Ullengdo & Dokdo: Day 2
[Continued from Ullengdo & Dokdo Day One]
Morning of the second day of our trip we were up with the wake-up called, bleary but curious about our breakfast. It was traditional Korean fare, which means to those of you who aren't the one or two other Korean-teachers on my flist, that we ate for breakfast the same thing you'd eat at lunch or dinner. There was a bowl of rice (I passed on of course), a bowl of soup, and a whole lot of little dishes of sides. Nothing remarkable or remotely breakfast-like.
Then we headed off to great our ferry in the harbor again and set off for the Dokdo Islands. (Which, yes, I'm going to keep calling it that. I know it's called Dokdo Island, but it's actually the umbrella name for two small islands respectively named two entirely different names, which keep changing, depending on whose talking about them and whose renaming them. Including the also, justifiably Japanese name Lincourt Island.)
The front of the ferry. Didn't I tell you it was oh my worthy?
Riding airline style inside, during the three hour trip out
First view out one of the ferry windows.
I really cannot explain how utterly gorgeous, gem blue the East Sea is.
More. Expect many. Many. Many.
We'd been told that there was a incredibly slim period when people could actually get out on the islands. The water can be too choppy, or it can be the wrong season, or there can be visitors of high importance, or problems with patrol boats and fishing skirmishes. Half predictable and half not, that would decided whether we could get out. That it only happens a handful of times a year. And we would only get twenty to thirty minutes at the most.
Luckily, we were of the miraculous few.
Picture of people taking pictures! Oh. Wait. I mean the island from the docking ramp.
Camilla and I, taken by Wria. It was a pigtail day.(Jeez. I have a lot of hair.)
Wria and I, on Dodko. I am still in awe of people who can take pictures one handed like this.
I loved this rock in the distance.
The Korean official marker, and my Serious Face.
The long stairway to the buildings at the top, that we couldn't take on the time limit.
Wanderlustlover. Who has now lived in South Korea, plus touched both North Korea and Dokdo Island.
Literally and possibly the most perfect candid I've taken in year. I'm not kidding! Look at me!
I'm smiling to the point where you can actually see my dimples and I look happy!
Oh. Yeah. And that's the Dokdo Police. Who nicely posed with me.
>_> Uh. Like five minutes after they were trying to get us in the boat.
The second island behind us. We didn't get to set foot on that one.
From there we headed home. The ride to the islands was smooth was smooth could be, but the one heading home was a tiny bit choppy. Not enough to bother me. I spent the ride finishing off the post cards for the list of people who'd spoken up for the list request in July or August. I finished off all the post cards, they just need to be addressed and sent out now. So hopefully soon.
The rest of Day Two was our free day. Wria and I decided we'd bundle up together during our free time. We wandered port town looking for some place to have lunch. We'd originally been looking for sashimi, whiling taking pictures of the squid literally hanging and laying out everywhere. I bought a huge Asian pear somewhere in the middle of the search, and we ended up at a tiny little restaurant eating something neither of us expected -- a stir fried squid with vegetables, in this delightfully spicy-sweet syrup consistency sauce.
With the sides, and the mostly devoured pear now!
Next Wria opted for a two hour nap, which I spent on my computer working on some writing pieces I'd had in mind needing to be put to paper that weekend. It was a relaxing hour or two. We'd planned to hit up the cable car in the evening and catch the afternoon-evening shifting over the mountains and sea. We got lost a handful of times trying to find the right road to the cable car. Then we were sidetracked by the Kwan Yin Temple that rose out of nowhere.
No really. They love squid. Even at the temple edge.
I really could not get enough of her. She was so gorgeous.
Her altar. Her many hands. Dragons in her foot fountain.
There are many more close-ups on them in the gallery.
Close ups here and here
Another of those spring-fed fountains.
Sometimes it still awes me that it's all real, too.
And another bell.
Some gorgeous paneling
Another.
Having made it up the truly evil, knee-hating, path. Very slowly. We found out the cable car was closed minutes before we arrived. This made my very distraught. Wria tried to cheer me up while I rested, but what really accomplished this would come minutes later. When we realized the buildings next to us were the Dokdo and Ullengdo Museums. Both wide open and full of some truly educational stuff.
While the first really does come off like a propaganda museum (much as did many pieces in the DMZ/Panmunjom trip) it was nice to finally understand why and how and what's of the dispute over the island. I'd really love to see Japan's museum on this, too, as I'm sure somewhere in the middle is the shaded full picture.
A gazebo in the forest shot I took from right outside the Dokdo Museum.
The beginning map. A close up on the little islands here.
Possibly the most helpful map in ever for this trip. Which was not part of the planned tour.
(And this may have been when I realized just how close to Japan I am. I'm a little special?)
I'm skipping the Ullengdo Museum pics, as they look like a lot of things I put up when I was originally doing all the historical museums in Seoul. The pictures are in the gallery if you're curious. After the gallery, we decided to end our evening of free time out with a tiny trek to the earlier spotted gazebo.
Here. I'll give you some more reference and less zoom. It wasn't very close.
I share this one, because the gazebo looks to have become a wee bit evil here.
