Being an island enveloped in large bodies of water, Taiwan naturally comes with a culture that features aspects related to the sea, such as ocean life, beach culture or even bridge building.

Magong, a small city situated on the west of main Penghu Island is a friendly place, easy to get around and offering much to those who take the time to explore.

A short trip to Penghu (澎湖) last year was somewhat dampened by the remnants of a typhoon that drenched us with rain throughout the stay.

The Lunar New Year Holiday will begin on Jan. 24. This year there will be up to nine days for camera-wielding tourists and their families to take either a long or short trip around the island.

As I traced the short footpath along the coast of tiny Tongpan Island in the South Sea islands of Penghu (澎湖), I was finally fulfilling one of my smaller but longest held ambitions.

We had traveled by five different modes of transportation--plane, car, boat, bus, and truck--to end up where we were now. As soon as we eagerly pressed our noses to the window of whatever vehicle we were in, certain that we had finally reached our destination, our tour guide would usher us onto the next truck/boat/etc., leaving us wondering if we were going to spend this entire trip switching from one vehicle to another.

After just 35 minutes on a flight from Taipei, the plane descends through little snow kingdoms of cloud; a rainbow arches through them like an arrow drawing my attention to the scene opening up below.