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Day 2

Another early start on day 2 saw us up and on the road just after 7am. We said our goodbyes to our new friends at the hostel and got on the train to Ruishui in the East coast rift valley. It was a picture-book train ride with stunning views, often hard to know which side of the train to look out of. . Towering, majestic mountains to the west and the picturesque rift valley to the east.

After we ate breakfast we planned to begin the 20 minute walk to the rafting centre, but just as we were leaving the restaurant, the owner decided it was too hot for us to walk that far and picked up his car keys to drive us there himself! Just another example of the incredible people and tremendous generosity we've encountered so far!

Once at the rafting centre, we got all our equipment on and listened to the safety instructions before meeting our crew mates. Each boat had about 10 people on board and because there were only four of us, we shared a boat with a group of students from Changhua. After a quick chat it was into the water and it was great relief. The temperature was 34 degrees and along with the blazing sunshine, getting into the cold water of the Xiuguluan river was just what we needed. As soon as we hit the water, we began to splash each other and splash the people in the other boats. We all had a great time!

The rafting adventure was a mixture of calm water where we had a chance to admire unforgettable scenery, and of fast-flowing rapids, where we just tried to get our feet inside, hang on and literally bounce over the water. As we progressed down the river our enthusiasm grew to the point where we were searching for more white water to attack, resulting in several unanticipated dips in the water. Good stuff, great fun, and upon the guide's advice we'll be back again after the next typhoon!

We arrived at the coast late in the afternoon and and after a quick shower, it was now too late to catch the train we had planned to catch to Taidong. Fortunately though the owner of the rafting company told us of a bus we could take and was even good enough to drive us to the bus stop! We have been really blown over by the treatment we have received everywhere and are astonished at how much people are willing to go out of their way to help us.

The scenery down the coast looked especially beautiful as the sun began to set and we were in high spirits as we chatted about how exciting the rafting had been. We arrived in Taidong late in the evening, checked in to the hotel, got some food and settled down for a good night's sleep. Another big day and lots more adventures tomorrow!