Emergency Money Is For Motor Scooters — Cash Poor On Green Island, Taiwan

And that’s how I found myself lying on the floor of the visitor center with the contents of my pockets scattered haphazardly around me, musing about the slightly off-center mounting screws on the light fixture, curious about the markings that indicated a different configuration of the room at some point in the past, feeling a little comatose and mostly sorry for myself. I had come into the visitor center in the first place, looking for air conditioning. It didn’t have any. But, it did have a floor and a ceiling.

What Does Green Island Have?

Remote tropical island splendor.

Green Island, Taiwan is one of the more beautiful places on earth. It has the Hawaii / Cozumel dive town feel. Scooters outnumber cars a hundred to one. The sun rises on one side of the island and sets on the other, and there are only a handful of miles in between so you can watch both over the ocean if you are so inclined. You can watch it from one of the few natural hot springs in the world that are next to crashing waves. Beaches, volcanic rock formations, underwater caves, tropical plants growing from any horizontal surface and sea salt rimming every surface, etc., etc. 

What Doesn’t Green Island Have?

A functional banking system. 

It’s our own fault, really. We are used to paying for everything with credit cards in the United States. Thus, it is taking us an embarrassingly long time to switch over to a cash-based economy. ATM snafus were pretty common in China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Tapping into emergency cash became an all-too-real scenario. You’d think we’d have learned by now.

In Taipei, almost everyone accepts credit cards, and ATMs are plentiful. However, when we moved to Taitung, a wonderfully charming surfer town on the more remote southeastern coast of Taiwan, fewer people accepted credit cards, and ATMs were harder to find. So, when we hopped on the ferry to tiny Green Island (Ludao) off the coast, it should not have surprised us that pretty much no one accepts credit card, and the only ATM machine on the island doesn’t accept foreign cards.

Starving To Death In Paradise

Thus, in the middle of paradise, I was forced to contemplate my family starving. Not really starving, but you know what I mean. We walked here, where we thought an ATM would be. And over there. And then to this store that might take credit cards, and then to this one. And then… and then… With each passing hour, our visions of snorkeling and hot springs and electric scooters grew dim. We were lucky if we could scrape together enough coins for a few dim sum buns in the next three days.

After discussing our options, we decided to hit up the emergency cash reserves (only ten days into this section of our trip!) and change some US dollars into the Taiwanese currency (just after one more walk along the smelly and noisy road, back to our hotel for a passport). Then, with the hope of finally getting to the far side of the island, where cooler temperatures and pristine beauty awaited us, we walked some more in the relentless sun to get to the scooter rental place that offered us a good price the day before. 

This is where I lost my cool: she asked if I had a Taiwanese driver’s license! Of course, I don’t have a Taiwanese driver’s license! Do I speak Taiwanese like someone who has a Taiwanese driver’s license? You didn’t think to mention that when we inquired last night? You’ve got to be kidding me!

Thus, I ended up comatose and uncomfortably sticky hot on the floor of the visitor’s center. So sad. But, all’s well that ends well. Eventually, I found air conditioning and someone who didn’t care that I don’t have a Taiwanese driver’s license (she didn’t even care if I had a US driver’s license, for that matter). 

And nothing brightens your spirit like zooming around this island with the wind in your hair. 

We probably even have enough money left over to feed the children.