A Relaxing Getaway to Haenam: Beaches, History, and Delicious Food
My itinerary in Mokpo wrapped up sooner than expected. Surprisingly (at least to me!), there wasn't much to see.
That meant I could check into the Haenam 126 Hotel, the highlight of this trip, early and relax while watching the sunset.
Passing over the Mokpo Bridge...
Arrived at the Haenam 126 Hotel. Turns out this whole area is the Haenam Pine Beach CC and the Oseano Tourist Complex!
There was even a campground at the hotel entrance; staying there would be great, I thought.
A brand-new hotel, built last year. Every room has an ocean view. Wow, amazing!
It's a five-story building, and this is the view that unfolds when you open the terrace door.
Every corner of this place is like a work of art. It was wonderful.
With the mealtime being awkward and nothing around the hotel, I packed up some grey mullet and pomfret sashimi from Mokpo Dongbu Market and ate it in my room. There's another plate, haha. The drinks were good, and the sunset was even better!
After a bite of sashimi and a shot of soju in my room, and running out to the terrace to watch the sunset… I decided, “I can’t stay put!” and went down.
Perhaps because it was the West Sea, the sunset was truly beautiful.
The quality isn't great because it was taken with my phone zoomed in, but it had been so long since I'd seen such a clear and beautiful sunset! It was touching.
I watched it until it got dark, then went back to my room for a second round: tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), kimbap (seaweed rice rolls), and even a cup ramen, followed by Netflix and then off to dreamland.
The next morning, a full-fledged Haenam trip began!
I took the Ttangkkeut (Land's End) Monorail up to the Ttangkkeut Observatory, then came back down, stopped by the Ttangkkeut Tower, and looked around the Ttangkkeut Skywalk. It took about two hours.
09:20 Took the monorail up.
After about 10 minutes, you reach the Ttangkkeut Observatory. But this isn't the end.
The observatory had a great view of the Ttangkkeut Village in Haenam.
This is towards Ttangkkeut Village...
This is the opposite side.
There are various photo zones... but I didn't take any pictures.
I also stepped on the soil.
And now, the start of hardship, haha.
I experienced hell. My knees already hurt, but I went down a massive, steep staircase for about 15 minutes.
Actually, more than the stairs themselves, the lack of markings at the end of the stairs made me dizzy and it was even harder. ㅠㅠ
Arrived at the Ttangkkeut Tower! What is a photo? Affection for the subject. (Repetition, rote learning. ㅋㅋ)
Well... I don't really like the picture on the right either, but it's better than what my husband took, haha.
A pretty young lady asked me to take her picture, so I took it and then asked her to take one of me. That’s how I got this picture.
After a slight uphill climb, and about 15 minutes on a flat wooden deck, the Ttangkkeut Skywalk appears.
Ttangkkeut Monorail, Ttangkkeut Observatory, Ttangkkeut Tower, Ttangkkeut Skywalk. Where exactly *is* the end of the land? Haha.
It was short, but the open view was great.
As I entered Ttangkkeut Village to buy abalone, I saw these things.
Yes, unlike Gwangju and Mokpo, Haenam had a relaxed vibe that I enjoyed. And Ttangkkeut might not really be the 'end,' but another 'beginning.' In the end, whether it's the end or the beginning is just what humans define. The land, the sea, and the whole world are all connected.
Now it's time for lunch. Actually, I only had coffee for breakfast, so it should be called brunch.
I chose hairtail soup (galchi guk) over mulhoe (raw fish soup). I headed to a truck stop restaurant along the way.
Side dishes. In addition, there's the main dish, galchi guk, and side dishes like ripened kimchi stew and pork bulgogi. At ₩13,000 per person, it seems pretty decent. I didn't upload a picture, but the galchi guk with zucchini and radish was exactly my style.
Let’s cheer up and visit a few more places!
In Haenam, Mihwangsa Temple and Daeheungsa Temple are famous. I remember going to Mihwangsa about 30 years ago. I'm not sure if I went to Daeheungsa or not (because I probably wouldn't have gone all the way to Haenam and only visited Mihwangsa). Anyway, it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so I chose this one.
