Jeju-do, Day 3: Buses, Caves, and Beaches

Day 3 began at a leisurely pace.  I didn't crawl out of bed until 9.  As the others still were sleeping, I decided to wander around Seogwipo.  Stepping outside made me sweat from the sun's intensity, so my water bottle and I went for a walk.  As a hydrophile, I headed straight towards the wharf.  People were just beginning to prepare for the day ahead.  Jeju-do is famous for citrus fruits, and elderly Koreans set up stands ever 100 meters or so.  A few stately elders rode worn bikes past me.  At the wharf, fifteen old women squatted on stools around a bucket filled with water and oysters? clams?  They would fish out a rocky chunk, banging it against the ground and hitting it with rocks until the treasure inside was revealed.  While they worked they cackled and screamed and chattered away. 

I had been drawn towards a fascinating looking bridge (you can see it in the rear center of the previous picture), which, I was surprised to find, was a footbridge leading over the rocky coast and breaking waves to a walking path that meandered along the coastline.  I was the only one walking the path, possibly because of the oppressive heat, but I was in bliss, clambering over rocks jutting into the sea, being surrounded by sea and sky on 4 sides, and hearing only the cawing of birds and the crash of the sea on the rocks.  Thank goodness our hotel was so centrally located - what a great way to start the day!

When I returned, the others were stirring and we left shortly after to catch a bus to Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) area, where we planned to spend the next two nights.  The bus dropped us off on the side of the road after about 1.5 hours, and we ventured onto the peninsula to find a place to sleep.  We ended up at a great hotel that I recommend if you're ever in the area.  토마토 민박, or Tomato Minbak (a minbak is a private home that rents out rooms to travelers), offered giant, comfortable rooms with real beds, a kitchenette complete with a rice-cooker and stove, a sizable TV, views of the harbor and Sunrise Peak, two balconies, and a location 5 minutes from the wharf, 15 from the foot of Sunrise Peak, and 3 from the bus station - all for 35,000 won per room!  Call them if you're ever in the area!

After settling in we fought the urge to hit the beach or go to sleep again and Gerchie, Max, Philip, and I headed out for Manjanggul, a lava cave considered to be one of the largest in the world with the tallest lava pillar in the world.  We intended to take the bus, which would drop us a 40-minute walk from the cave entrance. The bus was a long time coming, however, and we considered the value of our time and effort and.... we took a cab!  It worked out well, though, because, although it was 10,000 won per person roundtrip, the driver waited for us while we explored the caves and was able to take us directly back to from whence we came without struggling through a language barrier.  And we saved 1.5 hours of walking in the broiling sun.

The caves were... cool.  Especially after the heat of the day.  I am privileged enough to have parents who love caves, so I've been to quite a few in my time.  While Manjang Cave wasn't extraordinary as far as caves go, it was my first lava cave.  What caused me to pause was knowing that, many years ago, boiling hot lava flowed where I was now walking.  And that was a cool thought.

 After the caves and the heat of the day, we wanted to go the the beach.  We discovered a bit too late that the black sand beaches of Ilchulbong are not for swimming, but had a lovely time walking over grassy hills and lounging on the sand while the sun set. After the sun set, laziness again kicked in.  We went back to the minbak to watch bad American movies and Korean English lessons while we massaged our sore calves who were punishing us for climbing a mountain of stairs the day before.