This is the last full day in Jeju and is planned for the remaining part
of the island until we complete the circuit back to Jeju City, where we
will deliver the car and go out for some dinner.
The spots marked at map are:
0- Gloucester Hotel
1- Jeju Airport
2- Dongmun traditional market
3- Geumneung and Hyeopjae Beaches
4- Spirited Garden
5- Osulloc tea Museum
After
After having breakfast in the kitchen of our room with what we
brought yesterday from a nearby supermarket, we decided to fill the
jacuzzi. The problem is that it takes more than an hour and we can
enjoy it just for a while until the check out deadline approaches,
which is 11 AM.
We left to drive to the visits we left pending yesterday, which are also the closest. The first is Jusangjeolli Cliff.
It is a beautiful area of volcanic coast where the black rocks
have left formations of basalt columns that recalls to those of the
famous Giant's Causeway. Admission is 2000 won per person.
On the way out we stop for a moment at the entrance to the Museum of African Art, which has caught our attention.
The second pending visit from yesterday is the Cheongjeyeon
waterfalls which, when we've got a map, turns out to be a route that
covers three waterfalls along the same river. Admission fee is 2500 won
each.
We immediately arrive at the first waterfall, which is one of
the most beautiful I've ever seen, especially because of the location.
The water falls down a wall made up of large hexagonal columns that,
for the most part, come from top to bottom, against logic. The light
color of that wall contrasts with the blues and greens of the lagoon
that forms the fall. It seems like an impossible landscape.
We follow the route towards the second waterfall, through a jungle area and downhills that will be uphills later on.
This is the highest waterfall. The return climbs become harder
when the vegetation allows the sun to pass through, which is hitting
hard today.
The longest part of the visit is the third waterfall, with many
more climbs. It is also the worst of the three waterfalls.
There is also a nice bridge that leads across this canyon carved
by the river. Here we can find a temple, a fountain and new views of
the second waterfall.
When we leave it is almost 2 PM and we get the road to the
Yongmeori Coast looking for where to stop to eat in the way. We look
for a barbecue restaurant, so typical here, because we don't want to
leave the island without tasting the black pork. We fid one in a small
town where no one speaks English. We manage to order the black pork
menu with gestures, by 25,000 won each.
One of the ladies there tries hard to make me understand how to
eat it: I have to take one of the leaves from the basket and dip the
pieces of pork that she has cut directly on the barbecue in a bowl with
reddish liquid and place them on the leaf, place some mushrooms, kimchi
and whatever we want from the dishes that are filling the table, wrap
the leaf and eat the package. It's delicious. Kimchi combines very well
with meat and the whole thing is a delicious pleasure.
We leave satisfied towards the Yongmeori Coast which we find
crowded. When the slow line of cars finally reaches the parking lot, an
employee is there to tell everyone who arrives that it is full. We
still manage to park somewhere else and get to the entrance, but the
line is insane. We remember that we are already in those holidays that
make there so much movement by the locals that we couldn't find a place
on a train that would take us back to Seoul.
We leave there as best we can and head towards the Osulloc Tea
Museum, which we reach in about 20 minutes. We are lucky because a car
comes out of the parking lot that leaving the only free spot. The
parking lot here is also full and it is next to the tea plantation and,
like everyone else here, we take photos with the vast sea of tea plants.
Afterwards, we have to go across the road to go to the museum,
which turns out to be just three stands showing the packaging and, in
the third, they give you a sample of tea to try. The rest of the
building is basically a store.
Now we drive directly to Jeju City to deliver the car and we
take what seems to be the only road on the island that allows you to go
80 km/h. It takes us a little more than 40 minutes and, once there,
they return our deposit.
The problem comes, again, due to the local holidays, which means
that they cannot get a taxi for us, so we have to use their shuttle bus
to the airport and, once there, join the long queue at the taxi rank
until it's our turn and we can get to the hotel.
We rest and go for a walk along the hotel street, which looks
very lively and full of light signs, but we see a pedestrian street
across the road with lots of lights and life and we go there.
This is an area of bars and pubs where it seems that young
people go out to party. Eva eats a ham ciabatta in a cafe, which here
seems like something from another world, but it is the world that her
stomach needs now, and I have tiramisu ice cream.
We return to the hotel to finish this day and prepare to leave the island tomorrow.
