| From Taitung, I took a small propeller plane (operated by Uni Air)
to Orchid Island (Lanyu in Chinese). Orchid Island is a beautiful,
volcanic island about 60km off Taiwan's southeast coast. It hardly
resembles "mainland" Taiwan, and its inhabitants are aborigines from the
Yami tribe who are culturally closer to the Philippines than Taiwan or
China. They make their living by growing taro and sweet potato, raising
pigs, and catching fish. And they chew betel nut as fervently as
what I observed in Indonesia. The reason for the island's name must
be historical, as there are no orchids to be found anywhere. |
