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Former IT office worker, now liberated to chase a dream! Read more Wooloowin, Australia
  • TravelerSouth Korea
    Day 20

    Yeongsil Trail (Mt Hallasan)

    October 17, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    As much as I would like to hike to the summit of Mt Hallasan, it's not realistic due to my physical condition and my location on Jeju. Instead I will do a shorter hike called the Yeongsil Trail.

    I ask my erstwhile Mimong hostess for transport information. Not easy for her to explain, she calls her husband, speaks to him, hands me the phone and he promptly hangs up! Then he walks in a minute later so he can explain in person. I will need to catch a bus to Jungmun, no problem, exit the bus at the elementary school, walk back to the rotary and catch the 240 bus for the "1100 road".

    Somewhat unusually, it actually pans out. I catch the bus to the Jungmun elementary school, walk back to the rotary and look at the timetable. Buses are hourly and the next one is some time away. There is a cafe nearby, I order a latte, receive a flat white (YES!) and sit outside to observe while sipping the coffee.

    Shortly after finishing my coffee, the 240 bus arrives. I'm hoping it will go to the Yeongsil ticket office rather than just the Yeongsil entrance. Fortunately it does which saves a lot of time. From the ticket office there's still a 2.5 km walk to the trailhead, around 30 minutes walking.

    The weather's pretty good today so there are panoramic views as the trail ascends. Plenty of crows around also, they seem to dominate the higher terrain. Autumn colours are everywhere, Mt Hallasan is always present and the sea can be seen in the distance. There are quite a few hikers out today, but it's not too crowded.

    I want to catch the 14:22 or 15:22 bus back to Jungmun so I won't hike to the end of the trail. Instead I stop at Witseoreum Shelter, which is at 1700 metres. It's an ideal lunch stop as it has a restaurant, toilets and places to sit. The wind whistles through here though. What looks to be a school group packs up lunch and move out - the crows move in to pick through the scraps.

    I've eaten, rested and so it's time to head down. Still a lot of hikers coming through but the weather has taken a turn for the worse. Clouds move in and obscure the view, looks like a morning hike was the better option.

    At the trailhead I realize that I will probably miss the 14:22 bus by 10 minutes if I walk back to the bus stop. So I hand over 7000 won and take a taxi to the bus stop. Bus turns up a little late, I may have made it by walking but why risk it?

    All good coming back to Jungmun, then to Seogwipo. It's 16:45 by the time I return to Mimong. I'm looking forward to a long hot bath to rest my aching feet. My erstwhile hostess tells me she hasn't made up the room, I tell her not to bother. Second day in a row, hopefully tomorrow is different!    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    11
    Day 19

    Saryeoni Forest

    October 16, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Soegwipo town is perched quite high from its port area. This makes it windier than any other place I've been to on the island. As it's also drizzling, its not a pleasant day in town. My head cold is still annoying me, so I decide to go for a stroll in a forest as therapy.

    Saryeoni Forest is to the east of Mt Hallasan. It is possible to catch a bus close(ish) to one entrance, walk through the forest to another entrance and catch another bus back to Seogwipo. So I'm back on the 182 bus which takes me to the Goryeo intersection. It's 1500 metres or so to the forest entrance, then I'm in.

    The lady at the information booth is very helpful about the route I should take (first photo). The red bits of the trails are off limits. There are a few other hikers (strollers) going the same way as me. It's not that I'm sprinting, but I overtake the people in front of me and then it's clean air (as they say in F1).

    Because it's quiet on the trail I catch a deer by surprise. I hear it crash through the undergrowth where it had been grazing, then I briefly glimpse it. It's off the trail by 30 metres or so. This slows me down subsequently as I'm on guard for other animal encounters, sadly it's the only one.

    As I progress along the trail, I meet more people coming the other way. It becomes clear why when I reach the other park entrance (my exit). There are many cars parked here, so their occupants don't walk through but only to a point where they then backtrack to the car.

    I have to catch 2 buses to return to Seogwipo. This makes it a longer day than I expected. Back at Seogwipo I stop in at Cafe Wookun for a hot beverage. I order a latte and the server brings it to my table. But it's not what I call a latte, it is a flat white (my coffee preference) and the best coffee I've had since leaving Brisbane.

