Taroko Gorge

After 2 days in Taipei, we rented a car and set out to discover some of Taiwan's natural wonders - specifically the eastern coast and then up and over the main central mountain range.  Day one took us from western Taipei at the airport, across to the east coast, where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the small fishing port of Su'ao.  Su'ao was a place we just decided to explore on the spur of the moment on the way to our overnight in Hualien, and it was a wonderfully serendipitous choice!  We had one of our best meals of the trip here- starting with scallion & egg pancakes, and finishing with passion fruit shaved ice (in the picture!). Yum!

After that we drove down the coast to Hualien, along a road that compared favorably with US highway 1 through Big Sur or the NorCal and Oregon coast.  Absolutely breathtaking for about 60+ miles of hairpins, tunnels, and cliff edges :-)
Once in Hualien, we stayed in a beautiful B&B on the edge of town among the fish ponds and rice paddies.Here's the view looking from our room  ;-) After a night here, we headed out to cross the mountains heading west, through Taroko National Park along the Taroko Gorge.  This deep canyon compares with pretty much any national park in the USA!
And if the scenery wasn't enough, the place has monkeys too! Formosan Macaques :-)

After several hikes up various side canyons, we traveled up and over the central pass at well over 10,000' elevation, an with temperature having dropped from 85F near sea level, to about 45F and howling wind & drizzle at the top!
Yes- these photos were all taken within about an of hour or so of each other, all along the same highway, finishing above tree-line! Amazing place :-)

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