by Christopher Kelly:
Today, we packed up all of our clothes, souvenirs and last minute 7/11 snacks, and hopped on the train headed toward Hualien. During the two and a half hour ride, we got to see some incredible views: the Pacific Ocean on our left and the Taiwan Mountain Range on our right.
After getting off the train, we grabbed lunch at a packed local restaurant, where we ate venison, duck, bamboo, and some super spicy red peppers.
Afterwards, we took a bus over to Taroko Gorge, where we hiked around for a couple of hours and took in some truly 雄伟 (majestic) views. We also visited the Buluowan Suspension Bridge and learned about the Atayal tribe, one of 16 aboriginal Taiwanese tribes.
After an afternoon of exploration, we had a long and rainy and sleepy bus ride to Taitung, where we ate a late dinner at and then finished off the day by checking into Cham Cham Hotel.