The best laid plans . . .

I didn't make it to Lanyu, and I came back a day early. Here is a list of things that went wrong:

1) There were no seats available on the train. So I stood/sat on the floor for 5 hours. No biggie!
2) There were no ferries available to Lanyu until the next morning. Not really an issue, except that I was at a harbor far, far from Taidong (and the nearest hotel that I knew of).
3) After arriving at Green Island (a reasonable alternative), I discovered that the campsite I had paid for at the visitor's center did not come with a tent or a sleeping pad.
4) No one has tents available to rent after 6:00.
5) Scooters can run out of gas unexpectedly, at awkward times.
6) The sun rises very early, and the wind off the sea is cold without a sleeping bag.

However, it was still a good trip. I got to swim in one of the only two salt-water hot-springs in the world, which were conveniently open 24 hours. I made a bunch of pretty cool short-term friends to hang out with and have barbecued seafood with. The stars are AMAZING on Green Island at night. No one will bother you if you sleep on the beach (though you may be cold, and wake after only 2 hours of sleep, but if that's the case it's your own damn fault). The ocean is warm but still refreshing after the heat of the day.

I am tired, I am sunburned, and I never made it to my destination, but it was still worth it.