Adventures on Jeju

Jeju Island is 45 miles long and 26 miles across. So, it’s not huge by any standards, but there is plenty to do and see on this little island. Because of flight times, we ended up spending a night on the front end and on the back end in Jeju City. Our hotel, the Whistlelark Hotel, was fine, I would just prefer to be away from the city. The rest of our time was split between the southeast corner at a lovely seaside condo called Turning Point. It was here that we watched dolphins play one morning and could wander along the black, rocky coastline and watch for tiny crabs. In the northwest corner, we stayed in a gorgeous Airbnb, where these two single girls, for the first time in a month got to have not only their own room, but our own floor! We also thoroughly enjoyed the rooftop, side-by-side mini hot tubs in the

While, you can get from one end of the island to the other in just a a couple of hours, I think splitting our time in two places was smart. It meant that we didn’t have to drive as far to do the things that we wanted to. I’m not sure if we needed a full week on the island, but taking that time meant that we could move a little slower and enjoy the little things. I think if the weather had been a little different, we would’ve enjoyed some time lounging in the sun as well.

Research on the internet told us that renting a car was the best way to get around here. I am so glad that we did! Driving here really hasn’t been so bad. Well, for me it’s been great, because Jess has been our driver! She has done a fantastic job. But I must say, the roads are wider and in much better shape than what I anticipated. Rules on the road are very similar to home, and they drive on the right side of the road. Of course, there are a few things that have been a little tricky where people seem to make up their own rules about things like which lane to drive in or what areas seem to be appropriate to park in. Navigating has been a little tricky. We were told ahead of time that Google maps did not work here. I am most accustomed to using Apple Maps. Apple Maps has worked well, although the time expected for our journeys has always been about 2/3 of the actual time. The problem is, that not everything shows up on Apple Maps. So, we use Google maps to find a place, or sometimes the Internet, but Google will not create a route, so we have to go back into Apple Maps to do that and search for the same spot. Siri has been a great guide in the car, however, just like us, he struggles with the language. Often times he will tell us to “turn left toward” and that is the last thing he says. Like he’s not even going to try to pronounce where we are headed. If you’re planning to come here, I would highly recommend renting a car as the cost was very reasonable, and the driving has not been too difficult. 

June and July are the rainy season on this island, and unfortunately, we experienced a lot of that. We did get lucky toward the end of our stay with some more sunshine that helped to make the turquoise waters glisten, but our time was certainly dominated by clouds and rain. This certainly impacted our choices of activities and limited hiking possibilities.

Soon upon arrival, it was easy to see some of the most popular parts of the island. The island is particularly known for their hallabong tangerines, and so all of the gift shops are full of bright orange colored trinkets. There are tangerine bucket hats, and raincoats as well as, keychains, and chocolates. Also, throughout the island, there are Stone guardians known as grandfather‘s that guard the entranceways to homes and businesses. These adorable little guys can be found just about everywhere, and it is quite obvious that Jeju loves them! Jeju also is home to half of the horses of all of South Korea, so horses are common, and there are often opportunities for horseback riding throughout the island as well. 

I wanted to share a few things that we did enjoy doing on this island in case you ever come this direction perhaps it can be a guide for you!

