This past weekend I went on an island bike tour just off the Jellabuk-do province, it is about 2 1/2 hours south of Seoul. I went with three other teachers I work with and we went through an organization called Adventure Korea. The islands are small and one of the only ways of transportation around the island is by bike. We left early Saturday morning and made our way south. After the bus ride, we caught a ferry out to the islands. It was about an hour and a half ferry ride and the seas were not very cooperative on the way out. A few people got sea sick but thankfully I had taken some sea sick medicine and slept the whole way out.
Once we got to the island we loaded our bags in a little shuttle/bus type thing and walking to where we picked up our bikes. We got our bikes and rode to the hotel to get our rooms. Korean hotels are not like hotels back in the states. I was in a group of 3 people so we were fortunate and got a room with a bed, many of the other groups didn't get beds but just got floor cushions. I found this very interesting. After we threw our stuff in the rooms we set off to explore the islands. It was a very interesting experience. The islands are very small and all connected by bridges. Each island had many little fishing villages. I felt a bit weird being there. I felt like the people living there were on display for us and there for our amusement. Although they were all very friendly and seemed happy to see us, I felt very uncomfortable being there. It was the most out of place I have felt since I have been here, and I'm a blond American with a big nose!! Trust me, I stick out! But the scenery was very cool, and the islands were gorgeous. It was a great experience and something I would not have done on my own. And it was really great to see another part of the country and to see how others live.
After we wore ourselves out riding around the islands, it was time for dinner. We had a traditional Korean meal. It was quite good but these Koreans are going to make me lose about 10lbs. I could eat and eat this food and never feel full! I'll have to get used to that. After dinner, we didn't have many options as to how to fill the time. We found a place to buy some adult beverages and headed back to the hotel. One of the teachers I was with had some friends that also came on the trip. So along with the other 3 I knew, there were 5 other girls who knew each other. We all piled into a room and had some drinks. It was a really fun night. I learned a few new games and made a few new friends.
The next morning we got up, had breakfast and then had the option of going hiking. Me and two other teachers opted out of the hike and found a nice place to sit in the sun. We spent the morning there just talking and napping. Around 12:30 we headed back to catch the ferry and head back to the mainland. We got back on the bus around 2:45 and we were back in Seoul by 5:45.
It was a long weekend and not very relaxing but it was a great experience. It was really cool to see a completely different lifestyle than I see in Bundang. Makes me grateful for what I have.
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