Crazy ride from Hualien to Taitung

After exploring the Taroko Gorge, we headed to Qingshui Cliff north of Hualien. From a distance, we could observe a turtle surfacing and diving repeatedly. On our way to our hostel, we also made a stop at Qixingtan Beach. However, swimming was barely possible here as the waves broke directly on the beach, making it dangerous. Afterwards, we briefly went into the city to have dinner at the Nightmarket. After much searching, we finally found a not quite official parking spot for our 'bus';) Fortunately, there was no parking ticket... yet.

On that day, it was my father's 50th birthday. Upon arriving at the hostel, I put on a Happy Birthday hat and called him via video chat to congratulate him from Switzerland. The timing was perfect, as half of the extended family was visiting, and I could greet everyone.

The next day, we traveled from Hualien to Taitung, which is located further south. After just a few kilometers, we realized that the weather was not on our side. It was raining moderately to heavily throughout the day. However, we made the best of it and had a lot of fun. Our first longer stop was at Shitiping. Here, we could walk on large boulders and enjoy a beautiful view of the restless sea. While we were lucky with the weather during our exploration, we got caught in the rain on the way back to the parking lot. It was pouring rain. Sprinting was futile. We were all well-prepared without umbrellas or rain gear;) We had no choice but to change clothes since we couldn't get into the car completely soaked.

After a roadside lunch, we visited a huge cave. Here, too, we were not completely spared from the rain. It was high time for rain ponchos. Finally, for our next stop at Sanxiantai Arch Bridge, we were properly equipped for the weather. The Sanxiantai Arch Bridge is a curved bridge to a small island in the sea. The scenery and the stormy weather together created an incredibly impressive atmosphere. Towards the end, the weather became even more extreme: rain, strong gusts of wind, and hail. It was a real adventure... and this time we even stayed somewhat dry. By now, it was already dark, so we made our way to our accommodation in Taitung.

We spent the next day in Taitung. We strolled through two parks and took a drive through the countryside, where we enjoyed a beautiful view of fields and forests. In the evening, we visited a small fair in an art district, which was decorated with hand-painted lanterns. There were various specialties to try. Now it was time to go to bed early. The next day, we continued with the last part of our trip early in the morning.