Jeju Getaway

The summer is almost over but David and I were finally able to squeeze in our trip to Jeju before heading back to the states for a month. Since our trip had been canceled twice before I was very excited to have finally made it happen. Jeju is South Korea's largest island that lies directly south of us. It was only about a half hour plane ride and an additional hour drive to our hotel on the south side of the island. We ended up staying at a pretty inexpensive hotel (Goodinn Hotel) to try and save a little money. Fortunately we didn't spend much time there and the staff were very friendly. With three full days on the island we decided to pick a different area to explore every day in order to maximize what we were able to see. Now the first day was a little disappointing to me in a few ways. The area we were staying in left a little to be desired. It wasn't very picturesque and I had a hard time with not being able to go somewhere for breakfast due to the late opening of all cafes in the area. We also couldn't see much of the coastline because of all the buildings and restaurants. But don't be discouraged because our later ventures definitely made up for these failings.

On day one we stayed in central Seogwipo and visited all of the natural tourist destinations. Our first stop was the Jeongbang Waterfall. This is Asia's only waterfall that drops directly into the ocean. While it was very beautiful indeed, it was also overcrowded and we couldn't get all that close to the falls. So, we ventured off to our number two destination, the Cheonjiyeon Falls. This was another grand waterfall which made for some more great pictures, but again not super exciting. After Cheonjiyeon we enjoyed a little snack over at the Duncan Donuts before heading out to Oedolgae. Oedolgae is a rather large rock column right off the coast. Korean legand says that a woman married to a seaman discovered her husband was lost at sea. She was so sad that she became the rock. Not a super exciting story but interesting none the less. After this point in the day we were pretty sweaty and ready for a swim so we went to a little area referred to as the Donnaeko resort. There is a mountain fed stream that runs through with large rocks surrounding each side. The water was absolutely freezing but it was a lot of fun. David especially loved climbing about on all the rocks and the water was crystal clear! After cleaning up at the hotel we visited an over priced glass museum and  then headed to dinner. Hans Family restaurant, while also a little over priced it had some good western style foods so I was a happy girl. To top off the evening we visited the world cup stadium and saw a movie at the theater located inside it.

Day two was a bit more exciting but we ended up doing a lot more driving as well. Since we had rented a car it made it easier to get around. We traveled to the southwest side of the island which took about 40 minutes. We started off by going to Sanbada ATV. It was an adventure course in which a guide takes you around for half an hour. The course was a lot of fun and we loved being about to ride through the forest and get up close to the coastline. When the ATV was finished we took a tour of Mount Sangbansan and the Hamel ship. I was even forced by a little old Korean man to take a five minute ride on a horse while he led me around a track. After that we stopped off at the Chocolate Museum, just one of the MANY, Many museums on Jeju, but it was much better than the glass museum. The entire history of chocolate making was displayed and we were able to watch a few ladies making chocolate in the back. We also got to taste some of the best chocolate i've ever had! The best part of the day though in my opinion was the Aqua Planet aquarium on the upper East coast of Jeju. Apparently it is Asia's largest aquarium and it really was very well built. Not only did it have a whale shark but there were walrus, otters, dolphins and some really active sea lions. And as most people know, I LOVE aquariums so this was all very exciting in my opinion. For dinner we found a really cool restaurant called Geckos Terrace and they had a fabulous spread of western dishes with some really good margaritas and mixed cocktails.

Day three was by far the best day of our whole trip. After our hour long drive to the northeast and passing some beautiful scenery we made it to the Manjanggul Lava Tunnel. This was one of my favorite things because it is the worlds longest cave formed by lava. In it's entirety it is 7.4 Km long. An entire 1 km of that is open to public. When we descended into the cave it dropped about 30 degrees and the only light were these faint foot lights that had been installed. It was just such a neat thing to experience that I would love to go back again someday. Now if the cave wasn't enough we took a ferry for two dollars a person and went to U-do. U-do is an island on the East side with what many people say is Jeju's most beautiful beach. Upon arrival to the island we found out that we could rent ATVs or scooters for a mere 10 dollars an hour. Well, of course we went with the scooter! So we got to scoot along the island and stop at the beach for some snorkeling. The sand was nice and white and the water was so clear you could see to the bottom with ease. It was a vibrant blue and green color and icy cold. The cold felt good though after being in the heat for so long. The island also had a black sand beach with a big empty cave for David to go and explore. After we had exhausted our time on the island we took the ferry back and headed to Gecko's for our final meal on Jeju.

