November 29, Taroko Gorge

Breakfast, followed by a walk in the butterfly filled garden of the hotel. These are big butterflies, including black ones as big as your hand. We did several hikes, including a repeat of yesterday's, this time with a shuttle ride to and from the trail head.

Saw these small plants on the side of the trail for this morning's hike. I believe they are small creeping ferns, plants that do very well, thank you, without any of the faddish vascular systems, seeds, and so forth that so-called modern plants are so proud of.

These are fairly common at this time of year. On our way up to the temple shown in yesterday's set of images, we found a medium sized insect, about the size of a bee, taking a rest from the gusty winds. It had a rather ornate black and gold velvet covered body and interesting opaque and transparent patterned wings. We've seen another variety that looks like a flying wooley bear caterpillar, only with clear wings.

A Hitchcockian view from the top of the "pagoda" at the top of the temple area. There are two sets of stairs, forming a double helix.

This was one of the few - okay the only - temple in Taiwan that required you to take off your shoes before entering. The temple itself is rather large and ornate, with three golden Buddhas (with swastikas). Outside, there is a large golden staue of Buddha. The red lanterns are similar to those on the bridge to our nearby temple.

A very lithe insect friend on the way down from the temple - a praying mantis, looking very smart, swaying gently back and forth.

Ann, the intrepid explorer, on a rather long and scary suspension bridge, just like the kind that always falls down at some point in the movies.

Delicate bracket fungi, with lots of colors, seen on our afternoon walk. This image may make it as a large format print.

A view back along the path we took, which shows as a light colored line in the upper right corner of the picture. The path is rather easy and level, thanks to the efforts, decades ago, of hundreds of men with hand tools.