An English Guide to Jeju - New Years Resolution

During my time on Jeju, I have noticed that that there are minimal sources available for English and other language speakers. The Korea Tourism website does not often have up-to-date information which has lead to some confusion and frustration a couple of times. As a foreigner it can be difficult at times to find cool sites, fun cafes, or delicious food. Google maps? Only really helpful with buses and even then it's not the most accurate.

I still remember my early adventures walking around the city: I was so overwhelmed with all of the Hangeul (한글, Korean writing). Despite being able to sound out words, I had no idea what anything was--restaurant, cafe, office--and you can't always see inside to tell.

Now that I have more experience under my skin, I thought I would start making an English guide, of sorts, to Jeju (or at least my part of Jeju) as one of my New Years resolutions. I'll try to include the information that I wish I had known, but I also welcome feedback and if I don't include something that you think is important, please let me know so that I can fix that!

Jeju is pretty cool and I hope that if you decide to travel here, this information can help make your time more enjoyable.

Happy Travels!

2016: A Year in Review

Dear Future Rae,

Here we are again, at the end of one year and at the start of a new one. When you think back on 2016, what will you remember? In comparison to 2015, my big "Year of Firsts," I feel like 2016 is almost eclipsed... but this past year was still full of fun adventures and shenanigans.

A snowy lane to end the year...

And thus, here is a chronological list of some of the highlights, for when you seek to remember the days of Past Rae...

1. January - While at the time it was a bit of a nightmare, the 2016 Jeju Blizzard is now a funny story in hindsight. Stuck ON my airplane for over five hours (failing to go to Busan) and then at the airport for an additional four... my friends and I had an interesting time finding a place to stay the night and then getting back to our school the next day. The snow closed the airport (and my school) for a couple of days, which made it crazy in residence, but, at least I could make snowmen. 
2. February - My first trip to China was for the Lunar New Year. I wasn't sure what to expect--especially not the constant fire crackers! But it was a lot of fun, I learned how to play Mahjong (and probably forgot most of it by now), and I ate some delicious home cooked food!
3. March - I may have completed my first official "10 k" in 2015, but my first successful race was with my coworkers at the Jeju International Peace Marathon. A beautiful run and some super-awesome people made the day extra awesome--especially with the post-run food.
4. March-April - The Cherry Blossoms in Korea are a remnant of Japanese colonization. One of my friends calls them "stealth beauties" because before they bloom, they look like grey, uninteresting and spindly trees. Then BAM! While the reason they are so extensive now in Korea is both painful and sad, they are still beautiful and it was a lot of fun wandering around Seoul and Jeju beneath their canopy.
5. May-June - Future Rae, let's not forgot that you conquered the multi-week process of getting your Korean Driver's License! That's an exciting milestone. Congrats to that, and all that jazz.
6. July - Home again, home again after a long year away. My mum and I managed to do a bit of camping AND we also went up the CN Tower. New adventures all around! 
7. July/September - At last, I visited Busan and not once but twice (day trip)! This is a city I must visit again. Although it's a big city, it's definitely very different from Seoul. As I continue to explore Korea, I hope to find other awesome places!
8. September - Some may find it weird travelling to a city in order to play a cellphone game, but as Pokemon Go can only be played in Sokcho, South Korea (yes, still only in Sokcho), Alyna and I weren't the only ones. It was cool to see many families out playing the game together and we enjoyed walking around the city. Another town I will have to visit again!
9. Inktober - Paper, ink, and a challenge!
10. October-November -Vietnam. Such an amazing place. At one point, I thought I would travel to places and cross them off my list, but I'm finding that instead I'm just creating a list of places I want to visit again...
11. November - A few of my students expressed interest in running a race before they graduate last year. Because of our breaks and the exam schedule, it hadn't worked out and so we bumped it to this year. Race day was colder than what we expected, but all three finished with decent times considering they did not have as much opportunity to train as we would have liked. Hopefully I can encourage more students to participate in races in the future.
12. December - To end the year off strong, I returned home for the holidays. I was able to see a lot of people, despite the short time frame, but as always wished I could have seen more. I also cut off most of my hair (for Locks of Love). Ha.

