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daryl-dixon-daydreams · 3 years

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Words: 2,740 Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader Reader pronouns: she/her Era: Alexandria, pre-Negan Warnings: language (duh, it's me), violence, gore, typical TWD A/N: This is part of a series! Find the other parts on my Master List! Summary: Daryl discovers something in the cabin and continues to be surprised by Y/N's kind treatment of him.

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Daryl found himself in the bathroom, leaning over the sink basin and staring at himself in the mirror. He was somewhat gaunter than he had expected and he ran a hand over the stubble on his face. His hair was long and hanging far past his eyes. He stripped off his clothes and turned the shower on, turning it as hot as he could stand and stepping underneath the spray. He let it run over his bruised and sore body, turning his face up to feel the spray, stinging all the little cuts and scrapes all over him. His feet were particularly bad from all the travel, bloody and blistered and definitely needing some medical attention and rest.

When he climbed out and pulled his clothes back on, the heat from the shower, the sensation of being clean, safe, warm, and fed, resulted in a level of exhaustion that he couldn’t fight. He threw back the blankets on the bed and settled into the soft mattress, sinking heavily into the pillows.

He felt like he was in the fucking twilight zone, staring up at the exposed beams above him, surrounded by the smell of detergent and the shampoo he’d scrubbed through his hair. It felt like hardly a minute before he plummeted into an unusually heavy sleep.

He woke mainly from an urgent thirst and sat up in bed abruptly, disoriented for a moment and grasping for the familiar hilt of his knife until he remembered that it wouldn’t be there. Climbing out of the bed, pulling the shade aside and glancing out, he could see that it was fully daylight and he had the sense he had slept for an extremely long time.

He hesitantly pushed out of the bedroom into the main living area and scanned it. There was no sign of you or the dogs, but there was a healthy bed of coals in the fireplace. Moving farther into the room, he saw that the door to the other bedroom was standing ajar and the bed was unmade with swirled sheets and blankets. No sign of you though. He noticed all your piled winter gear was absent from where you’d dumped it by the door previously. He turned and went into the kitchen, grabbing a drinking glass from a cabinet, standing over the sink, and gulping down the crisp, cold water until he almost felt sick.

He wondered where you were. The cabin was quite silent.

Daryl went back into the bedroom he’d stayed in and began to look around, curiosity leading him. He stirred the coals in the fireplace and tossed more wood on, quickly fanning it into lively flames. His eyes wandered over the walls. They were mainly adorned with the type of wildlife art you would expect to see in any cabin, but there were a few old photographs too, framed in rustic wood. A man was smiling as he held up a huge fish in one, and in another a young family posed around a campfire, marshmallows roasting on sticks.

There was a cedar chest beneath the window and Daryl found it stocked with extra linens and blankets. He made his way over to a chest of drawers against the opposite wall. There were a few photos in frames sitting on top of it and his eyes were immediately drawn to the largest, despite the fact that it was toward the back. He gently nudged the others out of the way and gulped anxiously as his fingers closed around the frame.

Before he even really had time to process what he’d just discovered he heard a sudden flurry of activity out in the other room, including a door slamming shut with the wind and you obviously talking to the dogs in a hushed voice. He wandered out to see you stomping snow from your boots and snowshoes and pulling off your winter gear, heaving it down carelessly in a pile again.

You looked up suddenly, sensing him standing there, and you seemed to survey him for a moment. “Hey,” you greeted him. Strider and Bear both came running over to him at full tilt, their bellies and snouts crusted with snow. “You look better,” you commented. “Rested.” He did. His skin was brighter and the dark circles that had been under his eyes were diminished. “You needed that sleep. I guess almost freezing solid really takes it out of you.” Daryl straightened up from patting the dogs and watched you pulling off your heavy coat.

“How long was I out?” he asked.

You had to admit that his southern drawl was pleasant. “Close to fifteen hours I think,” you said as you smoothed your hair. “You’re probably starving.” You sank down onto a small bench by the door and started to pull your boots off. You pressed your hands over the chill on your cheeks and realized his blue eyes were unwaveringly fixed on your face. “You want something to eat?” you prodded again.

Daryl was just staring at you still as you climbed to your feet again and your eyes caught on his expression. There seemed to be a shadow settling over his face and it gave you pause. “Are you okay?” you pressed him again. “Feeling alright?”

He gulped and nodded a little vaguely.

You still felt slightly uneasy. You could sense some tension in him. That’s when you noticed that he had a picture frame dangling in his hand. He saw your eyes wandering to it and suddenly realized he was still holding it. He clasped it gently again in both hands, looking down at it steadily for a long moment. His voice broke through the tense silence before you could ask him about it. “Uhh… yeah, ya know, I—I am actually hungry,” he said. “Just—be right back.”

You watched, still puzzled, as he disappeared back into the bedroom but you shook it off. Strider settled down in front of the fireplace and you stepped carefully over his wagging tail to revive the coals into a happy blaze, warming your chilled fingertips. Bear jumped up onto the couch, content to snooze after a morning of exploration outside.

A moment later, Daryl returned and you glanced up and gave him a perceptive look. His expression hardly changed at all. Stoic, this one, you thought. “Help yourself to whatever you want in the kitchen. The fridge has a bunch of stuff in there.” You sat down on the stone hearth and leaned against it.

He looked uncertain and maybe a little surprised at your open offer. “Ya got enough?”

For some reason, this made you laugh and Daryl watched as you jumped up and led the way into the kitchen. “Come on,” you said, beckoning him with a tilt of your head.

He trailed behind you and watched as you went to stand beside the fridge. You shot him another small smile and pulled the door open. He not only saw the container with the venison stew from the day before, but an abundance of opened mason jars with various canned goods on the other shelves. “I had a huge garden last summer and canned a bunch of stuff. If you don’t want anything that’s in here,” you paused and yanked the freezer door open and Daryl’s eyes wandered over the packed contents, “find something in here, or…” You shut the freezer and for the first time Daryl noticed a large chest freezer tucked into the corner, “here. Or the pantry.”

He stared at the almost full freezer chest. His eyes shot up to your face. His expression was a bit dumbfounded. “Some of it is from before, you know, before the outbreak but most of it,” you shrugged. “As you can imagine there isn’t much to do here alone so… I hunt. And trap. And fish. Better to be prepared in case a big storm or something hits.”

Daryl picked up a vacuum sealed package of meat. It was meticulously labeled with the date it was harvested and the contents. They all were. He stared back at the freezer, his blue eyes narrowed and you laughed again at his expression. He tossed the meat back down and you shut the lid. “Like I said, help yourself to whatever. Obviously, I don’t have a food shortage. Some of the pantry items are a little more limited right now, besides the stuff I canned last summer. I haven’t done any scavenging for supplies this winter so a few things are running low.”

