I'm pretty sure I'm gonna smell like rotten eggs all day...

Today was fun and surprisingly I was not as tired as I have been; maybe the jet lag is almost out of my system! We met early at the Main Gate on campus, hopped in a tour bus, and climbed up to Yangmingshan National Park. When we arrived we watched a brief video about the Park and learned that the volcanoes that make up the park are dormant; this means they have not erupted in a while, but can still produce magma. We hiked the Datun Nature Park Trail and got to experience the flora and fauna of Taiwan. The rocks and trees were all covered in moss, there were butterflies everywhere, and the view looking toward the city was amazing. While hiking the trail our Professors pointed out plants and insects endemic to Taiwan. We got to see a lot of spiders, caterpillars and even some mushrooms. We were also introduced to the Golden Tree Fern which is very common in Taiwan and the Professor told us that recently they have been affected by a virus that causes the tree to die. They do not know how it is transmitted or how to stop it, but they are eradicating the dead trees as a control method. I saw my first spittlebug, insect mining, and a wildlife underpass system to allow animals in the park to safely cross under the road without getting killed by cars.

   Part of the Datun Trail we hiked

Insect mining

Golden Yellow Fern 

Mushroom!

Next we went to Siaoyoukeng Voclanic Site where we got to see, hear, and smell sulfur fumaroles and geothermal hot springs. Let me tell you, it smelled like rotten eggs! When we got near the small hot spring, our tour guide Nora (who was amazing by the way) told us to feel the ground. So we did, and it was hot to the touch, so cool! We walked a little further and got up to the sulfur fumaroles and were able to see sulfur crystals. Nora explained to us that this site used to be a sulfur mine and men would carry 110 lb of rock on their back down to the river 15 to 20 miles away so that the sulfur could be extracted. We then walked through arrow bamboo to scenic decks to get a better view of the sites. Arrow bamboo is very dense and grows a little bit taller than the average human. The Taiwanese aborigines used this bamboo to make their arrows.

Scenic view looking toward Siaoyoukeng Voclanic Site

Geothermal Hot Spring

 Me in front of sulfur fumaroles

Alicia and I with our awesome tour guide Nora!

We finished the day off by taking a tour through Beitou Hot Spring Museum. Before entering the Museum we had to take off our shoes and put slippers on. We watched a brief video on how the museum was established. The original bath house would have been torn down if it was not for a petition signed by countless teachers, students, and parents at a local elementary school. I found out that “Beitou” is derived from the aborigine word “patauw,” which means “witch.” We were able to see the original bath where the men bathed. I also found out that the ore of Taiwan is hokutolite and it is only produced in the sulfurous hot springs in Beitou. The ore contains radium and is radioactive. We walked to Thermal Valley were we got to see the sulfur hot spring. I was told that visitors used to boil eggs in the spring! It was beautiful and the best part was that we stumbled upon a small Buddhist temple.

Beitou Bath

Stainglass window in bath

Slippers!

Thermal Valley

Small Buddhist temple