3 Sept 2004

 

Tinkerbell at Green Island and Taroko Gorge – Taroko Gorge

 

 On Thursday 26 Aug, we caught the ferry back to Taidong.

 

The disruption to the rail system caused by the taiphoon was tremendous.  More mountain roads were washed away.  Villages up in the mountains that escaped the last deluge in 7/2 were buried in landslides.

 

Roads that were repaired and barely passable became memories once again.

 

So when the trains ran again on Thursday, it was so difficult to get tickets. But luckily, we managed to get two seats to go to Hualien and the gateway to Taroko Gorge.

 

Again, I rely on the photos that my wife uploaded and we welcome you all to

 

http://public.fotki.com/Shimmertje/best_of_taiwan/taroko_gorge_8-04/

 

I do hope to get my photos onto webshots later and will invite you all.

 

 

At Hualien, we rented a scooter and proceed to fix the ropes around the rear mirrors to act as a perch for Tinkerbell.  We then slowly rode the bike for 45 minutes to get to the mouth of the Gorge.

 

After twenty seven times, my heart still rose everytime I reached Taroko Gorge expecting to wake up any moment to be somewhere else.

 

Tinkerbell brought me back to present when she persisted to chew the rubber coating around the mirror instead of admiring the mountains and the mists shrouding them.  I had to improvised by tying maps that Joy picked up but I had no need for.  Even if I have a need for, how can I ever admit it after 27 times here.

 

We checked into the Youth Hostel at Tienshiang rather then the super luxurious 5 star hotel that they recently constructed.

 

This may be my last trip here for quite a while.  The next few days were then spend in just roaming around and letting as much of Taroko Gorge soaked and sink into my soul.

 

We went on to ShengMi valley, literally translated as God-Mystery valley but called Mysterious valley in English.  This is a branch of Taroko Gorge that is a miniature of Taroko Gorge.

 

Then we were at the Eternal Spring temple again.  Even the photos from Joy do not do justice to this temple, built to the memory of those that died building the road into Taroko Gorge.  You have to wait for my own photos to be uploaded to see the accompanying Bell Tower that will be ring at dawn and the Drum Tower to be beaten at dusk.  Her photos did not manage to get those as they are built high above at different elevations.  If you have seen the movie ‘Touch of Zen’ by King Hu, you would have known those beautiful places.

 

You can see the Eternal Spring Temple and that drum Tower in

http://community.webshots.com/photo/55481869/55482255odSqln

 

A closeup of Bell Tower is at

http://community.webshots.com/photo/55481869/55482478xAfxPa

 

The Bell tower is at a higher elevation than the drum tower.

 

It rained on and off.  I thought it wasn’t going to rain again and wanted to recall Tinkerbell with the Eternal Spring temple behind.  You know the saying when it goes wrong, everthing goes wrong.  And so it did.

 

It was going to be a simple flight crossing a flight of steps going down to the valley floor.  But with signs that I need to flank with my line prior to the flight.  Then it rained.  Tink hates rain.  Before I could finish with my navigation and flanking exercise, she flew to me and caught her line on the sign.  The rain poured making her more annoyed and she circled herself around the sign.  I had to rescue her and slowly unentangled the line and then pop her into her carrier cage.  Her Grace felt  her lackey was a clod and decided to sulk in her cage.

 

In riding around, we came to Puluowan, a hanging valley I talked about before.  We rode up to the upper terrace to find a new hotel built in local rustic style.  I used to stay here before long ago when it was truly rustic but a super typhoon came to take it out.  It was a pleasant surprise to met an old Taiwanese mountain climbing friend that we called DongDong had taken up the manager post of this new hotel. 

 

This new place is beautiful and in such a beautiful setting too.  It was not open yet when we were there.  But if you folks happen to be in Taiwan and in Taroko Gorge, stay in this place at Puluowan, Taroko Gorge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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With warmest regards

Shanlung - lackey to all below

Joy - wife,   Tinkerbell - CAG & surrogate daughter

Halftail the Bimbo - beautiful sweet silly cat

Zorro - ferret which loves parrot pellets

 

earlier emails and photo links on Tink - 

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9

(erratically and sporadically updated