Taiwan 7: Taroko National Park 1 (19. Jan. '18)

This is it. This is the morning I get to go (briefly) through Taroko National Park.
I got up, packed, and ready. At the foyer, I was wondering what was next. It was pitch dark, so maybe that's why it took me a while to finally see the breakfast the hostel staff had prepared for me hours before.

Thank you, Taroko Susi Space!

***To get a discount on this place (or any other accommodation worldwide), start by clicking here.***

It took me a while to get how to get out since it was locked down with garage-door-type shutters. Once I finally understood how and opened the door, my driver was there (in an SUV!), waiting I don't know how many minutes for me. Sorry.
His English was very limited, but we made it work.

I must warn you. Out of all the pictures I took on this trip, almost half were taken in this park. I couldn't put my phone camera down--which brings me to my next warning. I didn't have a good quality camera with me, so many pictures did not turn out well. As far as this place is concerned, none of my photos do it justice.

Chongde Shingle Beach

First stop: Chongde Shingle Beach.

Chongde Tunnel on Su-Hua Highway.

Very overcast morning.

Info on the Su-Hua Highway.

Oh, the air was so fresh! It was really nice to be out and there that early. Too bad I couldn't see the sunrise.

Shakadang Trail

Second Stop: Shakadang Trail

Enter Shakadang Trail

The driver stopped at the red Shakadang bridge. He pointed me to the trail's entrance and said it was 1.5 km long. Hmm, that was more than what I could walk, but I was willing to check out what I could, as far as I could.

These signs make me wonder sometimes.

Just under the bridge. Which way to go? To the right.

I know my pictures are NOT the best, but if you've never been there, then these can serve to give you an idea.

Natural rain cover, check.

Standing on flat feet, not on tip-toes. Watch your head, those > 175cm.

I went as far as 0.625km mark, then turned back. I didn't want to risk my feet too much, and I knew this was only the beginning. I wanted to be able to see it all and walk through as much as I could.

Guardian of Shakadang Bridge (it started drizzling).

That rain felt so good. Especially since I couldn't take a shower the night before (because I didn't have any clean clothes left). This drizzle made me feel clean. In a place like this, it just felt right to have this kind of "natural" shower.