Joy in Jeju: Arrival

I left Gimpo, Seoul last Tuesday and headed to Jeju island. Gimpo airport is significantly smaller than it's Incheon counterpart. There were a few shops and restaurants but generally it is a lot more simple.

As I waited to board my plan, Jin Air, I thought about how this vacation was going to go. I refreshed my memory of essential Korean I would need to use and got to know the layout of Jeju via a map on my Android phone.
The flight to Jeju was short and sweet as it lasted just 50 minutes. Passengers were served juice, tea or water in paper cups during the flight. Just as I was starting to get too bored the plane landed. At the Jeju airport I got a bite to eat, some English maps and then caught a cab to my pension.

Although I had a headache, the flight was a little bumpy, I kept a keen eye on what was out my taxi window. Jeju was very lush and green with many rolling hills. As I got further and further away from Jeju city it became apparent that this island has a lot of natural wonders to explore.

I arrived at my pension on the Eastern side of the island near the small town of Seongsan. My pension, The Sunrising House or 해뜨는 집, was situated across from the island of Udo and also the volcanic crater of Ichulbong



For just 90,000 a night (lower during non-peak season) I got a view of Udo island and a comfy room with a kitchen.

The view of the bay and Ichulbong...
Already I could tell this was going to be a relaxing trip and made fun because I was with my friend (the wife of the blogger "KTLIT"). They were there doing the Olleh Trail and so I was able to pull his wife away to travel with me, while he still did his thing.

That evening we caught dinner together at a Galbijjim place, which was as unique as the dish itself. This is a kind of beef stew that is quite juicy and has veggies in it as well. Our side dishes were quite good and we were also given some large shrimp.


It was really nice to catch up on good times and he had a lot of knowledge to share about Jeju and what he had seen so far. He also enjoyed a bottle of unique Jeju soju, which you can only get on the island.
Dinner was beautifully finished with seeing my first sunset in Jeju...
We went back to our pension and caught some much needed rest as our exploration began the next morning. So stay in touch as I will bring you photos and words from my trip around Jeju island.