Amazed

Taroko Gorge ~ resembles a great gash smack-dab between towering mountains, with a roaring river cutting right the base of the peaks. Located in Eastern Taiwan, this precipitous gorge of marble rock through which LiWu River runs, is truly MAGNIFICENT!

Craggy cliffs, waterfalls, and caves are the common sights along the gorge. The area also boasts a thriving Aboriginal culture and a long tradition of marble-based art. Below: It looks like human's face....
Taroko Gorge, which was named by the Japanese during the Japanese colonial period on Taiwan, is a top backpacking and hiking locate, with hostels catering to intrepid foreigners and extensive hiking trails. Nature lovers and those looking for refuge away from the concrete jungles of urban Taiwan will find what they're looking for along the winding paths and roads of the gorge. Let the roar of the river and stunning scenery take away your urban woes.

NanYa peculiar rocks ~ a natural scenery spot.
According to our guide, these rocks look like ice-cream (marked in yellow)...
It was actually too far a distance for us to have a clear look at it...

(note: try to search for this nanya rock photos, it actually do looks like ice-cream)


YehLiu ~ Located at Wanli of Taipei county, it is a long cape formed by Datun Mountain reaching into the sea. As the rock layer of nearby seashore contains limestone subject to sea erosion, weathering and earth movements, this place is full of seawater-eroded holes as well as numerous rocks in fantastic shape like mushroom, beehive, candles and etc. All these make this 1,700-meter long cape a geologe park with rich ecological resources and a prosperous fishing village.

Above: Honeycomb rock ~ Mushroom shaped crage which surface is filled with sea-eroded holes of different sizes. The Weathering Window, the Maling Bird, and the 24 Filial Piety Stories are the best-known among them.

Below: Mushroom rocks have attracted the attention of most tourists visiting YehLiu (and, I'm one of them). Originally, these rocks had gone through sea erosion and as time went by, the hard cores came out to have experienced the impact of wind, sun, rain, sea-wave and strong North-Eastern Monsoon. Today, these rocks demonstrate an eroding process - from no-neck, broad-neck, to narrow-neck ones.
Below: There are about 180 rocks in the shape of mushroom as a show window of their eroding process. Touring this area makes you feel like walking in a wonderland!
(Important: YehLiu area are still in lively, dynamic evolution. Therefore, be sure not to touch or even damage any of these creations of Nature!!!)
Below: The famous Queen's Head demonstrates majestic elegance. It is the landmark of YehLiu Geology Park. .@@@.


Leaving for Hualien, East of Taiwan.
Along the SuHua Coastal Highway....
Pacific ocean on our left ....

... ... About to arrive the perfect viewing point... ...

CingShuei Cliff ~ known as the perfect viewing stop for Pacific Ocean... ...

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Eat All You Can!

'What kind of food have you had at Taiwan?' A friend asked.
'Hmm...'
Yeah, I was silent for quite a while trying hard to recall each meal I have had in the restaurant. But...haa...to my surprise, I don't know what was the name of those dishes they served.
Thanks to my assistant for doing the hard work (who? the camera ofcourse!) :p

This was the first thing I looked for at the Fong Jia & Shihlin Night market! Taiwanese called it [ô-á mī-sòa - 蚵仔麵線, kézǎi miànxiàn], or oyster vermicelli, a thickened soup containing small oysters and Chinese vermicelli.
Coffin Bread [棺材板 guān cái bǎn] is similar to the western French Toast, but filled with savory fillings, such as black pepper beef, chicken or pork & small portion of porridge. The thick cut bread is dipped in egg, deep fried & cut along three sides to opened and filled.
Scallion pancakes [蔥油餅], flour pancake with many thin layers, made with scallions.
It was so hot & spicy cuz of the pepper in it...whoah!
Fried snack which you could easily find at night market, ie:
The Crispy Chicken Cutlet, famous for its jumbo size - using boneless chicken breast & deep fried. And, sprinkled with pepper salt & chilli powder on top... (my bad, i just realized that i do not have any photo of it...)
Below photos are: Fried squid, fish balls...
Small sausage in Large sausage - 大腸包小腸 (usually grilled). It is actually using the Taiwanese pork sausage placed inside a larger sticky rice (glutinous rice) sausage which has been slit down the middle. The taste? Hmm....try it yourself and you will know! ;)
During the summer, this is one of the favorite dessert! The Shaved Ice!!!!!! A popular dessert consisting of shaved ice and a variety of toppings to choose from. Ie: Grass jelly (Mesona procumbens / 仙草 / 涼粉草), glutinous rice balls, green beans...etc.
ps: pardon me, didn't take any pics of the dessert as all of us too busy eating...haaa...(^o^) some local herbal tea offered to us after a morning walk... (^o^) peanut roll wz double scoop ice cream... (i think it goes better with the ice cream itself)

Arr, I couldn't recall the name of this soup but it was good^.^

My favorite dish - 'The 3cups chickens' [三杯雞,sān bēi jī] - It is called 3cups as the sauce is made of a cup of rice wine, a cup of sesame oil, and a cup of soy sauce. Alternately, the sauce can also be made of a cup each of rice wine, sugar, and soy sauce.
ps: that was 3cups squid ^p ... (forgot to take pics of the 3cups chicken!! )

A cool restaurant which you could pay a visit:
http://www.five-dime.com.tw/

Thirsty For More

Tea, tea tea!

Variety of tea / drinks at the convenient stores...
Our favorite drinks throughout the sunny day!

Below: rose tea ~ my all time choice... Below: this Alishan Tea is the best among all... :p Below: Refreshing lemon soda...just as its name, cool.... Below: little gift for every four bottles of same priced drinks...^p

(^0^)...