Chenjiyeon waterfall; a habitat of giant eels / Jeju travel
* Notice- this article is written by non native English speaker
* Notice- this article is written by non native English speaker
*Notice - This article is written by non native English speaker.
Jeju travel Mr.Dee/ Viewing the outskirt of U-do island (0) | 2014.05.17 |
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Clenching tiger island 'Beomseom'; the island consisted by lava joint columns / Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.09 |
The queen of crater in Jeju(Darangshi Crater) / Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.08 |
Jeju travel | Jeju island is Samda-do (0) | 2013.11.06 |
Jeju travel | What is Jeju like? (0) | 2013.11.06 |
Sanbang Mt is one of 3 great mountains in Jeju island. And rest two are Halla Mt, and Sungsan sun rise peak. There is some explanation about Sanbang Mt:
To touch and feel lava column joints; Gaeggak jusangjeoli / Jeju treavel (0) | 2014.03.06 |
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Chenjiyeon waterfall; a habitat of giant eels / Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.08 |
Yongmeri; legend of dragon head shore / Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.08 |
I visited 'Youngmeri' earlier today. 'Yongmeri' means Dragon head.
In jeju island we call the crater mound 'Oreum'.
After 10min climbing through the pine tree forest you will meet open space. First thing is 'little Darangshi'. it looks like a cute doughnut or gentle man's hat.
Even you can see the famous under water crater 'Sungsan ilchulbong'(Castle mountain sun rise peak) at a distance.
The highest of 'Darangshi Oreum' is 382m and the depth of the crater is 115m.
It take only 30min to get to the top but you have to pull your strength to climb a steep ridge.
And it never show the astonishing scene unless you get to the top.
The cater actually is hidden on the top.
This time I climbed 'Darangshi' with my customers from the U.S whose profession is a lawer.
Like every one does, they felt very hard to this steep hill at first. But once the got to the top, they really thanked to me to bring them there: it always travelling guide's pleasure to show beautiful places.
I just smiled and told them " Well...no pain, no gain". I think it's true. Most of nature contains its won beauty but it never show any people. It shows the beauty to the people who want to see them and it takes efforts.
Especially in jeju island you have to walk and climb all the time to see the true beauty. However, it is a kind of pleasure of travelling I think.
Clenching tiger island 'Beomseom'; the island consisted by lava joint columns / Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.09 |
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Japanese military excavation for Kamikaze / Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.08 |
Jeju travel | Jeju island is Samda-do (0) | 2013.11.06 |
Jeju travel | What is Jeju like? (0) | 2013.11.06 |
Jeju travel | Do you want to see the Jeju history? (0) | 2013.11.06 |
*Notice – This article is written by non-native English speaker.
As I am a English speaking travel guide sometimes I do a translator job.
My job was not a tour guide in this time. I was their translator.
However, I still vividly remember that I had a very good time with Palauan baseball team last year. Frankly speak, I didn’t know where Palau is. Even I’d never heard of the name of the country “Palau” until I met them. I was so curious about them....
Anyway…..The Palauan baseball team visited to Jeju island again this year.
Most of them were familiar to me and some of them were not.
I was very happy to see them though. The leader and chair-man of Palauan congress Millip gave me a big smile with padding on my shoulder.
Well…. Everybody welcome to Jeju island. Actually it’s not that easy to meet same clients again in my profession.
One inconvenient thing is that location of their hotel is remote from down town because they would be bored at night.
Palau is very small newly independent country in south-west pacific ocean with 25thousands population. I knew that they must want to enjoy a night culture in Jeju island. In the long run, as I assumed they made a big trouble at night. Front desk of the hotel phoned me that Some members of Palauans knocked the Chinese girls room to wake them up without any reasons at mid night. I knew it would happen in any time.
They are from a small island country and still live with primitive culture. One day one of them said that they don’t have strict morality to moderate in sex with girls which means they have sex with any girl at the first sight if they like each other. In that time they were drunken and no where to go in the evening. Luck to them, Chinese girls forgave their misbehavior and they gave a word do not knock the door again.
Same as last year, The baseball union subsidized on 800,000KRW(800usd) for 25 people for 6days. It was not enough for the amount of people for the long stay. I had to divided the money day by day and I was looking for cheap restaurants as possible as I can.
Finally I found a good restaurant in which bus drivers usually go next to the stadium.( The name of the restaurant is ‘Gisa Beffet Restaurant’. ‘Gisa’ means driver. Price is 6000KRW per person)Even though it’s so cheap they really enjoyed the place, especially an ice-cream. What happy people they are!
