2013 Sept Korea - 10 days South Korea Trip - Day 3 (Jeju Island)

Work have been pretty stressful that I don't have time and energy to blog at all. My brain refuse to think after work, so I only have time to slowly think and write during the weekend 

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DAY 3 - 15 Sept 2013 

Jeju Island - Seogwipo Submarine / Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak / Manjanggul cave

Because had to spend lot of time travelling, we had to head out early. Took the airport limousine No. 600 and head to Seogwipo port (You could pay by T-Money or cash - 3,100 KRW) . We paid all the attention on the names of the stop but the names of the stops were so similar that we alight at the wrong stop ! We saw the port (when the bus was turning) so we think that we should be near, so we start walking.  

After 10 min of walking, we still don't see the port!!!! So we chose the easiest way out , TAXI :) . And is a good think we did that. It was at least 15 more min DRIVE before we reached !!! 

  

Seogwipo Submarine (서귀포잠수함)

Add :40, Namseongjung-ro, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do

         제주특별자치도 서귀포시 남성중로 40 (서홍동)

How to go - 

* Take the Airport Limousine Bus 600 >> Get off at Seogwipo Wharf (Pick up Service)

* Take the bus bound for Seobugwangwang road >> Get off at Seogwipo (Pick up service)

Our first destination is Seogwipo Submarine.  

What attract me the most about this is that it would go deep into the seabed (40m deep) , we would be able to see countless fish, rare iridescent coral reefs, and surreal-looking shipwrecks with school of fish surrounding. For people like me, who wants to see the seabed but don't want to get wet, this is the best way !  [you can read more if you are interested - http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1057047 ]

Quite a few people were seated at the lobby area when we went in to buy the ticket. We tried to buy the ticket in English, but they started speaking Chinese to us once they know that we are from Singapore (they are really better on Chinese than in English !!) 

  

We sat for a while (there are different timing - we bought ticket for the 9.25am ride). Crews grouped up the tourists as it will be easier for them as they will have to give us instruction in English .

They let us walk in front first. Thought would be boarding the submarine straight but we were told to board a ferry. We have to travel out to the middle of the sea then transfer to the submarine

Ferry that will bring us to the middle of the sea

Crews started to talk about the surrounding but we don't understand so we don't care what the crew said, just keep taking picture. Again we have been asked to alight and boarded the submarine first.

The surrounding was so beautiful and peaceful, sky was as blue as blue roses, seagulls are flying through. But we had been asked to hurry up and board the submarine, so we can't spend time to enjoy the surrounding.

The submarine 

A total of 3 crew on boarded. One is driving the submarine, one was explaining (in Korean) and another one was guiding the people to follow instruction and help to take picture. Again because we can't understand Korean, we just followed actions of the Korean by our side. If only we could understand Korea, I believe we could enjoyed even more.     

The ride is about an hours long, is time to head back. We boarded back the same ferry, this time they routed to other places to show us different scenery. The crew saw us like so boring, he tired to make communication with us, saying things like 你好, 我爱你    

After we arrival back on main land, we had to start to think of a way to head to our next destination. Thinking of asking the front desk since they could speck Chinese. A grandpa saw us seem so confused, so I tried my luck and showed him the address to where we want to go. It is so luckily that I could understand abit of Korean. He said that we could take the bus from the bus terminal to go there, but it will take 2 hrs    

We listened to what the grandpa took us and we cab to the bus terminal. Maybe because the taxi driver is a young guy, he was able to understand my English, if not we would be in trouble (I don't have the bus terminal address at all.) 

The bus terminal was not that far away (but still not walking distance). We showed to ticket booth uncle were we like to go and paid the amount he said. He pointed to a direction and asked us to wait there for the bus. Don't really understand what is the uncle trying to tell us, so asked the people standing around there, turn out they are Chinese and they are going there too. 

The ride was shorter than we expected. We alighted as we saw the people are alighting too. We doubt that is the correct stop but we still alighted too. Both of us had the totally lost looked on the face, a korean aunties opened her window and asked where are we heading. I showed her the address and she pointed a direction.
    

Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak (성산일출봉) 

Add : 284-12, Ilchul-ro, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do
          제주특별자치도 서귀포시 성산읍 일출로 284-12
How to go : From Seogwipo Intercity Bus Terminal, take a Direct Bus (Dongilju bus bound for Seongsan) and get off at Seongsalliipgu bus stop (Travel time: 2 hr 30 min)

Seongsan Ilchulbong peck rose from under the sea in a volcanic eruption over 100,000 years ago. Located on the eastern end of Jejudo Island, there is a huge crater at the top of the Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak. The ridge provides an ideal spot for walking and horse riding as well. [Took some background information from here, hehe .. Read up more here - http://visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264207 ]

We had lunch before we start the walk. There were 2 path for us to choose, either going upward to the top of the peak or down by the seaside. We followed the crowd and headed upward. I totally regretted the moment we did that decision!! It was so tiring, so many steps and the sun was so glaring. For someone like me (who rarely exercise and go under the sun), it was like it was worse than gym !     

Took us 2.5 hrs to walk up to the top (because I keep stopping, or else would be even faster). The surrounding view is very beautiful but other than that, there is just flat land at the top. Coming down was soo much easier, took less than the time we took to go up.  

  

We walked back to the bus stop (the one that we alighted just now.) Thought that there might be some English writing a the bus stop for tourist, but there was none, so we asked  the 2 girl waiting for bus at the bus stop. They can't speak English but still very helpful and helped us checked how far and if the bus go. Turn out, the bus we should take were the bus they are waiting for too, So they asked us to just follow them and they will tell us when to alight.

We had to change to another bus to get to the entrance of Manjanggul Lava Cave. Another guy on the bus was also heading to the entrance of the Lava Cave, since people have problem understanding our language, we followed the guy.

Manjanggul cave만장굴 

Add : 3341-3, Gimnyeong-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do
           제주 제주시 구좌읍 김령리 3341-3
How to go - From Seongsalliipgu bus stop , take the Donghoe Line Intercity Bus to get off at the parking lot near Manjanggul Cave Entrance. (app. 1hr 20 min.) At the parking lot, take a town bus bound for Manjanggul or a taxi. 20 minute walking distance from Manjanggul Cave Entrance(The parking lot) to Manjanggul Cave


Manjanggul cave is one of the finest lava tunnels in the world, and is a designated natural monument. A lava tunnel is formed when the lava that was deep in the ground from the peak and flows to the surface. It has a variety of interesting structures inside including 70cm lava stalagmites and the lava tube tunnels 

Read online that only 1 km of the whole Manjanggul cave is open to the all and that the temperature inside sustains under 11-21 degree - http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264236

So we brought our jacket along, afraid would be cold but in the end, people was going in and come out in short pants and sleeves shirts -_- ll . We followed the crowds and went in like that. The temperature was so cooling and comfortable, how I wished Singapore have this kind of temperature !!

            

Back and fro, 2 km took us an hrs only. The most difficult part would be coming out of the cave. There was like 60-100 steps and that kills us more than the 2 km walk! By the time we came out, we were almost hald dead. Sat at the entrance for a while before we head back.

We were too lazy to travel back by bus (change here change there) to our hotel from Manjanggul Lava cave. Did tried asking for help but we were can't think straight anymore, we just cab all the way back ! (spent us 25,000 KRW - we bargain with the taxi driver a bit, if not it would be 30,000 KRW)

Went back to lay down for a while, get back our energy then we head out for our dinner. Opposite our hotel, there was a restaurant selling BBQ black pork meat. We choose this restaurant is because is the nearest and most important, Chinese OK !! We ordered black pork (15,000 KRW per 100g) , normal pork (11,000 KRW per 100g) amd some main course [but there are not important] . I do heard that black pork is delicious, but I didn't know was delicious !!!! You can tell the different between black pork and normal pork just after a piece of black pork.