Taroko--The Park (Part II)

I've been actually struggling on this post about the single most significant highlight of my trip--the Taroko National Park. Because seriously, how do you really describe such a place? I think the same problem runs with anything nature has to offer, other than the "woo" and the "ahh", I'm sure my limited vocabulary is going to help run your imagination wild.

I think one of the few insights I got during this trip was everything is interesting if you are paying attention and know what you're looking at. This has our tour guide Mr. Chiu to thank for. I normally don't like to bundle up with a stranger for a day, but his attention to details made it so much more memorable. Well, that and the poisonous larva head he made me touch as well as all bunch of wild plants he made me eat, including this bloody red wild berry that made my tongue numb for the entire afternoon. I almost didn't survive to tell you all how great a tour guide he was.

Before entering the National Park, Mr Chiu, quite a butterfly geek himself, made a detour and stopped by a butterfly garden owned by Asian Cement next door (cement and butterfly? you got me). Now I'm usually not interested in insects and Paul is even less of a fan. But they have one of the largest butterflies here so if you're there, make a stop by, you might get some nice shots of these butterflies. I myself being quite the hopelessly slow photographer, was only able to capture the larva who was kind enough to let me touch its poisonous head...

Mr. Chiu also showed us all kinds of plants and ferns. I am the kind who never pay attention to such things so it's very different when someone could explain to me what these mosses and fungi were all about. See, once you get acquainted with them, they don't seem so scary no more. We became best buddies I even ate a few of them...

Very quickly on several places we went:

砂卡礑步道--Not so impressive I think, probably most popular because it is the most accessible track.
白楊步道--This is at the back end of Taroko, but definitely worth the time and effort to go to that one. There is a hidden fall at the back that made this place most renown in the international tour book, but unfortunatel it was closed for safety reasons. I'm not sure whether to advise you to bring a flashlight or not, as without it, it makes the flat track rather advanturous.
Tunnel of Nine Turns (九曲洞 Jiuqiu Dong), Swallow's Mouth (燕子口)--these are also very nice walks, but may need another day to complete all aforementioned four.

Eternal Spring Shrine (長春祠 Changchun), Tiansiang (天祥)--Other sites we briefly stopped by.

One thing about the park. Now, this is what amazes me about National Parks in Taiwan--they are free of admission. Being quite the cheap Asian myself (what? I'm not supposed to say that?), I get furious when they try to charge you entrance fee to a public beach (in US) or an open hill (in China). But I understand it's a tough job to maintain a place like that. But Taroko, located at the east end of the Taiwan's Central Cross Island Highway, a highway with so many casualties during its construction, some portion hand carved by the veterans because it is formed with marble. But for reasons I cannot understand, they kept it free. Still the park has very few tourists much to my surprise,

and probably kept the trash away from this natural beauty.

Which got to another question. Throughout the journey, we hardly see any foreigners in Taiwan. Taroko definitely have the most foreigners we see in Taiwan. But it is nothing compared to other Asian countries. It is probably due to very bad marketing. Had we proudly stated we got the best collection of Chinese antiques, or the best exotic food that won't actually harm you, and not to mention Taiwanese people love~ the foreigners (except for the Chinese, but wait until they show you the money), it would have been a great adventure for someone with wants to see the most authentic Chinese culture. (OK, understand not all of us Taiwanese people felt like we're Chinese but I think they meant Communist Chinese). I almost hate to post this (not like anyone but my family and friends will read this) because quite selfishly, I was hoping that this place remains to be the hidden jewel that I can always go back to.