If we could have changed anything we would have spent most of our time by U-do and done some more cave exploring on the North side of the island. But with that said, we had a wonderful time in Jeju and I just wish I could have gotten myself a Jeju trademark....The old man statue!

David and the old lady statue

Jeongbang Waterfall

Cheonjiyeon Waterfall

Oedolgae

 Donnaeko

 Glass Museum

 World Cup Stadium

 Sanbada ATV...they make you wear dust masks lol

      Mt. Sanbangsan

David at the Chocolate Museum

 Outside the Aquarium

 The rainforest area

Whale Shark!

 Manjanggul Lave Tunnel

 On the Ferry

 U-do

 David let me drive for a few minutes

 U-do Beach

Exploring the cave on U-do

Gumo Island Adventure

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!
    
I have a lot of fun things to talk about today and a bunch of wonderful photos to share. The Lord has truly blessed David and I this year and I am so thankful that we are able to share in our excitement with all of you. Last weekend our good friends Joy and Grant came down to visit us from Seoul. They stayed for two days and we had the pleasure of taking them to Odong Island as well as the World Expo. While David and I had already been to the expo I will say it was much better the second time around. There was less of a crowd and we were able to get in to see a very large number of the various country exhibits. Just a few to name include Qatar, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, USA, Spain, Romania, and Israel. Each exhibit was unique in its own way. The US had a very moving video about the ocean and what it means to different people. Qatar had women doing Henna and a traditional band performing; Romania had a really good cafe with all Romanian foods and Israel had a wonderful undersea experience with lots of special effects and lighting.

Now this past weekend David and I were scheduled to do our open water certification dive for our Scuba cert. Unfortunately we had to cancel our trip do to the three day weekend for Buddhas birthday. Whenever there is a big holiday here travel becomes about 80 percent more difficult. Being that David had Monday off work we wanted to enjoy the long weekend and have a memorial celebration of our own (ignoring that of the Buddhist holiday). South Korea and Yeosu specifically, is surrounded by almost two hundred islands. With that in mind we decided to do a little exploring. David and I first took a ferry over to Gumo Island for a bit of hiking. This was my first time on a ferry so I was very exciting. The cost was a little pricy for the one hour trip but we decided to take our car anyways and load up with a delicious picnic and all our hiking needs. Upon arrival to the island we were able to hike along most of the outer perimeter. It was a pretty big Island that is inhabited by several fisherman and farming families. While things are very basic and bare there, hiking was even better. Everything was just so natural and scenic. All the paths were dirt and there were trees, fauna and water everywhere! At some points you feel like you are in Hawaii while other places its as if you are in the jungle, the forest and then a more arid climate such as California. It was a beautiful Island and we really enjoyed getting to see all the high cliffs and deep green waters.

So if all that weren't enough, we took another short ferry ride over to Dolsan Island and took to the beach! Now it wasn't as nice as the Florida coast but it had its perks. Its was a smaller beach with rocky areas on either side and island out in the distance. The water was very clear and also very cold. The sand was nice and the sun made things all the better. The only down side in my opinion is that no one wears a swim suit. They wear shorts and t shirts to swim because sun exposure is a big no no to the Koreans. While I'm not opposed to wearing a one piece and some shorts, even that would have looked out of sorts compared to the full attire of the natives. Either way though, David enjoyed wading in the cool water and lounging out on the beach for some much needed sunshine.

To leave you with a final thought....one of my favorite verses from Philippians 4:8 says "Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praise worthy- meditate on these things" While life isn't a walk in the park, I choose to find the good in everything. This past weekend I saw God's creation all around me and it was most certainly lovely and praiseworthy!

