This past weekend I ventured to one of the most southern parts of Korea, Jeju-do. Jeju is an island off the southern coast of Korea and is a self-governing province. Jeju island is composed almost entirely of volcanic rock and in the heart of the land amid a sea of mountains is a huge volcanic crater. It is known as the 'island of the spirits' and is a favorite get away and honeymoon spot for many Koreans.
Sean and I flew from Seoul and arrived in Jeju a mere 55 minutes later. Coming into the island from the air was a real visual treat. The landscape was all a giant patchwork of colors and reminded me of a Cezanne painting or something. The deep greens and foliage accented the yellow fields beautifully. As I mentioned, the island is mountainous and I could see the view of Hallasan Park and Halla Mountain, the tallest mountain in Korea, from the plane as well.
On the plane I looked around and noticed that I was the only white person on the entire flight. This has never happened in my entire life, and I have been on my fare share of flights to various places. During our stay in Jeju we saw other white foreigners, but I never saw any other white people at my hotel either. During our complementary brunch each morning while I was pouring my cereal and getting my toast, the Korean guests were piling their plates with rice and kimchi. It's such a difference in diet and the ways of thinking about food here. Korean people are generally very thin and fit, so maybe I should consider kimchi and rice for breakfast. I just don't think I'm ready to let go of my cereal spoon quite yet.
We rented a car and spent the next three days driving all over the small island. Jeju is just gorgeous. There are so many different parts to the island that we discovered. Along the northern coast is Jeju city and some really pretty beaches. We drove through the southern coast and discovered some breathtaking waterfalls and rocky coastlines. The eastern part of the island was also choppy and covered in volcanic rock, but the water was crystal clear and different shades of blues and turquoises. Throughout the middle of the island the scenery was so similar to middle America it was uncanny; farm land outlined by coniferous trees everywhere. It really reminded me of so many of the drives I have taken throughout Indiana.
beautiful beach and lots of wind
shadows in the sand
rocky coastline
in front of a waterfall
Jeju is famous for a few kinds of foods. One is the black pork that they serve as BBQ. These pigs are actually black in color and have a soft texture and unique flavor. I got to enjoy this local specialty for lunch one day and it was actually quite delicious. One of the other things that Jeju is famous for is their orange-like fruits called gamgyul. They are unique in shape as they look like oranges with an extra little knob on the top. They are so juicy and taste amazing. They also use this flavor to make some special Jeju chocolate. The chocolate is layered with the orange flavor in between two layers of rich chocolate. It's some of the best chocolate I've ever had. Mmmmm.
gamgyul fruits
eating some black pork and bulgogi for lunch
Sean and I had every intention coming to Jeju of climbing Halla Mountain and viewing the famous crater at the top. Once we arrived at Hallasan Park we quickly were informed that this feat would be pretty much insane. The hike to the top of the mountain takes a good 5 hours and another 5 to return. The entire climb is straight uphill on steps that are built into the path. After looking around and seeing all the Koreans with their hiking gear and professional backpacks, hats, gloves, hiking sticks, shoes, etc. we realized we were not prepared in our gym shorts and tee-shirt and tank top. We opted for a shorter route and only made it about 20 minutes before we were both dripping sweat and decided to turn around. I am not ashamed to say that we are not hiking people, but I do need to resume my running stairs exercises if I have any intention of climbing the Great Wall in September.
Halla Mountain
Every sight and landmark that we wanted to see charged a small admission. It was kind of silly, but we didn't mind spending 3,000 won here or there in order to be proper tourists. We checked out waterfalls, an extinct crater, Sangumburi, and other cheesy sights such as a miniature park with the world's famous buildings all built to a small miniature size. We saw a few different Buddhist temples. They never fail to astonish me. The architecture and aura are so beautiful and mysterious to me. We checked out a few beaches, but unfortunately the weather was still too chilly for sunbathing or swimming. One day we drove to see Manjanggul, the world's longest lava tube. It was similar to a cave inside, dark and wet. It was a little disappointing as it was freezing cold, very hard to see, and there was water dripping left and right from the ceiling of the cave.
Manjanggul lava tube entrance
Buddhist temple
Buddha statue
temple in the mountains
huge golden Buddha
My favorite part of the trip was when we visited a small peninsula within the island on the eastern side. The peninsula is called Phoenix Island, even though it's not really a separate island. Sean and I enjoyed an upscale set course meal for lunch in a fabulous restaurant, Mint, made of glass overlooking the water. Mint is located on the grounds of a fancy resort and you have to take a shuttle bus just to get there from the main resort area. The scenery was just stunning. After eating we walked down to the cliff overlooking the coastline. Even though the wind was fierce, we climbed to the top of a lighthouse tower and soaked in the 360 degree view of the area.
lighthouse near the restaurant
I was surprised by all the large stone statues we saw everywhere around the island. Dol hareubang statues were literally all around us. They are these stone grandfather carvings made out of basalt rock that are believed to provide protection from demons and also used for fertility. They are kind of like the token symbol on Jeju.
dol hareubang statue
The trip was a perfect get away. It felt amazing to be on an airplane again after my 8 months of sitting tight. Korea is full of so much lovely natural beauty and Jeju island is no exception. I feel blessed I got to spend three wonderful days exploring.
love the beach
Namaste
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