    I take a 40 minute bus trip later that afternoon to Jungmun. I eat at Soul Kitchen which offers Western food. I have a salmon fillet which comes with potato wedges, probably the 2nd best meal I've had overseas (after the steak in Suwon). Definitely worth the 80 minute round trip.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    Day 19

    Jungman Rotary

    October 16, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Why a post about a rotary? What is a rotary anyway? And why aren't there any photos?

    To answer your questions, a rotary is a roundabout and this particular rotary comprises 4 lanes and 6 exits. So it's big, not quite L'Arc De Triomphe but big enough for your average Jeju driver. Students of Chaos Theory converge here from all parts of the world. So what are the roundabout rules here? It's not possible to work it out by observation, right of way seems extremely random. Some cars end up stationary in an inner lane, unable to navigate to the outer lane they need. But I didn't see any accidents ..

    I'm waiting for a bus on the rotary periphery so I have time to watch the action. I plan to shoot some video, but at that moment a car decides to park in front of the bus stop entrance and blocks my view. A beep from the next bus to come to the stop, ignored by the car driver who walks into a shop. Out 5 minutes later with a box.

    By this time my bus has arrived, so here endeth the discussion.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    Day 18

    Seogwipo (Mimong Guesthouse)

    October 15, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    It's a good travelling day as the weather is pretty ordinary. There's a bit of drizzle around, umbrellas everywhere.

    I bought replacement Asic Kayanas yesterday - same size and sole. The old Asics had well and truly done a full tour of duty and have been consigned to the care of Hotel Amber Central. To continue my retail therapy, I bought a beanie from the local K2 shop. It replaces the one that didn't make it back from Mt Fuji. With the weather cooling I will soon need it.

    I check out and roll my luggage up to the Halla Hospital stop and take the intercity 182 bus. This bus is reasonably express and has storage underneath for my luggage. It runs pretty much North-South and is therefore more direct than other buses.

    After an hour or so we pull into Jungman Rotary in Seogwipo. This is my stop, I'm caught a little unaware but fortunately other people disembark before me and buy me time to get my things together.

    I roll my luggage down one of the streets radiating from the rotary (or roundabout) and eventually find the Mimong guest house. It's run by a couple who look to be in their early 40s, the husband speaks some English, his wife not so much. My room isn't ready, no problem for me as I am early and am quite happy to leave my luggage there to check in later.

    No, they instead head upstairs to ready the room. This takes around 10 minutes. They then ask me about breakfast options and I am able to welcome them into the world of coeliacs. No bread nor cereal thanks. Fruit OK. Cheese OK. Yoghurt OK.

    Once that's all done I'm able to go to my room. Like most Korean accommodation, it has a landing just inside the door where I take off my shoes. The bathroom is next to the landing. Then there's an inner door into the main room. I find that closing this inner door at night blocks much of the sound from the hallway outside.

    For the remainder of the afternoon I walk around Cheonjiyeon waterfall. Note that I say "around" as I don't see the waterfall itself. The signs are confusing so I just take photos in the vicinity. The first photo is an interesting sculpture in the waterfall's park, the last photo is from near my dining destination that night (barbecued pork belly).    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    Day 17

    Manjang-gul Cave

    October 14, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    It's Saturday again and you all know what THAT means ... weekend warriors. Breakfast starts at 7am, I'm in the dining room at 7:20 and it is close to full. Looks like a few hiking groups are in, nobody under 40. I suspect they're hiking Mt Hallasan as most of them have departed by 7:40. It's back to normal then (quiet).

    As the weather is ordinary today, it seems like a good day to visit a cave. There are something like 160 lava tunnels on the island, a reflection of the extreme volcanic activity in the island's past. Manjang-gul cave is one such set of lava tunnels.

    I basically take the same buses to return to Gimnyeong. From there it's a bit tricky. Its just after 11 but the bus that will take me closer to the cave is almost 40 minutes away. And I would still have a 30 minute walk from there to the cave.

    So I look for a taxi, none to be found. I walk back to the beach and spy a taxi. He takes me to the cave for just over $5, which saves me an hour compared to the alternative. I buy a ticket to the cave and wander in.

    Fortunately the ceiling inside the cave is quite high so I don't need to duck or bend at any stage. It's a one km track through, which you then backtrack. There are good explanations (in English) of the various formations, including stalagmites, stalactites, toes and shelves.

