Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks - Week Ten: South Korea
Happy Friday, Friends! I'm happy to have had the help of one of Noveltea's readers, Verna, with the research and writing of this week's episode of my fictional story,
Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks.
Verna commented on Monday saying she'd spent several months in South Korea last year, so of course I asked her a bunch of different questions and she did a fantastic job of answering them. Thank you, Verna! And now, without further delay, I present to you...
Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks Week Ten: South Korea
The flight from Italy to South Korea was, with layovers, a little over fifteen hours. Then throw in an eight hour time difference and it was eight o’clock Tuesday morning when the plane touched down on the island of Jeju in South Korea. I was getting more comfortable with sleeping while flying high above the earth, so I arrived feeling surprisingly awake. That was a good thing because Exploration Airlines had been contacted by a travel blogger/freelance writer who was spending six months living in South Korea and had offered to be my guide for the week. A quick background check had been done by Exploration Airlines during the flight and I had an email waiting for me when the plane landed letting me know the writer, Verna Clark, would be waiting for me. “Let’s go back to my place so you can get settled in and eat and take a nap before starting our adventure,” Verna told me after we’d gotten my suitcase. “Is there anything in particular you’d like to see?” She asked as we drove to her apartment. “I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it. What do you suggest?” “We’ve got to explore the Manjanggul lava tube, and watch the sunrise from Sungsan Illchulbang. Oh, and of course hike up Hallasan.” I gulped. “Sounds great.” In reality it sounded like gibberish, but I’d been traveling enough recently to know gibberish to one person was a treasure to another. “Hallasan is South Korea’s tallest mountain.” Verna smiled at me. “I realize the names are totally unfamiliar to you, but don’t worry, you’re going to really enjoy it.” “Thanks.” I laughed, “I’m thrilled to have you as my guide.” Verna shrugged, “It’s a pretty cool experience for both of us. I’ve been following your adventure with Exploration Airlines and have been hoping you’d choose South Korea so I could use it as one of my writing assignments.” A win-win situation, yay! We stopped at a cafe for breakfast and had rice with a sea-food-ish soup. The sea food breakfast wasn’t as strange as I’d thought it would be since my brain was still wired with Italy’s time and therefore it felt like we were eating a really late supper. “Can you tell me some about this island?” I asked after we’d reached Verna’s apartment. “This island is my favorite place in South Korea, so it would be my pleasure. Think small fishing villages beside the sea… It’s quiet, peaceful, laid back, and has lots of small fields fenced in with lava rock walls. Plus there are plenty of darling little cafes.” Verna’s hands were wrapped around her coffee mug and she spoke in a dreamy manner. “Because of the relative isolation of Jeju the people here have developed a culture and language that are quite distinct from those of the mainland. There are thousands of legends here as well as a difference in the family structure. You've heard of “sea women” right?” “That sounds familiar…” “Traditionally they’ve been the heads of their family because they control the income.”
“How so?” I pulled my notebook out to take notes. “They used to make a living by free diving to harvest marine products like abalones and conches. Although it’s a dying art now because of modernization and economic development.” “Interesting. Does any one still do it?” “Back in 2014 they researched it and found that there were still about 4,500 sea women, most of them sixty or older.” My mouth dropped open as I tried to imagine my grandma diving deep into the water to find seafood. “That’s incredible.” “No kidding. So, I thought you could take a nap and I’ll work on my writing then we can head to the Lava Tube.” I opened my mouth to protest my sleepiness but a yawn came out before my words could, so instead I agreed and went to lie down.