Daryl was overwhelmed. It seemed like an impossible amount of food and you were telling him he could have any of it? Choices? Having a choice of what to eat wasn’t really a thing anymore. In this world you had to be grateful for whatever you could get, whether it was roadkill or grilled venison. So, not only had you pulled him out of the snow and saved his life, but you were readily sharing all your supplies with him… a complete stranger. He realized you were waiting for him to say something and he pulled himself out of his own head long enough to say he was fine with just having some more of the venison stew. He didn’t want to impose on you anymore than he already was. You didn’t owe him a damn thing. To the contrary, with the way the world was and how some of the people in it acted now, he wouldn’t have blamed you at all if you’d left him to freeze.

Before he could make a move to do it himself, you pulled the stew out and dished it into a pot which you set on the stove to heat.

Daryl sank down on a stool at the counter and watched you busying yourself around the kitchen. “So, uhh,” he rubbed his hand over the stubble on his face, “what were ya doin’ out there today?” he drawled.

“Checked the snares first thing this morning, then did a little tracking just to see what we could see. Took a detour to one of our favorite spots just for the hell of it. Foraged a bit, but nothing too exciting this time of year. Just enjoying being outside and burning time mainly, you know? Nothing else to do really, besides curl up with a book maybe.”

He nodded. “Ya,” he agreed. “That all comes in handy nowadays. Knowin’ how to track and hunt,” he drawled, picking at a small chip in the counter absently with his thumb.

You nodded. “Pretty much the only way to make it these days. I haven’t been back to that spot yet,” you said, studying the way his wavy hair, now clean and shiny, was falling into his eyes. “To look for your pack and crossbow, I mean. Was planning to tomorrow.”

He nodded. “Thanks. Ya dun have to. I mean, I can go myself if ya tell me where to look,” he said.

Your brow furrowed low over your eyes. “You should still take it easy. It’s only been a couple days since I found you out there, and I have a feeling you had a long, hard trip even before you hit that spot of bad weather.” Your gaze was perceptive, almost knowing. You suddenly bent and opened a cabinet. You set a first aid kit down on the counter, close to Daryl. “I, uhh, noticed you were a bit banged up. Your feet especially,” you said, feeling a slight flush in your cheeks at the awkwardness of the situation. Here was a complete stranger and you’d already basically completely undressed him, seen most of his body. Your mind flickered back to the stunned horror you’d experienced at the sight of all those scars on his chest and back. You again wondered what fucking nightmare he’d lived through, only to find himself landed in another with a rotating cast of corpses. “Use whatever you need out of that kit,” you said softly.

Daryl pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth and chewed it anxiously. His blue eyes flickered back up to you as you turned away and stirred the venison stew on the stove. He shoved down a sudden upwelling of feeling that tightened his lungs. “Ya don’t get many dead up here?” he asked, purely out of a desperate need to distract himself from the place his mind kept going to.

“Not this time of year. The cold freezes them,” you explained. “I find them out there in the snow. Sometimes when I almost trip over them and others times they’re just standing there like some kind of sick totem pole or scarecrow or something.”

“Does it kill ‘em?” he asked. “I mean… ya know what I mean?”

You turned to face him and leaned back against the counter, crossing your arms over yourself, subconsciously shielding yourself against some bad memories. “Some of them. Others… I’m not sure if they just never froze solid or what but they start moving again when it warms up. Like, some frogs and turtles can actually freeze up to 70% of their bodies in the mud during the winter and they just thaw out when the weather warms. Their hearts even stop.” You paused and gulped, realizing you were getting off-topic, but he was still peering at you with quiet interest. “Anyway, the first winter I spent up here, spring was a rude awakening when some of them started thawing out and walking again. These days I stick a knife in their skull when I find them. Better not to risk it.”

Daryl nodded. “Good call.”

The stew was hot and you dished some out into two bowls and slid his over across the counter. You both dug in, though you noticed that he seemed to eat much more slowly than he had the day before, despite the fact that he should probably be almost equally famished after 15 hours asleep. A silence fell between the two of you as you ate. Strangely, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

Daryl dragged a hand across his mouth when he was finished and pushed his bowl slightly back, leaning forward on his arms. “Thanks,” he drawled. “Again.”

You nodded and gave him a small smile.

“So, you been up here by yourself this whole time?” His eyes narrowed as he asked.

You nodded, averting your eyes away toward the counter. “Yeah. Besides playing music, your voice is the first I’ve heard in… I don’t know how long.” Shit. Was admitting that weird? He probably thinks you’re a fucking weirdo now. But Daryl didn’t seem phased by your admission.

“S’gotta be hard,” he said. “Ain’t easy goin’ it alone these days.” He knew that well.

Your face contorted a little as you thought about the world before the turn. It was easy to get in touch with friends and family anytime you wanted. Now, you sat and wondered if any of them were even still alive. “It can be,” you admitted quietly, and Daryl thought he saw some profound sadness on your face and his stomach turned. “But at the same time, hard to trust anyone these days. I wouldn’t know how to go about finding people to trust.”

Daryl swallowed the big bite of stew in his mouth. “Ya say that, but ya decided to bring me in,” he pointed out.

You glanced up and met his eyes. Daryl thought yours seemed a little wide, a little bewildered for a moment. You turned them back to your own bowl. “I told you. Wasn’t my call.” You looked over toward the other room and Bear was sitting in the doorway now. His tail thumped against the floor when he noticed you looking at him.

Daryl nodded. “Remind me to bring ‘em back the biggest damn bone I can find,” he drawled.

You let out a small amused noise and Daryl gulped at the tightness which started in his throat and seemed to travel downwards to settle between his lungs. He wanted nothing more than to let you go on living this relatively peaceful existence in the mountains of Montana, but he hadn’t crossed over half the country for that.

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fanficslutforsmut · 5 years

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Walking Blind (Daryl Dixon TWD) Chapter Four

When one of the new douchebags came I left the watchtower, walking away, quicker than usual to see if Monet had stayed where I had left her, sitting up on that damn perch.

By the time I got there she wasn't even there, damn girl was just gone. I looked around to see if I could spot that mop of long blonde hair or that dumb dog she's got but I couldn't find them anywhere.

"You seen Monet walk round here?" I asked Carol as she mixed some food.

"I showed her to the showers a while ago, she hasn't been back since then." Carol scrunched her eyebrows together, realizing how long it had been. I walked away before she said anything else, walking towards the musky wet smell, the metal door was closed but I could hear the water still going. I hit the door a few times, calling her name before I heard Bear barking from the other side. I pushed the heavy door and walked in, Monet was on the floor face down, naked and wet. Her skin looked almost blue and was ice cold to the touch like she was sittin in a fucking freezer or somethin.

Bear cried and whined while licking her. I tore the flannel from my body, covering her with it and then her bottom with one of the white towels. She was bleeding from her head, a gnarly cut from the concrete. I shut the water off, picking her freezing body up and holding her close to me, nudging the door open with my foot and nearly running out the door with her.

"Hershal, Hershal need your help out here," I yelled, Bear on my heels barking. I pulled her body up and even closer when my grip turned to shit, breathing heavy while I turned to the side to get us in the door of Hershals cell.

Hershal shoved me outta the way, his fingers on her neck, then looking at the blood coming from her head.

"She'll need stitches for sure, what happened?" He asked, not even bothering to look away from her while he moved her blood-stained hair from the cut.

