Navigation
- TransCanada Trek 2021 "ToTheRockTour" 2021
- Exploring ICELAND by Bicycle 2016
- My Mongolian Expeditions
- Mongolia X 2012
- To The Rock Tour 2013
- Mongolia Reloaded
- Himalayas X 2011
- Home
- Expedition Cycles
- Sitemap (Korea and Global)
- Zen Cycling
- Cycling in Korea Images
- Cycling in Korea Ideas
- Expeditions
- Equipment
- Inspiration Zone!
- Sponsors
- Pamirs Expedition
Monday, July 30, 2007
JEJU ISLAND - GETAWAY
We just returned from our petit vacances d'ete, we visited famed Jeju Island. Our first stop was Jeju International airport at the north end of the island. The elaborate plans I made in advance of our trip melted away on day 1. Instead of catching the 3:00pm ferry to Biyang-do from Hallimhang, we took a taxi directly to Geumneung/Hyeopjae Beaches which are within 1km view of the Biyang island. Geumneung Beach was our final destination for the first day. There we found clear Pacific blue waters, white sands and coal-black lava rocks dotting the coastline. The two beaches were separated by the campsites in a mixed palm and pine forest over the sandy dunes. The campsite was excellent for "day-camping or picknicking", we rested in the shade after our swim under some thick palm trees. The windy day was accompanied by warm sea breezes and salt water that felt like a bathtub in many shallow areas. The sealife was abundant, there were countless small crabs, sea snails, and tiny fish passing through the shallow waters. This beach was ideal for photography, snorkling, relaxing, or beaching like a small whale. Night camping was another story. The wind completely stopped blowing in the late afternoon. It was extremely hot and humid and we found no relief from the temperatures far outside our comfort zone. We went into the village and found an awesome restaurant, there we cooled off with a delicious food, and I had couple pints of CASS. We should have taken a room for 40,000Won/night, but thought the camping was more ideal. We were wrong, we spent the night sweating and imagining a cool breeze that wasn't there. Then a group of 12-15 noisy teenagers decided to have a midnight picnic nearby, the noise kept going despite all the sleeping Korean families tenting around us. Finally, I went over and warned the group to keep quiet, they mouthed off in English, and I let them know I would call the police if they didn't keep quiet. They kept on partying and screaming, and of course the police arrived, and they kept on screaming at the police, and then they started to clean up the mess, and they were all free to go. We finally got back to sleep about 1:30am, and by 3:00am it was cool, we slept until 6:00am. We got up and started to clean out the tent, and prepare to leave. As soon as the sun was in our path, we began to melt. I couldn't believe how hot and humid it became with the suns return that morning. We struggled to fold up our "Quick Setup", and brutally difficult to put down camping tent. Thank God someone had a brain, Mi Sung figured it out and collaped the tent properly, I offered a hand but no brain impulses, probably because I was sweating so profusely, I was overheated. We hit the road immediately, and we eventually caught a local bus running to Seogipo. We passed beautiful scenery along the way, both coastal nature and farming areas on our way. It was an inexpensive trip by bus, and with all the open windows, we enjoyed the fresh sea air. In Seogipo we stayed in a Minbak, or efficiency with a kitchenette and they did our laundry and the place was air-conditioned. It was such a relief we booked two nights immediately, cranked the air-conditioning and slept until mid-afternoon. Jungmun Beach was nearby and a lot of tourist attractions. We ate in a fine Korean restaurant, walked around, relaxed, and just enjoyed the place. I swam in the Pacific and in a fresh mineral water river that eventually finds it's way to the Pacific Ocean. This place had more to see, but we didn't do more than scratch the surface while staying cool most of the day either in the sea or river. I'd go back tomorrow, but we will be teaching again. It was worth every penny! ^+__+^
Ted Simon Foundation
About the Korean-World Author
Brian has completed his second mountain bike journey, MongoliaX expedition - Crossing Mongolia 2012, an unsupported mountain bike MTB expedition across 2500km of Outer Mongolia from Ulanbaatar to Altai Taven-Bogd National Park bordering China, Russia and Mongolia.
In 2013, as a sequel to a trilogy of cycle tours, Brian enjoyed a more leisure bicycle tour onboard his Koga-Miyata World Traveller seeing the northern tier of the United States and western Canada covering 3400 kilometers / 2000 miles in 30 days. This North American cycle tour was called Totherocktour. Enjoying the adventure of bicycle travel and every great conversation started while traveling on the road - has refueled his inspirations to cycle around the Earth. In 2013, while he cycled solo from the Great Lake State of Michigan, United States to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. He weaved through local communities and reconnected with friends, family and community after spending almost a decade in Asia.
Brian is now supporting several non-profit foundations through expeditions: IDEAS Foundation of Canada IDEAS is the acronym for Intestinal Disease Education and Awareness Society which supports the IBD community, those suffering from IBD-inflammatory bowel disease, also known as Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis.
Thanks for visiting my Journal from Asia
Brian's friends have also been...Cycling in Korea!
Cycling in Korea, Warning: always wear a helmet! (I gave mine to my friend)
Popular Posts
-
[Photos/text courtesy of Kai Unu, Conservationist] his family has been damaged by companies and individuals who pollute its ecosystem Animal...
-
313kms, 2.5 days, Mountainous terrain & fresh pavement Nowhere to sleep, so park-camping with clothes on back Got a few winks of sleep t...
-
[Photo credit of Pedaling Nowhere] Excellent ECR build write-up with rich descriptions and photographs from Logan at Pedaling Nowher...
-
Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. Jim Rohn ' Longboa...
-
Deokjeokdo or Deokjeok Island is the largest island of Deokjeok-myeon in Ongjin County,Incheon Metropolitan City, South Korea. Geographica...
-
Hey Mike, it's a fantastic opportunity to group hammer, unfortunately the touring bike I'm riding keeps only 65psi in the rear tire...
-
As part of my Post-expedition adventure searching for 2011 , physical challenges cannot be avoided forever (although I have been on f...
-
Took a break from teaching ESL-English as a Second Language and we visited Jeju-do, an island in the Pacific which is part of South Korea. A...
-
First Snow of December, Expedition Cyclists, Adventurers, Navigation Love the sight of the first snow. In South Korea, it’s the sign of ...
-
[NOTE TO READERS, FRIENDS, SUPPORTERS: I am funded by trust funds, inheritance, a wealthy family, or other dream ideas. Actually, I am a ...
No comments:
Post a Comment