Arriving in paradise

Upon disembarking, we were given two motorcycles to ride on. Though I don't have a license, I have ridden on 125cc motorcycles before, on my previous visits. They are smooth riders, heavy, sturdy and powerful. Nothing beats travelling in Taiwan than riding around with a motorcycle.

In total, I circled Green Island three times, each journey taking almost an hour. The roads are winding, cutting through mountains, cliff edges, sea beds, grass fields and forests. On both sides, the sceneries are breathtakingly beautiful.

Erosion by wind, sun and sea sculptured countless rock formations, some of which have been given names, because of their resemblance to animals, people and plants. Never have I seen such crystal blue water. And nowhere have I been bedazzled by the serene calm of green mountains jutting into the sea. Waves silently crashed against the white beaches, echoing soothing whispers and splashing white raindrops on nearby rocks. The wind brushed against my face as I rode the motorcycle round and round, going from one touristic hot spots to another. Nature knows how to do wonders with its paintbrush and canvas.
Try and imagine what it is like there with the aid of these pictures...

The morning after, I went snorkelling for the first time ever. Because of the cold and warm currents of the Pacific blending around Green Island, the seas around it are blessed with some 300 species of fish, and some 130 types of soft and hard corals. I put on the wet suit, goggles and other snorkeling equipment. After a short ride to an area desginated for snorkelling, the coach taught us how to breath through the tube. At first it was difficult, and after drinking stomach-chruning amounts of salty sea water, I got the hang of it.
The coach took us out to sea. At first, the rocks and corals were right beneath your feet, and you could easily step over them...but as I went further, there was a sudden drop. And the wave carried me further out to sea.

I looked down, and saw such life, such beauty!
The colours, the fish, the spectacular soft coral reef fingering the water around it...fish played hide and seek as we swam, leaving a trail of bread behind us. When you slowed down to watch the blue water carefully, you could see the transparent planktons floating around, oval, round, rectangular and square, each teeming with life and with movement. There were fish strange and small, long and thin, fish with a bump on their heads, fish with a sword-like part jutting from its forehead, there were black fish and rainbow coloured fish, there were striped fish, fish with spots, fish camourflaged in the ocean bed, only to be awakened with our arrival..., fish, fish, fish everywhere...fish I could not even name, and could not even begin to describe the oddity of. They swam around us, sometimes brushing against my arms and body, and then shyly rushed forward, leaving a stream of bubbles in front of my goggles. They swam, as if flying through the crystal blue, from place to place, with such ease and comfort. The ocean bed was full of corals, white sand and giant boulders, like submerged mountains covered with glistening and colourful plants and rock. I reached out to touch one of the soft corals...and it tickled. Here and there, clams had their mouths open and pressed themselves shut when my finger drew near.

What a sight, what an experience...