Yesterday, at the Visitors’ Centre, we were advised to leave as if the typhoon struck, for safety reasons, the trains would not operate! Again the same staff member brought us to the ticket office and helped us purchase our tickets. She explained that mid journey we would have to change seats but not train or carriage - the reality being that most people book long distance travel up to two weeks in advance! Considering the imminent typhoon, we were probably lucky to get tickets!!
This morning, the train departed on time at 10.25, ETA 16.47. On trains hot food is sold in Bento boxes (as in Japan) and a rubbish collector frequently moves through the train, collecting passengers rubbish and tidying seats after passengers have disembarked the train.
The leg room was phenomenal considering the Twainese are generally small in stature.
The train travelled down the west coast, turned east where it tunnelled through the mountains, then as it turned northwards, where the Pacific lay on our right.
Almost dry river valleys dotted the landscape
The road had its own bridge traversing the vast but sandy landscape
Later we turned inland again and thence we commenced our journey through the Rift Valley, which runs 158km from Taitung city to Hualian City.
The lush, fertile valley was sentried on both sides by cloud covered mountains The valley was farmed intensively. Recently planted, vast paddy fields lay before us as far as the eye could see! The fields were last harvested in July. Small settlements abounded as did sizable towns.
Finally, on schedule, the train pulled into Hualien Station. Outside we visited the much lauded Visitors’ Centre, where we quickly organized our trip to Taroko Gorge tomorrow, before taxiing to our hotel.
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