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Published: October 7th 2006
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Over the last 5 days I've ridden many a method of transport to get to many a destination. It's been a wholy fulfilling experience and I really don't want to go back to work...
Day 1: Tourists...
The journey began on Tuesday morning at 8am with a train ride to meet friend and travel companion Mengyu for the trip we had ahead. After a hearty Aussie breakfast of Vegimite on toast I proceeded to the train station bearing more camera equipment than clothes and made my way to Gimpo airport. After discovering we'd boarded different carriages of the same train, I met Mengyu in Gimpo train station and we ascended to check-in. Following successful checkin, even with a misspelling of my surname we partook in Coffee at Starbucks and took a few random photos of one another to begin the trip. This is where I discovered the one person I know who takes more photos than I... especially when on holiday.
Following this, we boarded our plane bound for Jeju and loaded with silliness. Apon our arrival, Mengyu discovered that someone at the information counter could speak Chinese and proceeded to find us a really good motel to stay
in. Entitled "Motel Monaco," it cost next to nothing, was newly built and so quite clean, and as it turned out, had a really nice, albeit time consuming owner. We made our way there and had bearly settled in when he knocked on our door, providing us with not only maps and tourist guides, but an hour long chat about what we should be doing on Jeju and a good insight into the Jeju dialect. Following his directions we managed our way first to "Samseong-Hyeol" where we took many a silly photo and breathed clean air for a while. Then we attempted to walk to a museum of sorts but gave up, opting to move to a palace of sorts instead. There we found a large straw cow and... well that's about it. From there we again walked, trying to find the supposed "Dragon's Head Rock" which we walked right past... must have been really interesting... and found ourselves instead, a restaurant in which to consume food (as with most good restaurants). One our way out we asked the lady in the restaurant, who directed us back down the road we'd come to Dragon's Head Rock. Appon our arrival we
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Waiting for Mengyu to ask about the motel discovered it was quite nice to be by the sea and where to take good photos (as there was a tour guide for Chinese talking about it, there are a lot of Chinese touring Jeju, including my companion, who promptly informed me of the content of the tour). Then we proceeded home and slept for a smidge.
Day 2: Sunburn...
Awaking after a night of broken sleep we moved to Halla-san, the mountain which makes up a great deal of Jeju-do. Halla is a dormant (so far as I know) volcano, and Jeju is a completely volcanic island, which no doubt Halla had a part in creating. We took the bus down to Yeonsil Hiking Course and began our ascent up Halla. It is a particularly nice hike because the scenery, mostly the flora changes entirely every few hundred metres and the view gets better and better as you ascend. It varies from thick forest, to open plains, to rocky moutain. We reached the top eventually and sat down for dinner. Completing this we decided toilets were in order, but I opted out after getting close enough (15 metres or so, on a windy mountain top) to the porta-loos
to know what it was going to be like to venture into one. The trip down was just as pleasant and a whole lot easier than the climb. They have a miniature train for employees and stuff to be transported to the top, which me managed to get a glimpse of on the way down and were very envious of thereon in.
There is a tale that tells that all who scream their discoforts at the top of their lungs off this mountain will forget them and be at peace without them, Mengyu did this. She had a few things to get off her chest and did so in a rather loud manner :P. I also wanted to scream, but by the time I had readied what I wanted to say, we had reached the bottom, so I uttered it in peace.
We caught a taxi home, and the fellow within was kind enough to take us to "Goblin Road," or "The Mysterious Road" for free. It is quite a sight as it seems to the human eye to be sloping uphill, however, cars, bottles, balls and the like roll "up" it. Impressive. Upon our return we ate
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Sausage that roof, folks! Korean BBQ for tea and talked about life over a bottle of Soju, as you do.
Day 3: Water...
On our third day we discovered the difference between a Korean's idea of a beautiful place and that of the rest of the world. We went to the southernmost tip of Korea, "Mara Island" on the recommendation of the bloke who owned the motel, who had said quite clearly that there was nothing there, people just go to say they've been to the southern most tip. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. The scenery was amazing, the air was gorgeous, it couldn't have been better. The boat trip back, however, was choppy at best and near-death at worst. We were jumping from waves, crashing from left to right and generally enjoying ourselves (at least I was). The air was filled with the wailing of children, squealing of women and muttered concern of men. It was quite a ride.
After surviving this we moved on, using the last of our cash, to Jeongbang waterfall, one of the only waterfalls on the earth which falls directly into the ocean. It was just like every other waterfall, but kind of special.
We had a
little trouble finding a bus home, but we did manage to meet a man willing to take us, who we later discovered to be a pro-golfer and willing to take us most of the way. He then called us a taxi and we caught that home. On Mengyu's recommendation we went to eat some sort of famous Army-stew, filled with Spam, sausage and random vegetables. It was OK. After this, Mengyu was quite well-filled and needed a stroll, so we went shopping.
Day 4: Peace...
Skipping the old man's recommendation on Day 4 we simply went to "Sunrise Peak," which was beyond incredible. There was nothing but sea breeze and the view about us. This was a truly beautiful place, and there were more Chinese than Koreans, I'd reckon. We spent a fair while up there before returning to our place, eating and shopping again.
Day 5: The end...
Awaking early again we headed for the airport to catch our plane back. Apon our arrival Mengyu discovered she'd forgotten her MP3 player and quickly rush back to get it, during which she was chatted up by a taxi-driver, which she assures me is common practice when they find
out she's Chinese.
Returning to Seoul, Mengyu decided she didn't want to study and came down to my place to make dumplings for tea, which were amazing!
That's around about the end of my week... I wish there was more... but there just wasn't time.
I wish you all the peace and love the world has to offer,
Dylan.
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