• Jeju Peace Park - This vast expanse works to honor all of those that were killed in the 1940s and 50s. It is overwhelming and difficult, but well worth the visit.
• Jeju Stone Park - We thought from the brief descriptions online that it was mostly a park full of stone figures that this island is well known for, like the small guardians, but instead this huge complex is a history of rocks, the formation of this island, and how the people of this island have used rocks for generations. 
• Snoopy Garden -This was sort of a random stop for us, but it had rave reviews online, and I must admit that it was very enjoyable. There was a small sort of museum on Peanuts and why they are so beloved. Outside, there was an expensive and well manicure garden with statues of all of the characters scattered throughout. 
• Seopjikoji - A peninsula with great views, a lighthouse and a giant swing.
• Haenyeo - Jeju Haenyeo Museum and demonstration at Seongsan Ilchulbong - both were meaningful and well worth it! 
• Seongsan Ilchulbong - A climb on a peninsula to see the view. We enjoyed it, but I hope you don’t have to do it with an umbrella! 
• A Day Trip to Edo - A ten minute ferry ride to an adorable little island with scooters to rent. 
• Manjanggul Cave - This is one of the longest and largest lava tubes in the world. We loved being able to wander the kilometer back in its vastness. 
• Waterfalls - This island is known for waterfalls, and with all the rain, they were spilling over full force. We enjoyed several along our route. 
• Maeil Olle Market - The town of Seogwipo is home to a large market where we enjoyed eating and shopping our way through. 
• Daepo Jusangjeolli - The rocky cliff line where volcanic material cooled into hexagonal columns, just like the Giants’ Causeway in Northern Ireland. 
• Sinchang Windmill Coastal Road - Much of the coastline here is dotted with windmills. At this little walkway that jets out into the ocean, you can walk amongst them. 
• Sanbang Mountain - At the side of this small mountain is a giant temple with a huge golden Buddha. Up a steep climb, there is another magical temple inside the mountain where if you drink the water, you will live for six more years than you were supposed to. 
• O’Sulloc Tea Museum - While it wasn’t exactly what we were anticipating, this huge estate offers tea samples, and a large café, as well as beautiful grounds and lots of skin care. 
• Iho Tewoo Horse Lighthouses - This isn’t a place that requires a lot of time, but these lighthouses in the shape of Jeju’s famous ponies are a great little photo spot! 

This little island is packed with adventures to be had plus lots of natural beauty to explore. It’s no wonder the Seoul to Jeju flight route is the busiest route in the world!

Jeju

​About a year ago, I listened to a book. I honestly didn’t know much about it, but a lot of people I knew were reading it, and it was my favorite genres of historical fiction, so I gave it a try. Little did I know how much Island of Sea Women would impact me. The story was difficult. It was gut wrenching at times and the fact that I had so little background knowledge made the understanding of names and places challenging, but the Haenyeo women fascinated me. I began researching the island of Jeju, and well, it is all thanks to a book that we are here now.

I’ve decided to split our week here into a few different posts, and on this one, I’ll be sharing about some of the history of this island. You may already know much more than I ever did, but as much of its history was hidden for decades, it needs to be told.

First, let’s start with the unbelievable Haenyeo women. Haenyeo translates to “diving women,” and that is exactly what these women are. They dive, with only goggles and flippers for support at huge depths of up to ten meters and often are underwater for two minutes collecting what the sea has to offer. There’s not a lot of clear cut answers as to how this came to be, but there are many ideas. Diving has long been a way of livelihood on this island, but it was in the seventeenth century that it became an industry dominated by women. It was thought that women’s bodies were better  suited to diving because of fat content and a “higher shivering threshold” than men. Also, many men had died in war and deep sea fishing accidents. There also seemed to be certain rules and taxes put on boats, where female divers were a bit of a loophole.

So, for over three hundred years, women have been diving in Jeju to feed their families. It created a unique society where women were the breadwinners, and yet not the decision makers. Women would bring home food for their family as well as sell items at market to buy other necessary goods. They learned to love the gifts of the sea such as abalone, sea urchins, and a variety of seaweed. Today, there are still women, some into their 80s that do this as a way to provide for themselves and their families. These women are incredibly strong, proud of their heritage, and sisters. For generations, they have watched after one another in the water, ensuring that they’re diving partners return to the surface each time. They alone understand the hardships and the difficulties of their lifestyle. Ceremonies mark significant events in the life of a woman. A sort of dressing room around a warm fire provided not only a place of refuge during long days at sea, but ann opportunity for bonding with one another. Girls, as early as thirteen officially became divers. Today, not at all unsurprisingly, these women are not being replaced by a younger generation. The next generation is moving to big cities and getting degrees for a variety of other careers.

