An Island in Winter: part 1

Last week, to start my winter vacation, I went to Jeju Island (제주도 : Jeju-do). It is an island south of the Korean peninsula. It formed from an underwater volcano’s eruptions.  There is a large volcanic mountain, Halla-san (한라산), as well as many hills (언덕 : on-dok), all overlooking beautiful forests and farmland. You can often see the sea as you ascend the mountain and hills.
To get from mainland South Korea to the island, you can either ferry from various ports, or fly. Flight time from Daegu is no more than 1 hour. During off-season, you might pay as little as ₩30,000 for your two-way tickets. You can drive from end to end in less than 2 hours. Although the island is small, there is a lot to see, and this is best accomplished with renting a car.

**This will be a 2 part story. **

Day 1

Together with a friend, we flew to Jeju-Do (제주도), arriving in the evening. We picked up our rental car and drove to the fish market, where we purchased abalone snails, fresh shrimp, and pork just before the market closed for the night.
We checked in to our hotel, ate our fresh fare for dinner, and went to sleep.

Day 2

I woke up around 6:30 in the morning, and I left the hotel for a walk, trying to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately, Halla-san blocked the view. I walked along the shoreline, following a path that climbed up a cliff.
At a more normal hour, my friend and I went orange picking. Jeju-do is known for it’s oranges. They grow at least 6 types of oranges.

After eating our fair share of oranges fresh from the trees, we drove to a historic fortress, Hangpaduri Hangmong Historic Site (한파두리 한몽 유적지).
The fortress was built during the Goryeon Dynasty, as a military group called the Sambyeolchos were battling the Mongolians. The Sambyeolchos resisted the peace treaty that had been forged between the Mongolians and the Goryeons in 1270. The Sambyeolchos, led by General Kim Jeong-Tong, held their fortress through 2 years of battle, but eventually lost. The general escaped and jumped off a cliff.

The site is still being excavated, and there is not much left of the physical fort. As you walk the grounds, you will come across a green tea field, and a dirt mound barrier. You know you are in the green tea field when you can smell it. It is very calming.

We ate the famous black pork for lunch, Korean BBQ style (삼겹살 : samgyeopsal). Although it’s called black pork, the meat is not black, rather the actual pigs are.
We walked along the boardwalk, watching the waves crash onto the lava rocks. And finished the day with cups of ramen.

Day 3

My friend wanted to walk along Hyeopjae Beach (협재해변) first thing in the morning. It was pouring rain, with very strong winds. It was very hard to walk, hold umbrellas without them turning inside out, AND observe the beauty of the distant tiny island that was in view from the beach. Although we ended up soaking wet, we could not stop laughing.

We returned to the hotel to put on dry clothes, pack up and check out. We were going to move on to a different hotel, after walking 2 hills…in more rain and wind.
We first climbed a 15-ish minute steep hill path, arriving at the top of the hill, where there is a disappearing water hole. Even as we had battled wind and rain up the hill, there was hardly any water there. We had to climb into the crater to see anything. It was muddy, and slippery, but I made it down without sliding! There was evidence of wildlife walking through when tourists are not disrupting their peace and quiet.

We then drove back towards the ocean to have lunch. We ate at a seafood restaurant, famous for it’s galchi stew (갈치 즐림). The fish is very long, and served with shellfish and vegetables in a spicy stew. It was delicious.

The second hill was Nokkome-Oreum (노꼬메오름), where the 360 view is filled with fields of pampas grass, tombs, and farmland. There was a thick fog still hanging around, which offered a different beauty in the landscape.

We arrived at the second hotel, where the inside of the room felt like a cabin. This was a healing “resort” where you could use the sauna, cook in the common kitchen, and enjoy nature. It was simple, but it had hot water!

Stay tuned for part 2!