250. AUTUMN IN JEJU

 

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Korean folksong Arirang. I like this version best by HK singer Frances Yip

It's my maiden trip to Korea and I prefer to start with the more laidback Jeju Island than the built up cities of Seoul and Busan. 

Weather's glorious in Autumn...

Approaching Jeju International, I see numerous wind turbines in the seas surrounding the Island. So they depend on wind power...amongst other sources...the wind must get really strong...it's a typhoon zone...

The island is washed by the waters of the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan...

...and the wind rearranges my hair into a windswept look...

Jeju's a volcanic island, formed by eruptions and Earth's movements over millennia...the island's center is dominated by a dormant volcano, Mt Hallasan. Dark volcanic soil and rocks dominate the landscape. The natural formations are beautiful and the island is befitting its recognition by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. 

Needless to say, this is my favourite stop...its name a mouthful - Daepo Haean Jusangjeoli cliff - only Mother Gaia creates Art this beautiful, it draws me in.

Lava columns or columnar jointing, are created when thick layers of molten lava cools, shrinks and contracts, causing it to crack. Cracks start from the top and bottom surfaces of the lava flow and move inward. To release this contraction stress, the most efficient way is to form hexagonal shapes resulting in those characteristic columns. Science and art. And it all comes about naturally. Nature is highly innately intelligent - for want of a better word. This is the real 'God' at work and it's all around us - omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient. I'm thankful to be able to take this in.

Picture this - researchers, scientists, residents living near volcanoes (!) - to be able to actually see thick molten lava moving across land and dropping into the seas, sizzling as it meets cold water, is like watching Creation at the beginning of Time...so raw, primeval...

Beautiful Hamdeok Beach

Coffee and cake break - the slices are large and chunky...

Lunch break at this Italian themed cafe where David got abused by the womenfolk - I. It had a Halloween theme for the month...

Knowingly or unwittingly, the staff who dressed this chap up has a message...'those uniformed groups wear masks and the sceptre transforms into a trident which can be used as a weapon' lol!

Boo!

Lunch at this local resto was ginseng chicken soup for the soul - this staff prepped the roots. The dish was wholesome...

A preserved root in which portions of that root has roses carved into it - glorious!

Be my Valentine

Korea was built on the backs of some truly hardy, resilient, tough, men and women. Chiefly, the womenfolk, for the men went to war or are out at sea and many did not return. In the case of an island, they would be folks who made their living from the sea - in Jeju, the seas around are treacherous. This bronze monument is dedicated to their fisherfolks...

At this park this lovely landscaped garden has flowers and leaves that have turned brown but instead of removing what most would consider as 'dead', they cleverly let the natural hues add to the Autumn foliage. This is another thing landscapers in Singapore have to rethink - let natural beauty be, instead, we get contractors who know next to nothing, instructing workers to clear everything. What I see are contrived arrangements...there's no soul...

...so too, the wildflowers and grasses are left to go forth and multiply and I see beautiful fields of them. This particular grass exists in Singapore but I hardly ever see large plots of them as the contractors would have cleared them during their rounds of grass cutting every few months. When land is at a premium, every little lot seems a waste when occupied by anything that produce nothing of value. It's the price to pay when a mindset knows the price of everything and the value of nothing...

Having said that, NParks does a good job allocating green parcels, albeit contrived, where one may sit and commune with Nature, no, one's mobiles...but I wish some thinking contractor knows how to leave alone little plots where wild grass have made a home...the only time I ever saw that was during the Covid shutdown when non essential maintenance jobs were suspended, that's when wild plants grew wild and free...

Oppa - chillax outside a store...

I'll rather encounter snakes than bears...

Green lung at Saryeoni Forest trail - a beautiful spot to hug a tree or 2, chiefly Japanese cedar, oak, birch and cypress.

An old tomb suggesting the forest trail was a burial ground before.

These stone pyramids would have been added for a bit of fun and distraction

Another 'intelligent' thing about Mother Gaia - trees never overlap their branches, allowing light and rain to come through so plants and creatures closest to earth may share the sunlight and rainwater. At the same time they form a canopy that provide shade...

Once again, I use 'intelligence' for want of a better word...

Take that and that...!

Shot myself in the foot...!

These 'air guns' are to clean footwear before boarding one's vehicles. The jet blows away sand and dirt, twigs, leaves, bugs...

People taking pics of people taking pics...

The dwarf matcha tea bushes and its blossoms...

It was tangerine season - at this orchard, I could fill the bag with 10 but stopped at 6 as I didn't want to deal with unnecessary weight nor eat them all in order not to have to carry them...but the farmer gave me 2 more, the guide another 2! So I had 10! Left several in the room for the housekeeper...

The sun coming down turns this pier into a beautiful painting...

Lighthouses are some of my favourite architecture installation art pieces. No 2 are ever the same. In the case of these pictured here, these would be fairly new ones, beautiful nevertheless when viewed from a distance with the crashing waves, rising and setting sun or full moon nights, painted a vibrant red and white...breathtaking...!

Those concrete wave breakers add to the charm. Singapore needs to consider these if she has not already done so, as she embarks on a mammoth task to ring-fence the island with re enforcements to tackle rising sea levels. 

We do have a place that's relatively untouched in Singapore - the Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve, and over time,  Chek Jawa on Ubin...

 

For a minute I had thought this was a sculpture - till it moved...! LOL!

Holding this bridge up is hard work. So's keeping a country going. So's keeping its economy viable...

The Koreans have gone through tumultuous times in their history. Her people have lived hard lives...which may have shaped them into some of the most hardworking Asians, highly innovative, creative, competitive...

On such rugged terrain, the island's bound to have a waterfall. This one's Cheonjiyeon Falls is quite nice - easy to get to, pleasant surroundings, cool crisp Autumn air...

As there's so much volcanic rocks - make the most of them. So everywhere is this 'grandfather' of rocks, pumice stones, sculptures, cute collectibles...

Local markets offer a slice of life which I enjoy checking out. There are stalls that sell fresh sea food yet the floor is never wet, there's no odour which suggests the food is fresh and of course, the cooler climate, low humidity, make the difference...

This meal was brought to the table with critters squirming, wriggling, crawling...pretty soon the hot soup put the poor creatures out of their misery...

At this other place, a meal can be had in which oysters, sea urchins and abalone are plucked from the sea, sliced thin and eaten with a lemony sauce. Raw is the way to go when it's kicking fresh...!

This UNESCO Geopark site is Seongsan Peak - it's where one gets to see up close and personal their other attraction - the Haenyeo women divers, tough women who dive with just a diving mask, lead weights around their waists, and each attached to an orange coloured basketball-sized float. 

The term Haenyeo literally means 'sea women' -  the womenfolk on Jeju have done this for generations and they're unique to this island. There aren't many left still doing this for a living. The 4 divers who demonstrated are quite elderly, likely retired, they now perform every day for visitors. I'm happy for them for the recognition and attention they're getting for I'm sure life has been tough for them since their youth...

When they showed up for the performance, the visitors greeted them respectfully with claps and wolf whistles...!

'The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world' - William R Wallace

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An old part of town brought to life with a splash of colour

I enjoyed Jeju - whether I see the cities of Busan or Seoul isn't important...

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A varied and interesting program, arranged by Jimmy Ooi of ISE Travel - literally 'from the mountain to the sea' lol!

Some pics came from fellow travellers...