Once they were under the control by Japanese, so that there are many players who have Japanese name. And quite interesting thing is that they enjoy the play card game named ‘Sotda’ which Korean people enjoy with. Even they divide into two groups in ‘Red Team and Blue Team’ at a sports festival same as Koreans and Japanese do.
I was interested in that even though we are different races and have different culture and language we have something in common. Well, I had mixed emotion.
Baseball is the national sports in Palau….. Well, it’s rather to say it is the only sports they play. They don’t have a proper couch to teach or any famous player playing in other country.
However, they are very passionate in playing baseball. They went to semi-final last year in Jeju international baseball tournament but in this year they lost to Japanese team who plays with technique. I can say that it is a bit pity that they couldn’t go to the final but it’s happy lost because they had a chance to go on Jeju tour.
After finish the baseball tournament we had a barbecue party at the front yard of the hotel. As has been well said, they are party animals. They stayed up all night with drinking, eating and dancing. I felt sorry that I should have enjoyed with them more to make a good memory. I came back home and fell in sleep right away hoping nothing would be happened.
Just in my luck! My phone rang constantly in the middle of the night. The phone was from the front desk of the hotel and he said some of Paluans were banging the store’s door to open to buy alcohol. Well,It seemed they tested my patience. It really irritated me to come on the line being disturbed my sleep. However, nothing happened that much except that.
Next morning everybody had hung over at the airport. At last it was farewell time. Actually I always feel mixed emotion with the airport. It is an airport I have first meeting with my clients and it is also an airport to have farewell with them.
This time we had an awkward farewell because lot of Palauans left their stuffs at the hotel. They kept asking me to do something for it. So I called taxi in a hurry and had their stuffs brought to the airport. It was skin of the teeth to approach the departing time. After settle down we had chewed “Pitletnat” which is Palauan version of chewing cigarette and had taken breath for couple of minutes.
Then they went into the check point to board and said with a big smile “You must come to Palau. We invite you” . I answered “Ok, thanks. see you in Palau”. I don’t know If I can have a chance to go to Palau or if they can come to Jeju island again. Any way it was nice meeting.
<Palau is located at the end of west pacific ocean. Since 1543 Palau had been under the influence of Spanish empire because she is close to Philippine. In 1899 German purchased her from Spain but She was sold to Japan after WW1. She had been a colony of Japan until 1945. After world war 2. She became belong to USA. Since 1986 she went through a self governing province then finally became independent in 1994.10. from USA.> from Naver knowledge encyclopedia.
(Jeju travel Mr.Dee) Another experience from tour guiding- translating in a cruise ship (0) | 2014.10.01 |
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Jeju travel Mr.Dee/ Summer camp with students from Yosei Uni (0) | 2014.07.04 |
Fun travel with Tina from Philippine / Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.09 |
Age is just number in traveling. with Swiss people / Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.06 |
Climbing up to the top of Halla Mt./Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.06 |
*Notice- This article is written by non-native English speaker.
Sometimes people say “You will regret if you don’t travel when you are young”. Well, some parts it’s right but I don’t agree with the words. Definitely you can travel even though you got old. I believe that age is just number in traveling. It might be harder to travel when you get old in comparison to the young. However, don’t be afraid of hitting the road. You can do it and I saw people did it.
The George couple are from Switzerland and German Swiss. That was all I knew about them before I met them. At the airport, waiting for someone holding a picket with names at the gate always makes me nervous. What are they like? How do they look? Are they young or Old? Well, Frankly speak I prefer young travelers to the old.
Because we can go anywhere we would like without concerning physical strength with the young but when i travel with the old they slow other people down. And normally the old tourists are picky in meals and accommodation. That is my perspective of old people until I met the George couple. Any way I was wishing some young couple coming to me with gentle smile. But….. actually the people who came to were the old wondering around at the gate looking for me. However, they seemed very friendly and its impression released me my nervous a little.
Sometimes I can hunch if the travel would be good or not. In this time I hunched that this travel with them would be good. But my concern was the weather…….
I was woken up by the heavy raining sound and there was so much foggy over Halla Mt.( I can see Halla Mt outside of the window). When I picked up the Georges they asked me how the weather would be like for upcoming three days. Well…. I felt sorry to answer the question even though terrible weather was not my faulty.
An itinerary for the first day was The natural folklore museum, Samseonghyul, Manjang gul lava tube, Seongsan sunrise peak and Seongup folk village. We were traveling on the eastern side of Jeju island.
Before I start traveling I always visit to the natural and folklore museum and Samseonghyul because Jeju travel can be more rich when they have a concept of natural and culture and understanding of myth of Jeju founders. Actually it’s very different between having a concept of Jeju island or not for people’s travel.
