Terezka Explores Taiwan: Culture all around Taitung!

Today was a great day full of new experiences and adventure. We’ve seen some traditional habits of aboriginal people, experience culture around Taitung and we’ve gone to Green Island.

Our morning has begun with a big normal breakfast – bowl of noodle herbal soup with egg. We’ve needed a lot of energy :-) I couldn’t finish it, because it has been too big and it’s tasted more like a lunch for me.

With a lot of energy for a new day we went to the Old Aboriginal Village – LipPahak ki ta mapolug, where we saw some traditional instruments for their life, clothes or hand-made picture. We became more smart ;-)

Aboriginal House

Aboriginal tools

Aboriginal clothes or decoration

Left finger - aboriginal village, right finger - Green Island

Terraces of Three Immortals were our next stop. We drove there by Sean’s car, so it has been pretty quick. Because we’d been there a day before in the night, it was a nice chance to observe the view of the coast, sea, nature or big stones. The sea has made its typical sound and together with animals it reminded me vacation.

Terraces of Three Immortals

Welcome!

Karen, Joy and me on the bridge

Wild sea with the rest of the trees from typhoon

Amazing view to the coast

Let's go!

When we’d finished enjoying the great view, we drove to some place, where Goats exhibition was. It has been very nice, the goats were made by wood and it might look like a chair. If you are a light person, you could try it :-) Anyway the goats were everywhere – on the coast, in front of the Paw Paw no.9 Aboriginal drum house or just on the pavement and roads.

The goats were everywhere

They don't bite, you can caress them

Karen, Sean and deer (I think :-)

Paw Paw no.9 Aboriginal drum house

After seeing Paw Paw no.9 house, we were looking forward to the next attraction – Drum Performance in Aboriginal Village. There were about ten children, who were playing their traditional instruments and the youngest was only six years old. These instruments were made from wood or bamboo and you can play the in many different ways. Hands and mouths are normal, but nose? Yes! There was on instrument that can be played by nose. The performance has been very nice. Children were synchronised and they didn’t use any notes. They were also singing, so the atmosphere was very traditional. These children have actually won some price this year for their album.

At the end of performance there had been a chance for listeners to try to play the traditional instruments, which were played by hands. I’d tried most of them. It had been very interesting, what kind of sounds can wood and bamboo make. There were also some traditional aboriginal houses made from wood and straws. Decoration of these houses were made also from wood and the floor has been made from straws – walking on it was a little bit like on the moving bridge.

Drum Performance in Aboriginal Village

Interesting instrument - blowing with nose

Price for their songs

Pretending I'm good

Girls were making a great team

Joy was great player

Karen with bamboo instrument

Decoration of the house

The aboriginal house

On our way to lunch, we’d stopped to another interesting place. Shean and Keren know a lot about this part of Taiwan, because they work there together. The name of the place is Deng-Sian Bridge Scenic Area. This place is well know because of the glorious view from the bridge and the environment, which attracted monkeys to live there. So everywhere you can see some monkeys. There are always so close to you, that you can almost touch them. For us there was one cool man, who sells the coconut milk. I’d gotten a big coconut and the straw and I could drink my own. It has been so cool! I felt myself like on Thailand. After I finished my drink my friend kindly asked the seller to cut a nut for me – wow, so great. I’d also eaten my own coconut! It has been delicious.

Monkeys were everywhere

Even the stone one

We've tried coconut!

One monkey has helped me with drinking :-)

And I've tried also a coco - woow!

But when I’d eaten a coconut I hadn’t known, that another great food is coming in a few minutes. It’d been our lunch – dumplings filled with salty (meat) and the second one with sweet (I picked peanuts :-) filling. It has been also very good! Oh, I‘d like to eat more and more of them.. I liked it a lot. On this place I’ve also seen a man, who was making a tofu on quite an interesting way. With a big metal pot.

Man is making tofu

Mňam - dumplings!

On our way to boat to Green Island we’ve stopped by in one shop, where you can byu Budda head ice-cream. Another food, I know. I still eat there, but when the food is so good, shold I refuse?

Budda head ice-cream!

After a great morning we’d needed to take a boat to Green Island. Some of my friends had taken a medicine, because they were afraid of the sea sickness, but I was ok. At least, I thought so. The boat was inside quite interesting, because it looked like in an airplane. Almost the same. When the boat had started to move, it had been disaster. I’ve taken a lot of boats before, but this movement was different. Much more stronger. It had been because of the typhoon, which was coming to island again. Oh my God, the waves were so high. I’ve decide to go outside to see the sea. It has been good decision. I’ve seen Taiwan from different view – from the boat. And I’ve experienced the waves and the sea also on my own eyes (from inside you cannot see the sea). The waves were really strong. I had to keep myself very hard and I felt a little bit sea sick, which is not common for me. I’ve also met a family, which had decided to go to Green Island for a family vacation. They were very nice to me (Scot and Henk – nice to meet you!) and they were interested in my journey to Taiwan, because foreign usually come here to study Chinese.

When we’d been arriving to the pier, I went down to keep my things. I felt vomit everywhere. My friends had told me, that it had been like a hell. Children were screaming, most of the people were vomiting and people were scared very much. Also Karen got sick, so the mood downstairs was very unpleasant.. I was lucky to be outside – people were screaming because of joy. Like a haven and heel, like Karen said.

Sea from the crazy boat

Sea, me and taiwanese flag

After taking a scooter to our apartment we’d rested a little and then we went scuba diving! We’ve been a group about eight people and a guide. All of us had gotten a diving suit and necessary equipment and hooray to the sea. First we’d gotten some interesting plant, which should protect our glasses from becoming wet and some instructions and then we went to the sea. We’d gotten a life rings connected with one rope – we’d caught them with one hand and the observation has started. It has been like a TV, but life and much better! The corals were everywhere and the fishes were magical, so colorfull, some of them were like a rainbow, some of them like a zebra and some of them only black. All of them were amazing. One was more beautiful like another. I’ve also seen a sea snake, sea-urchin and starfish. And one fish had been pooping right in front of me – what a piggy fish :-D Anyway the diving has been great. Though the wind had been very strong and we’d been a little bit cold, it had worth it.

This is Taiwanese scuba diving (source)

After a diving in the sea and observing the animals and the nature we’d gone to barbecue our dinner. It’s something like a hot pot, but instead of the pot, you have a pan. You can choose some food from the fridge and prepare it on your table – on your own. It has been very good. I liked the thought. Maybe it could be done a little bit faster, because I was very hungry :-D

Barbecue :-)

After our dinner, we’ve joined a group of people who were exploring a Green Island in night on scooters. From the animals we’ve seen a special Taiwanese animal, lizard or a deer. And as a cultural experience we’ve been to some cave, which has been changed into the temple, because the stone had looked like a God. And we’ve seen a lot of stones, which had a deeper meaning. Sometimes you an be quite creative to see it also. I liked a dragon, who can smoke. There is a stone on the top wall of one cave and it looks like a dragon. But what is interesting, you can put a cigarette to a dragon mouth and when there is a dark, the cigarette is burning – really! Taiwanese dragons can smoke :-D