We woke up excited today to have someone do the heavy lifting on how to get from place to place and to be able to actually sit on our transportation for once. The owner of the tour company sent us an itinerary for all three days, saying we could change anything we wanted. This was remarkably similar to our planned itinerary, with only two things we were considering adding, and actually 2 or 3 things we hadn’t heard of or hadn’t planned! Today is east day, and this one is picture perfect for what we wanted to see. We get ready a little early to be safe, and get a text from Angie at 8:50 saying that she has arrived. We get downstairs and see a taxi waiting right outside our hotel. The window rolls down and an excited lady asks “David?”. We get in the car and start talking with Angie some. She is a very sweet lady who has lived in Jeju for almost 10 years now. She grew up in mainland Korea, has a daughter studying biology in college, and a son living in Texas! Eventually, we learned that she even lived in Texas (Dallas?) for a period of time before moving to Jeju.
The first stop today was the Manjanggul Lava Tube. This is a cave carved by lava from the volcano in the middle of Jeju (still active, by the way… no smoke or lava though) around 5,000 years ago. Angie drops us off, showing us where to walk to find the entrance, telling us roughly how long people spend at these places, and telling us to text her when we are ready and she will bring the cab to us.
We paid a small admission fee and descended into the cave. The ground is very uneven, clearly from trails of lava melting the rocks. Small pools of water cover the ground, which didn’t bother David as he had tennis shoes on, but Caitlyn was wearing sandals. Additionally, water constantly drips from the ceiling, some in more sections than others. We always keep small umbrellas with us, so we utilized these to keep the cold cave water from dripping all over us. The lighting is present the whole way, but it is pretty minimal, meaning you have to be pretty careful. We walked the ~half mile that you could go through the cave (the cave is over 8 miles in total), reading the informative signs on how some of the structures and formations were created by lava as we walked along. There was one area with elevated pathway in the walkway, seemingly because that area floods pretty easily. The end of the accessible cave is marked by a large pillar caused by lava dripping from a tube above it. This happened to be the largest one in the world, as well.
We walked back out, quicker this time after seeing everything on the way in. Up to the surface, we went into the Manjanggul museum near the entrance and briefly walked around (one small room).
After this, Angie drove us to Woljeong Beach, which she said we would enjoy quickly walking around for a few minutes. It was very windy, and soon our faces were sticky with sea salt. We walked around some, finding a small pier with a cute heart sculpture at the end. We watched the gigantic waves crashing, and looked at the surfers trying to take advantage of this weather. Walking down the pier, we started to notice tiny black scurrying objects. We eventually realized that these were tiny cockroach-like bugs that hung out EVERYWHERE near the ocean. They moves faster than any bug we have ever seen, but thankfully do not seem to like people, so they scurry away any time you get near. As we started walking back towards the beach, the clouds grew suddenly dark and rain began pouring. We quickly run to some cover and text Angie to come grab us now. By the time she got to us around 2 or 3 minutes later, the rain had just about stopped. We had seen all of the beach we wanted to see anyways, so we let her know we were ready to move on.
Along the way to the next stop, she asked us what we wanted for lunch and we told her we don’t care much, but we do like seafood and want to try fresh seafood while we are here. She said she will look into it while we are at our next stop – the Female Diver (Haenyeo) Village.
Per wikipedia:Haenyeo are female divers in the South Korean province of Jeju, whose livelihood consists of harvesting a variety of mollusks, seaweed, and other sea life from the ocean. Known for their independent spirit, iron will and determination, haenyeo are representative of the semi-matriarchal family structure of Jeju.
We arrive and Angie tells us that it is good to start at the museum, because the wind was very high today and the diving show that the women usually do daily is likely cancelled. We get close to the museum and Angie tells us that a flea market must be going on, as there are tents and the road is closed to cars. We hop out and start heading down the row of tents, as we love this type of thing. We look at the different foods and items people are selling, before coming across a tangerine stall. A Korean gentleman holds a tangerine out to us and in a 1000% American accent says “do you want to try one?” We assume he was born in America and spends some time in both places or moved to Korea, but we never ended up talking about it with him. We ask about the price for a bag, and then move along after thanking him for the tangerine. We ends up giving us another one to eat while we walk on our way out and tells us to “enjoy the festival!”. We had heard through our friend Henry from Kyoto that there had been a Haenyeo festival the day before, but Google seemed to indicate it was only one day. We were very happy to see that we were able to catch part of it. We walk further down the row until we round a corner and see a large tent with people eating to our right, and rows of tents of older ladies cracking open shells and selling some type of seafood to our left. We do some Google translating on signs and discover that they are selling grilled conk, abalone, and a few other shellfish. We see people handing some type of coupons in exchange, which we never really understood, but we learned they took cash as well. We ended up buying a grilled conk and abalone skewer to share. It was DELICIOUS. Some pieces a little chewy, but the texture was overall amazing and it had such good natural flavor. We finished the skewer in record time and headed to the museum entrance.
