This weekend we tossed and turned between two ideas, one took us ocean-side, one took us mountain-side. The mountains won.
We hustled ourselves to Hualien city early Saturday morning and rented ourselves a scooter, filled our bellies with festive coffee (real coffee...not machine made but, you know....made like professional coffee....ahh...the tastes of the city!!) and zoomed ourselves north to Taroko Gorge, and then Westward across the mountains, into the gorge, deeper and deeper into the carved rocks and marble pinnacles. No matter how often we go there, it is still stunning.
So, we got up through the gorge to the main village (hostel and coffee shop and restaurant), booked a room, dropped our gear and headed to a trailhead.
Trail Permit Required.
Trail Closed.
But you see, these were just signs. No real blockage, no fence, no physical impediment of any sort. We didn't have to walk over anything, we didn't have to actually break a barrier of any sort. We just had to accidentally not see the sign that warned of imminent death if we risked moving past the trailhead.
So...we slipped by unnoticed. To the trail, up, up, up, climbing up ropes, hiking along forested ridges, catching sight of monkeys, yellow, red, blue, white birds, a few crazy mushrooms, a bunch of wicked-ass trees and epiphytes and, of course, the ever present "stop...did you hear that?!? Was that a bear?!?!?!?" in the back of our minds.
We never saw a bear - the Formosan sun bear - and I suspect we never will, but it is still awesome to think about encountering one of these few remaining beasts. The gorge, one must attempt to visualize, is characterized by almost clean vertical cliffs. So, any trail that attempts to run perpendicular to the main gorge must go up...yup....nearly vertical cliffs. the trails manages a much more manageable line than this, but much of the trail was aided by ropes, and most of it like climbing a staircase...legs had little to no reprieve!! Hike hike hike....up up up...sun heading downwards, setting. We almost made it to the main peak, a couple more hours would have done it, but, alas, it was not to be today. The trail was sketchy enough in clear daylight, we didn't want to attempt descending in the dusk or dark. So....down down down....last of the sunbeams were limping behind the mountains as we made it to the trailhead, where we started.
Back in one piece, safe and sound. Dirtied, tired, adrenaline rushed and half expecting a park ranger to meet us at the trailhead to give us shit for breaking the rules. But we were alone, just us with the pulsing torrent of the river below.
After the hike, we headed out to the only game in town for dinner. Bamboo rice, veggies, Taiwan's finest and a friendly dog by our side (alive...it was alive....no dog on the menu in Taiwan!) waiting for us to either spill our dinner or pet its head. Afterwards, a stint on the bridge overlooking the river and the gorge, then to the rooftop for a evening of listening to the birds, waiting for the clouds to dissipate and drinking in all the finest parts of Taroko. You see, this place is majestic and surreal. People love it. during the day tour buses cram up and down the gorge carrying people who want to see it from a tour bus window. The place can become packed with the perpetual goal of an Asian tourist - 'viewing'. People here love to look, to watch, to witness, but not so often to do. So, the main stops are packed, the few places to eat are crammed, and the road is busy. Taroko National Park is jammed, the trails are empty, but the park is jammed. But...at night its a different bag of earwax. Nobody stays. Nobody. It is absolutely empty. And that is when Taroko gorge, the Village of TienShiang, shines. Epic quietness, with only a muffled river raging in the distance, the nights critters clicking, chirpig, smapping, whizzing away, and the emptiness of space that fills the gorge. It is such a perfect place at night. Perfect.
The morning came, as we expected it just might, and we packed up and headed out for another hike. This time we took a tributary of sorts of a main trail and headed up the opposite side of the gorge. This was a totally different forest, dessicated, less ground vegetation, more gentle grades and fewer monkeys. But still awesome. Up up up....came out of the forest at the peak of a massive landslide scar...at which point we decided to move back into the forest and hike up on more reliable ground. Up, up, up...to a point that we can only assume used to be a trail, but is not in a million pieces at the bottom of the valley as a memory of past landslides. so, our trail ended abruptly. Scary sight over the edge...hello vertigo, long time no see!