From the Gazebo. Going across.
Far left is the cable car. Far top right, in white and modern looks, is the Dokdo Museum.
Far right and below Dokdo Museum, in quaint orange-red roofs is the Ullengdo Museum.
On the way down from the gazebo, we stopped at the Temple again, this time discovering the huge gift shop right beneath which totally stole my heart and a small chunk of my pocket book money. But I'm so so so in love with everything, and the store was a plethora of handmade wooden things.
Carvings on the way down, between temple and shop.
My fun times pot.
My most favoritest thing -- Top right, my personal Moktok. It's a Buddhist meditation instrument and I've been in love with them for months. I now own one and I haven't stopped gleeing over it since. Bottom left -- wooden box. Whole of the right side -- pumpkin taffy, a delicacy made on Ullengdo. One bag for my work, one bag for probably anyone I send anything to. I was happy after my one tester piece weeks ago. Middle area
Middle top is Korean tea rests for the tea set bought in Jeju at O'sulloc. I almost bought the Korean tea service tray. I'm pretty sure I will be getting one in Korea, but it didn't need to be the ones there. Middle-middle -- the most wee tiny wooden mortar and pestle ever. I died of cute. Middle-bottom is a Buddhist prayer bead necklace and bracelet, both done with all the beads hand carved into small skulls. I dithered on that one, but it's very Samhain now that the prayer beads are draped over my black mirror. (This last one was actually purchased Day Three morning...but we'll get to that in the next entry)
And last but not least, in the center is the Conductors Baton (Wria and i both chimed "Wand") I was given free of charge when she realized all I was buying. Actually, i take that back, last and not least is actually my Pink Bracelet which I'm apparently missing a picture of. It was also purchased here. It's tiny white-green beads strong on very dark pink thread and it was one of my very first picked out purchase before anything else in the store called to me.
Realizing how late it was once we finished paying for our stuff, Wria and I walked back to our hotel through the port town laughing and talking. We arrived in time for dinner, which was pretty normal fare. I stayed in the first few hours of this night writing, before I took off to find a Pc Bong (PC/Internet Bong/Room) and stayed there until somewhere abouts way am exchange e-mails with Gen or Georgia (or both? *ponders at nearly a week and half ago*) while making funny faces at an adorable tiny Korean child.
Far later than I should admit to I finally logged out, paid my like five dollars for having been there a good half the night, and walked back through the night port town, looking at the sky and the buildings and feeling the chill of the new autumn air, before tucking myself in for some sleep.
Galleries Created and Updated
Traveling in South Korea
Ullengdo & Dokdo Day I Day II
Morning of the second day of our trip we were up with the wake-up called, bleary but curious about our breakfast. It was traditional Korean fare, which means to those of you who aren't the one or two other Korean-teachers on my flist, that we ate for breakfast the same thing you'd eat at lunch or dinner. There was a bowl of rice (I passed on of course), a bowl of soup, and a whole lot of little dishes of sides. Nothing remarkable or remotely breakfast-like.
Then we headed off to great our ferry in the harbor again and set off for the Dokdo Islands. (Which, yes, I'm going to keep calling it that. I know it's called Dokdo Island, but it's actually the umbrella name for two small islands respectively named two entirely different names, which keep changing, depending on whose talking about them and whose renaming them. Including the also, justifiably Japanese name Lincourt Island.)
The front of the ferry. Didn't I tell you it was oh my worthy?
Riding airline style inside, during the three hour trip out
First view out one of the ferry windows.
I really cannot explain how utterly gorgeous, gem blue the East Sea is.
More. Expect many. Many. Many.
We'd been told that there was a incredibly slim period when people could actually get out on the islands. The water can be too choppy, or it can be the wrong season, or there can be visitors of high importance, or problems with patrol boats and fishing skirmishes. Half predictable and half not, that would decided whether we could get out. That it only happens a handful of times a year. And we would only get twenty to thirty minutes at the most.
Luckily, we were of the miraculous few.
Picture of people taking pictures! Oh. Wait. I mean the island from the docking ramp.
Camilla and I, taken by Wria. It was a pigtail day.(Jeez. I have a lot of hair.)
Wria and I, on Dodko. I am still in awe of people who can take pictures one handed like this.
I loved this rock in the distance.
The Korean official marker, and my Serious Face.
The long stairway to the buildings at the top, that we couldn't take on the time limit.
Wanderlustlover. Who has now lived in South Korea, plus touched both North Korea and Dokdo Island.
Literally and possibly the most perfect candid I've taken in year. I'm not kidding! Look at me!
I'm smiling to the point where you can actually see my dimples and I look happy!
Oh. Yeah. And that's the Dokdo Police. Who nicely posed with me.
>_> Uh. Like five minutes after they were trying to get us in the boat.
The second island behind us. We didn't get to set foot on that one.
From there we headed home. The ride to the islands was smooth was smooth could be, but the one heading home was a tiny bit choppy. Not enough to bother me. I spent the ride finishing off the post cards for the list of people who'd spoken up for the list request in July or August. I finished off all the post cards, they just need to be addressed and sent out now. So hopefully soon.
