Taiwan 2.5: The first sunny day of the trip, in the Taroko Gorge

I decided to have us do the hikes at the other end of the park from where we are staying.  We took a bus and got off near the Changchun Shrine.  Pictures of this temple are commonly seen when looking up the Taroko Gorge.  We crossed a red bridge and entered a series of tunnels to reach it.




It was a short walk, we took a quick look, and then turned around.  There is a trail that leads through the mountains to the Changuang Temple and Bell Tower, but the trail was damaged.  We had to go back to the road to find the front way to those locations.  On our way back I noticed a massive spider.  It was quite a bit off into the distance, but it was about 5 to 6 inches if I were to guess.  Nearby there were some other spiders.



We crossed the bridge to take pictures of the Shrine before heading to our next stop.



On our way up the driveway to the Changuang Temple, we noticed many butterflies.  Once at the temple, we spent quite a while trying to photograph butterflies.  Miles also pointed out a grasshopper.



We had to cross a rope bridge that was quite high up.  I simply walked while distracting myself.  We climbed for a bit before we reached the bell tower.  I did a very quick walk around the top before rushing back down.  Miles, on the other hand, stayed up top to pull the rope to ring the bell.  It was shockingly loud.



We retraced our steps, looking out for insects along the way.



We walked about twenty minutes farther, to the entrance to the Shakadang Trail.  This is known as the most popular trail because it is fairly flat and right near the entrance to the Gorge.  We descended from a bridge to begin the trail.  We walked until we reached a bunch of vendor stalls, picked up some water, and then returned.



We returned to where we began and then walked in the opposite direction for a good twenty minutes or so, with many steps, until we reached the visitor center, where we caught a bus back to our home town.  There was a small bridge that we had to cross and Miles chose the alternative fun bridge next to it.



Once back at the hotel, I decided to check out the temple in town.  I crossed the bridge and saw the sign that said that it was only open until 5:00.  It was 4:45, but the gates were closed.



I walked through the garden and out of the corner of my eye I saw a green insect.  I spent quite a while trying to photograph it though it was in a shaded area and the sun was going down.