Hello! Welcome back! How have you been? What blessings has the universe brought into your life over the past week? I like to reread the following Taoist farmer story as a reminder to put daily occurrences into a broader context (blessings in disguise 😀).
I've been remiss to share that South Korea is a beautiful country. You are constantly surrounded by rolling hills, locally referred to as mountains, covered with lush green forests. Lots of hiking opportunities throughout the country. There are several good swimming beaches especially around Busan and Jeju Island. Great road and bus system infrastructure, the trains have been more challenging to use given my destinations. Overall, most people I've met have been kind, helpful and considerate. I do wish they would smile more, though. Unfortunately I've witnessed a fair share of unpleasant people as well (with each other, not me), more than I am used to in my travels to date. My country impression is being tainted by several things I noticed here that I equally dislike in North America. Please bear my biases in mind as you read through this blog.
The weather has swung from a week of deadly torrential rain into a country-wide heat wave with temperatures averaging 35C (95F) with 90% plus humidity. She's a sticky one! Our phones buzz several times daily with alert messages about the heat wave, water safety and staying hydrated!
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| Seongsan Ilchulbong - Jeju Island |
Potential 2026 travel destination: My good friend Janet recently shared a list of destinations she had on her radar. One destination was Nunavut, Canada's newest territory. Seeing Nunavut on her list reignited a latent interest I had to travel to the Canadian North. Here's a link to help you investigate Nunavut as a future destination for you. Love to hear your thoughts about traveling to the great Canadian North!
Travel update: Now looking like I'll return to Canada, from Dublin, Ireland (tbc), the week of September 7th. I want to get my passport renewal underway plus a list of other things. Through the kindness of my good friend Dave, I have time with him at his cottage. I'm also planning to return to Wisconsin for a couple weeks in early October.
May the universe bring endless blessings (blessings in disguise) and moments of magic 🦄 to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏
Travel Administration
I need to add a new travel accessory, a handheld electric fan, to my list of travel essentials. More below.
Travel Maps
I've arrived on Jeju Island, my furthest southern destination in South Korea. I spent more time in Busan, a couple nights in Yeosu before heading for Jeju Island for the next four nights. My comment about taking a high speed ferry was incorrect. The distance between Wando port and Jeju Island is shorter than other departure points (Mokpo being the most common departure port) so the travel time is shorter.
South Korea: July 4 to August 5. 2025
Busan
I discovered the most extraordinary artist when visiting the Busan Museum of Art. The only photo I was allowed to take appears below. Most likely I would have ignored this exhibition, hosted in a separate building nearby, if the Museum of Art was open. The extraordinary experience arises from watching a hour long biography/interview with the artist. I share his concept of infinity/oneness with the universe. He uses rocks, metal plates and space to challenge the viewer to think about our place in the universe. If you have a minute, do review this artist's bio. He has had an exhibition that took up the entire Guggenheim Museum in New York City!
I also left the exhibition thinking that I may have misunderstood what I am supposed to do with all the stories of the people I've met. I now believe the key opportunity I may have is sharing each personal experience I've been gifted with in an expanded forum (TBD). While the personal interactions have been personally enriching, the broader context is stimulating others, with these stories, to illustrate the infinite possibilities they can have in life.
The walk back to my hotel included passing through Cine Road (description below).
'Busan Cine Road is a haven for Korean films, dramas, and other K-content. On one side of Haeundae Beach where Gwangandaegyo Bridge comes into view is a path lined with posters and sculptures of major Korean films.'
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| Map of walk I was following |
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Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever
a spider can... |
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| Cityscape/bridge infrastructure |
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Dongbaekseom Island -
Haeundae Beach on other side |
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| Dongbaekseom Island |
An interesting way to see 4.8 km (~3 mi) of Busan coastline was taking a ride on a restored train/walking the accompanying boardwalk between Mipo (near Haeundae beach) and Songjeong beach. Easy walk with loads of beautiful coastline views, access to cafes, shopping along the way! Remember to wave to the train passengers as it travels by!
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| Blueline Park - Mipo Entrance |
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| My train |
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| Train sideview. Tiered seats are facing the sea |
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| Boardwalk for easy walking |
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| Observatory walkway |
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| Busan coastline view from Observatory |
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Glass panel to see water below.
How little I trust the engineers to walk
on glass floors! |
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| Songjeong Beach |
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| Songjeong Beach - Sunday afternoon |
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| Songjeong Beach |
Yeosu is about 3 hours by bus from Busan, that is, after taking an hour long subway ride from central Busan to the bus station. The bus was simpler and cheaper to take than the train. Apparently, Yeosu is a well known local tourist destination with growing attention from international tourists, like me. I suggest you spend more than two nights in the area to explore the sea and islands in the area.
'Yeosu is a city of history and loyalty where the headquarters of South Jeolla Province Navy Base was located, and the Great Admiral Yi Sun Shin invented the Geobukseon or "a turtle ship" to save the country while serving as the Navy Commander when Japan invaded Korea in 16th century.'