 

May Madness

Happy Spring everyone! I have just returned from a short but great trip back to Seoul to send my mother in law and aunt back to the US. David and I were fortunate enough to have received our very first visitors since we got to Korea. My mother in law Wendy and David's aunt Bonnie flew in about two weeks ago and came to stay with us in Yeosu. I have to say their trip came at the most perfect time because everything has started to come alive here. We had the most perfect 70-80 degree weather and David was able to get a day off work so that we could do some fun activities. We started out by taking them to Odong Island for some light hiking and and a beautiful view on the water. We also visited the Nagan traditional folk village in Suncheon as well as the Suncheon Eco Park which is one of the top five biggest marshlands in the world! Apart from those two adventures we did some shopping around town, saw Mirror Mirror in theaters while enjoying some delicious Korean popcorn and we ventured out to a few Korean restaurants. I believe that Shabu Shabu was a big hit because it is a large pot of seasoned water that cooks at the table and you just have to add a whole bunch of cabbage and greens along with thin strips of beef. It is actually very tasty and healthy at the same time. At the end of the meal we cook our noodles and the make a sort of rice porridge with the remainder of the liquid. The day we attended the World Expo was also a big adventure. The World expo is a giant convention of sorts that happens every three years at a different location around the world. It just so happened to be here in Yeosu this year so me managed to show up for the rehearsal day at a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately, so did the rest of Korea. While the grounds were very beautiful and well constructed there were just too many people to really enjoy ourselves. We have decided that if we go back we will have to make reservations for the different country exhibits so that we wont have to wait in all the long lines. Apart from all that fun there managed to be a bit of down time thankfully in which we were able to explore the beach and do some walking around our apartment community. They really seemed to enjoy all the coffee shops and bakeries which I cant blame the for, they are wonderful! This last Friday we then took the three and a half hour KTX train into the city so that they could experience a bit of Seoul before they had to go to the airport on Sunday morning. While in Seoul we visited the most northern royal palace as well as the famous Namdaemun outdoor market and Myeongdong shopping district. We basically walked until our legs about gave out. Friday night our old Korean instructor Isabel met us for some Mexican food and Ice cream so that she could meet Wendy and Bonnie. Isabel of course was a big hit and showed them a good time. Saturday night in turn we met our good Korean friends Rahni and Min Seok for Korean BBQ and Karaoke. I must say that we had a wonderful time and I even got up and sang which is a big deal! Sadly our time with them had to come to an end and we are back in Yeosu once again. We took an exorbitant amount of pictures though so I hope you enjoy some of the highlights.

Since it was Mothers day this past Monday as well I must mention That I have been extremely blessed to have such an amazing mother and Mother in law as well as step mother for that matter. I am blessed three fold and am so eternally grateful to my father in heaven for all that he has given me! May God bless you and all the mothers out there.

Yeosu Relocation

Its official, we are now yeosuites....yeosumites....yeousuonians...hmmm well anyways we are now living in Yeosu and all settled in. The move was amazingly easy with the help of our wonderful moving company and furniture rentals. While we are still getting to know the area we are really enjoying our new apartment and all the extra cabinet and closet space. My favorite part so far is the freedom of taking Bear outside. We no longer need to leash him up or avoid traffic and all the distracting people. It is so much easier and much less of a chore. Bear in turn has really enjoyed all the green grass and the ability to run around without constraint. He has even enjoyed our nice hike behind the complex and the walks to the beach across the street. Driving has been a bit of a challenge but we are slowly adjusting. Driving in a foreign country is never easy but driving in a place where no one obeys traffic lights, traffic signals or even traffic lanes is a whole new ball field. Our current vehicle complements of Albemarle is a new Samsung QM5. Its a nice little SUV and as soon as the cigarette smell dissipates it will be even better. This next weekend we hope to explore the Azalea festival if the weather allows. I'm under the impression that it is quite a hike to the top of some mountain where the Azaleas bloom. It sounds like a lot of fun so hopefully there will be a post about that a bit later. For the time being i'm filling my days with working out at home, hanging out with Bear, shopping, and meeting up with our new expat friend Erin. I think life here in Yeosu is going to be great and i'm looking forward to getting out in the nice weather to enjoy the beach and mountains.