The Manjanggul Lava Tube was amazing. It reminded me of a cave, but the fact that it was a natural conduit formed by flowing lava beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow made it feel more adventuresome. Plus, it was big. Almost a hundred feet tall and a little over ninety feet wide. At almost 30,000 feet long it ranked as one of the top ten in the world. While walking through it I felt as if I had entered another world. There were tons of cave-spiders and bent-wing bats which was pretty cool. For the rest of the day we explored the island together, stopping in quaint villages, feeling the salty wind in our face while overlooking the ocean, taking pictures, and making some vlogs. We went to bed early that night so Wednesday morning we could wake up early to hike up Hallasan. It’s the tallest mountain in South Korea and sits right in the center of Jeju Island. “Hallasan is famous for its vertical ecosystem of plants,” Verna told me as she checked our backpacks to make sure we had everything we needed. “There are over eighteen hundred kinds of plants and four thousand species of animals, although a good amount of those are insects.” “How hard is it to hike up this mountain?” I was in fairly good shape, but looking up at it made me feel a bit insecure about my athletic abilities. Verna laughed, “Don’t worry. The trial we’re hiking on is only a little over six miles long. Yes, it will be difficult, but you’ll make it all in one piece. And believe me, it will be worth it.” She was right, it was worth it. The setting was beautiful with gentle, grassy slopes and coniferous forests shrouded in mist. There were meadows with semi-wild horses grazing and stands of cedars, Korean firs, and Japanese oak. “You should see it in June when the azaleas bloom.” Verna shook her head, delight written across her face. “It’s breathtaking.” “It’s breathtaking now.” “True.” When we finally reached the top I was exhausted, but the knowledge that I’d actually climbed a mountain was stimulating and I felt as if I could do basically anything. It was thrilling to know I could push myself beyond what I was used to. It was snowy at the top so we didn’t stay for long before we headed back down.
Thursday morning we got up early again to go to Seongsan Ilchulbong, also known as Sunrise Peak. It’s a tuff cone formed by hydrovolcanic eruptions on the shallow seabed. (Sounds confusing I know, but Verna explained that hydrovolcanic eruptions occurs when magma heats the ground or surface water and causes near-instantaneous evaporation to steam, causing an explosion of steam, water, ash, and rock.) As you may have guessed, watching the sunrise from Sunrise Peak is a fantastic experience and so Verna and I did that, basking in the beauty of the scenery, before heading to the airport and flying to South Korea’s mainland.
The flight to Seoul was a little over an hour long and Verna made the most of it by letting me ask questions about the South Korean culture and filling in details. I found it interesting that South Korea harvests about 90% of the world’s seaweed (I’d always mistakenly given Japan credit for that). Although I was wrong about the seaweed, I did find out that the residents of Seoul do have something in common with the residents of Tokyo. Those two cities hold the record for the least amount of sleep the population of any major city has, with fewer than six hours a night. No thank you. That does not sound healthy or fun. South Korea has the world’s fastest wireless speed and I planned to take that into consideration and get caught up on my blogging and vlogging and other online work. After being in Italy where one third of the population had never even used the Internet, it was quite the switch. After we landed Verna took me out to a restaurant she visited each time she came to the city. There we ate one of the Korean’s favorite meals: Samgyupsil, also know as Korean BBQ. The meat part is basically bacon, only thick chunks instead of thin slices. To eat it they dip bite sized pieces of the "bacon" in a salty garlicky oil, then wrap it in a piece of lettuce with red bean paste and other toppings like cucumber, pickled radish, kimchi, or bean sprouts. It smelled delicious and my mouth started watering while waiting for it. Yummy was it ever good. Imagine the cold crunch of lettuce and the fresh-off-the-fire, hot, juicy, thick bacon topped with a little spice from the red bean paste and kimchi. The red bean paste is quite flavorful and strong… It was unique, but oh, so delicious. Verna also told me about her least favorite dish called Soonday. It’s blood sausage made from stuffed pig intestine and boiled in pig blood. I was thankful for her warning and made sure not to order any for myself.
Thursday, we visited Independence Gate, Seoul Museum of History, and Gyeonghuigun (a historic palace). Then Friday we went and saw Myeongdong Cathedral, the National Folk Museum of Korea, and Gwanghwamun, another palace. Saturday we went to see The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). It was built on top of the demolished village of Panmunjom during the Korean War. It divides North and South Korea and is one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world. It is 2.5 miles wide and 152 miles long, going from the East Sea to the Yellow Sea. It was a strange, and sobering, experience. Fence. Barbed wire. Guard houses… Looking over into the North was sad. The land was so destitute and barren, so empty… Nothing like the thriving South we’d been experiencing all week. After driving along the DMZ border we headed back toward the city where we found a restaurant and ordered kimchi, which is South Korea’s national dish. We’d had it several times already, yet each time it tasted different. I’d had it salty, hot (due to red chili peppers), sour (produced by fermentation), and sweet (from pickled fish paste). It had an interesting, yet good, texture and was a combination of spices and vegetables that had been fermented underground for months. They serve it with just about anything (such as rice). It’s been a part of the South Korean culture since back in AD 1250. Craziness. We ended the day with shopping at COEX Mall, which is Asia’s largest underground shopping center. I bought a few trinkets for my family and Sophie. I also found a gift for Verna as a “thank-you” for her hospitality and wonderful tour-guiding skills.
