A journey full of surprises and luck in Huadong

        In early August, the sun was scorching in Kaohsiung. After meeting up with four friends at the Zuoying High speed Railway Station, they set off towards Taitung with great excitement. Along the way, the sun shines brightly, and seeing the sea in Kenting, I am even more looking forward to the blue sea and sky in Taitung. Sure enough, as soon as the coastline of Taitung comes into view, there are constant cheers in the car. The long-awaited 'Taitung Blue' is truly refreshing!

                On our first stop in Taitung, we headed straight to the famous restaurant "Ouxiang Steakhouse" for lunch. This is a must try delicacy in recent years, and it provides us with ample energy for our upcoming journey. After being full, head along the beautiful coastline to the homestay, with mountains on the left and the sea on the right, where the mountains overlap and complement each other; As Galuland has started charging fees, we chose to stop at a slightly farther coast to take photos. Against the backdrop of clear skies, the blue sky, white clouds, and sparkling waves are truly breathtaking!

        On the first day of staying at the seaside homestay "Xiaoyuer's Home", you can see the sea view from the room, which is very leisurely and comfortable. After arranging your luggage and enjoying the free hand brewed coffee hosted by the boss, immediately set off for the Deer Wild High Platform. The hot air balloon light sculpture show, which was supposed to have ended, was postponed due to the typhoon last Thursday, giving us the opportunity to indulge in it. We were feeling extremely lucky when the scene was filled with people and cars from all over the mountains and valleys. After circling around, we couldn't find a parking space. We had planned to give up, but in order not to disappoint us, our senior sister decisively chose the Yipin Tea House, which is a shopping and parking option. Moreover, it is very close to the light sculpture show venue. After chatting with the shop owner, we were even more surprised to find that the son of the tea house owner and the student of our senior sister were good friends. They really meet everywhere in life!

        The beautiful fireworks accompanied the drone performance, the cute and creative hot air balloon light sculpture show, made everyone stare intently and be amazed. Not far away, the singing of the Nine One One Band came from the stage, it was really beautiful and lively! After going down the mountain, I bought the famous Blue Dragonfly Fried Chicken and the night market snack in Taitung, took a bottle of Old Oriental Herb juice with me, and ate home stay all the way back, listening to the sound of the sea tide outside the window to sleep.

        The next morning, I specially woke up at 5:30 am to capture the moment when the sun rose from the sea level. Thanks to my sister's early booking of a beautiful accommodation, we were able to witness the beautiful sunrise.

        The breakfast at the homestay is rich and delicious, using fresh and healthy local ingredients to replenish everyone's energy. After dinner, head north along the coastline and take the Yuchang Highway. The mountain line offers a different scenery, and at the turn of the mountain, you can see a vast blue sea. It's truly a wonderful visual feast!

                At noon, we arrived at the Stinky tofu at the bridgehead of Yuli Bridge in Hualien. Because the tourist flow in Hualien has dropped sharply recently, we can eat it without waiting in line for too long. After dinner, continue to the destination of Sixty Stone Mountain. Although the golden needle flower season has not yet begun, without the crowding of people and cars, there is a leisurely atmosphere of soaring high and looking far away. This time we made a big breakthrough on the mountain. With the encouragement and guidance of the villa owner, our senior sister bravely drove her new car up the mountain, and indeed the view from the high ground was boundless. On the recommendation of photography enthusiasts, we waited for some more time for the beautiful scenery of changing light and shadow, and finally waited for the miraculous appearance of the sun beam. It was truly a worthwhile trip! During the trip, I accidentally learned about the discount of agricultural tourism vouchers from other tourists, and luckily received NTD250 subsidy to purchase locally famous enoki mushrooms, making a small contribution to the small farmers in Hualien affected by the earthquake and wind disaster.

        After descending the mountain, head to the resting place of the next day - the "Chishang Braun No. 3 Homestay" located next to Braun Avenue. When we arrived, it was already dark in the sparsely populated countryside, and the sound of cicadas outside the window was incessant, washing away our exhaustion. We fell asleep early before ten o'clock.

                On the morning of the third day, before breakfast, I rode my homestay bike to Braun Avenue and enjoyed a panoramic view of green rice paddies, verdant mountains, white clouds and blue sky. The sun shone brightly and the air was fresh. It was also the first time I saw the deserted Takeshi Kaneshiro tree, and I was able to sit under the tree and take good photos by the big teapot. Due to the fact that tourists are not as good as before, we enjoy the quiet and spacious Brown Avenue to the fullest, but we cannot help but worry about the development of tourism in Taitung. We only hope that Hualien Taitung can recover from the disaster as soon as possible and continue to enjoy the beautiful Taitung Blue.

        After enjoying the dishes of Congee carefully prepared by the homestay, go to Taidong along the Tai11 line and eat tofu pudding at the famous shop "Dachi Doupi Shop" first. Although we didn't eat the famous fried bean curd, we were lucky enough to have the new taste of fried bean curd with nine layers tower. Then I went for a walk in Dapochi and looked at the beautiful reflection in the water. My phone's shutter couldn't stop.

        At noon, she returned to Taitung and went to Chen Ji's mochi to collect the mochi souvenir pre booked by phone. For lunch, she enjoyed vegetarian spring rolls, vegetarian angelica noodles, and vegetarian dumplings recommended by her classmates, reminiscing about the beautiful memories she had when she worked in Taitung.

        In the afternoon, as we bid farewell to Taitung and returned to the west, we hummed familiar songs from our era along the way. Although I feel reluctant to reunite with my friends in just three days, I still look forward to the next time we meet and embark on a new journey!

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