HuaLien 花蓮 -- TaiDung 台東 Day 3

On Day 3, after breakfast, we made our way to the impressive Taroko National Park....
it is best known for its awesome marble walled gorge..
as well as its majestic mountain scenery...
The two other most popular sites in the gorge itself are Swallows' Grottoes and the Tunnel of Nine Turns...
The best way to truly experience this natural marvel is to walk it...


some nice scenery shots i took along the way...



Taroko Gorge is the centerpiece of Taroko National Park...
which stretches 19.5 kilometers along the course of the Liwu River near the east-coast city of Hualien...

The Tunnel of Nine Turns is named for the many curves that the road traverses as it makes its tortuous way through a series of short tunnels...
It is the narrowest, and most scenic section of Taroko Gorge.
Our tour bus stopped at the gorge so that we can walk short distances along the road and enjoy the scenery up close...

one of the tunnel of the Tunnel of Nine Turns...(omg!! I'm face-less!)




keep scrolling....


more turning tunnels...tunnel turns...wateva u prefer to call it...


view from one of the tunnel turns....
Spectacular!!!

Me & our malaysian tourguide, Newice...


no...this is not some Sunway Lagoon suspension bridge...

some bug we spotted...
its so tiny i had to zoom like a million times... =)

Swallows' Grottoes is so named because a large number of shallow holes have been eroded into the cliffs here..
a brief write-up if your interested... =p


After that...
Went further down the mountain...
there is this...
how do i put it in words...hmmm...
pagoda sort of rest place for Mr President's late Mum...

damn right i'll rest in peace if i'm located at such a beautiful place !!!

now u see...



now u don't....


i know this is random...
taken during a toilet break in some tourist information center...
i took a picture with this "Welcome to Taiwan" board to remind myself that I was in Taiwan..
by the way...
Naruwan means 'Welcome' in the aborigines' language...

I must admit...the journey to and back from the Taroko Gorge wasn't pleasant at all..
especially when you're traveling on a double decker tour bus...
it made me feel a lil uncomfortable inside...
but...
I really really really liked the Taroko National Park walk...
it was worth the uncomfortable bus ride...
it was relaxing & refreshing...
not to mention the awesome view...
love the place!!

so much so i brought a souvenir home from the mountains...

(fallen rocks from the mountains...hee hee =p)



After the walk...
we head straight towards TaiDung to enjoy our Hot Springs Spa...

that's me in my 'just bought' bikini...
getting all ready to get into the hot springs...


Probably it was the spa...
we were starving after that..
so we decided to get out on our own to the opposite makan place for their famous hairy crab...


live hairy crab...

steamed hairy crab....
too bad I can't show u 'inside ting's stomach hairy crab'...
ehehehhe...

had some rice wine as well...
guess i underestimated it...
was a lil tipsy...drank too fast i guess... =p


and we still have some room for hot spring eggs!!!!
taste the same as normal hard boiled eggs to me... =p
- The End of Day 3 -