To our right was a counter seeming to sell tickets. We walked up and asked how much, and to our delight, the lady said that it was free today! We walked around the floors, looking at exhibits and artifacts. We learned all about the culture of the Haenyeo divers and their impressive ability to dive incredible depths to get food.
After finishing the museum, it was past 1:00 and with only a little food in us, we wanted to eat a real meal. We walked back down towards where Angie was, and Caitlyn decided that she wanted to purchase a bag of tangerines from the man we spoke with earlier. We bought a bag and he even threw in a few extra ripe ones. We got back to Angie, who said she found a place for us to eat. She then said a few more things, but we have some trouble with her accent from time to time. We thought we heard “expensive”, but maybe it was “not expensive”. She drops us off outside a restaurant and tells us it is past lunch time, but this place is still open and her friend told her it was good. We went inside and it was fairly large, and we were the only customers. We grab a menu and realize that she absolutely said “expensive”. We wonder if other people she has driven around are looking for more fine dining or expensive meals, whereas we prefer on the cheaper side but our biggest desire is authenticity and something locals would eat. We did some math and realized that even though this was a VERY expensive meal compared to others we have had in Asia, it is still cheaper than wherever we usually would go on a Friday night in Winchester or NOVA. We settle on sharing the 2 person fish combo. It came with 3 kinds of sashimi fish (yellow porgy, raw cutlassfish, and sliced raw fish, per the English menu provided), raw abalone, braised mackerel, and two kinds of soup. We wait a little while and the sides come out. They look nice but it seems from the pictures that we had a lot of food coming, so we mostly held off. First comes the sashimi platter, with dozens of pieces of sashimi fish on a bed of cold cellophane noodles and a separate small plate with 4 pieces of sashimi that the server torched on a cart next to the table. Additionally, she placed down a small plate with an unfamiliar seafood on it thay we deduced as abalone. One of the sides was some rice and a few pieces of sushi seaweed, so we figured we could just eat it plain with soy sauce and wasabi or make our own rolls (we did both). The sashimi was really nice, but David got a little unlucky and had a few pieces with bone. We figured that the torched sashimi was probably the braised mackerel, and we really enjoyed this piece too. The abalone was not really for us. The flavor wasn’t really up our alley, but the texture was the issue. The outside is extremely tough with no redeeming flavor. The inside has a little soft area, and does taste a bit better than the outer rim, but it is still quite tough.
We got about 1/4 to 1/3rd of the way done with the sashimi, starting to feel the first sensation of satiety, when she comes back with a plate with a HUGE piece of fish on it. We realized that *this* was the braised mackerel. It was cooked nicely, allowing us to remove most if not all of the bones easily. The flavor was great, and it was cut into smaller chunks which was more manageable to eat with chopsticks. She also brought by a large boiling pot of a red, spicy soup containing yet another whole fish, and another smaller bowl of soup thankfully with no whole fish. We still had some room, but knew we had to work quickly. We did a good job eating as much as possible, but we have no idea how 2 people are supposed to share this. This EASILY could have fed 4 or 5 people. It was very tasty and we were happy to have been pushed to try a meal that we probably wouldn’t have wanted to spend the money on.