"I dunno, she probably fell or something, I found her like that in the showers." I breathed, trying to look over Maggie as she pushed a smaller towel to her head, wiping away the blood. Hershal started to thread a needle, and I watched as he tied her skin back up together.

"She's gonna need some clothes, come with me and we'll find her some, let my dad take care of this," Maggie told me, trying to pull me away as he checked for any other injuries.

"I ain't goin nowhere." I scoffed, puffing out my chest and staying guard. She rolled her eyes, knocking my shoulder as she went past me to get some clothes.

"You should keep her in a cell instead of that perch, keep her away from the stairs," Hershal told me, he was trying to cover her up more with a cheap blanket. I nodded but kept my eyes focused on her. Bear was at her feet, licking them and crying for her.

"It's gonna be a while until she wakes up, why don't you and Carol fix her up a cell." He offered, even though it sounded more like an order, but Hershal knew what was best so I nodded, taking one last look at Monet and walking out and towards the perch.

I knew I looked at the least pissed of by the way everyone seemed to slide right on through as if I wasn't even there. That's how they probably wished it was, that I weren't even here, I know what they think of me. Just a dumb hick who can hunt some meat.

I cleared everything out of the cell trying to make room for her, I put my stuff on the top bunk, I knew it was wrong to go through her shit, but I couldn't help it. Mostly it was horrid smelling dirty clothes, two cans of food, a half-empty water bottle, a small black book filled with pictures.

I sat on the bottom bunk, looking around for a minute, opening the front cover.

There was a couple in a hospital room holding a baby, a caption written next to it. "Monet Ophelia Charleston Born May 6th, 1993"

The next few pages were various stages of her life, all with a small one or two-sentence description. I couldn't see the resemblance until around her highschool years. A picture of her next to a few other girls wearing a red and black cheer uniform, jumping and holding a big trophy. "Mo, Rachel, Samantha, Teagan fall of 11' regionals, first place!!!"

Every milestone was documented, her first steps, her first tooth, learning to ride a bike, every first day of school, dances, prom, graduation all of them with the same guy standing beside her for years, some douche named Carter, whose hold on her always seemed so wrong, but the fun memories turned sour a few months after graduation when there were numerous hospital pictures. Mo with broken arms "Monet King county hospital, 3rd broken arm this year 2012", and legs "Monet 2012 'fell' again", big bruises covering her face "Monet

'ran into' the door 2013", cuts on her forearms and legs "Monet 'fell into' the bushes 2014". My breath caught on the second to last page.

It was a hospital band with numerous sized pictures of her face. Her eyes were bleeding and unbelievably swollen, it was sharp purple and black bruising around her eye, the bad one. Then there was recovery photos, some pre-surgery, some with her eyes bandaged, ones with her wearing glasses and using a cane. Carter was still in the background of all these pictures too, standing and watching her. "Monet 'mugging accident', broken orbital bone, almost completely blind. May God bring her peace and heal her. 2015,"

Bear soon came into the photos "Monet' seeing eye dog Bear! 2016", then there were family photos, holidays, and everything seemed to be normal besides a littering few hospital pictures in between.

I scoffed and through the book down when the last page came to sight, a wedding invitation for Monet and Carter due sometimes next year.

I shoveled her thing back into the book bag before taking the dirty clothes to Carol, asking for her help in washing them. We washed in silence and listened to the almost peacefulness of outside, other than those diseased ridden bitches gnawin at the gates.

We wrung them dry and hung up the clothes, I passed Carl and several others on the way back inside before Rick stopped me, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me aside.

"The fuck you doin' man?" I seethed, tearing my arm out of his grasp and standing back.

"Don't you see, she's nothing but problems. Someone has to babysit her all the time, she can't even take a shower herself without almost dying. We can't keep her." He told me, looking away from me and towards the fences.

"The hell you tryna say then? Dump her somewhere, she'll die." I was mad, pissed even. Rick wants to go out and save some kid who was shootin at him, Glenn, and Hershal, keep him around but we can't keep Monet?

"We can give her supplies-"

"She won't survive out there and you know it." I shoved, puffing my chest and standing tall. "Thought you were all about not killin the living." I hissed, spitting at the ground by his feet, stocking away and heading into the prison. I passed everyone silently, heading to Hershal's cell.

"I've got her stitched up, she'll need painkillers when she wakes up, which I assume you have?" I nodded "She'll be out for a while, why don't you occupy yourself, I'll watch her." I nodded, turning around and walking towards Carol.

"She might need a few things, you and Glenn could run to the store and get her stuff." She suggested, looking towards the cell she was resting in.

"Like what?" I gnawed on my thumb, harshly chewing the skin off and preparing myself to make a mental note.

"I could come with instead, make sure she'll have all of her, womanly things." She smirked, I rolled my eyes, barely nodding and walking outside towards the cars. I was going to take my bike until Carol stopped me.

"We should take the car, in case we find food or other things for everyone." I nodded, we stood for a minute, filling the gas while I eyed up Rick who was also staring right back at me. Just as Carol and I were getting in the car Maggie and Glenn came out running.

"She's awake, I think, yeah she's awake," Maggie told me. I looked at Carol and the car. "We'll go, you and Carol check on her, we have to get little ass-kicker some formula anyway." Glenn finished up as they already started getting in the car. I half-ass nodded before jogging inside.

"I thought it would be a while," I asked Hershal, watching as he hovered over Monet. "I did too." He looked at me. He was dabbing a cloth at her forehead while she nodded around.

"Daryl?" She asked for me. My chest felt tight and hot and I pushed my way through to be up close to her.

I hummed, giving her a nudge with my hand, she grabbed me tightly, squeezing my fingers with her tiny soft hand. Hershal pushed a small metal chair behind me, I sat down waiting for her to say anything again but she didn't she just hummed and looked towards me.

She had a blue eye, dark almost grey color but the other was white and cloudy, you could barely see any blue at all. She had a small scar under her eye that was so thin I never noticed until now. She was so pale, not just now but even when I had first gotten her. There were clothes on the floor by the bed, I'm assuming Maggies.

"We'll leave you two to get decent," Carol told me, pulling Hershal out of the cell and leaving the curtain to fall in place, blocking us from the outside.

"Here are some clothes, I won't look or nothin," I told her, putting the pile on her lap. She groaned, squeezing my hand harder as she sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest to keep it from falling.

"I might need your help, I'm so light-headed right now." She sighed, closing her eyes and leaning forward.

I hummed and started grabbing back at the clothes, I tossed Maggie's shirt to the side and grabbing the flannel I had covered her with, off the ground. I grabbed a small grey bra from the pile.

"Here's your bra." I looked away while handing it to her. Monet slowly took it from my hands, and I look back when I heard it clasp together.

"Shirt" I whispered, fluffing out my shirt and helping her button it up once it was wrapped around her. She sat with her head back and her eyes still closed.

