Korea Trip Day 2 - Jeju Island (part 1)

Jeju Island is really quite a refreshing place away from city, especially all around it was water (所谓的有山有水, 空气新鲜). It is also considered as a tourism place for couples (even for Koreans themselves if they can't afford too far a country for travelling). But in past history, Jeju Island is also a place where pirates like to attack in/from, precisely coz they can invade through the waters (less boundaries)...which hence leading to overall living standard much lower compared to city, 也是比较朴实. In the olden days, the people are used to running away from their homes for survival, that's why 泡菜 concept was somewhat developed from there, where only preserved food can be used for easy consumption.

In the morning, we were treated to their abalone porridge. But their kind of porridge rice is more similar to Jap's 珍珠米, rather than ours. So when you eat, you can taste 一粒一粒的粥米 as well. Their abalone definitely is not like ours, but more like hard sotong. Their typical porridge also added in not-so-salty seaweed strips as seasoning. Overall, not too bad.

So after breakfast, we set off to Yongduam Rock (龙头岩) . It is a formation from volcano residues, where a look-a-like dragon head was created.

Jeju Island has this interesting fact...阴胜阳衰. So to change that, they design the below symbolic figure (it can also be found in different areas of Jeju Island). The host told us to touch its nose before telling us the background story. Haha. Behind the symbolic figure has something like a 'baggage' behind his back...where actually is associative to 男根. >.<. Our tour guide also mentioned, pregnant ladies will come here to touch the symbolic figure, in attempt to pray for their child to be a boy. Because of 阴胜阳衰, it is a common trend for the guy to have many wives, which indirectly made the wife have to be capable of many things, like cooking (that's why even in shows, the mother always advice their daughter to learn how to cook) and managing the household....刻苦耐劳 is a important characteristic in Korean women for them to survive.

The next venue was Sungsan Sunrise Park (日出峰) . Very scenic and a bit like those Australia-country side farm feel. My dad and me managed to climb to the mountain peak (but really tedious man! coz the steps are narrow and pretty steep), but my mum and my sis to tired to climb all the way, in the end just rest half-way the journey. One photo you see got tents, is actually where the old ladies are selling tangerines (cheap rental). I will mentioned more about it later.

Next, we went to a tangerine farm and tried cutting of tangerines for sovenoir. Tangerine is considered as a 特产 in Jeju Island, because their land (volcanic?) and overall climatic condition not very suitable for other kinds of vegetation, whereby only tangerines can survive. The guide also told us the smaller the tangerine, the sweeter the fruit is. Tangerines are also use in making of chocolates, creating that slightly sour but sweet aftertaste.

After visiting the tangerine farm, we set off to ATV ride. (山地摩托车). Oh my, although quite trilling but hor, can scare you of your life-time if you don't know how to control the motorbike (It just zoom forward, coz no numeric/gear type of control but just a normal push in-out kind!) We were supposed to follow a mini-terrain (according to the professionals, that is considered easy for new beginners), but really not that easy leh. Quite a few times, at those curvature areas, my bike got stuck to one side. lol. 挺耗费体力, coz the bike really not light lor. haha! It is designed for 4 wheels for safety/balancing purpose. But taking the ride itself can make your pants quite dirty as you would have to travel along sand/muddy tracks...

After the tedious and adventurous ride (but not cheap if it is not a tour package. Just one round the place is about S$25-30 depending on the day you went), we were treated to their 黑猪肉烧烤 for lunch. Really nice leh, coz they cut quite thinly plus they marinate quite well so 有口感, 有嚼劲. 黑猪肉 is also their 特产, and people purposely go all the way to Jeju Island to eat them. A picture of 黑猪 will be posted later on...

*One thing I realised when I went to Korean 专卖 (only sell one type of dish/food) restaurants, is that they are pretty generous with their side dishes de. They cooked up boxes/containers of the vegetable, and if you think it is still not enough, feel freely to take more at the restaurant side shoulders. And their 泡菜 also looks and taste fresh.

After the meal, we set off to Jeju Folk Village (济洲民俗村) for sightseeing. By the way, this Jeju Folk Village is also the place where the famous show 大长今 fliming took place...