Jeju Island

 

Grandfather Stones

            Jeju Island was a beautiful place, although in most areas of the island it was rainy and humid. Very Uncomfortable. I feel like going on this trip was a great thing for me though because it is where I met most of my current friends. On the island, Halla Mountain surrounds you and you can see it everywhere you look. Disappointingly, the main top part of the mountain was covered in clouds when I was there, but I am sure that in August, out of the rainy season, it is a beautiful sight.           
            On the first day of my trip, we went to Mini Halla Moutain where we saw the women divers show or Jeju Haenyeo Mulgil  and were told to hike up the mountain. I was too tired from all the plane travel and

Mini Mount Halla

bus riding to even think about climbing this mountatin, so I only climbed halfway up. Good news on the mountain though! I was chased after and was told that they had found my passport and that it was being mailed to the hotel for me so that I could get back into Seoul. It was such a big relief because if I wouldn't have found it, I would have had to go to the police station, file a police report, then go to the U.S. embassy with $150 dollars and a passport photo just to get a new one. I am glad I didn't have to go through that!




The woman divers show at the mountain was also a spectacular sight!

Women Divers Going Out to Sea

These woman are in their 50s all the way up to their 80s and they dive underwater without any fishing gear except goggles to find food. They can only stay underwater a few minutes, but when I was there they caught a few squid and some sort of crab I think. What I also want to note about this experience is that before these woman go out to sea, they sing a really long song about their journey. The song was all Korean so I didn't understand it, but this is a song that they have been singing for hundreds of years  so it was really a treat to here. I will upload a video of this song soon, so watch my Youtube account for any updates.

Jeju Folk Village

            Also on the first day of my trip, we headed up to a traditional Jeju village where all the houses had hay roofs and had been standing for what I think I heard being 600 years. It was a really interesting part of ancient Korean culture that is still standing and that people still live in to this day. I know I could never live like that. After the village, we also got to eat some traditional Pork Bulgogi. You cook this in the pan in front of you and then eat it along with the many side dishes they give you. My favorite thing to do with this is to take a lettuce leaf and put some of the pork and rice in it and wrap it up. MmmmMmmm Delicious!
            On my second day of the trip, we headed to the O'Sulloc tea museum where I enjoyed looking at the old tea cups. We also got a chance to see how the tea was roasted and we got to even try/buy some. I tried the tea, but i didn't like it very much because I just don't care for tea. I did though use the opportunity to buy some souvenirs though. My step-mother loves tea!
             After the tea museum, we headed off  to Jungmun Daepo Columnar or jointed-lava point. This is a

Jointed-Lava Point

place where you can see what happens when hot lava cools instantly when it touches the sea. It was really cool because the water here was such a pretty, clear blue and because the rocks were black and rectangular shaped. Apparently the rocks become rectangular when the sea washes over them, although I still don't understand this well. While at this location, I also used the opportunity to try some of Jeju's famous oranges. You can find these oranges all over the island and they are delicious. I would definitely recommend trying some if you plan to ever visit there. Soon after I got to eat again. My lunch for the day was roasted Mackerel, which I didn't enjoy at all because the whole fish (tail, head and eyes included) was laying right in front of me. I know some people enjoy this, but I just couldn't stomach it so I ate rice instead.

Roasted Makerel

Cheonji-yeon Waterfall

            After lunch, we got to go to the place I was most excited for: The Cheonji-yeon Waterfall. The pictures I had seen of this place were beautiful. There was clear water and bright plants around it, but when I got there I was a little disappointed. The water was dirty and there just wasn't much to see. I had already seen Niagra Falls, so this waterfall didn't compare. Once again, I used to opportunity to buy a few souvenirs for my friends.






            Back on the bus for a short distance, we were led to a cruise. The cruise was stationed next to this

Bridge by the Cruise

really intricate bridge that I believe was in a Korean drama, but I am not sure.  We soon boarded the boat and had a long boat ride on the rocky waters. For a few minutes, I really did believe some people would fall off but they didn't. The weather was still rainy and was not good for this trip, especially since the boat wasn't taking us anywhere. What I found unique on this ride though was that I saw some fisherman standing on the bottom of a cliff only a few feet from the water. I had no idea how they got there since they obviously couldn't have climbed down, so I found out that a boat drops them off there everyday and then picks them up. I still think the idea of this is stupid since they are in such a dangerous spot, helpless and in such bad weather.
            My mind though was quickly taken off this though as we went downstairs in the boat for a beggars performance.  Wow! This performance was... uh.. unique. The man doing in was dressed as a blonde girl whom almost looked like a prostitute. He sang karaoke, and told jokes, and evenly fake stripped to get money. Even on his underwear he had clap written and would occasionally flash us this sign. What I found out was that this is how all beggars used to get money on the island! I sure wouldn't do that. It looks ridiculous.
         Finally my last stop for the day was Iho beach, where it was finally sunny. Since I didn't have my

Iho Beach

luggage, I didn't have my new swimsuit, which made me a little mad, but I did get to walk around in the sand. It was really nice, until the wind blew and the sand cut against my legs. I think what I enjoy most about going to a Korean beach is that they offer you a place to wash your feet in after you walk around in the sand, so you dont get sand in your shoes. It was so much easier to use that just trying to put your shoes on by the sea and then getting your shoes sandy. America should start doing this too!




           On my third and last day I was tired and ready to go back to Seoul to settle in. All day we looked at rocks, at the Manjanggul lava tubes and at Jeju Stone Park. The lava tube cava would have been cool if it wasn't really cold and practically raining inside. Water kept dripping down from the ceiling and I didn't have an umbrella to protect me. I am lucky I didn't catch a cold! In the stone park, we basically got to see more traditional Jeju ways of living and how they used stone to make statues and tools. The trip was really interesting, but I don't think I enjoyed it to its full potential because of the weather.
          The weather did clear up when we went to Dokkaebi or the Grotesque looking spirit road, where it appears as if the road is on an incline, but if you turn your car off it'll roll uphill. It is said that a troll pushes your car up the hill, but scientifically it is just an optical illusion. This was the end of my trip in Jeju Island!

Grotesque-looking Road Troll

          Later on in this blog, I will be writing more about Jeju lifestyles, and eating and living in Korean so keep reading. This so far had just been an account of what I have done, but soon I will post more educational blogs about specific topics including what to do in an emergency, how to navigate in Seoul without knowing Korean, how to use the bus/subway, what eating in Korea is like, etc. If you have any specific topics you would like to hear about, please comment me and let me know. Thanks!