1.17.2012

LET'S RUN AWAY

I have been in Taiwan several times when I was young. Never did we thought of having an adventure by getting out of the busy city and just relax in the countryside up north. It was during this trip that we got to visit a different place in Taiwan called Hualien. Hualien is considered as one of the most pleasant cities in Taiwan. It is located on a strip of land between the Pacific Ocean (I bet you heard this body of water million times in your Civics class) and the central mountain range. A lot of tourists enjoy the scenery and fresh air of this peaceful city.

 
From Taipei, you can ride their express train for 2 hours going to Hualien. As you can see, I piled on clothes in preparation for the cold weather there. When I travel to cold places, first thing in my mind is knitted clothes. Hence, my tweed blazer and knitted bag.  

Topshop scarf | Zara sweater | Vintage tweed blazer 
 Zara pants and bag | Shanghai brand boots
We all fell in love with their nougat. It tastes like a heaven sent chewy milk with almonds.   

 Hualien is home of freshly made mochi in Taiwan. In their factory, you will witness how they make their scrumptious mochi. It is actually very easy to make one. All you need is flour flour flour and water and the flavor inside and.. that's everything I know. You can choose from red bean, chocolate, peanut butter mochi and etc. They have a variety to choose from. You will really go crazy, wanting to try everything :)

One of the tourist places in Hualien is Taroko park. They have a walkway specially designed for tourists to walk on. The park has a peaceful scenery where you can walk hand in hand with your loved one. Just be careful! because the natural water falling from this mountain park might surprise you along the way. 

 Highway 11 is famous for its long stretch overlooking the beauty of Hualien coastline. You can rent a scooter or bike and hit the road. 
We had lunch in a restaurant on top of a mountain. The ambiance felt like I was in Tagaytay. You would see the place surrounded by wood. Even their plate and utensils are made of wood. For lunch, they served us a hearty meal filled with vegetables and fish. nom nom nom

 We also entered a cave near Taroko park


We dropped by one of their beaches. The waves was so strong, it could eat up hundreds of people. 

 Our whole trip to Hualien was a chilly peaceful one. Glad to see the other side of Taiwan :)

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