Chinese New Year; Year of the Horse

Happy Spring Festival, Chinese New Year, Year of the Horse, all of it! Just before we had vacation from school for six days, four working days, also the longest break in the school year, I went to Rainbow Village. I had been hearing about this place ever since arriving to Taichung. I heard it was pretty far away and also that is was much smaller than you'd hope after getting so far out of the city. Two brilliant discoveries were made this day. 1. There are city buses that will take you just about anywhere in Taichung for 15 NT a ride. (and to think of all we've spent on taxis!) 2. Rainbow Village itself was all it cracked up to be, a beautiful must see, that is too small for how far out of the way it is. 

Wenxin park preparing for CNY of the Horse.

Cassie, Angela, and I.

Kelly, Michelle, and I.

Then off on a road trip to Taitung and Green Island with these crazy kids.
Laura, Asho, Harry, Kelly, Brittany and I. We arrive at Macolor Hostel after 8 P.M.
the drive normally would take 6 hours but we stopped regularly for anything and everything.  

Spent the first day at this beautiful National Park, Laura and Asho were paragliding here. 

The best weather we had was our first day, sadly we didn't get to the beach until 4.
We still dipped into the ocean and searched for some unique rocks. 

Went to see Matzka. This was my third time seeing him.
Must be fate because its never been in Taichung.
Check out his music here. 

My first ferry boat ride that is on the ocean! Pacific to be exact.
Surprisingly I did not get sick, instead it rocked me to sleep like a baby.
Many others did get sick. The ride to green island was about 40 minutes.  

Our first and only night on the island we went to Jhaorih Sea Water Hot Spring.
Explains itself.  

Harry enjoying the electric bike. We had 2 scooters and 2 electric bikes on the island.
The previous week a foreigner without a license wrecked and died, so only Harry and Asho
were allowed to drive the scooter. Oops!

I stood watching this cave/hole for about 5 minutes.
The current came in and you'd never know it was there,
the current would leave and it would sink deeper than I could see. 

One of my favorite shots of the trip. Took it on one of our stops around the island.
We scooted/biked around the entire island twice. Taking no more than an hour each time, not counting stops. 

Laura and I 

This rock you see off the coast is called "Sleeping Beauty."
Find out more about Green Island, AKA Lyudao here.

Coast line view from the top of Little Great Wall. 

At the top of Little Great Wall. 

During the day in Green Island we went snorkeling! It was my first time doing it in the actual ocean!! The reef and the fish were SO beautiful and the colors were brilliant. We supposedly spent an hour out roaming the ocean but it felt like 15 minutes. When I was around no one else, and held my hands out completely still the fish would come right up to me. They would also eat bread right out of our hands.  I wish I types of fish I was observing. However, I know I saw a puffer fish, an eel, an angel fish, and a few varieties of butterfly fish. 

Former prison on Green Island, similar to Alcatraz.
"The island is primarily noted as the place of past and current prisons. Green Island first served as an isolated spot and place of exile for political prisoners during the martial law period of Taiwanese history under the Kuomintang. Many of the prisoners jailed between the late 1940s and the late 1980s"

Last night of CNY vacation '14. We went a little stir crazy in our 3rd hostel.
Love these girls. They've become my family. SO happy we are all staying for year 2!

We spent our last day hiking, eating, learning, celebrating the indigenous tribe Bunun.  

This tree was the first thing we were shown on our journey.
Then we were told it is all one tree, some 200-300 trees are connected.
They use the tree to divide land, but all since it's all one they continue to fight with neighbors. 

Trying to stay warm with my gals!

I was very excited to climb this, the entire trail had obstacles like this.
It was a challening hike, yet there were men in slacks and granny's participating. 

Appetizer (pork) before the feast. They worship the Mountain God.
Many people made offerings of rice wine and beetle nut to the Mt. God.

Wild dogs are everywhere in Taiwan.
This is a favorite shot of mine from the trip. 

Women cook, however the men must serve the women beginning with the rice that is cooked over a wood burning oven, which really gives a different taste to the rice. Oldest man goes first. Then a child serves his baba (father).

"Bunun has the most traditional ceremonies among all indigenous tribes in Taiwan,including mapilau/bapilauan(millet reclaiming ceremony), inpinangan / minpinangan (millet sowing ceremony), minsalala (harvest ceremony) and manaqtaing’az / malahotaing’ia(earshooting ceremony), Bunun people truly value millet and ceremonies. Because of the complicated nature of ceremonies, Bunun developed the signature called Bunun pasibutbut (eight-part harmonic singing) to please gods and beg for harvest in return. This self-invented multipart harmonic singing of Harvest Festival was first made famous around the world by Bununs from Wulu Village." 

Dessert, pronounced mo-chee, made from millet. 

After eating, before the ceremony ended with a song,
a tree was planted by a child. They everyone is to place
a leaf on top of the new tree. 

We practiced the song, which i'd describe as a louder "ohmmmmm"
Then we were told to place our thumb into the fist of the person on our left.
Kelly had a young girl next to her so it made it difficult.
An amazing experience. 

We had an insane amount of different food during our trip, even a traditional Taiwanese feast. After a week of it though, we were in dire need of a pizza when we got home. 

Other interesting facts about my CNY trip to Taitung:

    - If you see a hawk flying in the morning it means the weather will be good.

    - Tribe doesn't sleep next to river; they're afraid enemies will cross and kill them. When they kill an enemy they decorate their house with the enemies head. 

    - Man on the trail said there were "100 peaks in Taiwan". I found that there are more than 200 mountains that soar above 3,000 meters in height.

    - Don't pick up coins off the street during CNY, it's bad luck. 

    - Don't take pictures of cemeteries; the spirit will follow you.

    - On CNY Day you are not supposed to shower, clean and definitely do not take out the trash.