"Kissing Rock" is a coastal reef eroded by ocean waves, leaving a cut-out in the shape of Taiwan.A sandy area next to the parking lot with a ton of hermit crabs. Locals leave food scraps for the little guys.A stretch of pristine white sand beach that is strictly OFF LIMITS. A posted sign at Shadao (砂島) Ecological Reserve warns trespassers must pay a $3,000 NTD fine. Paul: "Ok, I'll just pay it so I can go on the beach." This child of mine. Shadao is protected because its sand is 97.7 percent shell, the highest concentration anywhere in Taiwan. There's a bin of the sand inside a small visitor's center you can scoop up and examine. The sand is made up of tiny shells and shell fragments. The wall behind these guys is coral from the bottom the sea, pushed inland by the movement of the tectonic plates.A monument marking the southernmost tip of Taiwan. Driving the entire island, tip to tip, would takes 5.5 hours.The trails in the national park are nice, paved paths. Not too much roughing it.Feel like you're being watched…?The view from Sea Pavilion. The tall pointy peak is Mt. Dajian. In the water is a big boulder, called Sail Rock, that rolled down the mountain a long time ago.Sail Rock, close up. Locals say it looks like Richard Nixon's profile. The big nose?Mystery Cave, which was formed by coral reefs that were pushed up and then collapsed.The lighthouse at Eluanbi Park.Bluff with a view of the Pacific Ocean. It was so crazy windy I was actually afraid for Paul, who only weighs 50-something pounds.Tea ice cream, made with tea leaves grown in the area.