"You got a lot of marks on ya," I mumbled, she sighed. "Thought you wouldn't look." She didn't sound mad, or even sad, just tired. I kept my mouth shut, handing her a small rolled-up bundle of panties. I watched as she rolled them around in her hands for a second before realizing what the were. She didn't even stand, just pulled them up her legs and lifting her ass for a second as they slid up her hips. I handed her the last item, making sure the jeans were the right way, helping her slide her feet in and letting her use my shoulders to stand up, before sliding them up her waist.

She swam in my shirts and Maggie's pants were baggy and loose on her.

"You eat much?" I asked. All I could think about was how horrible her body looked when I found her in the bathroom.

She was so pale white that every bruise she had was so noticeable, even the ones in that god awful yellow color. Her legs black and blue, her sides and back purples and yellows. I could see her spine, her ribs, her hip bones. She looked like a skeleton. Fuck, the walkers outside ate more than she did.

She just hummed along to me, laying back down once I put some socks on her.

"Want me to get you anything? Need some food or something?" I asked, nudging her feet. She moved to grab my hand, now facing me.

"I already ate some of the meat you brought earlier." She told me, clearing her throat. I hummed, letting her hold my hand, grunting when she let it fall.

"What happened in there?"

"I fell looking for the soap, ironic to drop the soap in a prison huh." She laughed, it was lazy and breathy. I just hummed along to her. Bear whined and Monet patted her side, "Up Bear." and he listened, jumping up and laying next to her.

"Daryl, we might need you out here," Carol told me from the cell door, I looked to Monet. "It's ok, you can go," Monet told me, I couldn't even say how she knew I was waiting for her but she did.

"I'll be back, holler if you need me alright." I nudged her side before leaving, following Carol.

#daryl #daryl dixon #daryl dixon smut #daryl fanfiction #the walking dead daryl #carl grimes #appocalypse #blind

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norman-reedus-gossip · 7 years

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Last Bulk and its a long one

~~mod~~ everything else concerning this topic will be kicked to the modblog. ill try to add to the comments today. i feel like i got ran over so i may not be on at all. sorry for slacking on you and for probably being a world class asshole today. please keep it medium.

Anon: What kind of woman ALLOWS “her boyfriend” to make her hideout so she’s not seen with him? What kind of man DOES that? Be happy for them all you want. I think they look and act like morons. As “adorable ” as people think he is , he seems lately like a total douchebag. Good thing all the fucking booze he consumes gives him the balls to “allow” her be photographed with him. And how fucking desperate does one have to be to let themselves be treated like that? Typical Hollywood. I give this a week.

Anon:Okay, NOW do you think he will make an announcement on Jimmy Fallon about DK? Or that Jimmy will mention it? ~~mod~~ dont know dont care. as long as we get some couch action im good.

Anon:No new stories talk about the trip to italy right before dk dumped pacey. They dont talk about how long nr knew pacey before sky. Wonder how much that cost

Anon:I’m so sad mod….. 😢 Twd’s cast are finally coming to my country and i thinks that is very hard for they bring Norman because he is very expensive…. I mean, Norman is so rich, why he charge that much??! 😢😢 (Sorry for the english) ~~mod~~ aww maybe its not the money but more if he has time. where are they coming? you english is awesome

ahauntedfool: My two cents. I feel badly for disappointed fans who have invested so much time, energy, and possibly even money, on their beloved celebrity, only to see him acting in a way they do not agree with. That must be very hard for them. Maybe I can offer some hope and positivity?I believe no two relationships are alike, and none are black and white. Who really knows everything about their relationship besides them? But it does seem like they are together, and if that is the case I hope they make each other happy. I truly mean that. Love is not something we can plan for, but life is short and happiness is everything. I am still a fan of N, I enjoy many of his films and photographs, his charisma is pleasing, he makes me laugh and he makes me smile. There are some things I don’t like about him, but that’s how it is with people. We are all complex and flawed individuals, and in our imperfections there is beauty. I don’t know much about D yet, but I think I’ll check out her work, watch a few of her films and read some interviews. Maybe I’ll learn something about her that inspires me in some way. With that being said, I think they are an attractive couple, and I love seeing him smile like that. They appear happy in those photos and I hope they are. Maybe this relationship will be good for both of them. Oftentimes we learn from our partners how to be better people.

Anon: Wait for the other shoe to drop on fallon, the baby shoe, lol. He has an extra 0 on his paycheck now, so dk can stay in ny and give up her career while nk goes to ga and cons to keep her in designer duds and pap shots shopping and fashion shows. She can laugh with jdms wife about ppl who pay $$$$ to wait in line for a pic, and we get crappy cgi on twd ~~mod~~ come on the deer really wasnt that bad, if you squint it almost looked real

awesomebrokenheartuniverse: What the fucking fuck??? This is beyond baffling. The public make out session. Even as a teenager I didn’t make out on the street for 30 min. They clearly wanted to be seen. Have we been fooled by NR with some fake persona all these years? Has he drastically changed due to DKs influence? Is he whipped? Is he tired of keeping it a secret and overjoyed to let it all hang out? Does she have dirt on him and forcing this on him (sounds crazy but ya never know)? Is this a juvenile shit show for publicity to benefit both of them? So many questions! Maybe it’s not our business but when they flaunt themselves like this they are kinda asking for it. This is like reality show in your face over the top attention whoring. I feel embarrassed for them. At least she is age appropriate. I don’t know a lot about DK, but the opinions here are largely unfavorable. JJ seems like a decent guy. Why would he stick with her 10 yrs if she’s such bad news? I keep remembering a quote from AL where he said something like “the longer I know N, the more he is an enigma.” NR seems totally all over the place to me right now.

Anon: There’s a video of them kissing now. ~~mod~~ ok

Anon: Hey mod! Sorry to keep adding to this but I’m SO aggravated. Now she’s acting like CS posting pics from his apartment. An her fans are saying to stop bringing up Norman an respect her privacy to people. She doesn’t want privacy! Hence the photo! An the photos taken of them on the street the other night for a hour. If I’m w/ my bf I dont stop and post on SM things from his house. She wants everyone to know she finally got Norman. When will this “relationship” end 😭 personally he deserves better

Anon: Why would Norman be so open about his relationship? This PDA doesn’t fit to him, he never showed so much of his relationship, making out on the street, like in the video it looks like they were making a show. They just stood in the same street walked around kissed hugged just to make a show for the pap, my guess they called him, don’t know why

Anon: Re: the “lie.” Doesn’t it look like Norman’s reps said “friends” because of JJ? Timeline: Pic of Norman and DK at the car looking friendly with story about vacation. Rep said “friends.” Weeks later: picture of JJ kissing and snuggling with another woman at a restaurant. Stories: He’s moved on!! Two - three days later, Norman/DK are completely public. The “lie” was so JJ could say he moved on first. It had nothing to do with manipulating Norman’s fans. Anon: Daily mail has just released an article on NR and DK confirming their relationship and they’ve got a few new pics in there and in one of them NR is looking directly at the camera. I guess we know for sure it was planned and a bit staged now.

Anon: Mod - this was an absolute publicity stunt but I don’t understand why. It makes him look like the biggest possible lying fake asshole alive so why would he want that image? I’m secretly hoping this is some kind of early April Fools day joke.

