Our first stop in the Taroko National Park.

 
Taroko National Park.
Entrance to the East-West Cross Island Highway.

 
A bit misty rain

 
Walking the Shakadang Trail (砂卡礑步道).

The Shakadang bridge.

Swallow Grotto (燕子口).
Everyone must wear a helmet.
Our guide gave us paper towels to place between the helmet and our skin for hygiene.

Internal courtyard of the Silks Palace Taroko hotel in Tianxiang (天祥).
This is the only hotel inside the Taroko National Park.

Our family-style lunch at the restaurant of the Silks Palace Taroko Hotel.
(We were seated 9 to a table.)
The 3-cup-chicken (3杯雞), at the top of the photo and was almost all gone, was outstanding.
Our guide Sophia said the hotel's restaurant no longer accepts walk-in customers.
It only serves the hotel's over-night guests, as well as pre-booked tour groups like us.

 
The steamed fish was also outstanding.

 
We were going to walk on that suspension bridge.

 
The Eternal Spring Shrine (長春祠, Changchun Temple)

Qixingtan (七星潭),
a pebble beach with many beautiful pebbles.

 
Our 5:30pm train from Hualien back to Taipei.

 
Dim sum dinner at 添好運 (Tim Ho Wan Taipei).

Spring roll with egg white.

 
BBQ pork bun

 
Daikon radish cake.

Bubble tea!

Ayumi wanted to taste a different bubble tea every day.