Day 4: Hualien 花蓮
Stay: Hualien Hotel
The next day, my friend from the night market takes me around Hualien. He's Wallace, an aboriginal Taiwanese, who spent most of his life growing up in Hualien. According to him, it's easier to see the city by car. He picks me up in his car at 09:00 and takes me out to a 秘境, a secret spot, which is a small watering hole in the mountains. There's only us there, and the water is very clear. It seems the spot is somewhat man-made: a waterfall pouring over a concrete wall is the centerpiece of the entire watering hole, and some kids who show up later jump off the cliff. Slowly, his friends show up as well. They are all staff at one of the restaurants that the Wallace opened, and they're all gay (we cluster). They're friendly, and they discuss the conversation from last night about their friend, and they share a few jumps off the waterfall.
Afterwards, we say goodbye to his friends since they have to go open up the restaurant. Wallace drives me to 太魯閣 -- Taroko Gorge -- one of the best geological parks in Taiwan. There is essential one mountain road that links the entire park together (one which you could theoretically bike up, which I may try next time). He takes me through and shows me the Liwu River, and explains how it has carved out the gorge over millenia. As an island borne from tectonics, Taiwan has the privilege of having some pretty cool geological formations scattered throughout (in addition to its super nice hot springs). Many tour buses frequent this place, understandably so. I wish I had a whole day to just hike it. The drive through feels unsatisfying since there's so much to take in.
He then takes me to 七星潭, the massive expanse of beach that covers most of the eastern coast of Taiwan. The wave swell is very high and look dangerous. Since it is 35 degrees Celsius outdoors, without any shade, the entire beachfront is empty, and we are one of few people there. The water is an incredibly light blue and green, and standing inland I take a few breaths to appreciate the water in front of me. It beats rhythmically and washes the small pebbles into itself, churning away. I can't explain it -- I feel so small. I want the sea to swallow me and to spit me back just like those pebbles; to swallow me into the Motherland to which I belong. The sea extends into the horizon for miles, a neverending blue. How can Nature provide something at once so great and so sentimental. It's so unreal. Were it not for the sun, I would sit here for hours just watching the tide flow.
Next, he takes me to the "crate Starbucks" that Hualien is known for. It's mostly an Instagram spot, with the construction appearing like a shipping dock -- stacked crates in perpendicular and parallel arrangement with stairs linking throughout. We actually don't drink any coffee, but we just go there to take a look at the architecture. How different than from where we just came.
... and that's it. He drops me off. We add each others' Facebooks and Instagrams. He asks me if I want to stop by the bar tonight, and I told him I want to get an early start on the ride in the morning since the distance will be longer. I would be cycling through most of the inland along the farming fields -- roughly a 100km bike ride with stops. He smiles and says that the bar is always open there if I want to go back. He tells me the route out. "Take X road and Y road. Then, follow along, and that'll get you on the right track. Be safe, travel well." He drives off back to the night market to work. It's nearly sundown, and I cycle to a new hotel for the night which my friend set me up in (his sister works there). I hope to go someday back to Wallace's bar.