    The cave is quite dimly lit so most of my photos are flash-enabled. The going is a little tricky at times with the lighting. Eventually I exit and head for a cafe. There's always time for a coffee.

    In the car park there are taxis waiting. They are the sharks of the road, slowly circling, looking for prey. I take one back to Gimnyeong bus stop. There is some time until the intercity bus arrives, giving me time to browse around a local temple. I have no information on this temple whatsoever.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    21
    Day 16

    Seongsan Ichilbung

    October 13, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    So this is my second day on Jeju Island. The first day comprised the ferry trip (nothing special), the taxi ride from the ferry terminal to the hotel (usual cockup) and browsing around Jeju City. I went to a Mexican place for dinner and ordered a drink that included Somersby apple cider! So they CAN be found.

    Today I'll be taking 7 buses, giving my travelcard a thorough working over. The first bus takes me to the bus terminal. From outside the terminal I take a bus that takes me clockwise around the island about 90 degrees. After one of the stops (Gimnyeong) I notice a sandy beach so plan to stop off here on the way back.

    I disembark at Goseong-ri junction and walk to the bus stop across the road. This is where I take a local bus that goes to near Seongsan port. The weather is excellent today, the best that I'll experience on the island. I walk around some of the coastline as far as The Cloud Hotel (so THAT'S where it is, IT humour 😁). There's a good place nearby, overlooking the water, for a spot of lunch.

    After lunch I take a small trail to the base of Ichilbung, where I buy a ticket and join the masses for the walk up to the 180 metre summit. Simply spectacular views on a fine day, as my photos show. At the summit I drink in the view, it's Rio-esque on a smaller scale.

    On the way down there are some great views of the local area and Mt Hallasan, which is a volcanic peak and S Korea's highest mountain. Further on it's possible to detour down to the beach, which I do. Just rocks, no sand. There's a stall selling live seafood, octopus anyone? I wander around the rockpools for a while before heading back to the bus stop.

    Soon there's a local bus that takes me back to Goseong-ri junction. Surprisingly the intercity bus arrives within 5 minutes, I usually assume that I've just missed the bus. Lucky as there is a 50 minute interval between these buses. It drops me off at Gimnyeong and I walk to the beach.

    Weather's still decent, so I take off my hiking boots and paddle barefoot in the water for around 15 minutes. Noone else does this, ofc, but I find it very therapeutic. A photographer is nearby shooting either a fashion spread or a commercial. His model is wearing a robe and walks into the water (no disrobing) until her head is fully submerged. Then she walks out a minute later (freezing). The things we do for art (or money) 😦

    Back to the bus stop, I backtrack to Jeju Bus Terminal and then the hotel. It's been a LONG day.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    Day 14

    Wando

    October 11, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    I'm due on Jeju Island tomorrow. The closest port to the island is Wando, which is my destination today.

    However I do have some time to kill before heading to the bus terminal, so I visit an art gallery and then the Asian Culture Complex. The medication has kicked in and I find it hard to concentrate on the task at hand. One of the lady reception staff at the hotel is kind enough to call a taxi for me when it's time to leave. She even starts to help me load my megaluggage into the boot - that's a WHS issue if I've ever seen one so I decline her help.

    I thought I'd given myself plenty of time to get to the bus terminal, but traffic congestion and red lights eat into the contingency. Every red light costs 3 minutes of time, they start to add up. Anyway I have around 6 minutes to spare when we reach the bus terminal.

    It's around a 2 hour trip to Wando. The bus driver does a quick head count and tells me to buckle up. Later on I understand why, as he takes cornering as a speed challenge. I can feel my ribs under pressure from the seat belt 😫

    Arriving at Wando, I eschew taking a taxi for a walk with my luggage. It's around a 10 minute trip to Wandonesia (I'm not making this up) where I'm staying. It's no problem checking in, the problem is that my room number is 403 and I'm Wandonesia is a hostel without lifts. So I have to haul my luggage up 3 flights of stairs (remembering that ground floor is 1F).

    The room is quite lovely though, particularly the bathroom. There is a lot of road noise but once I close the double-glazed windows I hear nothing.

