Jeju City, Korea

I was up in the Lido at my customary table by 2:30am, uploading photos from Nagasaki and double-checking facts for the narrative. From an emotional standpoint, that was a tough one to write.

To continue where I left off - we departed ‘ground zero’ and were back on the pier by 2pm. Before boarding the ship, we had to go through a separate terminal to be processed by Immigration Officials (as did all passengers & crew) since this was our final Japanese port. We joined the line just as it opened so it took no time at all. Once back on board, we had a quick snack, showered, and went to our routine afternoon retreat (The Ocean’s Bar) for Happy Hour at 4:30. The sail-away started at 5pm - we were serenaded by a local high school band for about 15 minutes. The kids did a nice job, and continued to play until we were too far away to effectively hear what they were playing. The evening air was crisp on the exposed upper deck and having had a snack just a couple hours earlier, we decided to call it a night. I was in bed by 7:00 – exhausted. Cheryl stayed up a while processing all the photos from earlier in the day so I’d have them available to work with first thing – what a sweetheart.

We hit the breakwaters around 6am and were docked by 7:00. A short stay, we had to be back on the ship by 12:30. Jeju (Jeju-si) is the capital of Jeju province in South Korea and the largest city on the island of Jeju. Located in the southern part of Korea, apart from the peninsula, they say the weather is mild and warm during much of the year. Jeju is an island about the size of Hong Kong which can be completely driven in less than 4 hours. In many spots, the waters are as colorful as those found in the Caribbean – very beautiful, and quite a surprise for us. Population on the island is less than half a million.We booked a 3-hour tour for the morning. Our bus left at 7:45 and by 9:00, we arrived at our first destination where we spent the bulk of the morning – a beautiful setting known as Hallipark. There, we explored Jeju Stone & Bonsai Gardens where they had 300 year-old pine trees, quince trees, crape myrtles, and a water garden made from natural lava-base rock. Adjacent to the park, we found a place called Jae-Am Folk Village - traditional Jeju life with thatch houses, low stone fences, and narrow alleys. We then proceeded to Hyeopjae & SsangYong caves - formed by the eruption of Mt. Halla, but the tour guide wasn’t sure what year it erupted. There were over 20 caves spanning 10.5 miles, and supposedly the longest in the world. We only hiked about a half-mile inside as the lava tubes all looked the same.

The city itself is divided between the old and new – we tried to see as much as possible during our short stay.

The city is a well-known resort, with several very nice hotels and public casino facilities. Last year, they tell us the city attracted over four million visitors from mainland Korea, Japan, and China. The city has grown quite rapidly since the 1970s. Thatched roof buildings were common throughout the city until the 1970s and are gradually disappearing, though we managed to capture a few photos. Jeju City is the principal transportation center for Jeju Province. It is home to the island's sole airport, & the Jeju-to-Seoul route is one of the world's busiest routes they tell us. The port we sailed into is the largest on the island, serving the majority of passenger and cargo vessels visiting here. It also stands at the center of the island's road network. To travel throughout the city and island, various buses are available and affordably priced, typically running approximately (0.90 USD) for one ride. A bus ride from Jeju City to Seogwipo (the second largest city on the island) is typically an hour.

Because of the relative isolation of the island, the people of Jeju have developed a culture and language that are distinct from those of mainland Korea. Jeju is home to thousands of local legends. Perhaps the most distinct cultural artifact is the ubiquitous dol hareubang ("stone grandfather") carved from a block of basalt & pictured below. Another distinct aspect of Jeju is the matriarchal family structure. The best-known example of this is found among the haenyeo ("sea women"), who were often the heads of families, because they controlled the income. They earned their living from free-diving, often all year round in quite cold water, without scuba gear, in order to harvest abalones, conchs, and a myriad of other marine products. It is thought that women are better at spending all day deep-water diving because they resist cold better, although Cheryl would beg to differ! However, because of rapid economic development and modernization, few haenyeo are still actively working today.

Most of the tours returned at the same time – never a good thing, and particularly when it’s feeding time. The Lido restaurant was elbow-to-elbow, and we were fortunate just to find a table. We had a light lunch, skipped the sail-away party, & retired in our cabin. I napped for about an hour while Cheryl worked on photos until…you guessed it…Happy Hour at 4:30. We normally meet another couple there from Tennessee – Orlin & Barbara – extremely nice people we’ve sailed with in the past but never really spent any time with. It’s nice to be able to relax with them at the end of the day and compare notes about what each of us did & saw on tour during the day. Orlin writes a travel blog as well and after dinner last night, he and I got together in the library and he gave me some time-saving tips on writing and uploading. Great guy – great couple…we like them very much.

 

 Dol Hareubang ("stone grandfather") carved from a block of basalt

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

     

   

   

   

     

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

     

   

   

   

   

   

The next two days will be very exciting for us. We’ve never been to Seoul, South Korea, and since we’ll be there for an extended stay, we’ve booked some travel on a bullet train. I’m like a kid – can’t wait! Of course, we’ll spend a lot of time in the city of Seoul, but right now all I can think about is whizzing through the countryside at 300 MPH!

On a sad note, and I should’ve remembered this from the news several months back, but the ferry that went down last Spring with several hundred school children had Jeju as their final destination – to be docked at the same pier as us. Very tragic story there, and we’ve been told we may actually see the continuing recovery efforts later today as we approach the mainland.