Sunday was a rest day and then Monday I was off to another part of the world.
Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks Week Ten: South Korea
The flight from Italy to South Korea was, with layovers, a little over fifteen hours. Then throw in an eight hour time difference and it was eight o’clock Tuesday morning when the plane touched down on the island of Jeju in South Korea. I was getting more comfortable with sleeping while flying high above the earth, so I arrived feeling surprisingly awake. That was a good thing because Exploration Airlines had been contacted by a travel blogger/freelance writer who was spending six months living in South Korea and had offered to be my guide for the week. A quick background check had been done by Exploration Airlines during the flight and I had an email waiting for me when the plane landed letting me know the writer, Verna Clark, would be waiting for me. “Let’s go back to my place so you can get settled in and eat and take a nap before starting our adventure,” Verna told me after we’d gotten my suitcase. “Is there anything in particular you’d like to see?” She asked as we drove to her apartment. “I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it. What do you suggest?” “We’ve got to explore the Manjanggul lava tube, and watch the sunrise from Sungsan Illchulbang. Oh, and of course hike up Hallasan.” I gulped. “Sounds great.” In reality it sounded like gibberish, but I’d been traveling enough recently to know gibberish to one person was a treasure to another. “Hallasan is South Korea’s tallest mountain.” Verna smiled at me. “I realize the names are totally unfamiliar to you, but don’t worry, you’re going to really enjoy it.” “Thanks.” I laughed, “I’m thrilled to have you as my guide.” Verna shrugged, “It’s a pretty cool experience for both of us. I’ve been following your adventure with Exploration Airlines and have been hoping you’d choose South Korea so I could use it as one of my writing assignments.” A win-win situation, yay! We stopped at a cafe for breakfast and had rice with a sea-food-ish soup. The sea food breakfast wasn’t as strange as I’d thought it would be since my brain was still wired with Italy’s time and therefore it felt like we were eating a really late supper. “Can you tell me some about this island?” I asked after we’d reached Verna’s apartment. “This island is my favorite place in South Korea, so it would be my pleasure. Think small fishing villages beside the sea… It’s quiet, peaceful, laid back, and has lots of small fields fenced in with lava rock walls. Plus there are plenty of darling little cafes.” Verna’s hands were wrapped around her coffee mug and she spoke in a dreamy manner. “Because of the relative isolation of Jeju the people here have developed a culture and language that are quite distinct from those of the mainland. There are thousands of legends here as well as a difference in the family structure. You've heard of “sea women” right?” “That sounds familiar…” “Traditionally they’ve been the heads of their family because they control the income.”
“How so?” I pulled my notebook out to take notes. “They used to make a living by free diving to harvest marine products like abalones and conches. Although it’s a dying art now because of modernization and economic development.” “Interesting. Does any one still do it?” “Back in 2014 they researched it and found that there were still about 4,500 sea women, most of them sixty or older.” My mouth dropped open as I tried to imagine my grandma diving deep into the water to find seafood. “That’s incredible.” “No kidding. So, I thought you could take a nap and I’ll work on my writing then we can head to the Lava Tube.” I opened my mouth to protest my sleepiness but a yawn came out before my words could, so instead I agreed and went to lie down.
The Manjanggul Lava Tube was amazing. It reminded me of a cave, but the fact that it was a natural conduit formed by flowing lava beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow made it feel more adventuresome. Plus, it was big. Almost a hundred feet tall and a little over ninety feet wide. At almost 30,000 feet long it ranked as one of the top ten in the world. While walking through it I felt as if I had entered another world. There were tons of cave-spiders and bent-wing bats which was pretty cool. For the rest of the day we explored the island together, stopping in quaint villages, feeling the salty wind in our face while overlooking the ocean, taking pictures, and making some vlogs. We went to bed early that night so Wednesday morning we could wake up early to hike up Hallasan. It’s the tallest mountain in South Korea and sits right in the center of Jeju Island. “Hallasan is famous for its vertical ecosystem of plants,” Verna told me as she checked our backpacks to make sure we had everything we needed. “There are over eighteen hundred kinds of plants and four thousand species of animals, although a good amount of those are insects.” “How hard is it to hike up this mountain?” I was in fairly good shape, but looking up at it made me feel a bit insecure about my athletic abilities. Verna laughed, “Don’t worry. The trial we’re hiking on is only a little over six miles long. Yes, it will be difficult, but you’ll make it all in one piece. And believe me, it will be worth it.” She was right, it was worth it. The setting was beautiful with gentle, grassy slopes and coniferous forests shrouded in mist. There were meadows with semi-wild horses grazing and stands of cedars, Korean firs, and Japanese oak. “You should see it in June when the azaleas bloom.” Verna shook her head, delight written across her face. “It’s breathtaking.” “It’s breathtaking now.” “True.” When we finally reached the top I was exhausted, but the knowledge that I’d actually climbed a mountain was stimulating and I felt as if I could do basically anything. It was thrilling to know I could push myself beyond what I was used to. It was snowy at the top so we didn’t stay for long before we headed back down.
