Hualien, Shabu Shabu and the Cingshui Cliffs

January 4- Today we headed off on the train to Hualien! The train ride was very pleasant, with one side facing the Pacific Ocean and the other side facing rice paddies. We arrived in Hualien and grabbed our rental car (the Space Gear worked out really well for us- made it so much easier to see Taroko Gorge) and then ate lunch at this totally fun shabu shabu place that was all-you-can-eat, so several different kinds of meats, tons of different seafood options, veggies, and then side dishes like egg rolls and even chicken nuggets, as well as a display of desserts, ice cream, coffee, sodas, etc. (we went back and had dinner there at the end of our trip- it was that good).





After stuffing ourselves silly, we went to our hotel. We stayed at the Crossing the Rainbow Bridge B&B and it was a wonderful stay. The owner is part of an indigenous group called Truku and when we first arrived, he sat us down and shared with us a little bit about the history of Taroko Gorge and the Truku people, as well as how to greet people in the language. He was super welcoming, he lent out bikes, and overall it was a great little place to stay. If anybody goes to Taiwan, definitely check this place out! It is 5 minutes from the Taroko Gorge Visitor Center and absolutely wonderful place to stay! It is supposed to be eco friendly, using solar power to heat up the water according to the owner.


After getting settled in, we decided to head out to the Cingshui Cliffs, which were a few miles away. Adam drove the Space Gear with Susan, Betty, Dad and I, while Paul borrowed a bike and met us there. We were there until sundown, and then we headed back to the hotel. We grabbed a late dinner at a small restaurant, played a little basketball, and bought some food at the 7-11 for our picnic lunch in Taroko Gorge. Overall a really great day!