Jeju Again, on My Own

2022.02.08 - 12

created: 2022.02.13. 15:41 · modified: 2022.07.04. 13:07 ·  · license

This post was automatically translated and has not yet been reviewed by me. Please read with discretion.

Back to Jeju. Since my first visit after COVID broke out last August, this was my third trip in six months—and my second solo trip. Like my last bike trip around the island, I had a clear goal this time: climbing Hallasan. But making a round trip to Jeju just for that seemed like too much trouble, so I made time to spend three days in Hyeopjae before the climb.

Hallim Park, which I visited while staying in Hyeopjae, and Hallasan each have enough material for their own posts. This post covers the rest of the trip.

Day 1

→ Hallim

It was already 4 p.m. when I arrived, so I decided to just visit the Sinchang Windmill Coastal Road and rest at my accommodation on the first day.

I walked about 3 km to the Sinchang Windmill Coastal Road. I felt pressed for time with sunset approaching, but the evening light ended up giving me the best possible view.

Day 2

I had black pork noodle soup for brunch, looked around Hyeopjae Beach for a bit, then headed to Hallim Park. See the separate post for Hallim Park.

I grabbed my MacBook from my accommodation and headed straight back to Hyeopjae.

I stopped at a café to enjoy the view somewhere warm and sort through my photos. I ordered a Udo peanut croffle. Just as I thought when I tried a croffle for the first time, it was insanely sweet. Which made it delicious.

My last meal on day two was a salmon and avocado rice bowl at a place with great reviews. With an extra serving of rice, it was just the right amount, and the fresh salmon was delicious. The interior was very cozy too, but there were a lot of people, so I didn't take a photo. They also have a solo dining set with sashimi and drinks, so it might be worth another visit if I come to Hyeopjae alone again.

I'd assumed the guesthouse had fixed rooms for men and women, but they switched between its two differently sized rooms depending on the guests. On the first night, I shared the larger room with three others. Several women were arriving the next day, so as the only guest staying a second night, I moved rooms. In the new room, I met a 31-year-old vocational high school architecture teacher and a 23-year-old university student. The student seemed distraught from the moment he walked in and soon admitted he'd had an accident in his rental car on the way over. I'd heard plenty of times that driving in Jeju was difficult, but I hadn't expected to meet someone who'd had an accident so soon. Fortunately, it was a minor one: he'd scraped a wheel against a landscaping stone by the road. It was his first driving trip since getting his license, and he must have been looking forward to it. I hope he didn't let it ruin the rest of his trip and managed to have fun...

Day 3

Yesterday I'd visited a café to try something new. Today, with my suitcase in tow after checking out, I went into a familiar Starbucks. With a sweet slice of cake, I breezed through <If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light>.

Time to head into Jeju City.

I took the No. 202 bus, which I'd often used between my accommodation and Hyeopjae, into Jeju City too. It passed a remarkable number of stops, but this was actually less than half its full route. The No. 202 circles the entire western half of the island along Iljuseo-ro and reportedly has nearly 180 stops in total. You could call it the counterpart to the No. 201, which follows Iljudong-ro around the eastern half.

I dropped my luggage at my accommodation near the Jeju Intercity Bus Terminal, then headed out to rent hiking gear for tomorrow.

The rental shop was less than a kilometer from my accommodation, but the Hancheon stream lay between them. Its bed was completely dry in winter, exposing the rocks underneath. They looked as if they were saying, "I used to be lava." I think this every time I visit, but the entire island of Jeju really deserves to be a Global Geopark.

The trees lining the stream were a sight too. They looked just like the umbrella pines I saw in Rome during my trip to Italy in 2020. If anyone knows exactly what species they are, please tell me. Perhaps because I associate them with ancient Roman monuments, they evoke an atmosphere that's leisurely and abundant yet sacred. It was a pleasure to see trees in Jeju with the same shape I'd found so beautiful there.

I dropped off the rented hiking poles and crampons at my accommodation, then headed toward the coast for dinner and a visit to E-Mart. As if to prove Jeju is a volcanic island, the road sloped steadily toward the sea for the entire 3 km walk.

I'd stopped at E-Mart to buy water and food for the next day's climb, but most of what I needed, including energy bars, came in bulk packs. I had to stop at a convenience store afterward.

I took an electric bus back. It was as quiet as the OLEV at school. By the time we neared my accommodation, I was the only passenger left. At traffic lights, it was so quiet that sitting there alone felt awkward.

Day 4

The day had finally come! See the separate post for day four, when I climbed Hallasan.

Day 5

I'd worried about my knees after the pounding they took on the descent, but the next day they felt much better than expected. My body was fine and my mind felt refreshed. It was time to return to Seoul. I had a hearty bowl of yukgaejang, then boarded the plane.

On a previous flight, I'd noticed something odd when looking out the window: the ground directly below and far in the distance looked sharp, but the area in between appeared blurry. At the time, I thought it was too far away for my eyes to focus on. There were plenty of things wrong with that explanation, but I couldn't think of another one. After a few more flights, a better theory occurred to me: turbulence from the jet engine exhaust was refracting the light irregularly, much like a heat haze. I've only seen it when sitting behind the wing, so I'm fairly sure that's it. What I still can't explain is how, unlike a heat haze, the blurring can look uniform enough to seem as though my eyes simply can't focus.

The trip ended when I landed at Gimpo Airport around 1 p.m. on Saturday. I dearly hope COVID ends soon so my next trip can be abroad, but another visit to Jeju wouldn't be bad either. I've enjoyed it enough on my own; next time, I hope I can come with people dear to me.