I woke up in my God-sent room and easily found the Hiking Inn in Seogwipo, where the very helpful owner was able to suggest some sights that he thought I would enjoy. So with the sun still scorching up above as ever, I went to the Jeongbang waterfall, an easy walk from my hotel.
I love waterfalls. I love how their sound and majesty drown out all other noise. The Jeongbang waterfall is special because it is one of a handful of waterfalls in Asia which run directly into the sea. It was stunning. After walking in the water and getting thoroughly soaked, I sat on the rocks and read, just taking in the sound of it. In the distance, a greenery-covered island loomed - looking like something out of the Caribbean.
After the waterfall, I caught a bus to Jungmun resort near Seogwipo, an flashy tourist area with five-star hotels that made my mouth hang open. Of course, staying in one of them would have cost the price of my entire vacation, but it was still fascinating to see how the rich and famous (and honeymooners - everywhere honeymooners!) live it up in gold-accented foyers and private gardens and beaches. One of the hotels (Lotte) is designed to look like the Lost City in South Africa, but I recon the original is better.
So in Jungmun I went to the Teddy Bear Museum, as somewhat of a sceptic. I'm just not that into teddy bears. But it was one of the most unique museums I've ever been to. The original teddy bear was created in honor of Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, and ever since then, teddies have been quite naturally suited to satire, and in copying famous people. The first exhibition called "History" included scenes from 1908 England, the Titanic, The Beatles, Howard Carter uncovering the Egyptian Tombs and Space Teddies. Many of the bears move and dance around their displays. For children of all ages!
So in Jungmun I went to the Teddy Bear Museum, as somewhat of a sceptic. I'm just not that into teddy bears. But it was one of the most unique museums I've ever been to. The original teddy bear was created in honor of Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, and ever since then, teddies have been quite naturally suited to satire, and in copying famous people. The first exhibition called "History" included scenes from 1908 England, the Titanic, The Beatles, Howard Carter uncovering the Egyptian Tombs and Space Teddies. Many of the bears move and dance around their displays. For children of all ages!
The second floor is called "Art" and has teddy bears recreating scenes from Western art, such as the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, The Kiss and Van Gogh's self portrait. There is also a teddy bear picnic garden and a teddy bear shop, where I bought myself a Jeju teddy bear to take home.
These two photos show the destruction of the Berlin Wall and Disneyland.
I took a long confusing walk/climb down the hill to the Jungmun beach, which they evidently hide from us plebs who don't stay at one of the resort hotels. The scene from the top of the hill was beautiful. The beach itself was warm and fun, if a little crowded with Koreans trying to make friends. "Are you on honeymoon?" "Oh no?" "Why, alone?" The swimming was good though, as I had the deeper water all to myself (the Koreans don't swim but bob up and down in their inflatable tubes as big unbroken waves roll out against the sand).
In this sticky, moggy, gluey humidity, its tough getting out of the water.
As dusk fell I went back to the Hiking Inn. There was another waterfall that the owner recommended, and I was happy to see this in the cool dark of the evening. It is called Cheonjiyeon falls and its the first photo on this post. The whole park is lit up spectacularly at night (but unfortunately my camera couldn't capture any of its night-time magic!) You are supposed to be able to see a face in the falls when it is lit up at night, but this may be another fanciful Korean Rorschach . The park is beautiful too, gentle-running water, dramatic rocks and colored lights which really accent the natural foliage. The water was full of fish of all sizes, visible under the water, even in the dark. The time spent there, just watching people and watching the waterfall run its course, reminded me of Hogsback, far away in South Africa.
I took a long confusing walk/climb down the hill to the Jungmun beach, which they evidently hide from us plebs who don't stay at one of the resort hotels. The scene from the top of the hill was beautiful. The beach itself was warm and fun, if a little crowded with Koreans trying to make friends. "Are you on honeymoon?" "Oh no?" "Why, alone?" The swimming was good though, as I had the deeper water all to myself (the Koreans don't swim but bob up and down in their inflatable tubes as big unbroken waves roll out against the sand).
In this sticky, moggy, gluey humidity, its tough getting out of the water.
As dusk fell I went back to the Hiking Inn. There was another waterfall that the owner recommended, and I was happy to see this in the cool dark of the evening. It is called Cheonjiyeon falls and its the first photo on this post. The whole park is lit up spectacularly at night (but unfortunately my camera couldn't capture any of its night-time magic!) You are supposed to be able to see a face in the falls when it is lit up at night, but this may be another fanciful Korean Rorschach . The park is beautiful too, gentle-running water, dramatic rocks and colored lights which really accent the natural foliage. The water was full of fish of all sizes, visible under the water, even in the dark. The time spent there, just watching people and watching the waterfall run its course, reminded me of Hogsback, far away in South Africa.After an enchanted night I slept peacefully in my room and spent my last couple of hours in Jeju supporting the Jeju tourist economy with a sudden spending-urge. So aside from the Jeju teddy bear, I bought myself Jeju perfume (which smells like the citrus plants and subtropical flowers grown here) a moonstone bracelet and a Harubang stone frame for a choice Jeju vacation photo. And chocolate! Jeju's unusually flavored chocolate - read: pineapple, tangerine, cactus, green tea, chili - is delicious! So Jeju isn't just a big Korean hype, it's an awesome natural treasure-trove and well worth a visit.
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