green island part 4: an afternoon walk

Lunch (snacks from the ONE 7-11 on the island) on the beach

We were joined by a stray dog who kicked up a bunch of sand in our faces and then had the audacity to spit out the crackers I offered him. Picky punk-dog!

We dashed into a little cafe when it started pouring for the 37th time. Helen pretended to take a picture of me drinking coffee (which I might add, was the most disgusting cup of bitterness I've ever tasted--the Taiwanese are still honing their coffee-making-skills; they're much better at tea) but really we were trying to get a shot of the couple behind me. Or their feet, rather. They had matching Family Mart (a convenience store) plastic bags neatly tied around each foot. I'm more of a puddle-jumper, myself.

That morning, we'd gone snorkeling. The water was warm enough, the fish and coral were stunning, but MAN ALIVE was I freezing! It was probably around 60 degrees and raining, and that is just not swimsuit weather, even if you're from Iowa and have endured the subzero climes. We all had to hang on to a chain of intertubes while the guide pulled us around the coral beds. I made the mistake of kicking my feet a few times and got a "Hey! Don't swimming!" I was just trying to stay warm--I was enjoying the fish and all, but was literally convulsing with cold inside my wetsuit. I tried to keep as much of my head underwater as possible, because every time my head bobbed up it was met with icy blasts of wind and rain. I'm sure the experience was similar to what Kate Winslet felt when filming that infamous scene (it's true--they made the water pretty cold to get more authentic performances from the actors--I saw it on a documentary... when I was like 16). With Rose-esque determination, I held on to the intertube like it was my beloved Jack's frozen, lifeless hand. I'll n-n-never let go, J-j-j-jack. I p-p-promise!

This is sweet. Not only does the sign tell you what animals may be crossing the road, but also shows what will happen to them if you hit them with your vehicle. You will send salamanders to purgatory, and you will be the reason a frog-angel and crab-angel get their wings. If that thought doesn't make you slow down, I don't know what will.

Lots of deer on Green Island. There's a deer conservation park (which was closed... possibly because all the deer have been stolen by locals and domesticated--saw lots of them on leashes and tied up outside of houses) but also, a plethora of deer delicacies are served at restaurants and snack shops. So I'm not really sure if they're endangered or just popular.