Before

After

 As I prepare to close this post, I think it's important to also remember that 2016 was also a big year for goodbyes. At the end of my first year's contract, many of my friends moved on to other opportunities and far-off places. It was a sad goodbye (I balled) because we knew that we might never see each other again--or at least not for a number of years...

Future Rae, Korea is still a fun place to be, for now. I'm happy I stayed for another year and hope that my current job search goes well for next year. I'm still waiting to run into a celebrity at Incheon Airport. It could happen. Someday. Hopefully I'll get lucky in 2017 and that celebrity will want to be my friend. ㅎㅎㅎ.

Almost There: Home for Christmas

Less than a week to go and then school will be over for 2016!

One of our Residence Trees "decorated" by Osulloc Tea Museum (오설록).

In some ways it's hard to believe that Christmas is almost here, but on the other hand, I'm sure teachers everywhere can also agree when I say "Finally!" It's been a crazy-busy fall and I am ready for another kind of crazy-busy with my friends and family back in Canada.

I'm only home for two weeks and I'm sure the days will race by all too quickly. Last year, I couldn't afford the plane ticket across the ocean and while travelling around south-east Asia was fun, it didn't really feel like Christmas. Without the family, food and usual (habitual?) disappointing lack of snow, it just wasn't "Christmas" in some ways.

Throwback: The sun's rays hitting the peak on Mount Kinabalu, Christmas morning 2015

Throwback: My friend Jade and I bundled at the top of Mount Kinabalu. My hat? A t-shirt.

So, family, friends, I miss you and I am so excited to see as many of you as I can soon!

Love and Hugs.

Sunrise in Jeju

If you want to watch the sunrise, the best thing to do is to first wake up to see the sunrise. ㅎㅎ.

The best thing to do on Jeju, is to hope (or plan) for good weather, camp out near Sunrise Peak (성산일출봉; Seong-San Il-Chul Bong), and then climb up early in the morning along with a bunch of other Korean (and maybe some Chinese) tourists. Pack your snacks, drinks and most definitely your camera and selfie-stick and you are good to go.

A common angle (or similar to) of Sunrise Peak featured on many postcards

Sunrise peak is one of the selling views of Jeju island. In a package of postcards, you might get 3-4 different angles and seasonal shots of the "Tuff Cone." Most tour companies bus their customers out to the east side of the island and wait the 30 mins to an hour while their tourists explore. At different times during the day, you can also see a demonstration by Haenyeo, Jeju's traditional female divers. (I don't know how these differ seasonally).

This past week, luck (and the weather) were on our side. One of my friends and I wanted to see the sunrise last April (click for blog post), but a cloudy night made for an anti-climatic morning. This time, it was different. At this time of year, the sunrise was also a lot later meaning we were able to sleep longer.

Heading toward the peak, the sun's rays already warm the horizon.

As we headed toward the peak in the early morning hours, we could already tell that it was going to be a good day. The sun's rays painted the horizon's edge in deep orange and yellow hues. The wisps of clouds creeping from the east edged into frame like actors setting the stage. The show was preparing to start!

There were many other people at the top with us, despite it being a Tuesday morning. A forest of selfie-sticks waving, the sound of camera shutters rippled through the crowd like leaves in the wind. We waited. The sky grew brighter, the light reflecting across the water and off the clouds. Then, the first sliver of the sun poked above the horizon. It was like we were at a sports match. There was a collective cheer and smiles all around. (My friends and I regret not filming that moment). In that brief moment we were a connected community and sharing a bit of the world's magic.

The sun above the horizon.

Canada Mitts!

I'm so happy that I was able to see the sunrise during this trip. We probably would have lingered longer, but the cold and our hunger eventually convinced us to return to the bottom. 

Until next time, Sunrise Peak. See you again.

Love and Hugs.

View from the top of the peak, looking back toward Jeju just after Sunrise.

