Lanyu Island 蘭嶼島

I went to Lanyu Island with a friend last weekend, and little did I know that our quick 2-day trip would be extended to 5 days. Lanyu Island is off the eastern coast of Taiwan, accessible only via a tiny 19-seater passenger aircraft, the occassional ferry, or cargo ship. The island has been home to the Yami tribe of aboriginies for over many centuries.

Here are my top 5 highlights from the trip:

5) Getting to drive a scooter, without a license or helmet (hardly anybody wears a helmet), on the one ring road at night, and getting home alive.

4) Spending evenings at the WaWa bar, where we chatted with its owners and the waitress, played poker with three Dutch friends, using little crackers that looked like miniature bread buns as poker chips, and getting the rare opportunity to briefly sate our internet habits. On our 3rd evening there, the owner baked us to a home-made chocolate cake with frosting, what a treat!

3) Chatting with local boat carvers who have honed their craft for a lifetime. We visited their workshop with our three newfound Dutch friends, and they recounted the history of the island, from when the Dutch occupied the island over a thousand years ago, how they hid a treasure chest in the heart of Mantou Mountain, how the locals dug it out and found gold and many other valuables, how the island had used Dutch gold to stop bleeding, and how the locals were fooled by the Chinese to trade these treasures for worthless items. How the wealthiest families would have hats made from pounding Japanese silver coins into long thin sheets that were then stapled together to form a conical hat that is only worn for important ceremonies, such as the building of a new house or launching of the boats. How there is a small tribe on the island who still carries the Dutch bloodline because they are taller and paler than other islanders. Such were the many tales we heard as they patiently carved their wooden boats.

2) Riding on a 19-seater aircraft with only 4 passengers, and if you look down the aisle you can see straight to the pilot's cockpit and windshield. The winds were pretty strong in the area surrounding the island, and the turbulence caused a friend of mine to shriek in terror (which was met by a stern gaze from the pilot) and others to feel nauseous. For my part, I just pretended that this was a roller coaster ride, tried to enjoy the moment and not think about who gets to jump out of the emergency exit first if the aircraft became a fiery ball of flames crashing into the choppy waters. Yes, think happy thoughts.

1) Snorkeling and getting the chance to see the coral reefs. I thought this was something you only saw in pictures, so experiencing it in real life was extraordinary. I spotted lots of clown fish (orange with white strips, think Nemo), beautiful grey fish with a bright blue stripe, a black spiky poisonous creature that had retreated into its little hole inside a rock, black fish with a white tail, black fish with bright yellow stripes, and a ton of other little fishes for which I have no clue what they're called. The coral reefs were the colors of the rainbow - purple, pink, blue, green, orange - basking in the water-filtered sunlight.

Here are my top 5 what NOT TO DO's if I ever come back:

5) NEVER leave home without a pack of cards and a change of clothes.

4) NEVER try to stick an American credit card into a Taiwanese ATM machine that only accepts cards with a little imbedded microchip, not the magnetic stripe. And bring extra cash because credit cards are rendered useless here.

3) NEVER go on a trip thinking it will only be a 2-day trip and leave my cell phone charger at home.

2) NEVER go to Lanyu in the winter, when boats and flights are unpredictable and often cancelled. We had to wait through 3 anxious days for the planes to start flying again. On our 5th day, everyone waiting in the airport cheered as we heard the first aircraft touching down on the tarmac, that was how desperate we were to get out.

1) NEVER doubt the advice of an experienced local who tells you before your departure flight that the flights are probably going to be cancelled tomorrow.