An escape
from the bali bali of Seoul, Jeju is
a 713 square mile subtropical island located off the southern coast of the
Korean peninsula. The “Hawaii of Korea” was formed by volcanic eruptions and
showcases a diversity of natural beauty. It’s the premier vacation/honeymoon
destination in the country and has a subculture all its own.
There was
no else I’d rather experience Jejudo with than my two favorite beach bums.
However, it turns out that Jejudo is much
more than just nice beaches. In fact, our beach bumming turned out to be rather minimal. Korea in turbo-drive continues…here goes Side Trip #1.
Leading
up to Korea, my parents received frequent text messages reminding them to get
their international drivers licenses. Of course, it wasn’t until we were
picking up the rental car that we became aware of misdated paperwork, nearly
denying us our vehicle. We were eventually trusted and on our way with complimentary
ramen noodles. Our Hyundai (of course) came equipped with GPS (of course) in
which phone numbers would lead us to our destinations. So many mapping
headaches saved.
We set
out to follow a clockwise perimeter around the island over the course of five
days beginning and ending in Jeju City. Having a rental car gave us so much
freedom and flexibility. And really allowed us to really…maximize…our time. The
footnotes will give you an idea…
It was
hard to believe by the time we went to bed at 9pm our first night that we had only
been on the island since our morning flight landed. When your day begins at
4am, it is a little disorienting even without seeing a host of new sights like one of the longest lava tubes in the world. But off to bed we went
because we were in for another early one. It didn’t even matter that I was
sleeping on a Korean-style mat. I slept like a Jeju volcanic rock.
A choir
of iPhones woke us at 4am to hike a volcano and meet the sunrise. And we
weren’t alone because Seongsan Ilchunbong sunrise peak is one of the most
quintessential Jeju experiences. Hazy skies thwarted the dramatic red I had
hoped for but how empowering to complete a hike before daybreak. At
the bottom a soymilk latte and soy whipped cream waited for me, a perfect morning.
Starbucks looking out for us international vegans.
On our
second day we ferried off to the northeast cow-shaped Udo, a much smaller island
with a small town feel, but not without a concentration of tourists. And a
great many of these tourists seemed to be gaggles of high school boys. It
usually went something like this: one shy boy worked up the courage ask for a
picture with me, I agreed, his forty friends cheered, we posed, I achieved
celebrity status. And then my parents took pictures of them taking pictures…duh. Maybe living outside of Seoul would be good for my ego.
When I
envision Udo I see the endless garlic gardens enclosed by short stone walls. I
see dramatic coastlines and tucked away caves best viewed from a little boat
offshore. I imagine a ferry full of tired but cheerful garlic farmers in mismatched
floral smocks and bonnets. And I think of peanuts which we were sure to sample in the form of peanut ice cream on a unique coral beach.
I must mention Jeju cuisine (surprise!) which I went to great lengths to fully experience. It's impossible to overlook the plethora of hallabang (orange-tangerines) roadside stands and seafood restaurants. For five days we sustained
ourselves on grilled fish, rice, and banchan,
occasionally mixing in seafood stew, abalone porridge, haemul pajeon, or Korean buckwheat pancakes. GS25 made for scenic
lunches on the road. I loved the moments that Korea pleasantly surprised my
parents, such as learning how cheap, satisfying, and healthy a Korean
convenience mart meal can be. Kimbap
and kimchi on the go!
On the
third day we trekked on to the southern side of the island, near Seogwipo City.
With so much in the vicinity it was a great homebase for day trips. Our
pension was in a quiet neighborhood of fruitless citrus orchards with an ocean view
a ways in the distance. It came equipped with a kitchenette allowing me to use
our limited ingredients of hallabang
and ramen to become…breakfast? Thanks for looking out for us, rental car
company. After breakfast it was straight to a coffee shop. I won’t say who took the longest to get
going…but it wasn’t me or Dad. Among my favorite memories in Jejudo are the
serene mornings of crashing waterfalls, Americano in hand.
Coincidentally
our pension was very close to Yakchunsa Buddhist temple. With a pocket of free
time one evening we stopped by, and I’m thankful we did. We arrived at dusk and
roamed the tranquil temple grounds. Yakchunsa has one of the most elaborate
altars in Korea, I was utterly entranced. We were invited to eat, but it took
me a while to realize it was an invitation. Not wanting to presume we were
being offer a free meal, as many temples offer, I used my limited Korean to ask
how much it cost. The response: laughter.
