Phoenix Tea Garden and Bamboo Boxes



tea tree ~

     Phoenix tea garden is one of the experimental forests belongs to NTU. The tour guide bring us go though a high, steep trail. It's really tired to going up these stairs. I was a little disappointed that we didn't see many Camellia.




    And then we went back to the center to learn how to brew tea. I have notice  the process since my parents alway took me to the tea garden to drinl tea on the weekend in Hualien. And last year, I have taken a class about tea processing and testing in NTU. So the tea brewing process and the production of tea leaves are quite familier for me.    

There are fish in the bottom of the cup : )



Beautiful tea set~~

They are so cute!!! But it's only for decoration.





    In the afternoon, we went to see really interesting things. This factory has all kind of boxes are made by bamboo and you can not open it eazily. It is fun to find clue to open it. but I don't know what things we can put inside these kind of box, becaues some box need to shake it in order to open it !!!

    The project is going to start!!! I hope we can do as best as we can : )

Speciemen, Bat and rescue center!!!

     Endemic specimen research institude have cellected lots of edemic and native species' specimen, included birds, mammals and insects. At fisrt, I wonder how could come huge mammals(like bears) can put into this narrow cabinet. Later I found the answer. It only preserve it's skin !!



     Then we head to the wild life rescue center. I really want to visit this kind of center since I only saw it on Animal Planet. This place accept many injured animals.

Gray-Gray

   

     "Gray-Gray" is a macaw abandoned by his master. He (maybe?) can not fly anymore, because he has already pull out all his flying feathers. The speaker says that he really love peopel and need lots of care. We really need to think twice before we decided to have a pet. > <


     Then we had a lecture about bats. It pretty cool. I never notice that Taiwan has so many kinds of bats. And the long-ear bat he bring to us is really cute!!!
I often saw some bats flying surrounded the street light in NTU campus. I really want to know what species it is.    


     

    The last stop is Mingsin Academy. It has a funny thing inside. The sign on the bell says that if we can through a coin from 1.8m away, than our wish would come true. But it is really hard, and your money will never come back. I think on the bottom of the bell must have lots of coins!!
     



     Tonight, we live in Phoenix Tea Garden. After dinner, we all stay outside and listening Shu-Chi and Emily playing guiter. It's really nice. : )

     OH!!!  we just found a cockroach in our bathroom!!!! So terrible. I hope no more cockroach appear tonight QQ

Sun Moon Lake and Wood factory

    Sun-Moon Lake is one of the famous spots that many tourists would visit. But I haven't been there until yesterday!!!!(Actually most spots in BACT courses is new for me. What happened!? I lived here for 21 years = = ) One interesting things in this lake is that thay plant some plants in the middle of the lake. And the guide told ue that the roots of these plants can provide spaces and nutrient for some fish and shrimp. That's pretty cool~~

    On the next day, we head to Shueili. It a place that full of woods. In order to produce a pice a wood really need lots of hard work. Most masters have work here for many years. The machines in the factory looks really dangerous, but they really can handle it!!! I'm impressed by the master who made a bat and a pin in such a short time.

  

    Then we start to make our own stool!!! I don't know it will take such a lone time to finish it = =
But I really like it. : )



Birding watching and harvest sweet beat

    This morning we woke up at 5:30 and went to bird watching!!! The teacher teach us how to recognized different birds song. Most of songs come from male birds. Such as Yuhina, the song it sings just like it name；Taiwan sibia sings like "happy new year" and the eaziest to memerize is Walber's song which is '' you go back '' in chinese.

     Then we saw the net set by the researcher beside the road in order to catch Yuhina. But one bired was trapped in it. The researcher soon came to save it. It is white tail robin's juvenile and because it has blue feathers, it might be male when it grows up.

     Without using telescope, we finally can see alive Yuhina catch by the researcher. they are really cute. We watch them how to estimate bird's weight, tail length, peak length and how to inject a chip into it body.              



Native kiwii

    After the breakfast, we visit the Meifeng farm with two kind tourguides. They introduce lots of plant in the farm. Maybe I just put some pictures and discrib more on it. 



Begonia



Nasturtium (It tests like mustard!!!)

Ice plant (When you touch the leaf surface, it really cool)



 

     Today is quit long = =  In the afternoon, we went to harvest suger beat.  And kill it!!! With pineapple and apple mix it into juice. Out group's juice teasts really wied!!haha




  The last stops is the maze and lavender field.

Later, we are going to find insect!!!! I hope we can still see lots of stars tonight : )

Trial : Hehuashan !!!

