Jeju-do
Destination: World Eros Museum (Seogwipo city, Jeju-do) (NSFW)
1Author’s note: this museum is also called the ‘Museum of Erotica’ in some places, and should not be confused with the Museum of Sex & Health or Loveland. Yes, the same island has THREE sexually-themed attractions, so put the kids away and don’t scroll down if you’re at work =)
Go ahead, make HIS day.
A bit hidden inside Jeju’s World Cup Stadium, the World Eros Museum (세계성문화박물관 – se-gye seong-mun-hwa bak-mul-gwan) manages to maintain an unassuming, almost low-key atmosphere amidst the stadium’s offices. While not the largest collection on the island, there’s an eclectic mixture of statues, More >
Destination: Udo (the boat tour version)
1I had the good fortune to take a boat tour around Udo not too long ago – while a mere 30 minutes or so on the ship, it was long enough to snap a few pictures:
One of the lighthouses on the island, complete with the multi-ton concrete units that make Tetris look like a game for five-year-olds.
Going full on with the HDR (High Dynamic Range), then a little tinkering in the post-processing for a more surreal look.
The direct sunlight was far too much – but sometimes it’s in tough lighting that the more interesting shots are made.
The side of the island – or, an interesting chance to see some More >
Destination: Dak Paper Doll Museum (Seogwipo city, Jeju-do)
2While far less erotic than the sex museum located nearby, the family-friendly Dak-paper doll museum is also within the World Cup Stadium. This one, describing a time from centuries past, is about as risqué as it gets.
Dozens of displays show a traditional view of life in Jeju and Korea in general. The paper is made from mulberry (닥나무, or daknamu in Korean), and supposedly it takes 3-4 months to make a 15 centimeter tall doll.
Other displays…? I couldn’t tell you what the deal is with them, except to say they’re interesting. There’s not much on the manufacturing or creating processes, More >
Destination: Hangpaduri – AKA the anti-Mongolian fortress (Jeju city, Jeju-do)
0SET up to help the Goryeo Dynasty Koreans fight off the Mongolian invasion in the mid-13th century. General Bae Jung-son gathered the Sambyeolcho (삼별초) army in the year 1270, even as the Goryeo court tried to have peace negotiations with the Mongols. When General Bae died the next year, General Kim Tong-jeong constructed the Hangpaduri Fortress and continued to resist. The Mongols eventually captured the island, ruling it for about a hundred years until Korea eventually reclaimed it.
The site was reconstructed in 1978 and designated historical site #396 in April of 1997. Today, the More >
Destination: Hamel’s reconstructed ship (Seogwipo city, Jeju-do)
2JUST when you think nothing can surprise you anymore, something always does. Yep, this is Korea (Jeju-do’s southern coast, to be exact), and this is a 17th century reconstructed Dutch ship (하멜상선전시관).
In 1653, the Dutch ship de Sperwer (The Sparrowhawk) crash-landed on the coast of Jeju, complete with dozens of crew and passengers. Only 36 of the men, including Hendrick Hamel, made it to shore. Remember that name, as it’s his journal where the Western world first learned of Korea. They started a fire to get warm, but this attracted the attention of a group of Korean soldiers. The next More >
Destination: Japanese coastal cave encampment, Korea
2What do you get when you combine a new, fancy filter and an hour or so at an off-the-beaten-path destination? An interesting picture or two =) The Japanese coastal cave encampment (제주 송악산 해안 일제 동굴진지) is close to Songaksan, complete with numerous parasitic cones.
Unless you knew it was here, you’d miss it – along with an interesting part of history. 17 caves were constructed by forced labor under the Japanese to hold some small ships used in their kamikaze attacks. The caves remain along the coastal cliffs today, empty and seemingly without purpose today. Built around 1945, it’s recognized More >
Destination: Baengnokdam White Deer Theme Park (Jeju-do)
0CALL this one of the weirdest places we visited in Jeju-do – with dozens of white deer around, the Baengnokdam White Deer Theme Park has an interesting legend at play.
Apparently, these deer line up better than most students.
According to the engraved stone by the entrance, a hunter on Jeju-do followed a white deer on the belief that a deer’s blood would serve as medicine for his ill mother. Just as he was about to kill it, the deer was snatched away by an old man with white hair. The old man and deer disappeared into the fog. After the fog cleared, the hunter went to where they disappeared More >
Destination: Maze Park / Seri World (Seogwipo city, Jeju-do)
1WHAT’S that, you said? There are three maze parks on Jeju-do? Yep – although this one feels like the ‘me-too’ of the trio. Although it’s about 4,950 square meters, it’s hard to see the deceptively large size until you make it to the halfway staircase. It’s still fairly simple as the staircases are useful landmarks, but expect to walk some distance before you’re done.
And so it begins…
Don’t forget about the dinosaurs and the photo opportunities with them – two are out front before the maze, while this one is within the maze.
Looking down into the maze from the halfway staircase.
While More >
Destination: World Automobile Museum (Seogwipo city, Jeju-do)
0The Panther Kallista has some company.
Because if there’s one thing the tropical island of Jeju-do is famous for, it’s classic automobiles… right?! As one of the many specialized (and kitschy) museums on the island, there’s plenty to see and enough to do to make it worth your while. The first section features a number of cars sitting outside, complete with babies and toddlers blissfully crossing the protective boundaries and the parents taking their pictures. The second section is inside, and feels more like a museum of automobiles. It should, considering they’ve packed them in about as More >
Destination: a full day of Jeju (Jeju-do) – part 3 of 3
0Meet Oedolgae, Jusangjeolli, Cheonjaeyeon, Jungmun Saekdal Beach, Sanbanggulsa, and Loveland – all in the same day.
The nice part of going on a guided tour is the ability to meet with like-minded travelers, visit a bunch of places, and (perhaps nicest of all), not have to think about how you’re going from A to B. As a (usually) independent traveler, that last point is nice to take a break from every now and then. The schedule on many a guided tour is tighter than I’d personally like, but that’s the tradeoff at play. In any case, it was a beautiful day at some of Jeju’s most beautiful More >
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