Tinkering around with real estate agents and looking at what could be described as the worst places Hualien City has to offer, we were a little worn out. So, we decided to take a weekend off and play a while in the woods near our house. A short scooter into the mountains (where we got a permit from the police station, allowing us to enter the Taroko peoples land....no illegal hiking this weekend!!) we found ourselves in the spacious Tongmen valley. It is, like all of Eastern Taiwan, prettier than a gorgeous pretty thing and holds a very important promise - this valley links to a trail that crosses the central mountains and exits on the west coast. A tenuous promise of future endeavours, this weekend we went part way. A short scooter ride up the valley, then we took to our feet and hiked through endless thick fog and wet, dark tunnels (no trucks.....road way to small and for the most part no longer used). A nice hike, an impromptu adventure.
Afterwards we managed to fit in an evening of Jenga and an afternoon of more slacklining (I didnt look at my feet this time.....).
But the weekend started out with a more impromptu discovery:
Beer. Well, not just any beer, but local micro-brewed beer. Taiwan has the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor agency - the TTL - that regulates all liquor sales and brewing. So, while it is not a communist strangle hold that they have, all beer available from Taiwan is controled by this one agency. However, we found the exception. A nice wheaty brew from the county to the north of us. Not earth moving, but an interesting and culturally curious find.
Walking along the road (the road continues for about 10km, where it turns to a real trail and traverses the mountains...we didnt make it past this point...or to this point.....yet) through the tunnels and the foggy goodness of the Taiwanese mountains.
Nothing like a good old game of Jenga to raise tempers! Apparently my talent for this game was lost in my youth.....
A few views of the market street near our house; this is a sunday afternoon lull, and if we caught amorning picture it would be much more bustling. On the bottom right are the leftover pomelo's from this years crop....they never end...never end......
More delightful slack; we managed to gain an audience and two kids and three ladies came to watch (one lady and one child tried it out....). It seems to gain much curiosity with the people here.....
So, that was that. Another weekend. As I write this it looks like we have found a place we like (its an old homestay/B&B style place that is being converted into a regular residence. However, all the stuff in it is nice, rather plush at points (in Taiwanese standards, that is) and we are super.....super super....excited about moving in and finally getting life back on the road forward rather than seemingly stalled. Time will tell, but it looks groovy.