Anon: Mod when do you think NR and DK became more than just friends? ~~ mod~~ would you be offended if i said i have no idea becasue i dont care enough about them as a couple to even guess. sorry if i sound like a jerk im still not feeling well

Anon: I hope Norman doesn’t think we’re just going to “get over it”? It doesn’t work that way. There is a difference between lying about who you ARE and just simply having a girlfriend. (I won’t even go into how fake SHE is) You Lied to the people that supported you Norman. This isn’t just jealous fangirls. This doesn’t just go away in a few weeks.~~mod~~ im sure he knows it isnt just gonna go away in a few days

Anon: Woke up today with tears in my eyes. Every day I used to go check out all he cool Norman/Daryl fan art on instagram. Now I can’t even look at him.~~mod~~ dont cry anon we can find you someone else to look at.

Jan: Listen up To those deeply upset and disturbed by Norman’s recent actions, please read this - Nothing in your life has actually changes NOTHING! You still breath the same air, work at the same place, hang with the same friends and are surrounded by people that love and care about you in REAL LIFE. You have never, nor will you ever, know the real man behind Norman Reeds and thats probably for the best. All that has happened is that the fantasy you have of him in your head is altered, but you have the power and control to change that narrative back at any point, back to thinking he is kind and sweet and honourable and all the other things that gave you comfort and joy, use him for whatever purpose you want - because I have news for you as a fan/consumer of his brand he is just USING you. He is clever, he will smile and be nice as pie if you are paying for his time, (he is a professional actor), what he is actually like once the show is over, behind closed doors, is probably a very different story that really would shock and upset you. He is part of an ugly dark industry and his values are probably way off the mark to what any of us would consider acceptable. The clues are all around us, the fake hollywood friends he has, the partying showbiz life he leads, his love of attention and the limelight, the blind after blind about his shitty behaviour. It does upset me to see people defending him with the best of intentions, when they have no clue that he doesn’t deserve defending, he is surrounded by wealth and privilege and I highly doubt he cares one bit what faceless avatars on the internet say about him when he is home surrounded by his millions of dollars and fake narcissistic hollywood friends. Me, I love Daryl and I will always love Daryl, he is a real sweetheart and the subject of many a fantasy, Norman not so much, I could never fantasise about someone like him -a shallow and highly privileged actor who can have any beautiful woman he desires at the drop of a hat, and knows it. His priorities are clearly material things, this set up relationship with DK that will be played out in the public eye will just be linked to and part of that agenda in some weird way…(I do have my theories as to why he is so keen to play along with it, but best kept to myself) So seriously people go back to your Daryl (or nice sweet Norman) fantasises… Whatever helps you sleep at night…

Anon: You know what’s even worse than finding out he’s a lying sneaking jerk? That he let her troll his fandom for the whole year. He let us try to defend him the whole time when it was all true. It just shows that his fans don’t really mean anything to him. He didn’t care that she was playing with us and mocking us. It’s just so unbelievable that he is the complete opposite of what he made us believe.

Anon: sorry but I feel betrayed. And before I get jumped on it’s not jealousy or that he can’t have a private life, it’s about thinking one thing about Norman and admiring that person for so long then suddenly finding out that it was all a lie. He made us think that he was our friend but he’s not. he’s laughing at us behind the scenes watching how we buy into the image that he made us think was the real him. it’s not him now. he’s a phony. anyone want walker stalker tickets? don’t want to meet him now ~~mod~~ no need to be sorry anon lots of people are feeling all kinds of way right now. i hear craiglist is a great place to sell those

Anon: God Mod it just breaks my heart to see how fake he looks. Allowing himself to be papped is something I never thought he would do. I admired Norman for being down to earth and real. Where is that man now? He’s gone. He sold out. He’s not who he claims to be. Honest? Lol nope. So this is the real Norman we have been tricked into supporting? He looks just as fake as we know she is. It’s so sad and disheartening and I never thought it would happen to him. He’s just like all the rest. :( So sad.

Anon: Wonder how this will work when he starts filming in May will she go to Georgia she doesn’t seem the country girl

Anon: Mod why do think NR’s reps have the statements that they were “just friends” 3 weeks ago only for them to walk done the street holding hands and kissing now? Do you think NR’s reps didn’t know about the relationship? Or he didn’t consult with them before going public? Or do you think it was all planned? I’m just really confused about the whole thing!

Anon: Sorry…this is a long one… People seem to focus on others being upset because he lied. But I think a lot of people are upset for 2 main reasons. One, they really don’t like DK. It is hard to swallow watching someone you like, date someone you hate. I had a good guy friend date a girl that the rest of us LOATHED. She was just a horrible person and we were all so disappointed when he started dating her. When we asked him why, he just replied, “well, she is not like that towards me”. Um..ok…so since she’s “nice” to you, it’s ok that she is a a-hole to everyone else? It lasted all of 4 months, but I just remember we were all so disgusted. So, anyway, I think that plays a big part in the fan hate. Fans love Norman and think he is wonderful/nice/kind/good to his friends and fans and they can’t understand how he could fall for someone who is the opposite of all those things. The second reason is the cheating. Let’s face it, this didn’t start AFTER she split from JJ. We would be naive to believe that. Personally, I think it started during the filming of SKY. They are together constantly, in the middle of nowhere, I am sure they got very close. Even if there was nothing physical, they could have been having an emotional affair…which is often worse than physical. Although we can argue that with his schedule and her being with JJ, they didn’t actually see each other a lot after filming SKY was over, they still could have been texting and calling, thereby continuing the connection and closeness that was formed during filming. Looking back, I can’t help but wonder if someone DID see them hooking up in a NYC bar (before the break-up with JJ). If they did in fact have an emotional connection, add a lot of alcohol to that and you can definitely lose control for a minute. Obviously, this is my own speculation, but no matter when the physical aspect of their relationship developed, I truly believe, the affair started long before it. As for the people talking about a possible pregnancy. I can see it. Even though Norman is pushing 50 and may not want a baby, as some people pointed out, it may not be up to him. There are many ways for a woman to “accidentally” get pregnant. Someone, I think it was PR wife, mentioned that DK’s star faded long ago. She is definitely someone who will do anything to bring attention to herself. Well, having NR’s baby would certainly bring the spot light. It may be far fetched but I think DK is really sketchy and I would not put it past her. I guess only time will tell if there is a baby as well as how long this thing will last. We shall see…

Anon:I gave a heads up months ago that Diane had a plan and that she and Norman were playing out a fantasy as if they were living their film “Sky”. Health issues included. But guess what comes next (not the end) ;)

Stephanie Kumke: Maybe it´s not DK in the photo, but come on, a naked bully with lights on it with the message “ Waking up to good News”… ~~mod~~ maybe she got a job that wasnt in Europe

Anon: Ya’ll need to be realistic. Daryl isn’t the cash cow of TWD anymore. Not sure if no one sees this but the ratings last week dropped. Why weren’t they higher? I mean Daryl was in it a lot yet they weren’t as good as the week before. I’ve noticed whenever Carol and the Kingdom are on the ratings go up. Seems like she’s more of a cash cow now. She makes more viewers tune in. So I really don’t get when people say Daryl is the No 1 cash cow. It’s not true. It may have been years back, but not anymore

