Back to Taitung again, already miss it!

It's been a year since I left Taitung and I can't wait to be back. To me it's a place I look forward to go "back" to, like a home, because it's so beautiful. Indeed, as soon as I arrived at the airport, I already felt at home with the clean and refreshing air, and the colors blue and green were once again filling my vision.

While I was here a year ago, I had many opportunities to see the fighter jets train and land at a nearby air force base but never had the chance to photograph it. This time, I made the effort to capture a few shots. The landing strip is parallel to a major bridge, making it possible to see the jets at almost the same height and up close. Here's a F5E training plane.







And then, it's all the way into the wild!









The scenery along the way are just all too familiar, and riding a scooter along the coast in the ocean breeze is the best way to tour this coast.

Very soon, I was back in the town where I spent a year, it was like being home again.





Back to my favorite secret spot.





A hermit crab hiding by a spot of green.



And needless to say, a few night shots are a must!











And sunrise!











Strange fruit

Photo Entry: Mt. Wu-Fen 五分山 Part II

A different day, different time, same stars and sun.

Photo Entry: Mt. Wu-Fen 五分山

Located near the north eastern tip of Taiwan, Mt. Wu-Fen is one of the highest peak in the area. At 700+ meters, it offers great viewing of both the mountains and ocean, as well as small towns around it. At the peak of Mt. Wu-Fen is a weather station, therefore there's a small winding road that takes you all the way to the peak. The road is really wonderful for a little enthusiastic driving if you have a car that handles well, but a bit too narrow with lots of blind spots over countless tight hairpins. I have to say, it will be a great rally course.

There are several spots along the road where you can get clear views, but this place is famous for a few things. Sunrise, sunset and "cloud sea". The area is covered with rolling hills, and since it faces the ocean, the moisture in the air crashes with the mountains forming low lying clouds that looks like an ocean, therefore the term cloud-sea. At night, the lights from the towns and roads below pierces through the cloud cover making it glow, which is also something that photographers love to capture. This place is one of the most popular spots in northern Taiwan for photographers, so here I am to check it out.