Korea adventure – days #3-5: Jeju

As you might already perceive, when in a post I mention that I will write tomorrow it might not mean 24 hrs later. It seems this time was a week later, OMG! . Nevertheless, sooner or later I will show up 😉  Let’s summarise, because I confess there is much happening here, and I am a bit slow processing.

On Wednesday July 3rd, which was my third day in Korea, we start our trip to Jeju island. The purpose of the trip is to integrate the group, and it worked. For me, this trip was remarkable fast and interesting. Here a brief summary.

Take the flight with Asian Airlines. First time in my life I travel in such a BIG group! 🙂

All the group flying together

All the group flying together

After almost an hour, one lands in Jeju.

At Jeju's airport

At Jeju’s airport

Next it is to take our busses, which will drive us to a ferry that will take us to Udo island.

Towards our busses

Towards our busses

Inside our bus

Inside our bus

How life changes, now I sit at front instead of the back…. oh well! 🙂

Inside our bus part 2

Inside our bus part 2

We went by foot to the ferry from Jeju to Udo.

The ferry towards Udo Island

The ferry towards Udo Island

Reaching Udo island

Reaching Udo island

Once in Udo, which is a really small island,  I can proudly state that I bike it all around! 🙂 Here some prove, some sights from Udo:

Biking around the island. This is one of the "common" island "sculptures"
Biking around the island. This is one of the “common” island “sculptures” or statues.
My bike

My bike parking at the important stops for looking the landscape 🙂

Another view of the island

Another view of the island

More view

More view

Honestly I could have stayed there for a weekend. An interesting island to discover. Nevertheless, let’s the trip to continue.  We needed to take the last ferry back to Jeju, for dinner.

view on our way back to Jeju

view on our way back to Jeju

For dinner the organisers took us to a very nice traditional restaurant! You will see.

entrance to the restaurant
entrance to the restaurant
The teachers' corner

The teachers’ corner

this was the food

this was the food

happy with the food

happy with the food

The colour of the ocean is beautiful in Jeju.

beautiful ocean

beautiful ocean

While we were leaving the owner of the place – ok, I assume he was the owner – left a traditional paper balloon free. Very beautiful.

traditional paper balloon

traditional paper balloon

So, after an intense and fun day, finally we went to our hotel. This is the view from my  room, and I couldn’t go out anymore. I had energy, I confess but I needed to do some “real” work.

my rooms view part 1/2

my rooms view part 1/2

my rooms view part 2/2

my rooms view part 2/2

On Wednesday July 4th the agenda was as follows:

Breakfast at the hotel, and as our guide told us, Koreans eat rice at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

In the middle the rice cooker

In the middle the rice cooker

different dishes, e.g. fish, meant, french fries and eggs.

different dishes, e.g. fish, meat, french fries and eggs.

First activity to swim 🙂  I was a fish in the tank with this heat!  Love the water and as I was swimming no photographic proof of the event.  (side note: next present a camera which can be used in the ocean 😉 )

After swimming we need energy so we should eat. In this occasion was  seafood.

sea food

sea food

Second activity to climb the Seongsan Sunrise peak, which is an UNESCO world heritage.

at the entrance, our guys. I recall that one represents scholarly and other warrior.

at the entrance, our guys. I recall that one represents scholarly and other warrior. Notice also the gate to the right. The number of wood sticks also have a message to those who look at them.

going up there

going up there

reaching the top

reaching the top

view to the sea from the top

view to the sea from the top

proof of to be at the top

proof of to be at the top

In the same location was a demonstration of the fisher-woman.

fisher woman

fisher woman

If you think that our day finalised here, you are mistaken. Next stop after hiking, riding a horse. Another of the attractions of Jeju island.

the picture is bad, but it gives the idea of our riding adventure :)

the picture is bad, but it gives the idea of our riding adventure 🙂

Next, 30 min refreshment at our hotel before dinner time! So just time for a fast shower then we walked to the dinner location.

the restaurant had this view

the restaurant had this view

Understanding how dinner works…

good bbq

for dinner a good bbq

As it was 4th of July, the students from USA got some fireworks and we gather at the beach before going back and recharge for the next day.

On Friday July 5th, our last day in Jeju island, we had also a busy agenda. After breakfast, we went to a Mazeland, very nice!

at the entrance

at the entrance

one maze

one maze

another maze

another maze

Next stop, a walk to the Bija-rim Forest

walk in the forest - volcanic stones all over the place as in home, México

walk in the forest – volcanic stones all over the place as in home, México

the sign is just great

the sign is just great, specially for the shoes and the snake

Next stop, the Manjag cave

like the illumination system even that this photo came very bad

like the illumination system for the cave was very interesting and well done, although my photo is blurry

back to the surface

back to the surface. Honestly the feeling to getting out of the fresh cave was as immersing myself to sauna. My glasses and camera got steam. Korea is hot at the moment and very humid.

Last but not least a mysterious road.

proof to be there ;)

proof to be there 😉

After our full agenda in Jeju, the guide told us we saw just a little bit of the island. Unquestionably, the let us craving for more. Finally, we head to the airport to go back to Korea mainland. This is the first airport were the X-rays to get inside the waiting area are divided between national and foreigners.

flying back to mainland Korea

flying back to mainland Korea

Bye bye Jeju, there is much I could tell about each one of these locations. It is a beautiful place, but as I said at the beginning of this post, life is busy and/or I am not that fast reporting :/ nevertheless doing my best. Now, to catch up with my course, company, papers, surveys, talking….  wish there was more time!

So, more news will come!

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