At the Yongdusam rock they seemed to have culture shock with dive woman’s cooking with chopping a raw sea food and its still squirming on the plate. Mrs Geroge asked me ” People eat that still moving in the mouth?” I said “It’s delicious” She shook her head seeming disagree with. However, food is a kind of culture.
Europe has it’s own way to cook and so Jeju does. The food squirming on the plate and pick them up with chopsticks is a culture of Jeju island. You might think it is primitive but it’s still our culture which we can’t change. They asked me again ” Don’t you have a stove in your kitchen?” Well, I just lagugh and said “Yes, we do. We just don’t use it”.
Mrs Geroge spent her life in Vietnam until 14 years old. So she seems to know about Vietnam and food very well. We decided to have lunch in a Vietnam restaurant. Well, personally I like the food in the restaurant but she seemed doesn’t like it. She left half of them. When you travel other country the most problem is having food. You have to have an open mind for the food in the country where you are traveling because it is a kind of culture.
Most of travels don’t realize magnificence not until they know the process of lava tube made. The George told me he traveled so many countries but it is the first time to see a lava tube. He just said “it is amazing”. In term of lava tube, the opinions divided into two parts. Some people really like it but some others are easily disappointed by size because it is much smaller than line stone caves. So, I must explain about lava process of a lava tube made before we explore it.
After exploring Manjang lava tube we headed to Seongsan ilchulbong. When we went out of the tube it was slightly raining. On the way to Seongsan ilchulbong we ran across dive women working on the sea. Wow! we were lucky! Woman divers are not for tourists. Actually they hate tourists becaust they think tourists disturb their working with taking photos or poking the sea food they caught. So, before we got off a car, I warned them that dive women don’t like to be taken picture of. Even though I told them they took a photo and it made dive-women angry. One of dive-women charged on her seeming breaking her camera. She was so scared. Well, I bet she would like dive women any more. However, I explained about dive-women in the car before we reached Seongsan ilchulbong. They seemed still terrified with angry woman diver.
We climbed on the top of Seongsan ilchulbong. And then we were heading to Seong-up folk village. We had a good conversation in the car. It is very important time to me to get to know about other country from my clients. We talked about the current situation between North and South Koreas and unclear threatening from North Korea so on. They talked their won town in Switzerland as well. Their home town is so small with 25 thousand population and so peaceful.
They have a big festival once year for two weeks and they have half million visitors in those time. It seems like Jeju island. We have such small population but we have 10 times bigger visitors every year. He continued his story. There are 3 languages are spoken in Switzerland; 70% people speak German, 20% people speak French, and 10% people speak Italian. He said there is another country which is spoken by two language. The name of the country is Belgium. Flemish and French are spoken in the country.
According to his saying the people speaking each language fight with other people in Belgium but in Switzerland people are get along with each other. Swiss might give some jokes each other but that’s all they don’t go farther. Well, something like this conversation we had on the way to the hotel. They seem even though Switzerland is small they are really proud of their country. And I would think people must be smart to live in Switzerland.
The itinerary for second day was deadly serious. We should go 9 places included Seogwipo and Sanbang Mt and Songak Mt. Both of the Georges are over 70 years old and I wondered if they could completed the itinerary. I was thinking I was about to stop the travelling if they felt tired. When we got to Oedolgae it was rainy and windy and waves are rough. But the scenery was spectacular. When I take people to lonely solitary rock I always tell three stories to my clients about Oedolgae. One is Halmang Legend and the other one is Choi young general story and another is Geological theory. Most of my clients like the first story. George said he likes the first story. Well, I knew the Georges would like the first story as well.
(Jeju travel Mr.Dee) Another experience from tour guiding- translating in a cruise ship (0) | 2014.10.01 |
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Jeju travel Mr.Dee/ Summer camp with students from Yosei Uni (0) | 2014.07.04 |
Fun travel with Tina from Philippine / Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.09 |
Nice to meet Palauans again!/Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.06 |
Climbing up to the top of Halla Mt./Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.06 |
*Notice- This article is written by non-native English speaker.
Today I went to climb on the top of Halla Mt though ‘Seong-pan-ak’ route with Luce scholars.
Luce scholars is a kind of program which contribute each one’s talents for one year in one of Asian countries after graduate from university.
In Korea, lots of students participate the program named ‘Working holidays’ to do the same thing. I think Luce scholars is a similar program to Working holidays.
They seemed to underestimate climbing up to the top of the highest Mt in South Korea. Actually they should have left before 8 in the morning but it was around 10 o’clock. It’s too late.