Mon voyage (français) à Hạ Long Bay

After seeing pictures and hearing about my friend's experiences in Ha Long Bay, I knew it was a place that I wanted to visit. Travelling through a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site on a boat? Yes please! Sounds like a fun (and relaxing) adventure. I never expected that my vacation would also be so bilingual, an added bonus. (In truth, I think that during my time in Viet Nam I spent more time speaking French than English).

Before I insert too many pictures, I want to fore-front this post by saying that if you are travelling to Ha Noi/Ha Long Bay and are interested in doing a boat cruise among the islands, you do not need to worry about booking super far in advance. I booked in advance through my hostel, but when I got to Vietnam, I learned it was very easy to go to one of the many travel agencies in the city and book day before (or even morning of, as one of the people at my hostel did). For those more price-conscious, it can also be a cheaper comparing prices at different travel boutiques in the city, or even travelling to your chosen destination first and then finding a tour package upon arrival.

And now...

Leaving the harbour!

Among the islands

One Happy Camper, a Vietnamese Flag and some Islands.

Nous parlons français (^.^)

Compared to the busy traffic in Ha Noi, the constant beeping and the people, Ha Long Bay was pretty empty--even with ALL the tourist boats. There are over 1,600 islands and our guide said that despite giving this tour, he has yet to see all of the islands.

I love meeting other travellers and hearing about where they've been or where they are going. My cruise group consisted mainly of Europeans with people representing the UK, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany and then Argentina and Canada. And while the common language was mostly English, there were overlaps in language. A group of us spoke French most of the trip and I'm happy to report that while I am often mistaken for an American when speaking English, I am always correctly identified as Canadian when speaking French.

One of my new friends preferred to take pictures of the islands sans bâteau, but I find the boats add perspective and depth to the scenery. Even the tour boats look lovely amid the jagged points.

From a cave lookout. I think this was one of my favourite views of the trip.

The islands rise from the water like spikes on a sea serpent. Sudden cliffs topped with tuffs of green hair, jut from the waves at sporadic intervals. These are not the same geographical features that I'm used to back in Canada or here in Korea.

Our first day, one of our activities was kayaking around these rugged giants. We struggled a bit against the wind and waves that pushed us toward the rocky walls. The kayaks are so small in comparison, no match for these massive islands, and yet they can slide quickly through and around the rocks. I liked being able to explore away from our tour boat, too.

Where we boarded the kayaks (and then put down anchor for night time).

Out on the water.

I opted for a 3-Day-2-Night tour. One of my friends did the 2D1N but recommended spending more time among the islands and I am glad I took her advice. On the second day, we headed to Cát Bà Island, the biggest island in Ha Long Bay. After a bit of hiking and lunch, we could choose free time on the island (many tourists rented motorbikes or bicycles to explore), or we had the opportunity to hop on another boat to visit Monkey Island. Naturally, I picked monkeys. Our whole cruise family did, in fact. All for one and one for all! Ha.

The island is known for its beautiful beach...

 ... and of course monkeys:

Here is my commercial for Fanta.

These monkeys were vicious. As some other tourists were climbing the small mountain, a monkey jumped out of the trees with half of its face all ripped and bloody. They stalked us on the beach and at the snack shack. One of them stole a can of sprite right out of my friend's hand. No personal space issues here. I will admit I was a little scared of these guys. I remember thinking I did not want to spend my last hours in Vietnam at a hospital because of an accident with a monkey... But all good.

On our way back to our hotel on Cát Bà, our boat took us through the largest fishing village in Ha Long Bay. Home to 3000 people, these fishermen live right on the water. I cannot say that I'm jealous, but I definitely respect their hard work and perseverance. Props.

The Fishing Village near Cát Bà Island

A closer shot of the houses in the fishing village

This trip was a wonderful and relaxing end to my time in Vietnam. I met some super cool people and I hope that someday our paths cross again. I wish, as always, that I could have stayed longer, but I suppose I will just have to go back one day.

Love and Hugs.

P.S. Let the record show that I caught Pokemon on Cát Bà.