Jeju Island

It really it like the Hawaii of Korea. Well I can’t say from experience because I have never been to Hawaii but white sand, volcano rocks and crystal water sounds same- same to me.
It was only a 55-minute flight to Jeju from Seoul. We arrived early Saturday morning and had a full day packed of activities. First we took a bus to a smaller island named Udo, where we rented bikes and rode around the island. Udo is a small fishing village that is famous for the fishing ajumma. They are a group of elderly (like 60+) women who everyday strap on the wetsuits, rain or shine and collect seaweed and shellfish from the freezing water. Brittany and I enjoyed some of their hard labor at lunch. We had a wonderful fresh raw seafood plate and some nice cold Cass-uh.

After our bike ride we took the ferry back to the mainland and climbed up to the top of a carter. I think it was a couple thousand steps straight up but once we got to the top the view was amazing. We could see the whole island. Next up the dude ranch. I was really looking forward to doing some horseback riding. The experience ended up being pretty funny, mostly because we had to wear red vest and cowboys hats. I believe it is the Korean way to always wear the complete and appropriate outfit for every activity. Horseback riding consisted of going around in a circle with someone leading my horse. I did get to do one lap trotting which was exciting but I think the whole horseback-riding excursion lasted all of 20minutes.


We made our way to the accommodations at the beach just in time to catch a breathtaking sunset. As a group we enjoyed a traditional Korean BBQ style dinner and a classic beach bonfire. I called it an early night and set my alarm for 9am so I could wake up really early and catch as much sun as possible.


It was an unusually perfect day in Korea, not a cloud in sight and the sun was out in full force. I wasn’t expecting Jeju to have such clear green water and soft white sand. Probably one of the top beaches I have ever been to. Our group had a whole day of activities planned beginning at 11am, Chinese acrobats, a sex sculpture park and cave exploring. The weather at the beach was so prefect Brittany and I couldn’t bear to leave. We did the very un-Korean thing and separated from the group, letting them know we would meet up with them later at the airport.
Boy did I get my fill of the sun. We clocked in a total of 6 hours at the beach without any sunscreen. By the time I got to the airport I was feeling the full affects of my day in the sun. When I began to get chills and a fever I was worried it could be sun poisoning. I woke up on Monday with blisters on my chin and forehead. I really don’t know what I was thinking. My skin hasn’t really seen any sun for 4 months and the sun in Jeju was very intense. As if not being able to move or take shower wasn’t bad enough, the looks I got a school were horrifying. My co-teacher had a hard time understanding how I could get so burned. Koreans always wear sunscreen, gloves, arm sleeves, a full face visor and carry an umbrella to protect their skin from any direct sunlight. Which probably explains why there was only a handful of Asians on the beach and a bunch of Westerns. My whole school was pretty mortified by my alarming skin color. I am going to blame it on the fact I haven’t been to the beach in months for my intentional ignorance about skin damage.



Jeju was beautiful. Who would have ever thought you could find such paradise in Korea?