I was bit worried about their climbing and wondered how many people could make it.
Taking a group photo before climb up.
All of them were confident to make it.
Ok… Then Let’s see how many people could take another group photo on the top.
I took a photo of Mt Halla on the roof top in my house.
The weather was so fine and clear. Anyway I was little scared to climb to the top.
The shape of top looks like a giant woman lying down facing on sky. We call it ‘Seomundae Halmang’
The legendary grandmother who created Jeju island.
This is a brief guide line on the entrance. It is about safety standard and should-be-seeing places.
Many people tend to ignore it but you should notice it on the way.
Now, let’s start gallantly!
We had been walking for 2.6 Km so far.
It started hurting my thighs. They are quick walker and walking steps are bigger than mine.
I was really panting, panting, panting…..
Well…. I am a guide…. I should be faster than them.
Just now we just arrived at ‘Sokbat Shelter’.
This area was a grass field before but now it is covered by pine trees.
Some of them exhausted asked me whether this is the top of the Mt.
Well, well, well, we haven’t started yet.
We took some rest here.
It is a path to Sara orum.(Orum means a volcanic crater in Jeju dialect)
There are diverse Orums in Jeju island. Which Orums have water on the top among them?
Baerokdam which is top of Halla Mt, Sara Orum, Mul-chat Orum, Mul-yong-a-ri Orum…. I can name them. Could you name any other Orums with water on the top except above ones?
I couldn’t resist to be the top of Sara Orum….. due to lack in time I got ahead to the Baerokdam.
I should come back next time.
Walking, walking, walking….. It’s so boring on under the sizzling sun.
I am just hoping to take a rest in a minute when I get to the next shelter.
Hooray!!!!. I finally arrived at Jin-dal-lae shelter.
I was so happy to see this building.
This is another notice. You shouldn’t go ahead after 1 o’clock and you should come down before 2:30.
This rule is very strict. Mt guardians never give you leeway. Not even one minute.
You can have cup ramyun here. It might look very different and awkward in your eyes. However, it’s really temping to have some spicy food.
The price is 1500won for one and you can buy only two at most.
Having a piece of Kimban and a gulp of spicy ramyun juice…..
It remind me of have ramyun in military training center ‘Non-san’.
Now I filled up the energy to go to the top. Let’s go…..
1700m above the sea level…..
Now I have 200m more……
You are here……
bite the teeth and go on…..
I can see the top vaguely…..
But….
It’s still too far….. Panting, Panting.
I am well on the way….. Right?
The clouds are under my feet in no time.
Achievement! I almost make it!
Now I can see the feeling of climbers. Achievement!
The temperature of today is over 33 degrees.
Feeling like exploding the heart.
Desperately climbing up, up, and up……Why?…….to get achievement.
Now I have only 50m….
I want to see ‘Baerok-dam’. come on…..
A roe deer is grazing right under the top of Hallasan.
It may drink some water inside the Baerok-dam after people go away.
May be the legedary white roe deer was like that.
At last…..
The top is on my sight….
It is the top of Halla Mt. The name is Baerok-dam.
Due to hot weather and drought there is little water.
However, the magnificent scenery is impressive.
Jeju city over the clouds is vaguely on my sight.
The monument engraved on a Korean fir tree.
Wow, The group came before is already having some snacks. Feel little bit betrayed…..
By the way….. There is everybody? Less than half of them made it on the top.
I knew it would be……
What the heck! UFO?
It looks like landing on the clouds.
It is a security office of Baekrok-dam. It looks very special.
Taking a photo of myself….
frowning face….. too hot and exhausted….
Brief explanation on Baekrok-dam.
1950m above the sea level. length from east to west is 600m and south to north is 500m
The address is….
Hae-an-dong Jeju city Jeju island Korea.
Another group picture on the top of Halla Mt.
Congratulations! I am very proud of you!
It took 9 hours to come and go down.
It is more difficult to go down than going up.
You should be careful.
Otherwise…..
You have to ride on a mono rail like on the picture.
Not everyone can ride the mono rail……. Only in case you have injury.
Thanks for reading.^^
(Jeju travel Mr.Dee) Another experience from tour guiding- translating in a cruise ship (0) | 2014.10.01 |
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Jeju travel Mr.Dee/ Summer camp with students from Yosei Uni (0) | 2014.07.04 |
Fun travel with Tina from Philippine / Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.09 |
Nice to meet Palauans again!/Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.06 |
Age is just number in traveling. with Swiss people / Jeju travel (0) | 2013.11.06 |