted that I had seen more of China than they had. I told them that while I was back home, I too didn’t get to travel that much either, certainly not as much as I have here.

It was then off to the next part, the Shakadang Trail.

Throughout this trail, there were quite a lot of different line patterns decorating the rocks. The aquamarine color of the water was also pretty.

Along the way, there was a spot to stop for some snacks, drinks, or home made trinkets made by the Aborigines. I bought a pair of earrings for my mother. I also decided to get some mulberry juice and their sweetened sausage (also made with mulberries).

After we headed back to the van, we headed off to a place to stop for lunch. I took a photo of it, but I realized that it wasn’t really anything special (much like how it tasted).

Instead, I opted to save my battery life for the other spots along the way, including the Swallow Grotto Trail. Along the trail, we were dropped off and walked along the gorge through the hallowed-out tunnels along the sides of the gorge.

The Changchun (Eternal Spring) Shrine was the last part of the trip.

The very last thing that I documented was the bathroom at this stop. The sometimes lack of privacy allotted to them, I thought, couldn’t get worse than what I had seen in China, but I was proven wrong. See below…

I had seen photos online of some bathroom privacy issues in China that were worse than this, but as far as what I have seen in person, this was it.

Overall, the trip was nice. I do wish I had more time to see other scenic spots further along in the gorge, though, but that seems to require a longer stay.

Earlier, the B&B owner had talked to the driver and told him to take me back to the B&B before taking the others to the train station, so that was nice. I found it funny that, throughout the trip, the driver kept congratulating me on coming back to the meeting spot on time.

When I got back, the owner asked how my trip was and then asked about my check-out arrangements for the next day. I told him my estimated time, and he said that he could again arrange for a taxi to get me back to the train station and that there would be no charge to me. It wasn’t that expensive of a ride, but what a nice man!

The next morning, the weather was much nicer (of course, now that it was time for me to leave), so I decided to get some more photos.

First up was the Taiwanese-style breakfast. The other day, the green veggie was sliced and cooked cucumber. Today, it was green beans. The other items were the same: orange slices, salted peanuts, meat “floss,” cabbage with a sweet sauce, a fried egg, and some sweet potatoes.

I then decided to get more outdoor photos, including from up on the second-floor deck and from the deck above where the bikes were kept.

I think this place made me an official fan of orchids. This has certainly been one of the prettiest (if not the prettiest) places I have ever stayed. We’ll see what Taipei has in store next.