We paid for our meal and met Angie outside to take us to Sepjikoji. Angie drops us off and we follow the crowds onto a small path that lines the oceanside. This is a beautiful view of the ocean, with heavy strong waters smashing into the rocks just 30 or 40 feet away. We sat at the first vantage point for probably 10 or 15 minutes before moving down the path further. As we leave this area, we see a few horses standing in the meadow to our left! David spotted a young girl probably in her late teens having her boyfriend take a picture of her standing sideways with her mouth as wide open as possible, presumably to get a picture looking like she is eating a tiny horse? We never figured that out and we’re okay with it. We follow uphill, downhill, uphill, and winding left and right until we finally see what looks like an abandoned building to our left. Upon further inspection, it appeared to to a dilapidated gingerbread-themed wedding venue. We didn’t really get this either, and again, we’re cool with that. We weren’t sure how far to go (Angie doesn’t give super detailed directions, often just dropping us off at an unknown location saying “text me I pick you up here”), but we saw some people continuing maybe half a mile further towards a beautiful lighthouse in the distance, so we followed. Arriving at the lighthouse, there were an impressive number of stairs leading up to the top (119. We counted on our way up and our way down for confirmation). At the top of the stairs was an amazing view of both Jeju and the ocean. It was ridiculously windy this high up on an already windy day, so we enjoyed it quickly and took the same path back to the car. At the base of the path were a few vendors, one of whom was selling these adorable tangerine hats that so many people were wearing. David ended up buying one for Caitlyn, who quickly put it deep down into her purse.
We were ready for our final stop now – Seongsan Sunrise Peak. We arrive around 4:00 and learn that this appears to be a beautiful part of the eastern coast, with hills meadows overlooking the sea. There is also a large mountain next to this that people clearly climb. We ask Angie how long and she says to go up and that it takes maybe 30 minutes. We said alright, we will text you, and got out of the car giving eachother the same glance. This mountain is huge and in no way could take 30 minutes to get up and back down. We see a sign saying that there is a scenic overlook to the left, and hiking to the summit to the right. It did look beautiful to hike the summit, offering views down into a volcanic crater filled with beautiful plants, but we were exhausted and with the park closing in less than an hour, we didn’t think it was feasible. It turns out it takes around an hour to hike up and back, so we decided to just check out the overlook. We went to the ticket booth at the base of the fork in the road and decided to get in line. All of a sudden, the guy in front of us goes “this is the third time I’ve seen you guys”. We recognize him as being one of two guys who asked Caitlyn how our dish was in Busan when we had the chili crab soup. David had thought he saw him at Bulguksa temple on our way back down, but Caitlyn hadn’t thought it was the same guy. We talked for a minute about what a small world it was, but the conversation wasn’t really going anywhere. We were happy to hear from him that the left path is actually free, requiring no ticket. We instantly leave the line and head to the overlook. Arriving in just a minute or two, we are granted a beautiful look at the ocean, but even more fun, this area was being absolutely blasted by wind. This is the strongest wind either of us have ever felt in our lives. We pretty much had to hold onto the handrail to keep up on two feet. The violent whooshing filled our ears and dried our eyes, threatening to rip our bags off of our shoulders. We realized that this area was just after a little natural wind tunnel from the ocean. We walked a little further and suddenly the wind slowed down to how it had been all day. A little further and it was even stronger than the first area. We were *blown away* by this, and really enjoyed this strange sensation.
After spending some time here, we realized it was getting late and wanted to head back. We got in the taxi and Angie took us on what turned out to be about an hour long drive back home. We got back to the hotel around 5:30 and thanked Angie. We were both a little tired from a long day, but Caitlyn had seen a cute coffee shop just 4 or 5 doors down from our hotel. We walk over to the shop and sit down. A nice young man smiles at us and hands us a menu. He did his absolute best to speak the English that he knew, and was clearly very happy to chat with us some. We scan the menu and order a “Creme con Panna” (espresso and vanilla sugar cream made in house) and a “cherry blood” (cherry slush, maraschino cherries, whiskey, espresso). The barista gets right to work making the drinks in front of us. We learn pretty quickly that the cherry slush is actually a cherry sorbet. He first adds two small scoops of sorbet followed by whiskey, a squirt of lime juice, a drizzle of luxardo cherry syrup (not maraschino as per menu), one shot of espresso, and topped with a sprig of mint, a luxardo cherry, and a slice of lime. He then placed down the creme con Panna. He told us to take the lime out of the cherry blood and to use a spoon to mix it all together and to drink the creme con Panna as is. With Caitlyn’s cold still being mildly present, she took the creme con Panna and David drank the first half of the cherry blood before giving it to caitlyn. The creme con Panna was delicious, but the cherry blood was the winner. The two strong flavors of the espresso and cherry from both the sorbet and the luxardo syrup worked remarkably well together, honestly overpowering most of the whiskey flavor. It was such an interesting and unique drink that we made sure to write down the recipe to make at home. While we drank, our barista and another had taken an interest in us, practicing their English and asking us questions. We finished our coffees and decided to pay. At this point, we realized that as Americans, we drink our coffee way faster than Koreans. All of the other patrons had been sitting for quite a while, slowly sipping and making a big social event out of it. We got some funny looks of intrigue with how quickly we drank ours, but figured it’s more empty seats for them! We headed back to the room for a little while to relax before dinner.
