Friday, July 22, 2016

Jeju Island, South Korea

Jeju Island is South Korea's largest island and touted by everyone as the "Hawaii of Korea." Just a quick flight away, we recently spent a long weekend there with a Korean family also from Seoul. Our friends, Ju Young, who is in the South Korean military and works with Geoff, his wife Yu Young and their 4-year-old daughter Su Min, showed us all their favorite spots and made our trip authentic. We loved being toured around by them. Highlights: jet boat ride, digging for clams, kayaking in the bay, hiking to waterfalls and playing on the beach.

Over-packed. Again.
Awe, friends!
Jeju is known for its mountainous, tropical climate; beaches; volcanoes and all-around natural beauty.

And dinosaurs, too.




Sugaring up before a rainy hike.

Speed racin'

We ordered soup and all the seafood was brought to our table alive and dropped into the boiling broth. Our Korean friends kept telling me, "It's not sad, it's fresh." I didn't eat any.
This is a clip of the octopus being submerged. Spoiler alert: I freak out.

The weather was rainy, misty or foggy some of the days, but warm enough that it didn't slow us down.

Digging for clams, but only finding shells.
Yu Young and Su Min

These statues are iconic of the island. Korean tradition says expectant mothers should travel there to rub the statues' noses in hopes of having a boy. I asked where they should rub if they want a girl and was told nowhere because they only want boys. #effthat
                                     
Beach bodies

#makingherdadsoproud