We are Hitch Hikers?

Day 9 and 10, this is the 2nd last post on taiwan. Come next week, i will embark on a 7 months journey through several countries. I have lots of interesting things planned out and also meeting some new people. I am sure it will be as much as an adventure as taiwan.

Now back to taiwan, we had arrived at hualien the night before and had found and booked a minsu. It looks very good on the website and the price is not expensive. But when we met the lady who was supposed to drive us there, she told us that the place was "full" and that we will be sent to another place. I did not like the idea of this at all but it was very late and there way no way we could find another place at this hour. Reluctantly, we went along with her. We were quoted 1500/night for a room in a small hotel, the price is the same as before but the decor and style of the place was totally different. No more homely minsu but cold hard hotel. Throughout our meetings, they asked what we plan to do in hualien and was pushy in promoting their services and they were not exactly cheap. On to happier stuff, FOOD!!!

Xiao Long Pau? it is more like our normal Pau at home
Food Galore!
This shop has only no menu because they only have 1 dish, Wanton!!

The next day we have our rafting trip!(900NT) The view was great and there was a few nice rapids even though some parts of the water was moving far too slowly. We were told this isn't the season for rafting, the water level is still too low. Some parts of it, we even had to be pulled by the boat. Rafting park
Our packed lunch, taste far better than it looks

At night we went to walk around hualien scouting for food! Wandered to a Nan Bin Night market where all sorts of food and games stores were available. It was drizzling slightly so not all the stores were open. Found a pavilion by the sea side and sat there while we chatted and ate.

Nan Bin Park
View from the pavilion
snail like thing on the left was fabulous, i couldn't stop eating and went to get 2 more servings!
They sell food from other countries as well
After dinner, we saw a stall selling fireworks! Needless to say, we suaku Singaporeans of course went to get some! It was super duper fun! We got so addicted that we kept going back to get even more, even bigger!


Day 10, we head to the all famous Taroko Gorge! Most places offer tours for around 700NT/pax or over 2000NT for whole cab. We did not need any guide and we did not want to pay so much for it. Initial plan was to get a public bus there for 150NT/pax, the hotel lady was very persistent in selling us her service even though we declined her many times. At long last, she said ok she will send us up there 1 way for 150NT/pax, same price as the bus. Same price and in a private car, why not?

Turns out there is another group of 4 already going up for the tour and they have seats left.. no wonder she is willing to go that far. Nonetheless, her loss is our gain.

Taroko National Park
Lots of marble formations
The light at the end of the tunnel
Looking for Sun Wu Kong!!

We came prepared with battle suits!
It really is a 水濂洞, it isn't even like raining inside. Its like a thunder storm!
Drying our ponchos
We were the only ones there
Lesson from kimble, always bring fruits on a hike :D
More majestic formationsRemember i said earlier that we paid 150NT each for a 1 way ride up. Well after that we have a problem. We have no means of getting back down...

My guide book says that there is a bus that comes every half an hour or so and we did verify with the people there, nobody seems to be able to comfirm it. We decided to try our luck and wait... and wait... and wait..... Ok there isn't any bus that is coming.

So what happens if you are ever stuck somewhere and needs to get away?? you thumb your way out!!!

Shortly after the video, it started to rain and we had only 1 umbrella. HAHA it was damm hilarious. The 3 of us were squeezing under 1 small umbrella with our thumbs out. There was lots of people who slowed down and said "hello!" "Good luck" and a few "HAHA". 5 mins into the rain, a car actually pulled up after us! The driver motioned us to get in and we just ran with everything we have got.

Hitch Hike - Checked!! Nothing too difficult for us :D
The soft spoken driver is actually one of the rangers of the national park and is on his way home in hualien, coincidentally in the area near our hotel. We chatted a bit and got to know more bout hualien through him.

At night, me and amelia went back to the night market to TaBao food back for audrey. Her new shoes plus the hiking we did today caused her leg to have a big blister.

Along the way to the night market, a little boy on a small bicycle suddenly appears and said he wants to follow us. Yeah why not?
So we were walking and asking bout the boy, how old is he, what is his name etc.

Suddenly amelia turned around to me and said "Is this boy a ghost?"
HAHAHAHAHA i couldn't stop laughing the whole night. Then we started to discuss methods to identify ghosts. Really interesting evening.

I shall call him Ghost Boy
Just for the record, ghost mum came later to bring ghost boy home
They have cigarettes UFO catcher! WTF?!
Our food back for audrey(Or Audray now)

Next post will be the last on taiwan. Meeting someone special. To whoever it may concern, finally its here!!