I planned to go to Taroko gorge in the early morning. This is why I traveled to nearby Hualien, a boring coastal town, on the day before, to spend the night. Before nightfall I had a few hours to kill and — because I had nothing better to do — took a walk. I stumbled upon two cows, a building that used to host Kamikaze pilots on their final night, a fighter jet, and a man enjoying a cigarette at the beach.