Day 6: The beauty of Pork

Spring of 2009 found us traveling through the mountains on our way to Taroko Gorge, a national park in Taiwan. We drove with our friends, Matt, April and Baby George for hours along massive highways that soon narrowed into tiny 2 lane windy roads that ran through villages clinging to hillsides. We passed adventure cyclists working their way up the ever increasing grade to the park.

Midday we took a rest stop at a scenic overlook. Unfolding ourselves out of our little rental car, we took a walk along a wooden bridge overlooking the gorge. We were greeted by a couple of huge malamutes that seemed to herd us toward a little (in a very authentic sense of the term) farmer's market. A farm family had piled up their fruits and vegetables on tables in a rustic stall: apples, small pumpkins, greens, fresh bamboo shoots and many other beautiful things Martha Stewart would have envied. Every fence and pillar surrounding the place was carefully covered with cabbage leaves set to dry and later to be turned into a fermented cabbage relish. On one table was a tiny barbecue with a small host of sausages. Those Chinese sausages burst when we bit into them with a distinct flavor I will never forget.

Our trek continued on up that hill. The cyclists we had seen earlier were overcome with elevation, and pushed their bikes up the hill. Just after we crested the summit and began our decent into the gorge, we stopped to take photos. As we stood watching, a deep impenetrable fog rolled up the sides of the gorge. It was amazingly beautiful to watch, but Matt had to continued to drive into that treacherous darkness. Hours later, and in complete darkness we made it to our motel.


The Leader Motel in Taroko Gorge is one of the only places in Taiwan still run by the aboriginal people. It was a truly magical place, set against soaring granite cliffs. Each room is cabin style with the raised bed platform with a tufted mattress laid with crisp cotton sheets. We attended the cultural song and dance and had dinner of wild boar bacon fried rice--amazing! April had the vegetarian plate. The veg plate was a beautiful array of exotic grilled mushrooms and fancifully prepared vegetables. (See pictures of the gorge in my facebook album: Taiwan. Or go to http://wikitravel.org/en/Taroko_Gorge)

Tonight we found similar flavors in a dish at our favorite local Chinese restaurant in Irvine (S.W. Seafood on Walnut and Jeffery). Chinese sausage and bacon with peeled broccoli. If you go, get that and the fish fillet with special house sauce--yum!

I've become an eating machine! That usually happens when I begin a new exercise regime. I am staying away from sweets (mostly), too many calories and they don't satiate! I learned today that I can eat a lean protein and be totally fine--I feel so much more sated than by snacking on fruit, though I am a fruit-bat). This calorie counting program on my phone has made me very aware of food value and calorie budgeting!

Food wise: Intake 2429. Burned up 1119 calories at the gym. Rain is a beautiful thing! Am I turning into a Cali girl made of sugar, instead of a Washington girl made of moss? At any rate, I packed my swim suit and put on some sweats and became part of the gym crowd today. At least temporarily. Josh at 24 hour fitness was kind enough to float me a guest pass. We shall see how well it works into my work schedule. Starting next week, I will be a working woman, again. Sigh...