An Email from Hualien

1Hi Yu-ting,

2I'm writing this on the train back from Hualien, so please forgive any typos! Thank you again for helping me plan the trip. Your list of tips was more useful than any guidebook.

3On the first day, I rented a bicycle and rode along the coast. The ocean was an unbelievable shade of blue, and the mountains seemed to rise straight out of the water. I stopped so often to take photos that a ten-kilometer ride took me almost three hours.

4The next morning, I joined a small tour to Taroko Gorge. Our guide, Mr. Lin, grew up in a village nearby, and he shared stories that his grandmother had told him about the mountains. He also reminded us to wear helmets on some trails because small rocks sometimes fall from the cliffs. I was a little nervous, but the views of the marble walls and the river far below made it all worth it.

5There was one small disaster. On my last evening, I went to the night market and tried almost everything: wild boar sausage, mochi, and a very spicy bowl of noodles. I felt fine until midnight, and then my stomach was not so happy. Next time, I will follow your advice and try one new food at a time!

6I also bought you a small gift, a bag of millet cookies from a shop your mom recommended. I hope they survive the trip, because the bag is already a little crushed.

7See you on Sunday. I have about three hundred photos to show you, so prepare yourself!

8Love,

9Sophie