Mom heads home

 Pics from the last few days of mom's visit. the kids playing with bubbles downstairs and wearing party hats to the grocery store:)

 Goodbye to granny at the airport :(

 Pretty Maya:)

Hualien weekend

Many thought we were crazy to go to Hualien for the weekend. on a map it is just across the island from taichung but you have to go all the way to the north and round as the road across the island was damaged in the 921 earthquake and it is a hazardous route over the high mountain peaks anyway. BUT we decided we could do it. We got up at 3am and were off...arrived at Taroko gorge around 9:30 and had a fantastic view waiting for us.

Sunrise in the car.

Fast asleep

 Taroko Gorge

 

 

 Feet up in the hotel.

 Sunset at the stony beach. Loads of Marble rock.

At Jici beach ..the only sandy beach area near Hualien.

Homeward bound.

Taipei and Jiofen village

We went up to Jiofen which is an old gold mining are north east of Taipei. There is an old street there that inspired one of the scenes in Ghibli's movie 'Spiritied away'. The scenery was beautiful as were all the little places along the way.

 We stopped at a tea shop near the top and had an assortment of dumplings. Stunning view from the top of the teahouse.

 

 

Outside 101 at night watching the fountain show.

 On the MRT.

Fun in the hotel room.

 

Maya and Granny ;)

 We met Peggy and Vincent for lunch.

 All the times mom has been but we realised she had never been to the Chiang Kai Shek memorial.