Anon: It disgusts the shit out of me when I see people support their relationship and are happy and even say DK is gorgeous. Wtf NOTHING on this woman is gorgeous. She’s manipulative, attention whore and snobby. I can’t believe his fans (not all of them) support her. She’s the worst nightmare. Norman went down to her level. She is unsympathetic to fans, Norman clearly isn’t the man he claimed to be. Not sure if I’m more disappointed or disgusted because he played all of us the whole time for his image

Anon: I think some people are not getting it…NR didnt own anyone anything but he was not coherent and yeah he deceived and lied when he said he doesn’t like cheaters and loves honest people. Regardless of course he have the right to date who the fuck he wants. not my problem. now the way he did it, for someone that calls himself honest is very questionable when you can see CLEARLY how this pics were staged. When you stage pics like that and you claimed for years being the opposite of course people are going to question who you are and who was the person they have been a fan off all this years. People defended him exactly from this behavior. People defended him when people called him sell out and asshole and manwhore and honestly he just proves the others right. This have nothing to do with DK this have to do with him as a person and how he carries himself. He didnt assume her before because he was sticking his dick somewhere else too and the other kick him to the curb.

dandelioncherokee : Interesting. Norman and Diane are not looking AT EACH OTHER in one single picture. A loving couple would do that ALL THE TIME. One word. FAKE. I honestly haven’t got a clue WHY ALL THIS. Oh Norman,you had it going all good for you.Now I can only pray that the universe will give you another chance,so you can try to fix this. Kisses to you,mod ❤️hope you are alright.~~mod~~ i feel like i got kicked down 10 flights of stairs.. you flirting makes me feel better

Anon: I was just thinking about the happy anniversary post and the ‘comment’. Turns out the DK part of that was true and it makes me wonder how many of the other parts were also true. Maya Angelo said when people show you who they are, believe them the first time. Eyes opened, I get it now and I’m just here for wicked gifs, and weird banter. Good things always come from bad, you’re the good thing Mod.

Anon: Pic look good, his fans on ig congrat to him so lol. Congrat to him too. We know here it so far from jealous but it is about who is this guy. Why he won’t hint their relationship at all.jdm said I think he’s single. So he happy it’s foiod but it different story from why he lid like liar, completely behave another and then be another man. And I didn’t see any pic that he look at her face. He smile to ppl. Wake up idiot fans! ~~mod~~ Please dont call fans idiots we all have our opinion

Anon: Another blog says they KNOW that Norman and DK were a thing since Sky. They supposedly have a source but won’t reveal it, they’re also saying no one knows if cheating was involved because no one knows the status of DK and JJ’ relationship. DK moved to NYC in late 2015 to be with JJ AFTER sky was finished. They bought a home together in LA in early 2016. So if her “source” is correct than yes, they were cheating all along, which makes the dec 2015 rumor seem not so false. They’re disgusting

Anon: Who knows…Maybe they both have an agreement? Maybe he agreed to help her with her image by doing this. He may think what’s the harm in helping a friend?? I am soooooo not on her side…I’m just trying to ration it out. Unfortunately we may never know. I still haven’t seen pics of them full on kissing. That one pic where they’re close looks like he was lighting a smoke. Hand holding? Even friends do that. He seemed pretty drunk anyway. Ugh and her IG? Tries to be like N & HC. UMM no.

Anon: Thinking if the 2 of them together makes me so ill but hey…He’s a big boy. I’ve been going thru the stages of grief (as stupid as that may sound) and I don’t regret smashing my DVD copy of Sky! Didn’t much like it anyway lol now I’m past the anger and just sad. I’m not as mad at N as I was a few days ago but I still think DK is a snake. I hope that he guards his heart from her nasty ways! I also think the whole thing with the paps is strange. N is very impulsive and sometimes too too nice!

Anon:Hahaha I share the same first name as DK, so at least I know when Norman is having sex he is screaming my name. Seriously tho at least she is age appropriate and who cares anyway. You are a fan of his work or not no matter who he is boning.

Anon:Is it me or is Norman avoiding liking DK IG posts? I believe he may have been drunk that night and is regretting what he did

rebellacycle:Are you going to watch jimmy Fallon tonight ? Wonder if he will talk about the new relationship. Or just TWD~~mod~~ i will probaly be asleep. probaly just talk about he twd

Anon:

Norman and Diane are happy and in love so the haters have already lost ✌🏼

Anon:

I have a question for those fans who keep saying things like “Be respectful of Norman’s private life!”…. But they’re the ones who are (unnecessarily!) publicizing it. They staged and sold pics and video. In PDA, the P doesn’t stand for Private. If they are not respecting their own relationship, why should we? Also is talking about Norman’s penis size respecting his privacy? So what exactly do y'all mean? They don’t seem to want that. They want people to talk, comment, click the links.

Anon

:Feel better soon Mod! I don’t understand something about the whole DK Shitshow. If this is legit (and not just publicity) then how come no other gossip sites are picking it up??? TMZ doesn’t have anything to say about it after they just ran the garage pics/got his denial?? It looks like People ENews DM UsWeekly and a few less known sites are the only ones going with it, so how come??? I don’t get it! I don’t understand how Norman can be one thing one day and the TOTAL OPPOSITE the next!??! WTAF

Anon: The photos and the video of NR and DK … Looking at it I just feel DK is walking with his trophy. She wants everybody to see her new toy, her little puppy that she will manipulate as she pleases. DK wants everyone to see his new trophy !! While NR smiles like a fool who does not understand the situation. Yes he became the DK puppet

anon:

I appreciate this blog and your work, but you have to moderate some comments that appear on your site. I read comments accusing Norman of lust after teenage girls. This is defamation and it is very serious. It is unbearable to see all this hate and these lies dumped on an actor we have supposed to love. It is all the more intolerable that currently the world is experiencing serious problems. Thousands of people are dying of hunger, London and Paris are the target of terrorists, but some people prefer to waste their time to dumped their hate on Norman. Treat him as if he was a criminal just because he’s in love and he lied because he didn’t want to reveal his private life in the press.I doubt that you post this message on your blog but I needed to say. Many of us live very difficult moments and see all this hate for a simple relationship is ridiculous. Some may express their disappointment but have no right to invent lies and spill their hatred. Sorry for my aproximative English, I hope to find a warm and funny blog. Good luck to you Mod….

~~mod~~ just a few things. 1.tumblr rarely lets me delete comments, the tumblr app hates me…2. the quickest way to get your post deleted is to say “you probaly wont post this”.. i hate that.

Anon:Hope you feel better soon mod. This is for when you do the bulk: at this point I think I’d be happier finding out he did accidentally get her pregnant one drunken night but actually can’t stand her and did this for appearances only and they aren’t really a thing. At least that way he would be the same guy who just made one huge mistake while intoxicated. One night stands happen all the time. But being with her?? it changes everything about him and it makes him a liar.

