Jeju Do

I was lucky to have a school holiday on the second Friday of April. Because I was the only one I knew of with that time off, I took it upon myself to squeeze into an Eastar Jet flight and cruise down to 제주도 (Jeju Do).

Since Jonas, like the sorry sacks in Seoul, didn't have that Friday off, I caught the local bus up to the 성판악 trail head and climb Hallasan. When Jonas left me to go to work, clouds were over head and spitting a little. I was seriously questioning the necessity of climbing to the top, thinking it might just be a waterlogged walk through the clouds. But what else was I going to do? At the trail head I bought a cheap plastic poncho (just in case) and headed off through the gate. The nice lady at the gate window informed me that I had 2 hours to reach the checkpoint to the summit. She also mentioned that it usually takes 3 hours. "Nothing like a good challenge," I told her.

Although I was still a little groggy when I started to walk, my head quickly cleared up, and so did the cloudy sky. For about 5 minutes the sun started to break through the clouds and I thought I had made one of those great decisions in life against any odds. Unfortunately the feeling lasted about as long as the sun broke through. At any rate, rain or shine, I was outside breathing the Jeju air and getting some exercise. I mobbed up to the check point in 1.5 hours even with the school of middle school girls chatting me up along the way. I'm not always the best at taking time to enjoy scenery, especially when it's windy and foggy (i.e. no scenery). So when I reached the top of Korea I barely stopped long enough to take a picture of the trail sign.

The view from the top.

I took a different trail down from the one I took up. Jonas told me the views coming down the other side are great. Fortunately the

My shot vs. theirs.

clouds hindered the view just long enough for me to focus on the trail and not be distracted by beautiful scenery. The photo from the Yonggingak Shelter shows what I saw vs. what can be seen on a clear day. The poncho I bought wasn't necessary until just after I took that photo, until that time the rain hadn't picked up enough to warrant enhanced protection. I was glad to have learned why Gore-tex is such a popular product for NW Americans because that tarp got almost as wet on the inside from my own atmosphere.

I really like the feel of the sun coming through after a rain storm. It makes all the colors really stand out.

Sweet Sunshine.

Halla Mountain (한라산).

I think I have bad luck climbing the mountains in Korea. I have traveled to two of the highest peaks, and both times I climbed them in the clouds. It was just my luck that by the time I reached the bottom of the trail head, I turned around to see the top of the mountain. By the time I got back to Jonas's apartment, the clouds appeared to be avoiding the peak...

Seaside Villa.

Although the comforts of Seoul would be hard to pass up, if I had a choice to spend two years in Korea, I would definitely choose to spend one of them on Jeju island. Even though the rental allowance is only 80% of that in Seoul, the money goes much further. Jonas found a pension two blocks from the sea with twice the square footage for 100,000 won less than my apartment. Not only does he have a view of the sea from the front of his building, the view out the back is of Hallasan. Life on Jeju is much more laid back, the food and air is fresher, and to top it all off, you can easily find a 2 lane road with enough room to safely ride.

Green Grass.

One my favorite parts of Jonas's neighborhood is the surrounding grass fields. Each field is separated haphazardly by roads or stone walls which gives the area a rustic vintage European feel. When the sun begins to descend towards the horizon, the greens really stand out.

Egg Sack

This trip was a much needed break from the hustle and bustle. Among other things, I got to go golfing on an actual course, I climbed a mountain, and Jonas and I did some good old fashioned river bed exploring. We found a pond, possibly a swimming hole on the warmer days, threw some rocks, drank some beers, and found some strange egg sacks.

Back home I often spend the weekends out exploring with my friends. One of my favorite things is to go to rural parts of Oregon and wonder around, relaxing in isolated areas. Since I've been living in this metropolis, I haven't had any opportunities to do something this because there are so many people, there really isn't a secluded riverbed anywhere around.

제주도, I'll be back.