I have one more thing to report upon. Just prior to leaving Yeosu our Korean teacher gave us a cooking lesson on Korean style Dak Bulgogi (or something like that ). While it doesn't look like much it actually had a nice sweet flavor with some yummy beef and rice cakes mixed in.   

Surgical Endeavors

I'm Back!!
      Yes, yes I'm sorry it has been ages since my last post but I have been out of the country and trying to get over the winter blues. Well, Spring is fast approaching now and I am happily getting ready for our next move to Yeosu South Korea. While its not the beaches of Florida I am still looking forward to being on the water with some nice open air to breath! We are all set to leave Seoul on the 30th of this month and will move into our new apartment on the 31st. While the move will be pretty easy thanks to our wonderful moving company, I still have quite a few preparations before I am ready. The main thing on my list is grocery shopping and lots of it!
         On another note the title of this post is surgical endeavors and believe me I have not forgotten. You see as I sit here writing it is my grand attempt to distract me from the pain I am in. For the last year I have been putting off having my wisdom teeth looked at. I new they would have to come out and my bottom two impacted teeth had finally begun to peek through. While I was in Minnesota visiting my family I decided to attempt to get them removed, with a nice American doctor and some nice general anesthesia. Well, once we got the total price estimate after insurance lets just say my husband wasn't so eager to let me have the surgery at that facility. In fact, he went so far as too book me an appointment with an expat orthodontic surgeon right here in good ol' Korea. While it is absolutely true that it is half the price to have surgery in Korea, they do still practice a little differently. When I was in the states I was looking forward to being put to sleep for the procedure and waking up in a nice bed for recovery with my mom waiting outside. Instead I got a local anesthesia and got to walk out of the office by myself and hail a taxi home while my husband was on business in Yeosu. Now I  don't blame him for having to work but it would have been nice to have someone like my momma here to help me recover. The other big difference for me was the pain medicine. In the states they are so kind to prescribe you the good stuff. I'm talking nice strong pain killers. The pills prescribed to me however are up for debate. I know that one of them is an antibiotic to keep and infection from popping up but who knows what the other one is. For one, its not very strong, two its leaves me in a mild state of pain all the time ant three, i'm only given enough to take one pill three times a day when I need way more! Now I know I am saving a lot of money here but is all this pain really worth it! My cheeks are the size of Texas and im so swollen on day three that I still cant talk properly. I can only hope that I recover soon because I only have one weekend left to enjoy this great city. As for the doctor, I will say she was very qualified and very nice. She completed the surgery in half the expected time and she was very good about asking me if I was doing alright. The office was very nice and up to date and her assistance were wonderful. Thankfully their English was also very good.

So in conclusion, if you have to have surgery or anything of great medical expense it is much cheaper to do it here but be sure to bring along some heavier pain pill!

Happy Chinese NeW yEaR!

Good Morning Everyone!
It has been quite a long time since my last post and I do believe that has to do in part to my winter hibrination . It has turned cold here and I dont really get out that much. David has been traveling a lot to Yeosu these past few weeks and I have been concentrating on my substitute teaching. Other than that I like to stay home with Bear and wait out the cold!

One happy this to report today is that David and i have successfully completed our class session ans confined water dive. We are now 2/3rds of the way to being Scuba Dive Certified. We found a wonderful PADI teacher here in Korea and after paying up an exorbident amount of money we were on our way! We have really had a lot of fun with the lessons and we cant wait to do our open water dive this Spring on Jeju island. It just so happens to be a top dive site and we are just an hours flight away. Once we complete our certification we will then be free to dive in places such as Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, New Zealand and so On.  Our instructor was kind enough to take an array of underwater pictures during our first dive and I hope to have them up in the next few days. They may also befound on my facebook profile!

As of now David and I are set to move to Yeosu on March 31. This would be a wonderful time for you to book your flight to com and see us. The weather will be getting warm and there are plenty of fun islads and mountains to explore! Dont delay though because plane tickets will only get worse :D!!!!

Happy Chinese New Year ~the year of the BLACK DRAGON!

Peace