We eventually headed out and went towards the black pork Korean BBQ restaurant we had planned on eating at. We were seated instantly and offered an English menu. The prices were actually pretty good, though they did require each person order 200g of meat. We chose the shoulder and belly. They quickly brought by sides, which looked like some of the best side dishes we have seen so far. We also ordered the David and Caitlyn dinner special – a bottle of beer and a bottle of soju to share. We sat and munched on the sides a little, enjoying our drinks. Then the pork came out. Huge slabs of delicious pork with plenty of good fat made for sizzling on the grill, lots of trumpet mushroom slices, some pork skin, and other delicious foods. The server didn’t speak any English, though one older woman who worked there did, and was constantly running over to help facilitate our experience. While most guests were grilling and flipping their own meat, they must have figured it was best to do it for us, which we didn’t mind. We do have some good experience both at home and in Asia now doing this, but we figure they know better. He first turns on the grill and grabs a piece of pure pork fat, rubbing it all over the grill to help get it hot and prevent sticking. Then all of the veggies go on the side and the meat in the middle. He also places a metal cup of broth with herbs and vegetables right in the middle. He expertly cooked the food, flipping and cutting the meat at the right time, and moving the cup of broth whenever it started to boil. When it was finally ready, he grabbed some of the side dishes and threw the kimchi, bean sprouts, and another vegetable that resembles a skinny floral brocollini. other of the sides on the grill to cook a little. This was a little confusing and enlightening for us. At this point we were practically drooling and very excited to eat. The woman we mentioned earlier had been watching, and comes over and shows us the proper way to eat this. First she grabbed a large piece of lettuce and put it on the plate. Next, a piece of pork is dipped in the broth and placed in the center of the lettuce. Then some of the marinated onion side, the kimchi, bean sprouts and other vegetable from the grill, a small piece of pickled radish, and some bulgogi sauce goes on top. This is then wrapped up like a dumpling and eaten in one bite. This tasted AMAZING and totally revamped how we would eat Korean BBQ. We had done the lettuce wrap before, but grilling the sides and putting all these flavors together was totally new. When we were about halfway done with our food, she came back over and told us our meal comes with free spicy or regular noodles if we like. We go ahead and get one spicy and one regular. They were alright, but we wanted to fill up with all of the tasty black pork. At this point, we had noticed the table next to us had a large white bottle of some alcohol that we hadn’t seen yet. We ask her what they got, and she tells us this is Makgeolli. David had heard of this some in his research, but we didn’t know much. The group at the table heard us and decided to chime in. It turns out it is a Korean rice wine! We were a little hesitant to order a full bottle, as we didn’t know if it was 30% alcohol or something, but the group told is it is maybe a little stronger than soju and perfect for the two of us to share. The makgeolli came quickly, and was delivered with two small metal dishes that looked like a miniature cake pan. We were a little confused, but our new friends were ready to help. They were just standing up to leave, but one of the older gentlemen takes the last of their bottle and pours a good sized splash into his bowl, demonstrating how to pour this new drink. We pour ours and he says “bottoms up!” And we cheers our cups together and throw back a sip. It tasted really nice! It is like a mixture between soju and an unfiltered sake, and it was fun to drink out of an unfamiliar vessel for some reason.
We eventually finish most of our food and all of our makgeolli before deciding to head home to sleep after a long day. We do first stop by the CU Mart, of course, for some waters and coffees for the morning.
David’s thoughts of the day: It is interesting seeing some places, like the Mangjanggul lava tube and realizing how different the safety regulations are in some countries versus America. There is no way that this place would be allowed to be open to the public in America, and if it was, someone would fall and maybe sprain their ankle and sue the place down into the ground. I’m not at all uncomfortable with the safety of any place we’ve been on this trip, but it is interesting seeing what the different standards are.
Caitlyn’s thoughts of the day: while many restaurants in Japan have lines of people waiting outside to get in and seated, there always seems to be an open and available table in Korea. We have never had to wait for a restaurant, even at popular spots or during peak times.
Steps walked: 17,719
Miles walked: 8.36
Bluming Travelers 