On the Road, Again: Hualien

Editor's Note:  After a long hiatus I've begun to work on this again.  I just wasn't feeling like writing.  It’s a long story, better left untold, but my mind is back in the right place now, so I think we can expect regular Taiwan Adventure Blog posts again.  I apologize for the hiatus but it was needed.

The Virtually Indestructible M13

Recently, my friend You Tube Motovlogger M13 had a serious accident on his scooter.  He ended up going over a cliff, breaking both legs and having to have part of his hand amputated.  The accident happened right outside of Hualien on the east coast of Taiwan, about four and one half hours from where we both live.  My wife and I went to visit him.  We had never been to Hualien before, so we stayed for the night and did a little sightseeing on the way home.

Hualien is located about a third of the way down the east coast of Taiwan, about 177 km (about 110 miles) from Taipei.  But those 110 miles take about four and one half hours.  From the perspective of the drive Highway 9 is horrendous.  The road is narrow and traveled heavily by quarry trucks and tour buses.  There are also those intelligent drivers who have no fear of passing on a blind corner over a double yellow line.  Caution is required.

From the Nan ao Overlook

It’s a long, tiring trip but very worth the effort.  The vistas of the Pacific Ocean are spectacular.  There are a number of overlooks where one can stop, take in the scenery, and get a few photos. 

In Hualien, we stayed at a motel called the Taiwan Best Hotel.  The hotel was comfortable and clean and rented for about $2600 NTD (about 90 USD) per night.  This isn't bad considering Hualien is one of the premiere tourist locations in all of Taiwan, because of it’s proximity to Taroko Gorge.. 

The Entrance to Taroko Gorge

So, even though we were in a hurry to get back, (I had to finish up working on my Bible Study for the evening) we took a short detour to Taroko Gorge.  The road through the Gorge is one of the three most scenic roads in the WORLD; not Taiwan, but the ENTIRE world.  We were there only for a short time but were awed by the beauty of that place.  We will definitely make another trip to Hualien and to the Gorge to see it all.  This is just a taste of The Road to Hualien.

The day was pretty hazy, due to high humidity, and the photos aren't the greatest, but we’ll do better when we go again.

Taroko Gorge

Chung Chan Temple

Su ao Overlook:

Su ao harbor

The Port of Su ao