Dolsan Park was a short walk (less than 30 minutes) from my hotel. Great place for panoramic views of Yeosu, surrounding islands and islands.
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| View from Dolsan Park summit |
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| Looking to the right |
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| Monument honouring the fishing trade |
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| In front of monument |
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| Can't get enough of this monument 😉 |
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| Post sunset |
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| Post sunset |
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| Iconic Dolsan Bridge |
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Couples can light up the heart by placing a hand
in the blue and red stations while holding hands! |
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| Looking in opposite direction - northward |
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| Harbour |
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| As dusk sets in |
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| Lights are starting to come on |
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| Beautiful sunset colours |
Introducing the first sea cable car in Korea that connects the 1.5km between Yeosu Dolsan Park and Jasan Park. The biggest draw is for the night time views.
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| Dolsan Park Cable Car terminal |
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| Off to Jasan Park |
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| Night is on the way |
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| Lights, reflections and dinner boats |
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| Dinner boats |
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| From Jasan Park |
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| Return from Jasan Park |
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| Always time for a lighthouse |
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| Last photo prior to Dolsan Park terminal |
Dolsan Bridge
Crossing Dolsan Bridge as I return to my hotel.
I have a passing fascination with what happens to facilities after the significant investment is made in building an Expo site. As with many of these sites throughout the world, repurposing the space afterward is a challenge. This site felt like a small (and expensive) ghost town even with the facilities that were in use. What I did find, unexpectedly, was three interesting exhibitions that captured my attention. I got a timely reminder about the state of our oceans and coastlines as I was touring the exhibition that summarized the Expo 2012 messaging. Boy, oh boy, are we in a 'world' of trouble with what we are going to our planet using the 2012 data as a benchmark. The choices we have are dwindling as we continue down this path of self-destruction.
BTW - there is the Big-O water show extravaganza hosted in the evening on the site where water spray, music and lights combine for your viewing entertainment
Expo Grounds
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Korean Pavilion - Expo 2012 summary exhibition
& art exhbition |
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| Main entrance |
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| Exhibition hall |
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| More exhibition space plus tower (r) |
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| On Expo waterfront |
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| Repurposed family entertainment area |
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| Looking towards Korean Pavilion |
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| More cafes and exhibition space |
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| Looking towards waterfront |
'As the second permanent immersive media art exhibition venue unveiled in Yeosu Expo International Pavilion in 2021, ARTE MUSEUM YEOSU presents 16 diverse media art exhibitions under the theme of "OCEAN" encompassing Yeosu's sea and natural landscapes in a space of 1,400 square meters.'
I think I was in the mood to be impressed (immersed?) and this exhibition delivered big time. Amazing what you can do with media and mirrors. I had to walk carefully through the exhibition as there was times it was hard to distinguish where the floor met the walls. Hate to crash into a mirror!
The opportunity to stand in a large room with art masterpieces displayed on the wall was surreal. Talk about feeling the art first hand. What an amazing overall experience!
I happened upon a second art exhibition, Uninhabited Island by Kong Hong-goo, hosted on the same floor as the Expo 2012 summary in the Korea Pavilion. Another fascinating Korean artist with an interesting view on his world as I hope the small sample of art I share below illustrate.
The link I've provided above to a previous showing of the same art in a different venue. The description is good background for this exhibition as the art being displayed is the identical.
It's now time to celebrate Korea's greatest military hero who won his country's admiration from his victories over the Japanese during the Imjin wars. He has the possible distinction of inventing the armoured ship known as the 'turtle' ship - historians debate. More Admiral info through the link above.
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| The Admiral |
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| Full size 'Turtle' ship replica |
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| Fearsome front |
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| Main deck |
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| Main deck |
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| Where A/C was located |
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| Cozy sleeping quarters down below |
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| Locked and loaded |
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| Rations |
Harbour View - Hotel room
I was blessed with a great view of the sea from my hotel room. The main harbour, where the cable car travels over, is about two kms north of where I was staying. Let's just say my hotel was a little out of the way. Thank goodness for the local buses for transportation.
Jeju Island is my most southern SK destination. I chose to take the Wando to Jeju Island ferry service which takes just under three hours for the crossing. I only got a hint of the island's beauty during my four night stay. For example, there is a trail, Jeju Olle Trail (Olle-gil), that goes right around the island. This is the THE SK travel destination hotspot.
'Located off the southern coast of Korea, Jeju Island is one of the country’s most beloved travel destinations, having been designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (2002), a World Natural Heritage Site (2007), and a Global Geopark (2010). The entire island is a vast natural wonder that attracts both local and international visitors.'
Wando Port
The common advice for getting to Jeju Island is to fly. Guess who decided to ignore that advice and take the ferry? And guess who decided to take the ferry from a port (Wando) that is less commonly used? I also had a couple tries with the Hanil Express Ferry website before successfully buying my departure ticket. My biggest obstacle was learning how to format my SK phone number (010-xxx-xxxx). Thank goodness for the internet.