Anon:

been two days I haven’t looked at anything to do with N and I still can’t get over this. He’s a complete fake. short of telling us he was abducted by aliens and this was an imposter in his body I will never understand. ’s like he just revealed that he is the opposite of everything he made people believe for the past seven years. Liar. Fake. Hollywood. Stupid. Ingenuine. That’s what this makes him look like now. It makes me want to cry. someone say it was all a nightmare. where’s the real norman

Anon

:Happy Today, Mod! I hope your body parts will all in good working order soon. Please take care of yourself. The drama of Norman Reedus means nothing in the long run. Kind people like you who take the time to create community are what matters!

Anon:If DK’s marrage broke down because she cheating then norman gotta run far and fast, they cheat WITH you they cheat ON you. You should look at enty and type in Norman reedus/Diane Kruger this shit been stirring for a while Anon:Will Jimmy Fallon grill Norman about DK? ~~mod~~ dont know

Anon

:Have you seen the pap walk pics & videos?? Omg I’ll swear DK slipped a Mickey Finn in Norman’s whiskey. For him to agree to call the paps on himself, something was totally wrong with him! I don’t recognize that Norman. DK is destructive & opportunistic. She manipulated her way into his life from day one when she recommended him for the SKY role. She is as TOXIC as they come! Wtf’s he doing with her? He’s in self-destructive mode, I pray he comes to his senses in Ga surrounded by good ppl.

Anon:Diane manipulates the media and manipulates Norman. An avid woman who likes to manipulate her little world. How can people defend it? I saw her in truth, she behaves like a haughty princess.

Anon:I no longer see goodness in Norman.

Anon

:Just canceled my trip to San Fran wsc. I was gonna meet him but I can’t even look at him nevermind meet him. How are we supposed to pretend he’s the same guy? He’s NOT what he told us he was! It’s NOT bc of a gf but 1) that it’s HER of all ppl (she is the epitome of famewhore sell out and no one I’ve talked to who met her have ANYTHING nice to say) and 2) He LIED about everything. He’s not any of the things we thought, made his reps look stupid and sold out to let himself be papped. WTF is that

anon

: Personally I’m wondering if she got him drunk, got him to agree to this to make the rumors look true, and that he was too wasted to care. This is NOT the guy we know and love. This is also coming from a mutual friend of his not just some fan. he never calls the media, like TMZ on himself. He’s a private, fairly normal dude, and that’s why I think DK set it up. To boost her American publicity and get noticed for work here. Sad, sick, and sketchy.

Anon: I’m definitely over reading about it Mod but I don’t understand how anything is gonna go back to the way it was anyway so I vote to keep it on the main blog. He’s a lying jerk and this is what we have to see now every day because how can we not if he’s seriously with her. I think I’m gonna have to quit being his fan altogether bc I can’t take her I don’t want to see her ridiculous face every single time he goes anywhere ~~mod~~ here the thing its an N blog, i dont have to post anything with her in it. im really good at cropping things out of pics.

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theopenroadbeforeme-blog · 7 years

Text

It’s been an adventure-less summer. Breaking my leg at the end of April meant that I spent most of the season getting to the point where I could walk again. While I’m still not 100%, I am finally able to be active, so I was eagerly awaiting my trip to Taiwan to meet up with my friends Grizz and Tam. We’d planned it out: we were going to road trip on scooters down to Hualien, check out the epic Taroko National Park for a few days, then make our way back to Taipei. I couldn’t wait, so when Grizz and Tam unexpectedly had to make a trip back Stateside, I decided to carry on and do the trip myself.

Day 1: Taipei to Hualien

I’d made arrangements to book the bike through Bike Farm. Jeremy, the owner, is well-known among the expats and travelers who ride scooters around the island, and his service has gotten great reviews. So, to start off the journey, I met him in southern Taipei and we took the bike to get the fuel gauge fixed.

When that was done, I headed off down Highway 9, only making it a short way before the bike died on me. Deciding one occurrence might just be a fluke, I carried on, only to have it die again mere minutes later. Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, I turned around and took it back to Jeremy. We managed to replicate the problem, and he ordered a new carburetor to fix the issue. After an inconvenient but pleasant enough wait (listening to Taiwanese pop and Linkin Park while eating some sort of bao) I headed off again, this time with no bike troubles. Or so it seemed…

The drive to Hualien starts off through city streets, but the road swiftly narrowed and I found myself switch-backing through a thickly forested range of foothills. Small clusters of buildings lined the roadside, with temples and rice paddies making the occasional appearance.

It was a beautiful day — stunning blue skies with puffy white clouds scooting across them, the damp, earthy smell of Nature, and — most worryingly — the slow warmth of the sun slowly turning my skin into leather. It was a day for multiple applications of sunscreen, which I was diligent about!

When the road finally reached the coast, the views were amazing. Taiwan’s coastline (at least that part of it) isn’t a beaches and piña coladas type of affair. It’s epic cliffs, mountains rising out of the ocean, hairpin turns on roads with sheer plunges over the edge if you happen to miss one.

It was a fantastic route, but the delay of earlier had cost me, and darkness fell when I was still far away from Hualien. The last two hours were a scary slog, along winding roads with trucks and other traffic coming from both directions. To top it all off, the problem we thought had been fixed resurfaced during the last 25 kilometers. By the time I got to Hualien, I was in a foul mood and ready for the day to be over. ‘It was 90% awesome,’ I told myself, over and over again.

Luckily, my AirBnB turned out to be a wee gem, and I immediately felt comfortable there. Which was good, because it was time for a shower. I was an absolute mess — I had dirt caking my face and arms. No wonder I’d been getting strange looks!

Hey! Want to help me travel more? If you haven’t signed up for AirBnB yet, do it by CLICKING HERE, and we’ll each get a credit with AirBnB. How’s that for awesome?

Hualien was a great little town, which I’ll write more about HERE. I stayed for three nights, which was a pretty good amount of time to get a feel for the city and do what I wanted there. Want to know what that was? Read the post linked above 😉

Day 2: Hualien to Sqoyaw via Taroko National Park

Thursday came quickly, and I left my AirBnB and headed for my keynote destination: Taroko Gorge. I was nervous, unsure if I could trust the bike to get me through the difficult terrain. Luckily (kinda), it decided to act up before I even entered the national park, so I was able to stop at a mechanic who tinkered with it, fixed it, and sent me on my way with a wave, only accepting my ‘thank you’ as payment. He was the first of many that day who would show me kindness.

Taroko Gorge is Taiwan’s premier natural tourist attraction, and for good reason. Even its name gives a clue. Taroko means ‘magnificent and splendid’ in the native tribe’s language, and it is an entirely apt description. Huge mountains tower around as the access road hugs their sides and winds its way above the river bed. Taroko is the deepest marble canyon in the world, and when you’re down inside it’s not too hard to believe. The place is jaw-dropping.

Even after the main part of the gorge, the views in Taroko are phenomenal. Sure, things widen up a bit and it’s not so looming and in-your-face, but the scenery is awe-inspiring nonetheless. I stopped more times than I can remember, checking out waterfalls, pagodas, and anything that caught my fancy. Nathan was in paradise.