    I want to buy a ticket for tomorrow's 9am ferry to Jeju. Unfortunately the ticket office is closed, even though it's not long after 4. Looks like I'll need to be there at 8am tomorrow when the ticket office reopens. I take the first 3 attached photos on the way back to Wandonesia, then the last photo from my room.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    1
    Day 13

    Mudeungsan National Park

    October 10, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Having enjoyed a taste of Mudeungsan National Park yesterday, I've come back today to do a full hike. As I walk into the park I pass Tourist Information, where a couple of gents who work there are sitting outside with clipboards. I am asked to fill in some profile information. No problem, don't even lie about my age group.

    It's much more humid in the park this morning than when I came yesterday. It seems like many people have already finished their hike at this time, early risers. There are quite a few shops and accommodation at the front of the park. I wandered around some of these before starting the hike.

    There are several trails that I'm interested in, but given my head cold I don't want to overdo it. I take the Jungmeorijae Pass trail, which will take me to Saeinbong peak (617 metres). I sweat profusely on the climb up, I much prefer hiking on cool or cold days.

    At the peak there is a rock showing the height. Great views of Gwangju to the east. It's another kilometre to Jungbong peak, and it is more difficult, so I abandon that trail after 15 minutes or so.

    Instead I take the trail for Jangbuljae Pass, which is at 919 metres. When I get there I find there are no views as what looks to be smog obscures most of Gwangju. What's worse is that there is no quick trail leading down so I have to backtrack the whole way back to the park entrance.

    By this time my cotton shorts are soaked in sweat. It's not a good look, considering every Korean hiker wears a "uniform" of dark nylon trekking trousers. I should have worn my board shorts! My hiking trousers would be too hot on a day like this.

    Usually there is a bit of a wait at the bus stop, in the sun, for the #09 bus to return to the city. I buy an iced coffee at the Angel-in-us cafe (who makes up these names?) which overlooks the bus stop, allowing me to wait in the cool. It does mean a mad scramble when the bus does arrive, but that's a price I'm willing to pay ...

    Finally back at the hotel, and a shower is the first order of business, followed by a long rest.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    Day 12

    Jaywalking in South Korea

    October 9, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Those of you that know me well know that I've practiced the art of jaywalking for over 35 years. It's a sign of impatience as there usually isn't a long delay between "walk" signals in Brisbane.

    In Japan and the ROK though ... generations of mayflies are born, breed and die between "walk" signals, I hum the complete "Atom Heart Mother" and feel my life ebbing away 🤔. Many motorists turn off their engines at red light in Japan. As Japan is a constrained society I feel the judgement of the complete population if I should jaywalk. The ROK is less constrained though ...

    I watched some young apprentices weaving their way through cars at a red light. Care needs to be taken though, as not only do they drive on the RHS of the road, but it is legal to turn right on a red light. I try to avoid jaywalking near corners so as to take turning cars out of play. So far, so good. One sprint for my life to avoid a taxi that pulled away from the kerb 😲 but that's it. Even jaywalked a 6 lane road the other night (it had a median strip though).

    So what other ambitions are left for this not-so-ancient art? Of course the Avenida 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires presents a big challenge. It has 3 separate pedestrian sections and is the widest avenue in the world. I have been to BA twice but never conquered this challenge.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    1
    Day 12

    Gwangju Day 1

    October 9, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    I had hoped to visit the Byeonsanbando National Park on the Sunday but I've come down with a head cold and the medication I bought makes me feel woozy. It would have meant spending 4 hours in buses there and back so I postpone it.

    So Sunday is a rest day. On Monday I take the bus to Gwangju, which is 90 minutes south of Jeonju. On arrival I notice that the Gwangju bus station is much more modern than Jeonju's. I also buy a ticket for my next destination (Wando) before exiting to the taxi rank.

    Once again the taxi driver can't make head nor tail of the address. He does have a GPS, so I dig up the phone number of my hotel and we're finally on our way. I'm staying at the ACC Design Hotel not far from the Asian Culture Complex (hence the ACC). Gwangju is making a real push to further the arts. I'm able to check in straight away, even though I'm early.

    After settling in and eating some lunch, I look at how I'll spend the afternoon. Gwangju is most famous for the Mudeungsan National Park, and bus #09 will take me there.

    It's a warm day in the city, 29 degrees or thereabouts. However the weather is more moderate in the national park. All photos were taken here. As it turns out, quite a few different bus lines terminate here so the park is easily accessible by public transport.

    There are plenty of people around, but it is the end of the holidays. There are streams that flow through the park, so the sound of running water is continual. I find it very soothing and a welcome distraction from my travels.    Read more

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