Dad’s
birthday happened to fall during the Jeju trip. I know it's hard to believe he is 65 (such a pup) but he ensured every ticket counter gave him his "oldster" discount. While the most Korean thing
would have been to buy a cake and the appropriate numeral candles from Paris
Baguette, we opted for birthday bingsu.
With Mom as my decoy, I purchased the candles and subtly requested that the patbingsu (red bean shaved ice dessert)
be lit when delivered. Sneaky sneaky!
After our
morning waterfall the fourth day, we journeyed inland. First, a quick detour to
Sangumburi volcanic crater before heading on to Hallasan National Park.
Hallasan is the tallest mountain in (South) Korea and hiking it would have been
a full day activity. Instead we completed a shorter trail within the national
park that provided a cloudy but impressive view of the mountain. Everyone made
it to the little summit!
The last
stop of the day was a rejuvenating one, the jimjilbang.
This particular bath house was unique in that it featured carbonated water and outdoor co-ed baths. The jimjilbang Korean experience I insist every foreigner should have. Though I thought I gave clear instructions about jimjilbang
locker room protocol, I waited and waited in the outdoor baths for Dad. It
appeared he had made himself quite comfortable in the segregated indoor baths…what
a pro! We also made use of one of the steam rooms in our incredibly attractive jimjilbang outfits.
Water,
wind, and women. The three Ws that encapsulate Jejudo. On Day 5 the skies opened and strong gusts nearly blew us off a cliff. The Ws are no joke. But most noteworthy are the haenyo (sea-diving old women) that shape Jeju subculture. It's a dangerous but breadwinning profession that led to the matriarchal
family structure on Jejudo. The haenyo descend depths of 60 feet and hold their breath up to two minutes, catching seafood and avoiding the unfriendly sea creatures. It's no wonder the island has a reputation for having strong women. We were lucky to catch them in action as we cruised the coastal road!
Our final
and (only) rainy day we completed our coastal loop, stopping at a few beaches and
coastal rock formations along the way. But there was so much to enjoy right
through the windows of our adored Hyundai, especially with seat warmers. I tried but failed to
conceal them from Mom, out of kindness of course, because I wasn't giving up the navigation seat. Dad and I didn’t let the intermittent downpour stop us from
braving one last incredible set of waterfalls, though. Before returning to the
airport we stopped at the iconic Dragon Head Rock, as any responsible Jeju
tourist must do. I was content to return to Seoul, feeling fully experienced. Maybe one day I’ll return, but for now Jeju remains a magical memory.
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to Jeju we go!
An 800 year old tree at the Bijarim Nutmeg Forest
Roadside squid drying
An island comprised of scenic coasts
Greeting the sun on a volcanic peak
I wish you could have been here
Someone likes their silly pictures...
Seeing Udo from all angles
Jeongbang Waterfall
Exploring all Jeju has to offer
Yakcheonsa Temple
It seems I'm often out of the country in May
but happy to celebrate in Korea!
Oldster discounts...
Cheonjeyeon Falls
The
Footnotes:
Day 1: Early morning flight out of Gimpo airport, Manjanggul Lava Tubes,
Bijarim Nutmeg Forest, Seopjikoji coastal cliffs, Seongeup Folk Village
Day 2: Sunrise hike up Seongsan Ilchunbong, a ferry to Udo Island (cliffs,
lighthouse, Seokbinbaeksa red algae beach, boat ride to Juganmyeongwol cave)
Day 3: Jeongbang Falls, Swesokakk estuary, bridge and nature walk, Jungmun
Beach, Yakcheonsa Temple and dinner
Day 4: Cheonjiyeon Falls, Sangumburi crater, Saryeoni Forest road, Hallasan
National Park and hike, outdoor/co-ed/carbonated jimjilbang
Day 5: Oedolgae rocks and Olle walking trail, World Cup Stadium, Cheonjeyeon Falls, Geumneung and Hyeopjae beaches, traditional five-day market, Dragon Head Rock
No comments:
Post a Comment