Getting Rained On On Green Island
Trip Start
Mar 16, 2004
1
61
64
Trip End
Apr 02, 2005
Green Island,
Taiwan
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Something else amazing about Green Island is that geo-thermal activity deep below the ground gives rise to therapeutic salt water hot springs, a rarity that can be found in only two other locations on the planet (those being Italy and Japan). With salt water hot springs, volcanic rock formations, underground caves, and lush green mountains rising steeply out of the blue Pacific, Green Island is a tropical playground virtually unknown to tourists around the world
01Map and Information on Green Island
.I am here enjoying this Taiwanese jewel with my friend and co-worker Tracy, who took a 4-day vacation to travel with me before I leave the country. We arrived on Green Island on Thursday (3/10) afternoon and were greeted by bright sunshine and blue skies. We rented mopeds, and after a brief accident in which Tracy took out a sign that got in her way, we were mobile.
On our first cruise around the island, gaping at some of the most creative landscape I have ever seen, Tracy and I were gaped at by Lucas (from Minnesota) and Nathan (from Michigan), who were the only other two Westerners on the island. Having been the only two Westerners on the island for the past three days, they stopped Tracy and me on our bikes and invited us to join them for dinner and a bon fire on the beach. We accepted and had a wonderfully peaceful evening accompanied by looming silhouettes of giant black boulders, millions of bright stars flickering overhead, and crashing waves that competed with Nathan's I-Pod for our listening attention.
The next day, Friday (3/11), Nathan and Lucas moved on to other parts of Taiwan, and Tracy and I went snorkeling
02Green Island Scenery
. Because the Taiwanese are not a swimming culture, we were not allowed wear fins or to go without a guide lest we swim too far away from shore and get pulled down by the ghosts that live in the ocean. Tracy and I drew the line when they tried to make us wear life vests. Once we convinced them that we were good swimmers, they finally let us in the water, and we had a wonderful time peeping at thousands of colorful fish and admiring dazzling patterns of coral. Unfortunately for us, the weather soon turned cold and cloudy and our crystal blue seas turned steel-gray. Fortunately for us, the hot springs are a treat no matter the weather, so that's where we headed next. Soaking in the soothing salt water, Tracy and I met Claire and Ian from the UK, who had seemingly replaced Lucas and Nathan as the only other two Westerners allowed on Green Island at one time.
On Saturday (3/12), the weather was downright nasty, so we were forced to don foul weather gear while exploring the island. By the afternoon, it was near typhoon conditions, which left the hot springs as our only option for outdoor enjoyment. In an unusual moment, a Taiwanese man in the hot spring challenged me to a race doing the butterfly stroke. The other Taiwanese people in the hot spring got very excited by his proposal, and encouraged me to compete
03Green Island Scenery
. One guy handed me his goggles. I soon saw that I had little choice in the matter, so in a pool about 20 feet long and two feet deep, I raced a Taiwanese man, doing the butterfly stroke, and won. Everyone cheered, and I was a big hero for about three minutes. It was a moment of unbargained-for excitement, to say the least.On Sunday (3/13), the weather continued to deteriorate and they cancelled our flight back to mainland Taiwan. The only option to get off the island was by ferry of death. Tracy and I, being young and foolish, opted to get on it. The second we put out to sea and the swells began crashing over the top of the boat, I started to wonder if it wasn't my day to meet my maker. Luckily, we all survived, but I learned a valuable lesson: She who ridicules others in their seasickness will soon find her own head in the barf bag. It was the longest 50 minute ferry ride of my life and the only time I've ever tossed my cookies at sea.
Once back on dry land, I pondered Green Island and decided that it is a once-in-a-lifetime location for vacation adventurers. For those brave enough to go there, that means sparkling ocean vistas, beckoning coral reefs, and startling geographic formations, but also potentially violent winds, raging seas, and bowing palm trees
04Green Island Scenery
. The accommodations are cheap and clean, ranging from $6 per night for a campsite to $100 for a double hotel room including breakfast. The luxury, however, lies in finding yourself alone in an unspoiled nook of God's creation. On Green Island, the Earth reigns supreme, and it will look you straight in the eye and exhilarate you and terrify you at the exact same time.So now, with China and Green Island behind me, I have two weeks left to spend in Taiwan. Instead of heading back up to Taipei as I had originally planned, I have decided to meet up again with Lucas and Nathan and join them on their motorcycle journey down to Kenting, the best surf spot in Taiwan. More adventures in tropical Taiwan coming soon...
