Journey to the east - a day of travels

It was a good night's rest, in a comfortable motel room. The morning was greeted by delicious toast and coffee aroma, which clearly boosted our morale. Once we're done, it was time to head to King Car Orchid Park, a place where an array of beautiful and elegant orchids were on display. Over there, we had a guided tour on Phalaenopsis production in Taiwan. This, together with the tour of the Orchid Green House, enlightened me on orchid diversity in Taiwan. I learnt that conditions in the greenhouse was established to mimic the optimal conditions for the growth of orchids in the natural environment. This has allowed me to realize how far Taiwan has progressed in the field of horticulture and cultivation of plants for aesthetic purposes. It is not only well endowed with natural biodiversity, but also shows rapid advancement in human technology for plant growth. I hopped for joy when we came across the Vanda Ms Joaquin, Singapore's national flower. I suddenly felt honoured to be a Singaporean, because even such a small country like us is capable of sending forth a noteworthy representative/identity of our nation. It may have been 'dwarfed' and trivialized by the myriad of other orchid varieties found mostly in Taiwan, India, Philippines, but the fact that it is still widely recognized in the world calls for true respect. Besides nurturing orchids, the industry is also responsible for churning out massive produce of the famous King Car coffee and Mr Brown's coffee, not forgetting whisky as well.

 Vanda Ms Joaquin, Singapore's national flower

Lunch was at a 'coffee shop'. Before that, when Jack mentioned the lunch venue, I was utterly amused because 'coffee shop' in Singapore refers to a non air-conditioned, poor-ambiance dining place. It is equivalent to an eatery one can find all around the streets of Taipei. Little did I know that 'coffee shop' in this circumstance referred to a restaurant that sells coffee as its main product. It was hilarious how the misconception came about.

With stomachs filled, it was time for a long bus journey yet again. However, the ride was made less monotonous by the endless scenic views that popped out periodically. The coastline from high elevation was simply mind-blowing! I managed to capture some beautiful shots with the awesome scenery.

Harbour

Cingshui cliff

It was then time to head to Hualien city in the eastern part of Taiwan. Unlike Taipei City, Hualien city is a small town which is impoverished in terms of variations in food and shopping. It is interesting to observe the gradation of development in different towns of the country, especially when Singapore is just one big city. Even the suburbs of the Central Business District in Singapore hardly deviates from the typical urban landscape found in most developed regions. After a long day of travelling, we are now finally in our room to rest for the night. If yesterday's room was awesome, this is even better as it is more spacious, eliminating the effects of claustrophobia. The subsequent days will involved lots of hiking and walking, so I hope everyone have a good and well-deserved rest tonight. Taroko National Park tomorrow, here I come!