Thursday morning we got up early again to go to Seongsan Ilchulbong, also known as Sunrise Peak. It’s a tuff cone formed by hydrovolcanic eruptions on the shallow seabed. (Sounds confusing I know, but Verna explained that hydrovolcanic eruptions occurs when magma heats the ground or surface water and causes near-instantaneous evaporation to steam, causing an explosion of steam, water, ash, and rock.) As you may have guessed, watching the sunrise from Sunrise Peak is a fantastic experience and so Verna and I did that, basking in the beauty of the scenery, before heading to the airport and flying to South Korea’s mainland.
The flight to Seoul was a little over an hour long and Verna made the most of it by letting me ask questions about the South Korean culture and filling in details. I found it interesting that South Korea harvests about 90% of the world’s seaweed (I’d always mistakenly given Japan credit for that). Although I was wrong about the seaweed, I did find out that the residents of Seoul do have something in common with the residents of Tokyo. Those two cities hold the record for the least amount of sleep the population of any major city has, with fewer than six hours a night. No thank you. That does not sound healthy or fun. South Korea has the world’s fastest wireless speed and I planned to take that into consideration and get caught up on my blogging and vlogging and other online work. After being in Italy where one third of the population had never even used the Internet, it was quite the switch. After we landed Verna took me out to a restaurant she visited each time she came to the city. There we ate one of the Korean’s favorite meals: Samgyupsil, also know as Korean BBQ. The meat part is basically bacon, only thick chunks instead of thin slices. To eat it they dip bite sized pieces of the "bacon" in a salty garlicky oil, then wrap it in a piece of lettuce with red bean paste and other toppings like cucumber, pickled radish, kimchi, or bean sprouts. It smelled delicious and my mouth started watering while waiting for it. Yummy was it ever good. Imagine the cold crunch of lettuce and the fresh-off-the-fire, hot, juicy, thick bacon topped with a little spice from the red bean paste and kimchi. The red bean paste is quite flavorful and strong… It was unique, but oh, so delicious. Verna also told me about her least favorite dish called Soonday. It’s blood sausage made from stuffed pig intestine and boiled in pig blood. I was thankful for her warning and made sure not to order any for myself.
Thursday, we visited Independence Gate, Seoul Museum of History, and Gyeonghuigun (a historic palace). Then Friday we went and saw Myeongdong Cathedral, the National Folk Museum of Korea, and Gwanghwamun, another palace. Saturday we went to see The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). It was built on top of the demolished village of Panmunjom during the Korean War. It divides North and South Korea and is one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world. It is 2.5 miles wide and 152 miles long, going from the East Sea to the Yellow Sea. It was a strange, and sobering, experience. Fence. Barbed wire. Guard houses… Looking over into the North was sad. The land was so destitute and barren, so empty… Nothing like the thriving South we’d been experiencing all week. After driving along the DMZ border we headed back toward the city where we found a restaurant and ordered kimchi, which is South Korea’s national dish. We’d had it several times already, yet each time it tasted different. I’d had it salty, hot (due to red chili peppers), sour (produced by fermentation), and sweet (from pickled fish paste). It had an interesting, yet good, texture and was a combination of spices and vegetables that had been fermented underground for months. They serve it with just about anything (such as rice). It’s been a part of the South Korean culture since back in AD 1250. Craziness. We ended the day with shopping at COEX Mall, which is Asia’s largest underground shopping center. I bought a few trinkets for my family and Sophie. I also found a gift for Verna as a “thank-you” for her hospitality and wonderful tour-guiding skills.
Sunday was a rest day and then Monday I was off to another part of the world.
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