Lesson #2: Don't assume that all islands are the same size as Singapore
Reflections from my journal - 9 & 10 April (Days 2 & 3)This trip seems cursed. At first I thought I could redeem myself at Jeju when we arrived. It was scenic and beautiful and we saw sparse patches of what looked like sakura trees. After an hour and 20 minutes of sitting on the Jeju Airport bus #600 to Sun Beach Hotel at Seogwipo, where we alighted and walked downhill towards Jeju Hiking Inn, we could see the sparkling waters of the harbour to our right and smell the crisp sea air.
After we checked into our cosy and tiny traditional Korean room, with heated flooring no less, I thought that we should head to Jeju-si for the Cherry Blossom Festival, since we did not see any in Seoul and after all, that was what we came for. So we set off on what we did not know would be a very long hike to the 516 bus terminal. A kind soul near another hotel led us for some interval to a traffic intersection, panting slightly by the time we reached as we walked uphill all the time. He waved us onward in relief, and I had to ask another passerby where it was. She had no idea though, and it was only by chance that we turned the corner and saw the bus with the sign "516" on it.
This is the terminal, made up of a small container office and gravel space for 3 buses outside.
Upon boarding and setting off, I had a sinking feeling that we were heading back towards the Jeju Airport, and that Jeju-si = Jeju City. The bus wound round and round and up and down a mountain for more than an hour, and we even fell asleep along the way. It got darker and darker till by the time we reached the terminal at Jeju-si, it was completely dark. Out of the question to have hanami. Besides the last bus left at 9.30 pm, meaning we only had time for dinner nearby and would not even have time to take a cab to Donam-dong, where the Citizen Welfare Town was.
I was acutely aware of the disappointment of my family, though they tried not to express it. We could have explored the waterfalls, or the harbour or even the Food Street near our inn. Instead, we settled at Juk Story, 10 minutes away from the bus terminal, to have porridge for dinner.
We then had to make our way back to the terminal to take the 9 pm bus back to Seogwipo. Our beds, which had seemed charming like the Japanese futons at first, turned out to be not thick enough and the heat from the floor kept searing through the mattress at certain parts. The traditional rectangular Korean pillow was too hard for my liking; the room was too bright even with curtains drawn, and I took a really long time to find a comfortable position to fall asleep. :(
We had limited time to admire the beauty the next morning in our haste to get to the right bus stop for the bus #600 back to Jeju Airport. Managed to snap a few polaroids but that was all.
After another 4 hours or so, we were thankfully back in Myeong-dong, but this time Papa wasn't feeling too good, and went back to his room during lunch. We then traipsed around Myeong-dong looking for medicine for him, before finding it at a pharmacist at the Myeong-dong Underground Shopping Centre.
Things improved a little as we shopped and sampled street snacks with Mum and Brent. We even stopped by Dunkin Donuts for coffee. When it was time for dinner, we took away chicken porridge back to the hotel and had dinner together in his room. He wanted to join us for shopping after that, but we persuaded him to rest for the day.
Sis and I bought more masks in the next few hours. Total damage done for that day was 130 masks! The 2 evil places are Olive Young (selling the Dermal Green Tea masks I use at 2 for 500 won, which is about 30 cents per piece!) and Beautiplex (selling the same range of Dermal masks but the Pearl Collagen, Rice Bran, White and Aqua Collagen which I also use, at 60 pieces for 20,000 won, which is about 40 cents per piece!!). In Singapore, they sell for $1.95 at Sasa and Watson's. Someone's making good money...
posted by Addy @ 12:34 AM
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