Explore where the Tree of Light lives
Laiji Village is part of the Alishan area of Taiwan and home to a tribe of indigenous people of the area. It will also be the home of the Tree of Light.
And, while we're building it... This will be my home, too! This is the view from the room I'm staying in here. Isn't it gorgeous?
Life moves at a different pace up here in Laiji.
This puppy, one of about a dozen I've met up here, just roams free and will even occasionally pop into the restaurant while you're eating to ask for a taste 🙂
He and all his puppy pals aren't strays. They all have homes, they just like to explore!
They've been hanging out with us the whole time we've been working on the Tree of Light.
There are just three restaurants in town- one we hit for each meal of the day. Our lunch spot is barely a building- it's basically some bamboo supports covered in tarps.
And you can bet the food is delicious!
Dinner is at a more modern bamboo and wood cafe that still really doesn't have walls. The owner (and entire staff herself!) just puts a board across the entrance at night.
Laiji residents are all very friendly and intrigued with what we're building here. They are mainly hunters, farmers, builders, hotel owners, and artisans.
Laiji also hosts tours of native life experiences with many bus loads of tourists every day here to enjoy mountain life and culture.
Here's part of a group that came through as we were working and wanted a picture with me:
And I got a free hat out of it, too!
Laiji is almost 2 hours from Chiayi, the biggest nearby city. So we had to be VERY prepared to do our work. Need a certain kind of electrical plug? That's a 3 hour round trip!
We popped into town a few times to get printing, PVC pipes for the beacon lights on top of the tree, etc. When you go down, better make a very good list of what you need!
Here we are grabbing a whole bunch of things (and some tasty dumplings!) in one trip.
We've also enjoyed bonfires in the cool valley at night and other good times. It's a great place to visit and I'd recommend you come see it!