The rest of Day Two was our free day. Wria and I decided we'd bundle up together during our free time. We wandered port town looking for some place to have lunch. We'd originally been looking for sashimi, whiling taking pictures of the squid literally hanging and laying out everywhere. I bought a huge Asian pear somewhere in the middle of the search, and we ended up at a tiny little restaurant eating something neither of us expected -- a stir fried squid with vegetables, in this delightfully spicy-sweet syrup consistency sauce.
With the sides, and the mostly devoured pear now!
Next Wria opted for a two hour nap, which I spent on my computer working on some writing pieces I'd had in mind needing to be put to paper that weekend. It was a relaxing hour or two. We'd planned to hit up the cable car in the evening and catch the afternoon-evening shifting over the mountains and sea. We got lost a handful of times trying to find the right road to the cable car. Then we were sidetracked by the Kwan Yin Temple that rose out of nowhere.
No really. They love squid. Even at the temple edge.
I really could not get enough of her. She was so gorgeous.
Her altar. Her many hands. Dragons in her foot fountain.
There are many more close-ups on them in the gallery.
Close ups here and here
Another of those spring-fed fountains.
Sometimes it still awes me that it's all real, too.
And another bell.
Some gorgeous paneling
Another.
Having made it up the truly evil, knee-hating, path. Very slowly. We found out the cable car was closed minutes before we arrived. This made my very distraught. Wria tried to cheer me up while I rested, but what really accomplished this would come minutes later. When we realized the buildings next to us were the Dokdo and Ullengdo Museums. Both wide open and full of some truly educational stuff.
While the first really does come off like a propaganda museum (much as did many pieces in the DMZ/Panmunjom trip) it was nice to finally understand why and how and what's of the dispute over the island. I'd really love to see Japan's museum on this, too, as I'm sure somewhere in the middle is the shaded full picture.
A gazebo in the forest shot I took from right outside the Dokdo Museum.
The beginning map. A close up on the little islands here.
Possibly the most helpful map in ever for this trip. Which was not part of the planned tour.
(And this may have been when I realized just how close to Japan I am. I'm a little special?)
I'm skipping the Ullengdo Museum pics, as they look like a lot of things I put up when I was originally doing all the historical museums in Seoul. The pictures are in the gallery if you're curious. After the gallery, we decided to end our evening of free time out with a tiny trek to the earlier spotted gazebo.
Here. I'll give you some more reference and less zoom. It wasn't very close.
I share this one, because the gazebo looks to have become a wee bit evil here.
From the Gazebo. Going across.
Far left is the cable car. Far top right, in white and modern looks, is the Dokdo Museum.
Far right and below Dokdo Museum, in quaint orange-red roofs is the Ullengdo Museum.
On the way down from the gazebo, we stopped at the Temple again, this time discovering the huge gift shop right beneath which totally stole my heart and a small chunk of my pocket book money. But I'm so so so in love with everything, and the store was a plethora of handmade wooden things.
Carvings on the way down, between temple and shop.
My fun times pot.
My most favoritest thing -- Top right, my personal Moktok. It's a Buddhist meditation instrument and I've been in love with them for months. I now own one and I haven't stopped gleeing over it since. Bottom left -- wooden box. Whole of the right side -- pumpkin taffy, a delicacy made on Ullengdo. One bag for my work, one bag for probably anyone I send anything to. I was happy after my one tester piece weeks ago. Middle area
Middle top is Korean tea rests for the tea set bought in Jeju at O'sulloc. I almost bought the Korean tea service tray. I'm pretty sure I will be getting one in Korea, but it didn't need to be the ones there. Middle-middle -- the most wee tiny wooden mortar and pestle ever. I died of cute. Middle-bottom is a Buddhist prayer bead necklace and bracelet, both done with all the beads hand carved into small skulls. I dithered on that one, but it's very Samhain now that the prayer beads are draped over my black mirror. (This last one was actually purchased Day Three morning...but we'll get to that in the next entry)
And last but not least, in the center is the Conductors Baton (Wria and i both chimed "Wand") I was given free of charge when she realized all I was buying. Actually, i take that back, last and not least is actually my Pink Bracelet which I'm apparently missing a picture of. It was also purchased here. It's tiny white-green beads strong on very dark pink thread and it was one of my very first picked out purchase before anything else in the store called to me.
Realizing how late it was once we finished paying for our stuff, Wria and I walked back to our hotel through the port town laughing and talking. We arrived in time for dinner, which was pretty normal fare. I stayed in the first few hours of this night writing, before I took off to find a Pc Bong (PC/Internet Bong/Room) and stayed there until somewhere abouts way am exchange e-mails with Gen or Georgia (or both? *ponders at nearly a week and half ago*) while making funny faces at an adorable tiny Korean child.
Far later than I should admit to I finally logged out, paid my like five dollars for having been there a good half the night, and walked back through the night port town, looking at the sky and the buildings and feeling the chill of the new autumn air, before tucking myself in for some sleep.
Galleries Created and Updated
Traveling in South Korea
Ullengdo & Dokdo Day I Day II