Everyone kept asking me what I was planning to do in Jeju, but I'm the worst at making plans, I kind of loathe them actually. Whenever I have something planned for the day I wake up regretting doing so, although on the other hand, when I wake up with no plans I feel listless and sometimes end up wasting half my day. I know I'm a walking contradiction, but I've found that the best case scenario is to have a plan for myself, thereby affecting no one if I do decide to cancel. Jeju island offers a phenomenal option for such a type of plans, the Olle hiking trails are open year round, require little to no preplanning or reservation and reward those that visit with a day filled with sightseeing, exercise and if you so choose, good food.
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Reading this blog it may appear that the only thing I do for fun is walk laps around Jeju, and while that is a favorite past time of mine, I occasionally get out to explore other things on the island. Living in Jeju I've often heard about the Jeju FC (Football Club for anyone who is as sports illiterate as I), but I was about 50/50 on whether or not I truly had a desire to attend. Last weekend Seohui and I both had the night off, but I was back and forth on what I wanted to do with the evening. There was an "Expat Festival" in Jeju city which I wanted to check out as well as a home game for Jeju FC. I got off work at 3:30, and although earlier me was eager to attend both, a day at work was killing much enthusiasm for anything. Ultimately the soccer game won, mostly because it required less potential social interaction, and was a shorter drive from home. We decided it would be a good excuse to get out of the house and visit the city, even though neither of us are avid sports fans.
Last week I went on a two day trip that I didn't know I needed, to an island that I only recently knew existed. For years I lived in Korea and of course was well aware of Jeju - the island I dreamed of living on, but it was only this year that I first heard of Chuja-do. Considering I hadn't before heard of it one would think it's tiny, but that's not the case, there are even English teachers living on the island working for EPIK, my previous employer. With this fun fact of knowledge the four of us discussed whether or not we could live that life. I concluded that if I had enough personal work to do (blogging, pursuing a degree or certification, etc.) I'd likely be just fine. Although the more I reflect on my first year in Jeju I may reconsider, there's something to be said about the feeling of stuckness that comes with having to fly anytime you want to go visit a city or friends on the mainland. Regardless I was happy to be visiting Chuja for the two days we had and was ready to explore.
Living on Jeju Island I didn't expect to be taking day trip to other islands, but the opportunity to do so is more than you may think. Earlier this spring I went with a few friends to Biyangdo, an island off the west coast of Jeju, and last weekend I checked another island off my list, Gapado. On the southwest corner of Jeju Island there are two more small islands which are open for tourism. Gapado and Marado are visible from the coast, and can be reached by a quick 15 minute ferry ride. I've been told to visit Gapado in the spring to see the fields of green barley so last weekend we finally made the decision to go.
This post should have been done ages ago, but thanks to a forgetful brain, it was put on hold for a while. I was originally invited to complete Olle course 12 in early November with two of my hiking pals, and while I did so, I left my Olle passport at home which meant I'd have to go back and do it again. I knew I had plenty of time for such, so I wasn't too bothered to do it without the record and anyway, I thoroughly enjoy the company of these two - not to mention the good food we always track down after walking all day. Course 12 is on the west coast of Jeju Island, a region I have rarely explored, so I was excited to see some new scenery.
After [eating] our way through Yeongdeok and Gyeongju we were ready for a little more time at home, which ironically just meant more food. I managed a successful stop at the outlet mall in Daegu, thanks solely to Uniqlo and we had equal success at a buckwheat noodle restaurant in the Palgongsan area of the city. Noodles in Korea are, for me, a hit or miss. Half the time I'm bored after a few bites, but on the other hand there are times I want to dive into a never-ending bowl. I had high hopes for this one, but it was actually the ddeokdorimuk and buckwheat pancake that stole the show. I thought surely I would be able to skip dinner that evening, but shortly after arriving home I was presented with a take-out menu and asked what we should order for dinner. Magically I was able to put away a heaping plate of jokbal and of course a handful of shots to go with it, I mean I couldn't say 'no' to sampling dad's liquor collection.
One of my favorite things about the Daegu area is the surrounding mountain ranges, offering quite a different view than the endless horizon and sea views we have here in Jeju. Leaving Buksam we were headed East, ironically despite living on an island we chose two different seaside destinations for this trip. To be fair though the East sea is different and Yeongdeok is an area I've never explored so I was looking forward to seeing a new portion of Korea. Not to mention the town is home to the famous King Crab, and as any vacation should be, ours was fueled by food. We also decided to splash out for accommodation, opting for the room with a private pool and jacuzzi. After years upon years of budget solo travel I'm still adjusting to this lifestyle of treating myself.
Less than a month ago I was still writing about spring break part 1 in Taiwan, yet here we are on the other side of spring break Part 2. There are definitely days that I complain about this job, and I sometimes wonder if my skills couldn't be better utilized elsewhere, but the vacation time really is a sweet reward. For April break we decided to stay in Korea, in part to save money, but also so that we had a chance to visit Seohui's family before jetting off to America. The trip quickly turned into a bit of a reunion tour for Seohui, with stops in Gyeongju and Busan - his University and High school towns, and both cities I've always loved to visit. I snuck in a visit to my first home, Buksam and was eager to meet up with old friends along the way. Wanting to add a new experience we also decided to add Yeongduk to the list, where I'd finally be able to taste the long heard about King Crab. Despite my desire to stay put after our constant movement in Taiwan, I found myself on a similar time-line for this break as well, but I was excited for each step of the journey and knew rest would be waiting for me back in Jeju.
One of the most popular beach destinations on Jeju Island, Hyeopjae, is home to one of my favorite views on the island, a vast sea with Biyangdo in the distance. I probably have numerous photos that I've collected over the years on each of my trips to Jeju, however, I never actually considered visiting the island. That is until one of my friends here at BHA invited me to do so and I jumped at the chance. I knew there was a boat to the island, obviously people living there need to get off sometimes, but I didn't realize it was a frequently visited tourist destination.
It wasn't long ago that I was writing about my winter break in Thailand, and here we are already reliving winter break part 2. When I came back to Korea this time around, it wasn't the job or pay that sold me on this gig, but rather the extensive amount of time off. Our school has thus far been off for Chuseok, late fall, winter/holiday break, Seollal, and next week is our first of two spring breaks. For anyone currently living in Korea under the hagwon schedule, my deepest condolences. I once lived that life, fighting for my 10 days of vacation, but no more of that, I'm growing very accustomed to my nearly 50/50 work to vacation mode. This is the lifestyle I'm accustomed to after all, in the past it was more like one year on, 6 months off, but I'll take these interspersed holidays with glee. None of what I've said so far should come as a surprise, but the plans I chose to make with my second winter holiday may shock some. Instead of running off to some tropical island, remember SE Asia is at my fingertips, I chose a stay-cation followed by a long weekend in Seoul. Winter in Jeju is a mixed bag of surprises, we went from ice rain to warm sunny skies, soon followed by normal rain and of course the bitterly cold wind. Through all of this I forgot that Seoul experiences a pretty standard winter, with most days hovering in the just above or below freezing range, and somehow I decided that was what I wanted for my winter break.
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AsiaKoreaWhere to start. After living on and off in this country for nearly 10 years I have memories, experiences and stories galore. I'll now always be a bit partial to the Land of the Morning Calm. Filled with delicious foods, beautiful nature and friendly people, I'm always happy to return. Archives
June 2023
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