The vast, bucolic East Rift Valley and environs

I joined them on the “high terrace,” where the panorama of the great valley made me feel like what I was seeing couldn’t be real; I had not witnessed such a vast bucolic scene in Taiwan for as long as I could remember.

Back down in the valley, I gunned it up Highway 9, roaring by fields straight out of ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ passing temples set amidst golden fields of the best rice in Taiwan.

My destination in Yuli was the Wisdom Garden Guest House. For NT$1,200, I was the sole lodger in a small mansion surrounded by a forest which, in the evening, erupted into a cacophony of insects and frogs, letting me think that I was back in Sumatra or Khao Sok.

I had two hours till dark, so after checking in I got back on my 125cc motorbike and drove to Nanan Waterfall. Last time I was there, 4 years ago, visitors could swim in the falls. Now, however, one cannot even approach within twenty meters of the thunderous plunger, as the old path is fenced off and warning signs abound. Disappointed, I got back on my scooter and drove to the Walami Trail, which, just down the road, is technically part of Yushan National Park. On my previous visit here, a set of stairs led down to a beautiful waterfall that came crashing down from unseen heights, carving natural swimming pools into the rock. Today, those steps are gone and I could not figure out how to get down to the waterfall. So, no swim.

The views of the falls from Shenfang Bridge made up for my disappointment about swimming.

The following morning I got on the scooter again and attempted to drive up the road that goes up behind the Wisdom Guest house. I took it up about 1 kilometer, but turned back once it turned to stone and became too steep and overgrown with foliage. No doubt adventure awaits the more courageous.

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