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MAY
22, 2000 VOL. 155 NO. 20
Detour
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TRAVEL
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Laos Unplugged
While the big time is a long way off, the little things
make Laos a great place to visit
Detour
Green Island is a sparkling paradise, a volcanic island
where the sea is always blue and the weather sunny and
warm
Web Crawling
A website of visitors' tales that offer a varied perspective
on the local travel experience
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Unlike
bland, austere northern Taiwan, Green Island is a sparkling paradise,
a volcanic island where the sea is always blue and the weather sunny and
warm. Just 10 minutes by air from Taiwan's southeast coast, Green Island
is rapidly becoming one of the region's hottest vacation spots. It's best
known for hot springs, scuba diving and, of all things, human rights.
Visit
the "Green Meadow Resort," an abandoned compound ringed by barbed wire,
which once held hundreds of dissidents who opposed the late dictator Chiang
Kai-shek. Near the old prison is a monument to human rights in the form
of an elegant $1 million sculpture. The prisoners whose names are inscribed
on the wall represent a who's who of Taiwan's freedom movement. Among
them are Peng Ming-min, who ran for president in 1996; Shih Ming-teh,
who helped found the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, whose candidate
Chen Shui-bian is the country's President-elect; and author Bo Yang, who
spearheaded the building of the memorial, which opened last December.
Green Island is also Taiwan's top diving destination. It sits in the middle
of the Japan current, a nutrient-rich stream that feeds a stunning variety
of crustaceans, tropical fish and other sealife. The island is famed for
its underwater meadows of grass coral.
Chao Jih hot springs are another local favorite. Cold ocean water leaks
through the rock, hits the red-hot underground lava and bubbles up to
the surface. If the tide is high and the ocean stormy, waves roll into
the springs. There is nothing like lying in the hot springs and bracing
for a surge of cold sea water. The baths are illuminated in the evenings
and open until midnight. For more information call (88-62) 2717-3737.
By Brent Hannon
Travel
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