Orchid Island (II)
Orchid Island is the home of the Tao(Yami) aboriginal group, which came here from the northern Philippine island of Batan about 800 years ago and still shares a similar language and customs with the native Batan islanders. Central to the Tao culture are a number of festivals and celebrations that reflect their reliance on the sea. Among these, the most important are the Boat Festival and the Flying Fish Festival.
Last night I asked my friends whether anyone wanted to see sunrise with me, but nobody wanted to get up early; thus, at 4:30 in the morning I went along. At the moment I rode the scooter to the east of Orchid Island, I was attracted by the splendid view in front of my eyes. Because the sky colors changed every moment, I stopped the scooter and took pictures frequently.
the roseate glow of dawn
My favorite color of sunrise is this kind of roseate color, It is gorgeous!! The size of Battleship Rock looking from this place really looked like a ship!!, right?
My favorite color of sunrise is this kind of roseate color, It is gorgeous!! The size of Battleship Rock looking from this place really looked like a ship!!, right?
The other side of Helmet Rock made me feel like a old woman with headdress, waiting her child coming back from the sea.
While I saw small pavilion on the seashore which is the place Tao' people take rest. Then I waited for sunrise there.
The sun is rising
Every time I see the sunrise, I feel full of hope.
The backpack which accompanied me to everywhere from my second year in senior high.
After the sunrise, I went down to the Yeyin Cold Spring. The water there is so clear and cool. I felt extremly relax and comfortable while I went into the spring. Then I walked around and appreciated the beautiful scenes in several small spring here.
the cold springs near the Ivarium(Yeyin) tirbe
The waves here is very tranquil because of the surrounding of coral reefs. Spring water softly pushed my leg with the frequency of waves, like doing massage for me. It's a pity that I didn't bring another clothes for swimming here.
If Youzih Lake is the most favorite place on Green Island, then Yeyin Cold Spring is the most beautiful place on Orchid Island in my mind. In the early morning there was no people on the road, and I looked at Mt. Awben and Daseng alone in the cold spring with the accompany of the wind, feeling quietly in my mind.
Riding down the mountain I went for breakfast. At the same time, my friends woke up and the host took us to dive into the sea and do snorkeling.
IOI~The host asked us to rotate and make funny poses while diving. The height was about one floor. At first I was a little bit afraid, but finally I summed up my courage to dive into the sea.
In the following was snorkeling! The experience of this time was the beginning that I fell in love with this exercise. The world under the water was amazingly quiet and gorgeous!
We took toast to feed fish. Fishes with different colors continued to nibble the toast and sometimes kiss your top of fingers. Clown fish wove through different kinds of beautiful anemone, the scene was untalkable touching. Fishes were quite vigilant but I still got to touch a few of them. It was a very special experience to see fishes in such a short distance. One species of fish which glowed fluorescent white was the most beautiful fish I have ever seen under the sea. But the more beautiful it was, shier it would be. Ha~every time I wanted to close it, it always swimed away.
After snorkeling and lunch, I took a break in the living room, watching the recorded TV program about the host introducing Orchid Island for travel channel.
Afterwards, the host took us to a beautiful place which was surrounding by the coral reefs and they called the place "Secret Wonderland". It will be full of water the tide rising, and people can swim here. Only the place is full of water, you can swim from the inner pool to outer pool.
Secret Wonderland
On the way of the connected path between the pools, I saw a beautiful blue sea snake swimming by my side. Looking at its beautiful color and elegant swimming skill, I was touched. When I reached the outer pool, I was eager to see what it has outside the coral reefs. I climbed to the top and looked out, It was the beautiful coral reef coast and the sea. Adventurous sprit made me eager to discover what will I meet under this beautiful sea, especially after I saw so many beautiful fish in the morning.
Therefore, I went back and borrowed the waterproof camera from my friend then swam to the seaside again. I jumped into the sea but hesitated because of the deep sea and a little big wave. I climbed back and sit on the coral reef. The host at the same time reached the seaside and yelled to the sea. I finally figured out that his friend went here with us and dived into the sea to catch the shells for eating. The host asked me whether I wanted to swim to the outer sea because he saw my try. I said yes and with no fear because of an experienced man by my side. I wore only casual pants and with naked upper body, swimming with him to the outer sea. I had to find higher coral reefs under the sea to stand and spit out water frequently because of not well snorkeling skill. So the host held my right hand and we swam together to 50 m outer sea.
This was the view of outer sea I saw
I saw them how to find and catch the shells under the sea
Without any snorkeling devices made me feel I was a fish while swimming happily under the water. This experience also made me do snorkeling without diving devices again in Guam, I enjoyed this kind of free swimming like fish. In this wonderful fish-like swimming experience, I saw more and more beautiful fish and deep caves and I really appreciated various beauty of the sea.
When I climbed on the coast, my soles were full of long and short wound cut by the coral reefs, but it was well worth!! The host felt that I was adventurous so he invited me to come here again working for them next summer vacation. Ha~I'd like to but I am going to States next summer.
In the evening, Hsiao-Fan, Boy and me went to see the sunset at Green Prairie. But the weather was cloudy, we could not see famous sunset at Green Prairie.
Hsiao-Fan(right) and me
After eating dinner the host took us to find owls in the forest. In the end we saw one or two of them, because most of them were not so clear to see in a far distance.
Then we went to find every kind of special creatures on the island.
International Protected wildlife---Helicostyla okadai Kuroda(a special kind of snail on Orchid Island)
India barringtonia which is called "Demon flower" by local people only blossoms at night. The reason why it is called Demon flower is that Tao people don't like the nocturnal creatures, so they dislike awls, too. Because I saw it at night that time, it was on the tree. Next time I saw Demon flower falling on the beach at Guam because of the day time.
The fruit of Demon Flower. It looks like Sticky Rice Temale
Beautiful sea snake. Though it is venomous, it is shy. Its teeth are also too short to transfer the venom under my skin. Its tail has evolved a fish-like caudal fin, it looks specially.
Tao people calls it "Izabu". How beautiful the animal is and its skin is very smooth. This one calls Laticauda semifasciata(Broad Band sea snake)(擴帶青斑) and the host told me the one I saw at Secret Wonderland was Laticauda laticaudata(Black-lipped sea snake)(黑唇青
After the night trip we went back to the B&B with fulfillment and happiness.
If you want to see more pictures about Green Island,
click on: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99857&id=697191847&l=81a30f49e7
special thanks: Grace Chen
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