History. Needless to say, I'm a fan. After all, I didn't spend 4 years studying it---or abandon Nutrition (though seemingly there are far more employment opportunities in this field)---to end up with something I don't sincerely enjoy. Do I love all history? Of course not---much of it can be boring. BUT the history that does interest me, I could talk about for days on end. I'll read Doris Kearns Goodwin and watch Smithsonian Channel documentaries until my eyes give out.
Nature. Who doesn't love it? It's beautiful, it's refreshing, it's....natural. Truly there's no better way to escape the stress and business of normal city life than to lose yourself in the splendor of nature's greatest treasures. The varying shades of colors, the fresh air, and the mere scale and complexity of it all is both awe-inspiring and humbling.
In their own regards, both of these aspects factored into my decision to come to Taiwan. Throughout college, I was continually educated on the richness and depth of Chinese history. Indeed, Chinese culture does have thousands of years of history under its belt. "5,000 years of history" Dr Morris would say, of course then pointing out that in reality it's more like 3,500 (but who's counting? And plus it's not like they are the only people to ever exaggerate anything...they have "5,000" years of history sort of like America was the "land of the free" when Francis Scott Key busted out into poetry. Anyways, I digress). Their culture is the culture of the great Han, Song, and Tang Dynasties; the man, the myth, the legend, Confucius; and the actual inventor of the movable type (eat your heart out Johannes Gutenberg).
Taiwan's natural scenery speaks for itself. Even when you find yourself completely immersed in the belly of the concrete jungle that is Taipei, the surrounding green mountains are always within sight. To some extent, I'd already indulged in some of this nature by going on various hikes and explorations. But in reality, the "nature" I saw roaming through Dahu Park, Elephant Mountain, or even DaAn Park paled severely in comparison to what I experienced at Taroko Gorge.
Taroko was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. In reality, words do the place injustice. As do pictures. You really have to see this place to have an understanding of just how amazing and spectacular it is. Yet, amidst all the beauty of Taroko Gorge, I couldn't stop pondering about all the history to the place. And this wasn't like the kind of history you'd come across at Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, the National Palace Museum, or the Confucius Temple. No, this wasn't Taipei by any standard, in all its modernity, commerce, and bustle. This was a purer form of history---natural history. It was Taiwan in a more primitive and pristine light. Here was a valley that was formed over millions of years, carved out by the slow and steady process of erosion, making changes that are only barely visible after thousands and thousands of years. The milky white marble deposits that defined many of the lower walls had formed over millions of years, transformed from limestone after the constant combination of heat and pressure. The stream that ran down the middle was such an extraordinary shade of blue, undoubtedly dyed that color by the slow seeping of said marble deposits into the water. The many boulders that spotted and sometimes even dammed this creek had accumulated due to the thousands of earthquakes and typhoons that have rocked this small island. The mountains that soared above our heads had become higher over time as a result of tectonic plates colliding, and will actually continue to do so. Even the various noises I heard along the journey, ranging from the whistling of the birds to the splashing of the creek, were reminders that this same soundtrack has been playing for an unbelievably long time. And the list goes on and on.
I couldn't help but also thinking about how much human history the Gorge had witnessed; how it has likely scoffed at our vain efforts to achieve relative significance in comparison. Surely the Gorge has had its fair share of laughs at foreigners not unlike myself, who inadvertently bumped their heads along the rather shallow rock overhang while walking distracted and dumbstruck by the beauty of the place. It has also felt the force of several dynamite charges that blew holes in the side of the mountains, allowing those same hiking trails with the dangerously low ceilings to emerge. It has understand our vulnerability and fragility all too well as it has seen so many Taiwanese lose their lives constructing projects such as the Tunnel of Nine Turns. The walls of the mountains have absorbed the countless of number of camera flashes that amazed tourists have taken. It's long provided shelter to many native Taiwanese who have made their living selling weaved goods to tourists like myself, and who have been likely oblivious to technological advances like flash photography.
Of course the humbling thing is that no matter how impressive our human history might be, it can't even be mentioned in the same breath as the history of the Gorge.This gorge was just as beautiful and breath-taking a million years ago, long before any human had the ability to appreciate it. The 3,500 years of Chinese history would be a mere blip on the time line of this place. It was here long before we arrived, and it will be here long after we're gone (provided the world doesn't explode or whatever in 2012).
So now that my words have failed to do this place justice, let's let some pictures follow suit.