Oh, that's right. Duryunsan Mountain, famous for its autumn foliage, was here. And the Uldolmok Cable Car? Skywalk? was also there.
The scenery harmonized with the mountain range was so beautiful, and the over 500-year-old protected tree was magnificent.
The main hall, Daeungjeon, is separate, and they were building the Hogukdaejeon. I took a picture with people to show how huge the building is.
Now, since it was on the route, I stopped by a makgeolli brewery that I was always curious about. Haechang Brewery, which makes Haechang Makgeolli.
There was a makgeolli tasting going on in the yard. A handsome man who looked familiar asked if I wanted to taste, and it was the owner. I was only going to have one shot glass of makgeolli, but he kept offering me more, so I had another. It was thick and delicious. I bought ₩20,000 worth: 12-degree makgeolli for ₩12,000 and 9-degree makgeolli for ₩8,000.
I wanted to look around more, but someone kept urging me to leave quickly.
Next, I was curious about Haenam sweet potato bread, so I stopped by the famous Financier.
The bread you see on the left is sweet potato bread. It looks like a sweet potato, and it tastes just like one, haha. Amazing!
Making use of my major, I decided to make the Gosan Historic Site the last stop on my Haenam trip.
The reason I came here was because they were holding a special exhibition to coincide with the Sumuk Biennale.
It's Yoon Duseo's Self-Portrait and 'Semaedo,' the real thing. It's on display until the end of October. Photography is prohibited, but there are people who secretly took pictures and uploaded them. ㅠㅠ
The pine tree I saw on the way to Nokudang. I took a picture because it reminded me of Yoon Seondo's pen name, 'Gosan (孤山 - Lonely Mountain).'
When will Nokudang open? There are reviews with pictures of the inside... but it was locked when I went.
Now, moving to the Ouga Garden.
It's well-decorated, divided into 'Suseoksongjukwol (Water, Stone, Pine, Bamboo, Moon)' zones according to Yoon Seondo's 'Ouga (Song of Five Friends)' concept. However, I couldn't fully enjoy it because the weather was still summery, reaching 30 degrees.
Now the last stop, the Ttangkkeut Pilgrimage Literature Museum.
This was the first time I knew there was such a literature museum. And they also had a Writer's House program here.
I definitely want to stay here and do creative activities after I retire, haha.
The origin of the name Ttangkkeut Pilgrimage Literature Museum comes from combining 'Ttangkkeut (Land's End),' which represents Haenam, and 'Pilgrimage,' referring to the footsteps of writers who visited this place as if on a pilgrimage.
They are exhibiting the lives, representative works, related anecdotes, and photos of poets from Haenam: Lee Dong-ju, Park Seong-ryong, Kim Nam-ju, and Go Jeong-hee.
I didn't know there were so many writers from Haenam. And it was great to see that they created a literature museum to promote their legacy and hold literary events every year. As expected, it's the home of Yoon Seondo.
And what remains after the trip are the local specialties and food. Looking at what I bought in Haenam...
I only bought one bottle each of 12-degree and 9-degree Haechang Makgeolli. I still have painful memories of buying too much makgeolli when I went to Gongju last time and ending up throwing it away. ㅠㅠ
I found an abalone specialty store, Hae and Dal Fisheries, introduced by a coworker. The big abalones were so plump, and they packed them so carefully that I was satisfied. I also bought kelp seaweed chips, roasted seaweed, and sea lettuce rice.
I thought only Yeongam was famous for figs, but maybe it's because they're next to each other? Haenam figs are also famous. I bought a box of each of the different varieties and also bought some for my in-laws.
Haenam sweet potatoes are already so famous~ I bought a box of Honey Chestnut Sweet Potatoes each, and only bought this much sweet potato bread for myself.
This is how the 3-night, 4-day journey ended. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but even playing is tiring. But travel is always fun. I have to work hard to save money, take good care of my health, and go on another trip!
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