Some fishermen had even set up a type of net-dam in an effort to poach all of the aquatic creatures from the glassy river. Needless to say, I figured that by 2009, the Chihben (知本) Gorge in Taitung (台東) would have 'gone mainstream,' and that I'd find stinky tofu and other kind of vendors down by the river's shores.

How wrong I was. Since being removed from the Lonely Planet guidebook, the canyon seems to have become more natural and less accessible than years before; a phenomenon not often encountered in Asia, or anywhere else really, in today's world.

One of the factors that might be helping to seclude this area is the confusion brought about by a sign indicating "Valley Hot Springs" (08-510-722) in Chinese, at the head of the road leading to the trail that brings you down to the river. There are no hot springs over there whatsoever; many can be found on the main road that winds gorgeously through the developed region of the valley, but none there. Maybe it's a sort of 'hot spring of the mind' that the sign is referring to.

Another reason why this place is being forgotten by people and being reclaimed by the jungle is that the road leading to the trailhead passes through private property. In fact, this is not a problem; the gentleman who owns the plateau is an eco-friendly guy and he welcomes all visitors to park their car or their scooter on his property, free of charge, and to go down and explore the wild river and its waterfalls at their leisure. He doesn't actually live there in a house, but spends afternoons on his property under a shelter with his dogs.

If one turns up early, his gates will be locked. This too, is inconsequential; just park your vehicle on the side of the road so that you're not blocking traffic, walk around the gate, go down the road across his property and you will see the jeep trail leading straight down to the river.

A third reason why the valley remains a secret is that three (before it was two) angry dogs guard this property. Again, this is nothing to worry about. Walk straight towards the dogs showing no fear, and they will turn and beat a slow retreat, emitting a wimpy little yelp of protest from time to time.The path leads steeply, and being located beneath a hanging cliff, perhaps a bit dangerously down to the crystal river. To explore the area upstream, you have to get wet almost immediately. Not twenty meters from the bottom of the trail a huge slab of stone warps out of the valley wall and blocks further progress.

This is not much of a deterrent, as the river is not too deep at this point. Just roll up your pant legs to your knees and you probably won't get too wet. Beyond the slab is a fantastic waterfall, which, even in the dry season, spews a small tropical cascade. The water beneath it is plenty deep and safe for swimming, and the stone beach opposite the falls makes for a nice place to unpack a lunch and pop open a can of Taiwan beer.

This river can be traced back for days, reaching into what might be described as terra incognita. I have personally traced it a full two days up, and it just keeps getting prettier and prettier: more waterfalls, crystal pools, rapids, and torrents that shoot between narrow walls of marble. Swimming, therefore, is an essential skill if one intends to make this a small expedition.

A little bit of climbing over rock ledges, boulders and ridge tops will also be necessary if you're planning to set up camp more than an hour or two from the starting point, as the valley narrows into an awesome chasm of marble and quartz that can only be passed by swimming up the torrent or ascending the mountain at the bend a bit further downstream.

On previous trips, we have seen monkeys in several areas of the gorge, as well as dead muntjacs and huge snakes. People who live near the valley claim that leopard cats are fairly common in the area, and for ornithologists, Muller's Barbet and the Maroon Oriole are two species to look out for. Wild boars are also said to be a threat.

Confusing signs, angry dogs, private property, getting wet and some guts for climbing; maybe the place will never change.

HOW TO GET THERE:

From the main road in Chihben Hot Springs, go just past the Chihben National Forest Recreation Park. Then keep heading straight up a road that climbs through forests until you see the sign for Valley Hot Springs.