Further on, a sign caught my eye, indicating the road would soon climb to over 2500 m. Another one past that marked 3000 m! A trio of motorcyclists had stopped on the roadside ahead to take pictures of the vista, so I joined them. It was like watching a painting come to life. The clouds rolled like waves over the peaks and gorge, blanketing the landscape. Minutes after taking the picture below, the clouds were pulled like a shroud over our eyes and all we could see was white. The stress of the morning and its scooter problems disappeared, and I felt absolutely ecstatic. This… this was the grand adventure I’d come seeking…

I mean, c’mon… How can views like this be legal?

I carried on and went from looking out over a sea of clouds to being in the sea of clouds. Mist enveloped the road, limiting visibility to mere meters ahead. I went slowly, as the steep drops on my left and cliff face on my right both promised uncomfortable outcomes if I made a mistake.

I realized something, as I drove those roads. I was cold. At those elevations, the cloud forest of Taroko National Park is not a balmy place, and I began seriously having doubts about my plan to sleep in a hammock outside. Maybe not such a good idea. I decided to back-burner that decision and see how the temperature and weather were closer to evening.

That time drew near, and I was still high (altitude, Mom) and cold. It was time to look for a hotel.

I finally made it to Lishan — my way-point of choice — and was immediately repulsed by the place. I’m not sure why; maybe it was just a little too touristy, dirty, and hectic for me in my road-weary state. Whatever the reason, I didn’t even stop on my way through and decided to look for accommodation further along the road….

…which led me to the tiny village of Sqoyaw, shown on Google Maps as Pingdeng Village. Home to the Huanshan tribe of Atayal natives, Sqoyaw is a tiny little place nestled among the surrounding hills. The thing which had initially attracted my attention there was a small cafe by the name of Sqoyaw, which has a perfect rating on Google Maps. I was intrigued. We were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by farms and tribal land. What would the cafe be like?

Turns out, freakin’ awesome. Not only was it awesome, it might just be my favorite cafe in Taiwan! Great interior design, fresh-baked goods, fantastic coffee, and a super friendly barista hooked me immediately. In case you don’t realize how much I appreciate coffee and cafes, here’s some perspective. I actually entertained the idea of moving to Sqoyaw. Just for a moment or three. But still, I did. Because of the cafe. It only helped things when the barista gave me my berry roll for free. How wonderful…

Warmed both inside and out, I said my goodbyes and made my way to the village proper.

The access road to Sqoyaw is small and steep, and the rain had just started as I made my way down. Finding a hotel was tricky, as there were no signs in English, and I hadn’t done any research whatsoever. Luckily, a man who noticed me driving in confused circles flagged me down and led me to a building when I signed that I wanted a place to sleep.

An older woman came out, shooing me inside as the rain began to dump in earnest. My room was a small one, with a comfortable double mattress and sliding rice-paper and wood doors. It linked to a huge living room area and shared a bathroom with a similar room, which was unoccupied. It was perfect. I pulled out my wallet to pay and realized I might have a problem.

“How much?” I asked, making the universal sign for money.

“Ee chun,” she replied, which I was actually able to understand (1000 TWD).

Crap.

I had exactly 735 TWD to my name, as well as a bank card which — I had a feeling — was going to do me very little good.

“Card?” I asked, pulling it out.

She laughed and reached for my 700 TWD in bills.

“Okay, okay.” She communicated through sign language that she wouldn’t be able to include food in the rate, but I hadn’t expected her to, so that was fine.

I fell asleep that night in a wonderful bed, with the sound of rain drumming the tin roofs of the village around me.

Day 3: Sqoyaw to Taipei

Morning came, and with it came hunger. See, my money problems extended to food as well. I didn’t have enough cash for food, no places took credit or debit cards, and there were no ATMs for an hour in either direction. Getting the hotel had depleted my cash reserves, and I was in a pinch. I’d eaten a bag of dried nuts for dinner, which hadn’t done much for my 80 kg frame, and my stomach was scolding me for it. But when I left my room and made to leave on my bike, the hotel owner waved me into her restaurant and fed me rice and pumpkin porridge and a roll. The rest of the spread looked fantastic, but that was for people who had paid the full rate.

I scarfed my free meal, thanked the owner for all that she’d done for me, posed for a photo in front of the hotel, and left the tiny town of Sqoyaw behind. “Welcome to Sqoyaw!” a worker shouted at me as I left.

Close enough.

The Ayatal village of Sqoyaw

I had three very pressing concerns as I started my final stretch of the road trip. One: I was ravenously hungry. The rice porridge had been a drop in the abyss that is my belly and merely served to waken the demon inside me. Two: I was running a little low on gas. I had enough to get me another hour or so down the road. And three: I had almost no cash, only 35 TWD to my name. That’s just over $1 USD.

So when I made it to Nashan and found out the petrol station there accepted cards, that was an immense relief. When I found a Family Mart down the road, I just about squealed. Family Marts (for those of you back home) are little convenience stores which happen to take cards AND have ATMs. I was able to withdraw some money, get a real meal, and carry on with all three of my concerns dealt with. All within a couple hundred meters of each other! Way to use up all your good karma in one go, Nathan.

The road wound down through fields and along a huge river basin before joining Highway 7. I went west on the Cross-Island route, which rose quickly to high elevations — leaving the riverbed behind and working its way into a thick pine forest dripping with mist. The area was gorgeous and almost felt like Olympic National Park back home.

I wanted to stop and stay in those hills, to pitch a tent and just chill for a few more days, but one-week vacations don’t allow for that type of crazy, and I had to keep moving. I was meeting Jeremy from Bike Farm at 4:00 in Taipei, so I kept a good pace throughout the day and didn’t linger too long at any one spot.

That said, a definite must for those with time is the Mingchi National Forest Recreation Area. The forest there is amazing, and waterfalls can be seen along the side of the road. Honestly, parts of it reminded me of Fiordland in New Zealand, but with slightly smaller trees.

By the time I hit Daxi, I was ready to be done. It had been an amazing journey, but the road was getting more and more urban and my bum was sore. So when the rain started to fall, I gritted my teeth and pushed on, only stopping for a little more gas and a fantastic pee on the way. I even managed to get to the meeting point 30 minutes early! Scooter problems aside, it was a fantastic trip, and I was buzzing with excitement for the rest of the day.

Feel like doing the same trip? Well, you’re in luck! I’ve gone ahead and made a Google Map of the route. Each day is its own section, and I marked several key points (the hotel in Sqoyaw and Sqoyaw Cafe, specifically!). I HIGHLY recommend taking Highway 7 up through the center of the island. Cheese and crackers, that’s a beautiful drive!

Ever been to Taroko National Park? How was your experience? Any recommendations? Fill me in down below in the comments! Riding a Scooter from Taipei to Taroko and Back Again It's been an adventure-less summer. Breaking my leg at the end of April meant that I spent most of the season getting to the point where I could walk again.

#architecture #cultural trip #epic #favorite #great view #hike #motorcycle ride #national park #river #road trip #roadtrip #sea #sunset #Taiwan #temples #travel tales

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