Taiwan Day 10 (22 Dec Hualien Taroko Gorge)

We booked this day trip (taxi driver as tour guide) before we reached Hualien. It’s very common for people to engage local taxi drivers instead of tour bus. The driver Mr Looi Lai Fu was recommended by my hubby’s friend. He was also very popular in the Tripadvisor forum. For NT2,000 (per car basis), we started out at about 9am all the way to evening about 6pm.

Along the way to Taroko Gorge, we also visited the 七星潭 which is just a seaside. In case you are wondering, no, this is nothing associated with seven stars..

Taroko Gorge is indeed a very spectacular sight! It was formed due to platonic movement and eventually over millions of years with rain and rock falls, it became a (marble) gorge. It is also a popular place for hiking. There are several sightseeing spots within the Taroko Gorge National Park.. too many pictures to post so I’ll just put in a few:

-> Tour guides like to think there is an image of a gorilla.. did you see it?. They said 七分像，三分想像. I'd like to think that they 七分想像, 三分像 hahah!!

By evening when we’ve finished the tour, Mr Looi brought us back to town for dinner. Knowing what we have eaten, he brought us to eat something different:

Wanton soup (they call it 扁食) NT60 for 11 pcs – the soup was plain but the dumplings were good! In fact, this particular shop only sells wanton. Expanded to the extent of even owning a car park beside its shop!

Mr Looi also brought us to try the yummalicious oyster omelette 蚝仔煎 and clam soup – total NT75. The omelette was really chewy! In Taiwan, they usually pour over it with some sauce which we were not sure what it was, but who cares! It was good!

When we got back to Sutohome, 郑妈妈 drove us out to town as there were some street performances as part of festive celebrations. Something like our Chingay, except not as "classy" as Singapore's ;p. There are more photos but just post a few here.. participants range from kindergarten kids to elderly..

Back home, we had homemade 汤圆. 郑妈妈 said it was their 冬至。They have it both in sweetened soup (like what we usually have) or saltish type - something new eh..

Fruit vinegar which can be consumed everyday! Quite nice actually... like sparkling juice. NT30 per bottle (with compliments from 郑妈妈)