【國內旅遊】Three-day trip to Hualien & Taitung – 1ST Day @ Joyce 走跳生活

I joined a trip to Hualien and Taitung on May 18, 2011. Here is the recp for the first day of the trip.

There were total 78 pax (including 2 kids) in our batch and divided into three groups for buses allocation.We all met first in Taipei Train Station at 6:40am on Wednesday then took the train to Hualien at 7:30am.The travel agent was requested to provide breakfast service for all the participants, so no one had to worry about suffering from hunger in the early morning.It was always a better and faster way to take train instead of bus to travel in a long distance.We arrived Hualien around 10:30am then got on buses based on the assigned groups.The buses were our transportation tools whilst we moved around between Hualien and Taitung.

The first spot we explored in Hualien was the Ji’an Chin-shui Yuan, which was a third-degree historic site located at the Ji’an Township.In the early period, most of the inhabitants in this area were from Amis (aborigines) before occupied by Japan.Due to so many Japanese immigrated into this area at that time, therefore, one of the Japanese decided to build this place for their people to worship.This place was also served as a medical center, classroom and funeral ceremony venue, etc.We didn’t stay too long in this place but had enough time for us to take photos.Then we left for lunch.

In the afternoon, we went to Lintian Mountain Forestry Center where was the fourth largest forestry center in Taiwan.Unfortunately, it started to rain in the afternoon.My roommate and I didn’t expect for the bad weather, so we didn’t bring an umbrella with us.However, we borrowed one from our colleagues and took a walk around the area.When the lumbering industry in this area became more large-scale, they even constructed a lumber transportation railway and freight transportation ropeway.In the past, Lintian Mountain Forestry Center was once a fully functional lumbering community where you could find dormitories for the staff, a clinic, a welfare center, a rice store, a grocery store, a laundry, a barbershop, a fire department, a kindergarten and an elementary school.Today, this area becomes a forestry culture center, providing visitors a complete testimony of Lintian Mountain’s past history.

Before checked-in the hotel, we dropped-by the Ruisui Pasture, where is opened to the public free off charge whole year round.We were there to enjoy their fresh and savory dairy products, such as ice cream, cheesecake, yoghurt, steam milk-bun, etc.

The hotel we stayed is actually located in Taitung, meaning we drove south along the roadway.For me, it’s very difficult to skip the usual practice – hotel inspection.We reviewed hotel’s in-room compendiums to find out what are the services that hotel will provide.We also checked the set up in the room and the bathroom.Overall, the Papago International Resort is a nice hotel with comfortable beds and clean bathroom, a nice swimming pool as well as not too bad food services except their staff look very serious with no smiling on their faces.