Because this unique lifestyle is so revered and recognized, there are multiple museums on the island giving more information about these strong women. There is also a demonstration that several Haonyeo women do daily. I felt fortunate that the weather cooperated enough for us to witness this. I will admit, that in a way, I felt as awkward as I sometimes do watching a Native American performance. Are we putting their culture and lifestyle on show? Is it more of a fish tank where we are staring in and fascinated by what we see? Or is it a sign of cultural respect that we are here and want to learn more? I’m still not 100% sure, but the four older women that we saw sing and dive, had smiles on their faces and seemed to be thankful that they could still carry on the traditions of generations of women from this island.

We stood on a seashore with well over an hundred other observers, and the hillside above us was also stacked with tourists. The four women, at least in their 70s, had on traditional wetsuits, and the one large goggle. They performed a short song and dance with their nets before going into the waters nearby. While the waters nearby were not very deep, so they did not get to show off their incredible lung capacity, even in only a few minutes of diving, we watched two women grab an octopus each, and bring it in. (Yes, I have also fallen in love with Remarkably Bright Creatures, and so while I don’t love watching those catches, it was very impressive!) 

These women, because they are in the sea day in and day out, have also been careful observers of climate change. They have noticed the changes in their waters over the years and have adjusted what they collect because of those changes. They also have been recognized as some of the world’s leading experts on how to fish and gather appropriately. As they gather daily, they are careful to ensure that certain times of year they avoid or leave things of a certain size to make sure that there is more to come in the future.

One day, we went to the tiny island of Edo. Just a 10 minute ferry ride from Jeju mainland. It was here, that along the coastal road, in multiple different places, we saw Haenyeo women dive. Not for show, but because that was their livelihood. Later in the day, we saw some of them, hauling their huge nets in and even loading them into carts to drive them home or off to the market. I loved the opportunity to get to see these women in action for real. 

This island is also steeped in significantly horrific history as well. Its location is such that for years, countries have wanted to control it. The island, with a central volcano, only takes about five hours to circumnavigate by car, is not all together large, but it is sixty miles off the coast of South Korea, so location is truly key. It was controlled by the Mongolians (who used it as a breeding ground for horses which is why there are still so many here today), the Japanese, even briefly the United States, before returning it to its Korean heritage.

During World War II, the Japanese used the island as a military base and carried out atrocities against citizens like kidnapping women for work in factories or other truly unimaginable horrors. (We are almost finished listening to The White Chrysanthemum which blends this history with that of the Haenyeo women). After the Japanese surrendered, the United States actually took over control of the small island briefly. Our countrymen stayed here during the Korean War as well. It was during those times, with the support of our government, that thousands of people on this tiny island were murdered.

History is complicated and there’s never only one side to the story, but here is a brief history of what I understand. People on Jeju Island did not like the idea of Korea becoming two countries. Not everyone, but perhaps a larger percentage than mainland. In fact, some people from the mainland, who also felt that way, escaped here. There was a protest against the elections that would solidify the two different countries. At that protest, the police fired into the crowd, killing six people, including a young child. After that, as you can only imagine, the people retaliated. There was fighting and skirmishes back-and-forth between the military government, and those wanting a unified Korea. However, it was the brutal tactics by the South Korean military government, aided by the United States, that murdered civilians. Communities were slaughtered just because there were rumors that rebels may be hiding amongst their midst.

Crimes were so horrific that for decades, the truth was hidden from the public. Early in this century, however, more research was done by the South Korean government and information was made public. Formal apologies have been made by both Japan and the South Korean government for what happened here, but not, as far as I can find, by the United States.

In 2008, Jeju opened the Peace Park to honor the thousands that were killed during the 1940s and early 50s. Because so many people were taken prisoner, and many were buried in mass graves, there are still lots of questions and unknowns about people, but the vastness of this park silently speaks volumes. It is a beautiful park, and I’m glad that we made attending it a priority, but it was truly chilling. 

The small island, while part of South Korea, has a culture and history all its own. I’m honored to have the opportunity to visit it to learn more.