Back down. Down down down - stopping only to examine monkey poop - back to the main trail, back to the road, back to our scooter. Another Permit-less hike, with nobody the wiser.
Then home. Two epic days in Taroko Gorge, an amzing evening at Tienshiang and perfect weather. Taroko, you lovely beautiful thing.
Xmas night, preparing the party for two, the pizza and the taste test...
...which the pizza passed, with ease!
The next morning, after a train ride to Hualien City, we delved into a glamorous cup of coffee. A rarity in the locales of our village.
Then to the beauty of beauties, Taroko Gorge. Left is the view towards the ocean and the right a sign that is a common sight among the twists and turns of the parks roads. Typhoons, landslide, earthquakes...always something kicking the people into survival mode.
After we found a killer trail - the one that was closed, needed a permit and was treturous - we were at ease. Here, Crystal investigates a cave that was right near the trailhead. The opening picture of this post is from the ceiling of the cave....utterly stunning in the vibrant light of a torch.
Left is Trevor hiking up the slope of the early trail, the right is one of the first monkeys we encountered. The video is of this fella (above).
Us, part of the way up the trail, and Crystal making her way up to the top along another roped section.
Trevor for scale; a giant epiphyte among, I believe, the branches of a cloud tree. On the right a cool, young fern awaiting its time in the sun.
Roped sections of the trail. Crystal is nestled at the bottom of the left picture waiting to climb, Trevor takes a self portrait near the top of another.
Us, part of the way up the trail, and Crystal making her way up to the top along another roped section.
Mei-you, or "dont have", in Chinese sign language Crystal signs in reference to our lack of permits, and a smug Trevor on the right. It will take more than these to keep us out of the wilds of Taiwan!!
Returning to the trialhead along the suspension bridge.
Dinner. Cold. Good eats. This is one of the few choices in TienShiang, the little village at the head of Taroko Gorge, but well worth a meal anytime. We think, at least.
The meal. The company.
The evening celebration of a hike well done (and discovered) and the promise of another tomorrow! Two atheists, during christmas, at a Catholic hostel. The makings of a good one liner I suppose....
Morning company, on the left, as we ate breakfast on the roof. Crystal eating said breakfast on said roof. I would suggest clicking on the birdie picture for a screenfull of awsomeness.
Flowers, rocking our world, and bugs, that...rocked our world. TienShiang always has surprises in store for us. Cool critters, monkeys, flowers and sights.
Dinner. Cold. Good eats. This is one of the few choices in TienShiang, the little village at the head of Taroko Gorge, but well worth a meal anytime. We think, at least.
The meal. The company.
The evening celebration of a hike well done (and discovered) and the promise of another tomorrow! Two atheists, during christmas, at a Catholic hostel. The makings of a good one liner I suppose....
Morning company, on the left, as we ate breakfast on the roof. Crystal eating said breakfast on said roof. I would suggest clicking on the birdie picture for a screenfull of awsomeness.
Flowers, rocking our world, and bugs, that...rocked our world. TienShiang always has surprises in store for us. Cool critters, monkeys, flowers and sights.
Alone in the emptiness of space, standing erect and waiting for its chance to pounce and steal...and kill...and destroy. Waiting patiently until a weakness is sensed. No matter what country you are in, these are there, crossing biological and geological boundaries. Waiting, watching, aiming and dressed to anihalate your best laid plans for their benefit.
And you can also see a cute little crow on the left side of the cross...
Crystal opening the bamboo rice the only way you can - smash it on a rock. The same goes in a restaurant.
Trail marker, Chinese style on the left. Open bamboo rice on the right.
A close up of a rarely seen treat - Monkey poop! There are a few biology lessons encased in that pic, for sure!
On the end of our Sunday hike, Crystal ponders the day, or thinks about lunch, along the cliffside trail that will eventually take us back to out scooter, and then to our train, and then to our home.
