I awoke to the sound of two alarm clocks and voices in the background. The good feelings from the previous day were still with me, and I slowly crawled out of bed. After quickly packing, I descended from my loft to find breakfast, included with the stay, waiting at the table. In keeping with local tradition, the soup carried the flavour of rice wine, or some other strong liqueur. I ate quickly, since my 7:00am ferry surely wouldn’t wait. The hostess gave me a ride to the harbour, where I bought my ticket and left the South Island.

Between Taiwan and China lies the Taiwan Strait, an area frequently discussed by policymakers. The strait contains more than water: it is also home to a chain of islands with a diverse and interesting history. The plane, a small aircraft carrying fewer than 50 people, leaves Taipei for a short flight east. Everyone receives a newspaper and, almost in unison, turns to the sports page to read about Wang’s success in Major League Baseball. The newspapers are soon folded away, and we begin to descend. I look expectantly out the window, but the runway materialises only at the last moment. We land on a small airstrip tucked among the hills, and I immediately begin absorbing the island’s atmosphere.