It was a 4.5 hour bus ride with two different buses. I learned over the past few days that ticketing machines are replacing people in bus terminals across the country. Naver, the navigation application, has been so helpful in providing the correct bus info to buy the right tickets. The one small Naver hiccup I had was trying to use the local bus from the Wando bus terminal to the ferry terminal. The suggested bus routes in Naver are non-existent. There appears to be free local buses that run from the bus terminal throughout the community. The local bus driver's advice to me - take a taxi. And so I did.
I also had a small misstep at the Jeju Passenger Terminal bus stop when I decided to get on the wrong bus. Bus 426 and Bus 425 are different buses, David. Naver to the rescue in highlighting I was on the wrong route after just one stop!
My first two nights were in Seogwipo, a main destination on the opposite side of the island.
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Hanil Express - Silver Cloud
Definitely not a fast ferry! |
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| Welcome to Jeju Island |
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| These statues are all over the island |
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| Oh look, it's a lighthouse |
Jeongbang & Sojeongbang Waterfalls
These two waterfalls are within 300 m of each other. Jeongbang Waterfalls is supposed to be the only waterfalls in Asia that drops directly into the sea. Lucky me! Both waterfalls were within 15 minutes walk from my hotel. Thank you to the universe for this convenience!
There was a small building, Sora's Castle, on the trail to Sojeongbang Falls. The Castle is a small library with a collection of books on the 2nd floor. Grab a book, make yourself a coffee and enjoy reading in a most beautiful setting.
I spent about an hour sitting by Jeongbang Waterfalls enjoying the cooler temperature in the shade and the occasional cool mist from the waterfall. Yup, another smoking hot summer day in SK!
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| Entrance to Waterfall park area |
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| Backside of entrance |
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| Orientation to park |
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| More info |
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| For the 'visual' people |
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| Coastline on way to Sojeongbang Waterfalls |
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Coastline on way to Sojeongbang Waterfalls
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| Coastline on way to Sojeongbang Waterfalls |
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| Sojeongbang Waterfalls |
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| Seopseom Island |
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| More coastline |
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| Sora's Castle - 2nd floor view to sea |
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| Sora's Castle |
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Jeongbang Waterfalls - notice how
the stream on the left progressively
extends in the following two photos |
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| Jeongbang Waterfalls |
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| Jeongbang Waterfalls |
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| Jeongbang Waterfalls |
In my wandering about one evening, I discovered a 'free form' dancing exhibition underway in this park. I'm in awe of people who can so freely interpret music and create such an engaging and entertaining performance. There was a couple that were always incredibly in sync with each other's movement. What a thrill to witness them move! All the dancers joined together for a final dance of the evening. An unexpected and most welcome blessing! 🙏
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| Getting the audience involved |
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| That is some back on that animal |
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| Funky lobsters |
Hotel Room View
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| Seopseom Island |
'Seongsan Ilchulbong is a volcano on eastern Jeju Island, in Seongsan-ri, Seogwipo, Jeju Province, South Korea. It is 182 meters high and has a volcanic crater at the top. The volcano has long been considered one of the top scenic destinations in Korea. It attracts millions of visitors a year, many of whom climb to the top for the breathtaking panoramic view of the ocean, Udo Island, Hallasan Mountain, and the volcanic landscape of the east.'
After spending 1.5 hours on the bus (80+ stops), I was at my destination. I had mixed emotions about the fact I had another climb ahead of me. I was there, so time to get on with the climb. I ended making the climb a proverbially 'mountain out of a mole hill' in my mind. Walk in the park compared to the distance (and steps I climbed) when I hiked up Ulsanbawi Rock.
While I was enjoying the view at the summit, I had a local couple approach me inquiring about my age. The woman was particularly interested. They said they were thinking about getting ready for being older and wondering what might be ahead of them. I think they were being complimentary in their comments. That's what I choose to believe, at least!
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| Damn streak just won't disappear |
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| Our climb for the day |
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| Volcanic rock formation |
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| Info about volcanic rock formations |
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| Looking over the cone |
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| The summit |
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| Surrounding bay and island |
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| Easy part of the walk |
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| Udo Island |
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Administration
Yes, a personal handheld rechargeable electric fan is a recommended travel accessory when traveling in warm climates. The traditional hand fan, powered by your arm and wrists, is still popular as well. I started seeing the handheld fans in Taiwan. They are also in common use in the warmer areas of Japan and most definitely throughout South Korea. I encourage you to give this accessory serious consideration. Lots of options. like the one below, to choose from.
Next Week
Sunday's plan is to see how high I can hike on Mount Hallasan, SK's highest moutain. Back on the ferry/road on Monday to travel northward, on the western side of SK, towards Incheon International Airport (near Seoul). The planned destinations include Jeonju, Daejeon (attend my first Korean Professional Baseball game), Chuncheon with Suwon being my SK final destination. I'm avoiding a return visit to Seoul.
I'd be delighted and honoured to 'see you' next week! Stay happy and healthy!
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