Jeju-do: Part 4: Seongsan Ilchul-Bong

****This post was all written and actually posted like 3 or 4 days ago, but Blogger had some issues and wouldn't let anyone post, then deleted all the pictures, so you're just getting it now - sorry.****

After visiting the lava tube and eating mandu, we hopped back in the cab and drove to Seongsan Ilchul-bong (bong means mountain peak) or "Sunrise Peak". It's one of 3 volcanic craters on Jeju and we chose it for 2 reasons: 1 - Hallasan (san means mountain) is the largest and takes basically an entire day to climb/enjoy and 2 - it is on the coast and there is a performace by the women divers in the afternoon. The third peak (San'gumburi) was further inland.

We drove up the coast and it was beautiful. I took some pictures out of the car window and they actually came out ok, but don't really live up to what we saw. The cab driver stopped on the side of the road at one point and let us take pictures of these rock formations.

Coast road from the back of the cab. It was much prettier in person.

Bizarre rock wall. Not sure what/if there is a meaning to it.

Me and Jeff in front of the wall

Rock wall and the coast in the background

We stopped again once we got closer to the crater so we could take pictures from far away.

The crater from a distance and the small town of Seongsanpo.

We arrived at the mountain at 1pm and the diving show was supposed to start at 1:30, so I decided not to climb the peak with mom and Jeff because there was no way in h-e-double hockey sticks that I was making it up the bajillion (ok so I've over estimating, but it was a lot) stairs and back in 30 minutes. Plus it had started to sprinkle/rain a bit which made the stairs slippery and me + steep + wet stairs does not equal anything pleasant. So they went up to the top and almost got blown over because it was freaking windy.

Mom and Jeff start their walk up the crater. I turned left and went to the coastline.

View from the top

View from the top of the town of Seongsanpo

View from the top of the other side of the crater

I went over to the other side of the mountain where you can see U-do (do means island) or "Cow Island" which is a small fishing village and they apparently grow peanuts there too. We did not visit the island or its lighthouse because you have to take a ferry and it would have ended our dreams of seeing a monkey ride a dolphin. I took 80 thousand pictures of the cliff side of the crater, of U-do and of various others things. Then I walked down to the beach area where the perfomance was supposed to be, in the far side of a small town called Seongsanpo. On my way down the steps, one of the women divers was walking up the steps and she poked my in the side/stomach, said something, shook my hand and laughed and then walked away. It was very odd and I was too surprised to ask for a picture. I took lots of pictures of the cool rocks/tide pools while waiting for mom and Jeff.

Coast line of the opposite side of the cove.

Cliff face. The Japanese dug the cave in front (and others near this crater) before WWII as storage facilities.

The cove from above. U-do is the island in the background. As you can see, it was a bit hazy and was actually sprinkeling.

A cool rock down at the cove - I took lots of pictures of rocks and tide pools

While I was waiting for mom and Jeff, a Korean guy took my picture in the cove

More of the cove and the cliff face - I was not kidding when I said I took a lot of this same picture.

Cliff face from the stairs above the cove

Cliff face and the cove

A wind break sort of thing that seperated the cove from the ocean. It was a cool rock formation.

Jeff got down first because mom was taking videos. We had talked about how both of us had technically been in the Pacific ocean, but that neither of us had been in Asian Pacific waters. So of course we both touched the water - it was cold. Jeff went searching in the tide pools and found a chopstick. He was very proud of it. On her way down the steps, mom lost her Duke baseball hat in the wind (it was blown off her head). She thought about trying to go after it, but decided it would not be a good idea to climb under the fence on the side of a cliff. I support that decision, although it did lead to a purchase of a stupid hat later, but at least she's not splatted.

Jeff searching tide pools in the cove

He was proud of his chopstick or what I call, the Harry Potter picture

When mom lost her hat. She was sad.

Jeff crossing a sketch bridge. He went about that far and turned around.

After another 10 minutes or so (it was closer to 2 than 1:30 at this point, thus annoying me) the lady divers (or haenyeo) did their performance. They did a little chant, put on their gear and hopped in the water. I've put more videos here than usual, but I think it's interesting, plus the commentary tells you about how most of the trip was. I forget that my camera does not turn the picturns around, like you can do with a still shot, so I apologize for the sideways view. Mom took a similar chant video, but hers was over 2 minutes long and I think you get the point this with one.

The ladies getting ready to chant

One of the ladies getting ready to get in - check out her sweet shoes

Most of the women are old, and it's kind of a dying art because no young women want to learn how to dive. The women dive for abalone and other sea creatures and they do it without snorkels or scuba tanks; they just hold their breath. We actually saw some the day before randomly outside of the Seaes hotel and I saw a couple while I was taking pictures of U-do. One of the divers caught an octopus and brought it back out. They had a tank right there where you could pick out a creature and have it cooked in the adjoining restaurant. Jeff thought about it (I gagged a bit), but it was quite expensive (and gross).

Mom and Jeff in front of the cliff face

Mom and Jeff in front of the windbreak

Next up: Is a monkey really going to ride a dolphin? or how Jeff's dreams are ruint.