I am so happy I spent my summer holiday on Jeju Island in Korea. The slogan on all the signs is "We love having you here". The population of the main city is about 250000, and the total island is about half a million. All year I had been toying with many plans, mostly to leave the country to venture to South East Asia, but I ultimately decided that I want to savour and enjoy all of Korea while I'm here. As much as I love it, I cannot see myself taking a holiday in Korea. My reason for return would be to work. (And if I do, I totally want to live on Jeju Island!)
I arrived on Tuesday evening, to a beautiful red sky. It was nice to escape the never-ending downpour in Gyeonggi-do (the province I live in). The hostel directions were bang-on: I made my way on the local bus from the airport to Jeju city, and on to the next bus from there. Destination: Geumneung-li, on the northwest part of the island. The hostel staff were awesome. I dropped my bags and headed to the hostel bar for a drink. Then an early night to bed...ahh. I slept so well!
I started my Wednesday morning with a jog to check out my surroundings. Because it was grey, my plans for a beach day were nixed. It worked out nicely though; a guy at the hostel was looking for company to the Mangjanggul cave, a kilometer-long portion of the World Natural Heritage site that is open to the public. There is an extensive lava tube system on the island. In fact, the entire island was created by a volcanic eruption. The cave is located on the northeast side of the island.
The "turtle"...or a model of the island; lava formation
Lava column - this is when lava pours from the ceiling and congeals. At 7.6 meters, this is the largest one known.
After the caves, we checked out a maze before heading back to Jeju city (this is the connecting point for most buses). We were told the maze would take 10-30 minutes. We were SO confident we could do it in ten....30 minutes later, we made it to the victory bell!
30 minutes later, we made it to the victory bell!
Met up with D at the bus terminal, then enjoyed dinner in the city.
Thursday we rented bikes to check out some sites on the island. Single-lane roads, minimal traffic, secluded areas, perfect conditions. We covered about 25km at a comfortable pace in the heat. First stop, the O'Sulloc Tea Museum and green tea fields. We got to sample a green tea that they roast right on location. Fantastic.
Green tea treats: yogurt and green tea ice cream, green tea latte with red bean, and cookies.
Our next stop was the Glass Castle Museum. We had no idea what to expect.
Mirror maze
Glass town
Garden party
Orange tree
Heart
We were very pleasantly surprised, to say the least! Glass everywhere, different techniques, from all over the world.
Our third stop appears to be along the side of the road...and it was! There was a little restaurant on one side, with a makeshift platform for outdoor dining across the street! So quiet and peaceful. Delicious too!
Stretching out...
En route
Our final stop was to a modern art gallery and artists' village. Unfortunately only one of the modern art exhibits was open, so the lady let us in for free. It was an amazing collection though, so we weren't left too disappointed.
Outdoor art installations
Thursday evening we ventured to the infamous Jeju Loveland. Think penis park...but so much more. Consider this your warning.
Romantic smooch
Friday we opted for a relaxing beach day...Geumneung Best Beach. The water was SO inviting. The tide really changes throughout the day. We wanted to swim to the little island, but there were buoy-lines and patrols preventing it. At one point, it seemed we could have walked half-way there! There were so many sandbars, such that people were able to picnic out in the water and build sandcastles! We were going to rent an umbrella, but a Korean guy was kind enough to share the one he rented with us. He asked us if we were on our honeymoon. Haha
Is this paradise or is this paradise?
Stunning
Friday evening, Magda arrived and we had a girls' night, sitting by the beach with a glass of wine. On Saturday, she and I conquered Hallasan - the highest point in all of South Korea. 9.6km trail, 1950 meters up (we hiked about a 1200-meter vertical), nature and fresh air.
We made the checkpoint in 2 hours and 5 minutes! You're expected to take three hours.
Almost at the top...
Success! Total ascent time: 3 hours and 3 minutes. (4.5 hours is expected). Total descent time: 3 hours and 8 minutes. We are champs.
Sunday we checked out and headed back to Jeju city: D with a flight to catch, and me and Magda a full day ahead.
I couldn't NOT go to Loveland with Magda....!
Mandarin sorbet stop
The park is actually quite pretty and tastefully done, especially from a distance.
Happy ending: Indian dinner on a beautiful outdoor patio. High on life, love, nature, everything.
It really was a wonderful holiday - so many laughs, amazing memories created, stunning location, and the best company. I feel so lucky. What a way to go and end my time here. Only three more weekends left!!!
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