TaiMaLi

From Kaohsiung, we took a two night trip to TaiMaLi on Taiwan's east coast, just south of TaiDong. The eastern coast is separated from Kaohsiung by  the Central Mountain Range but there is a railroad track going through the mountains.

The resort we stayed at was about a few kilometers from the coast and at 1340 meters elevation, so you know the road up there was steep.

 It rains a lot on the east coast and at that elevation the plant life is different from the rest of Taiwan. The ferns are the size of trees, they look like what a dinosaur might like to eat.

The two main crops are tea and gold needle flowers(day lilies). The gold needle flower is harvested in Fall, so we only saw the bright green, the tea is dark green.

Even though the Spring is just beginning up in the mountains thare were still some colorful plants and wildlife.
Cherry trees

Some other lilies

Some jack-o-lantern like flower

And butterflies

It was a very serene and peaceful place for hiking in the clouds.