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Day 5. Hualien -> Taroko Gorge (Tienhsiang)
We didn't have very far to travel on this scenic day, but there was a lot to see on the way.
This was Mark's breakfast. I regret that I wasn't hungry at the time because it looks yummy! It is sticky rice cooked inside bamboo.
Before we turned hit the mountains, our highway took us through this tree covered section.
We turned off the coastal highway, to the special 'Cross Island Highway'. A crazy highway that goes through a mountain range from the east coast to the west coast.
Taroko Gorge was the place I was most looking forward to and I was not disappointed. It's a canyon of marble and the scenery was stunning. Our first stop was the Eternal Spring Shrine, built in memory of the hundreds of men who died constructing the highway. The first picture is of the temple, and the second picture is of the shrine and view. (a steep, but short hike from the temple)
Here is another nearby temple on the same hike and the views of the steep mountains.
More driving through Taroko Gorge National Park. I can't complain, because it was definitely the most scenic drive I've ever been on!
Because there was nowhere else to put it, the highway was just carved into the mountain.
More wonderful driving, and we reached our small town of Tienhsiang just as it was getting dark.