Jiannian dragons and cochin-style figurines decorate a temple top near Taipei. Jiannian is a method of mosaic in which colored shards are applied to figurines to give a three-dimensional effect. Fish and dragons on temples often symbolize protection against fire.
I recently returned from my third, and likely last (for a while), trip to Taiwan. For "buggers" like me, the island really is a paradise.
A robber fly (family Asilidae) with small beetle prey
A common wasp moth (family Ctenuchidae, genus Amata), Taroko Gorge National Park
Leaf beetle, I think (family Chrysomelidae), Taroko Gorge National Park
Though small and often ingeniously camouflaged against the verdure, Taiwan's insects and arachnids abound and can be marvelously strange.
An owlfly (family Ascalaphidae), Fuyuan Forest Recreational Area
An ornate orb-weaver (Herennia ornatissima). These spiders are characterized by flat, lobed and speckled abdomens. Their coloring blends them into the tree trunks on which they build their highly effective ladder webs (see below).
Herennia's ladder web lies parallel to the trunk on which it's built. This renders it nearly invisible when viewed dead-on. As a result, insects, such as flies, fail to see the web when landing on the tree and get stuck.
Leaf beetle (family Chrysomelidae), Jiufen, Taiwan. These particular beetles are super common and seemingly pestiferous in Taiwan.
Lynx spider (genus Oxyopes), Taroko Gorge National Park
And then there are Taiwan's lantern-lit tea houses; the vivid, tiled temples; the serene, camphor-scented hot springs; ubiquitous and awesomely-stocked 7-Elevens; and of course the monkeys...monkeys, monkeys everywhere.
In Taroko, we talked with two hill villagers who were on their way down the mountain for supplies with their "pet" monkey "Baccan" in tow.
My husband and I spent much of our time exploring the island's most famous national park: Taroko Gorge, on the eastern side of the island, near the surf-city of Hualien.
The sheer verticality of the place is astounding. Upon entering the gorge, the cliff walls rise so quickly and suddenly around you that you have to crane your neck to the sky.
Soldier beetle (family Cantharidae), Jiufen, Taiwan
The gorgeous, antique-filled Shuku Tea House in Jiufen, just outside Taipei.
One of the best parts about hiking in Taiwan is that if you go mid-week, as we did, you rarely see other hikers on the trails. One of the few we did run into--twice in fact--was a young Swiss gentleman--Lukas--who has been adventuring around Asia for the last couple of years, lucky devil. A wildlife enthusiast, he showed us how to spot lizards lurking on tree trunks he even caught one for us to hold. Check out his excellent Flickr stream.
One of the many fireflies (family Lampyridae) in the backyard of our Hualien B&B
We spent our last days in Formosa in the whimsical hillside town of Jiufen. I've spoken of Jiufen--the town that inspired the setting for the perfect Studio Ghibli fairy-tale, Spirited Away--before on this blog, so I won't dwell...except to marvel at the aptness of spotting, on this trip and in such a fantastical place, my first Asian fairy moth! These creatures, with their gilded wings, farcically long antennae, and abiding fondness for flowers, could charm warmth into the coldest hearts.
Fairy moth (family Adelidae), Jiufen, Taiwan
Even getting stuck in a Hualien cafe for forty minutes during a Typhoon shelter-drill is pleasant in Taiwan.
Sigh. Formosa, I will miss you.
Net-winged beetles (Family Lycidae) mating, Jiufen
Jiufen, from the Shuku Tea House
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