Jeju Island Getaway: Food, Fun, and a Few Quirks
This year marks the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation. Perhaps because it's a multiple of ten, it feels especially significant.
I'm grateful for the freedom to move around, the opportunity to try anything I want – all thanks to the patriotism and sacrifice of so many.
Speaking of patriotism, one of my favorite actors consistently posts the Korean flag. I truly admire a person of substance!
Finally, after almost three years, I'm taking a summer vacation! It's so precious and special that I decided to go to Jeju Island!
The day before leaving, we all got together and enjoyed 60계 쯔란 chicken wings. 
So good! If you want to enjoy the cumin flavor even more, sprinkle on the sauce that comes with it. Highly recommended!
Our flight was early, so we left in the morning. I hadn't been to Jeju since my high school field trip, so I was really excited!
Taking this photo is practically a rule, so I took one too! Then, we headed straight to the rental car place and picked up our pre-booked car.
We went to Wangbeotkkot Baekban (King Cherry Blossom Set Meal) restaurant near the airport. As soon as we walked in, the delicious smell was amazing.
The two owners were incredibly kind and friendly – just the best! (I felt so good the whole time I was eating there.)
We ordered the marinated crab and grilled tilefish set meal. While we waited, we had a nice chat with the owners.
Side dishes kept coming and coming! They said they get up early to make them all themselves.
First of all, everything looked delicious. And the side dishes weren't salty at all, but savory and tasty. It felt like eating my grandmother's home cooking!
The soy sauce marinated crab wasn't too salty and was really delicious. If you go to Jeju Island, you should definitely check it out! Even the price is reasonable.
One of my companions finished two bowls of rice...it was that good! Satisfied with our meal, we headed to Starbucks.
Our accommodation was near Seogwipo, so we had to drive for over an hour. I tried a Jeju-only menu item at Starbucks, but it was just okay.
We were so tired on the first day that we decided to go to our accommodation and rest. When we entered the room, there was a strange, musty smell. When I asked about it, they said the smell was coming from the rug. 
They offered to change our room, but the new room had the same smell! In the end, we sprayed a ton of air freshener. It was really bad. I just booked it without thinking, but after checking the reviews later, I saw that others had similar experiences.
So, we opened the windows and made a fuss! 
Because of the smell issue, we gave up on resting and went to a nearby beach. I searched online and found Oedolgae Rock, so we just went there, but it wasn't a sandy beach! We were both surprised, like "Huh? What?" and then headed to Pyoseon Beach.
The water was shallower than expected, but it was clear and felt good. After dipping our feet in and looking around, we went to Olle Market.
Olle Market was packed with people. We waited in line to get some sliced raw fish to take away and looked around the market. We bought souvenirs and sent some Hallabong oranges home.
As soon as we got back, we washed up and ate! Oh my gosh...it was so delicious! I could eat sliced raw fish for the rest of my life! The boiled octopus was also amazing! We ate well, took a nice walk, and then went to sleep.
I wanted to try Seaweed Kimbap when I came to Jeju Island! I searched a lot and found 'Gujaengiga Kimbap Soge'. This place is really, really good! I really love kimbap, and I can't forget this one.
If someone asked me, "Would you eat that kimbap for every meal?" I'd say yes! It was a kimbap place where the price wasn't a waste. 
I also heard that Ojeong Kimbap was famous, and I wanted to try it, but it was closed. I'll have to try it next time. On the way to Songaksan Mountain, the trumpet creepers were so pretty that I took a picture.
Why did my expression look like that in the picture? LOL. I was speechless! I really enjoyed looking at the sea and walked along the Songaksan Mountain trail! It was humid, but I felt accomplished.
I heard that a scene from the Korean drama "Dae Jang Geum" was filmed there, so I took a picture. 
After looking around, we decided to go play at Jungmun Saekdal Beach. The waves were amazing! It was so much fun! But they announced that jellyfish were appearing, so we played with the thought of running away immediately. Some people were surfing next to us, and I thought I'd like to try that someday.
We played for about an hour and a half, but it started raining a lot, so we went to wash up. But only cold water came out, so I was freezing! But I washed everything off cleanly.
Even after swimming and showering, my eyeliner didn't come off! I love you, Wakemake Iron Wall Pen Eyeliner! It didn't smudge at all. Even though I touched and wiped around my eyes a lot...it's just the best! I've been using this product for 3 years.
I was hungry, so we went to McDonald's. Originally, ramen after swimming is a must, but because of the rain, we couldn't.
Then we went to Olle Market and ate black pork. It was so delicious! I also tried a glass of Hallasan soju. Wow...I just, well...it was too bitter.
And then I tried Jangin Dumplings, which I'd wanted to try. Wow...the skin was thin and the filling was packed! 12,000 won? Not a waste. You should try it.
We tried to eat at Yeondon on the last day, so we waited in line, but we gave up because of our flight time. Instead, we ate seafood ramen. They said they don't use separate soup packets, but make the seasoning and cook everything from scratch.
There were a lot of seafood and it was delicious! Then we went on a crazy souvenir shop tour and bought pudding at the airport. I ate chocolate and custard, and I'm a chocolate person! It was rich and good.
While I was in Jeju Island, I focused on taking everything in with my eyes and relaxing, so I didn't take many pictures.
But I made unforgettable memories. Next time, I'll have to plan better! 
But what I felt while traveling in Jeju Island was that it was like a ghost town. I didn't see people while driving around. There were crowds at really famous restaurants or Olle Market, but there was no one during the day. It felt like I only saw cars. But I still had a fun trip to Jeju! My healing trip is over!
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