    Today the weather is really nice. I thought it would be cold but actually is really comfortable. First we head to Hehuanshan mountain to go hiking. The air is so thin that I can not go really fast. Beside the road, there are many cut little unknown plant. I would like to check thier names on the internet. (If I still awake later ~~haha)

    Hiking is really exhausted. I fall asleep immediately when I get on the bus. Then we head to the Cingjing farm after lunch. At first, I thought there will be lots of sheeps eating on the grassland and walking aroud us. But we only saw crowded tourists. People are more than sheeps and hores. = =
     The show about sheep is quit funny. But the show about show is .....quit disappointed for me.

    At night, after the lecture, we went out to see the star in the sky. I haven't saw lots of star before!!!!!!!!It is amazing. I even saw a meteor, but I did't have enough to make a wish > <

    OH!!I think it is time to go to bed. I hope we can see lots  of bired tomorrow : )

All BUS!!!

    Today we actualy didn't do anything. We spend all our time to taking bus to head to Meifeng. But there is kara ok on the bus!!!! So today is not bored at all. And there are English songs finally. I hope every one are enjoy it : )

    Meifeng's weather is cool and comfortable. And the room is really great!!!! I can't wait to explore here more tomorrow !!!!

Trip : Shakadang trail

    Staying at home is really relaxing!!! After a wonderful breakfast with my dad, I went back to meet BACT's friends. Today we head to Taroko National Park which I have been for several times. But I think that many things will be different when go out with different people. The Shakadang trail is one of the famous trails on this national park. The water is really clear!!!!!!

    I also found some fungi beside the road. (But I can't recognized it = =)

     In the trail, there is a place that we can go down to the river!!!! Everyone is  so excited. someone jump into water to swim, some climb up to big rocks, and some just lay down on the riverside to take a nap. we had a great time there.

    Hualien is a beautiful city. Welcome everyone to come back again : )

HOME!!!!!

The moring in Shifen is quiet and peaceful. It is a good place to live when I retired I think.  



    Today's breakfast is traditional chinest food!!!! I really love it. Because I haven't have these kind of breakfast for almost one year. But westerns seens cann't get used to have hot food in the morning.



  King Car Orchid Park is quit famous in Taiwan or in the world. But I don't know why lots of plant in the park looks unhealthy? Some of their lower leaves are yellowing. I'm not sure if it is diease or physical disorder (Although my major is plant pathology = = )  But as the teacher says, we need to be proud of our orchid industry : )  

     Then we are going to Hualien. The famelier scane make me really want to go home. Sorry I am not a responsible tour guide. But I haven't go home for three or four month!!!! I really miss my parents > < So~~ see you tomorrow : )



Trip : Jiufen and Shifen

    Today's trip is really relaxing. In the morning, we head to Gold Ecological Park. The weather is really good, so even my little digital camera can get really beautiful pictures.

At this park, I didn't heard many things from our guide actually. But she is really nice too. She also bring us to a tunnel which is mimic the mining enviroment before.

After it, we go though a samll trail to see the Yin-Yang sea.

In the afternoon, we head to Jiufen Old Street to have meal. The taro ball teast really good~
Then we went to a store to drink tea and take a rest.

    At night, we stay in a cute traditional hotel and put sky lanterns. My wish is really simple, I just hope that all my families and friends can live healthy and happily. And I hope my experiment at lab would be successful in the end. (OH!! And Jenny Tien is really good at drawing, mine is just like kid's graffiti  Q口Q )

   

      The most exciting thing maybe is the karaok in the end. It a pity that there are no English songs. But I think everyone still have fun : )

Trip : Marine Museum and Northeast coast intertidal zone

      The first stops today is National Museum of Marine Science and Technology. And this building is just face to Pacific ocean. It is really beautiful!!!

     This museum has cultures many kinds of sea creatures. Not only for economic species also some rare species.

It looks loke it has a nose!!

pineapple fish

crown fish looks confortable on the anemone.

OH , And Jake has told us that crown fish and anemone are not really mutualism. Although crown fish may left some food residues while thay eating and then anemone can eat it. But actually anemone can catch food by itselves. Another interesting thing is that crown fish can change their sex. If there are all male in one environment, then the biggest on may change into a female. This might because that the bigger size means that it can have more eggs.



There are some beautiful but poison fish that can pretend they are coral or stone.

After the lunch, we wnet to northest coast intertidal zone. It was so excited that I can go to the beach.
And we really saw lots of amzing creatures(like sea slugs!!!!!) there.

Barnacles have high tolerent about heat, drought and waves. They can stick tightly on the rocks and when the waves come back. It will bight it food toward the barnacles.

Barnacles

Also there are many algae and basket stars in this zone. 

I really liek the courses today. And I am so glad that  no one get hurt or get a bit by octopus. > <