Sightseeing: Taroko Gorge

Where have I been for the past two weeks? In between studying and travelling with a guest of the familial kind, things have been pretty busy here. This weekend just passed, among other areas, I visited the beautiful Taroko Gorge.



Taroko Gorge was the destination most recommended to me whenever I asked a local. Blessed by excellent weather, it was incredible how few people were there (even though the tour guide said it was relatively crowded) to gawk along with me at the naturally chiselled walls of marble, topped by lusciously green forestation. The entrance was marked by this gateway:


The government website is at http://www.taroko.gov.tw/, and the tour company we used was Edison (http://www.edison.com.tw/eindex.htm). Our tour guide the lovely enthusiastic Josephine really added to our experience, although I have noticed a curious trend for local guides to have speakers strapped to their persons belting out their spiel to all and sundry. With scenery this beautiful though, I admit I was often too busy gawking to listen.

Tumbling down the length of the gorge was a stream, the water stained a whitish grey by (presumably) the marble fragments. New Zealanders who have visited the Fox and Franz Jospeh glaciers and seen the streams leading away from the ice will have some idea of what shade of grey I mean, as it is very similar.

In several spots were clearer aqua blue pools at the base of waterfalls - these looked as though they could have been spring water rather than rain water, although I am no expert.

The best way to see the area was to pop out and walk along the tunnels carved into the gorge with viewing openings. The guide pointed out several tracks of varying difficulty for those more serious about tramping (include a rather high track with dubious-looking suspension bridges erected circa 1914 by the Japanese).

Further down the gorge, at times you may be able to see fish jumping along this high waterfall (none were out and about when we visited).

Hualien on Taiwan's east coast makes a good stopping off point for reaching the gorge, especially if you're not going with a tour group. Hualien is easy to reach by plane and train (I haven't driven in Taiwan so I can't speak informedly about the drive down, although I have been told it's about 4 hours).

(p.s. a little shout out to my sis who took these photos on my point and shoot camera).