Green Island

After two and a half months of back breaking labor here in Taiwan, I decided it was time for a vacation. Fifteen hour weeks prove to be strenuous every Monday, especially when trying to fit my work schedule into my yoga, swimming and movie-watching schedule. So, this past holiday weekend (Dragon Boat Festival) at 2am on Wednesday night, six adventurers set forth and journeyed to Green Island for four days and three nights. The eight hour drive over curvaceous mountains roads took us along the east coast of Taiwan through an endless number of coastal towns for breathtaking, deep blue, moonlit ocean views. As the sunrise cracked its waking eye, the ocean began to lighten and reveal the black, volcanic beaches that sometimes disappeared into the cliffs we were driving over, as if we were driving over the crystalline water itself. About forty five minutes drive south of the Tropic of Cancer our trusty stead pulled into the port city of Taitung and we awaited our ferry to Green Island.

The ferry to Green Island is a bit infamous in its own right. It has the spectacular ability to make you sick, make your friends sick, and make everyone around you sick. Awesome. Luckily, we had heard this ahead of time and proceeded to pop some magic pills (loosely translated to "NO SICK" in English). Well it worked. No sick in our group.

The ferry docked about an hour after departure and we were greeted by a jolly old South African man who had been acting as our travel agent sorting out reservations, a truck and three scooters. So three in the truck and three on the scooters, and I, well,having never driven a scooter before decided that it was best not take the truck. After a good bit of time getting accustomed to my new ride, checking the brakes, adjusting the mirrors, leaning into turns and throttling up, I decided I was ready to have some fun. So, after about five minutes of messing about on the little 125cc moped, I let loose and floored it to 80kph, heading for our "hotel."

Our accommodations were on the complete opposite side of the island from town and harbor, but Green Island is hardly a freckle on the face of the Pacific so it only took about twenty minutes to get there. We were showed to our rooms, which were less than grandiose, and fed a delicious Green Island specialty... goat stew. Over the course of the next few days we accomplished a great deal, always on the go, never on the slow. We went snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, exploring, swimming, feasting and hot springing. A good four days work.

More to come... Also, I posted some pictures, so check out the link on the left.