VACAYS! (...because we're from Cali) PART 1

So we had a few great trips this summer that we'd like to share all about!

[ Are you ready for pictures on pictures on pictures...? ]

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Jeju-do!

Jeju (제주) is an island to the south of Korea, the furthest point south that is technically still considered part of the country (although I believe the island is self-governing). 

We went there this summer as part of our impromptu vacation and as a chance to get out and see more of the country (as we were still newbies back then-and are now still??). We only found out about our vacation a few weeks before we were to leave for it so we got our stuff together and whipped up a quick list that helped with being able to find a spot to stay, attractions to see (as there are MANY on Jeju Island), and beaches to visit.

We spent five days in Jeju and took in tons of the sights on the southern bit of the island, including:

Seogwipo City

 We explored the tourist city of Seogwipo just to the east of where we were staying on the island. It boasts of hotels, resorts, beaches, restaurants, and museums.

Big resort/hotel!

Huge arena for plays and gigantic events and such...

CREEPY ELEVATOR: We can tell you the story sometime of how we rode it the night before...

Jeju statues!

Food!

(though sometimes we still get Korean bbq wrong-or just burnt)...

Rain, rain, and more rain!

The Alive Museum

SUCH a cool place...

  

This museum was FULL of optical illusions for you to pose and interact with. We had a blast going through this place, as well as enjoying its attractions-inside and out!

For the most part, we had a rainy week (as shown by the ominous clouds above that only let through about an hour or two of sun for most of the trip!) But we did have some sunshine on the last few days and we were able to go to a beach just to the east of where we were staying on the island.

Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum

  

Elvis Presley hair (for you, Grandma Jean!!!!!)

Things made out of interesting materials.... matchsticks:

A Cool Bridge!

Restaurants LITERALLY on the water...

Beach Day!

Though the day was bright and beautiful, the tide was not on our side and was super low and annoying for most of the afternoon-you can kind of tell in the above picture, people standing in water up to their ankles.  *sigh*

But we made the most of it and laid out on the warm Jeju sand instead. And ya know, took selfies...

Sadly, due to some troubles with my school and paychecks and some other hang-ups, we weren't able to explore the island as much as we would have liked. Kristen vows that we shall return some day and conquer the island, seeing everything we would have liked to!

We did, however, find our favorite dinner spot: a sushi restaurant just a short taxi ride from our hotel. They served us well as we may have possibly been in to eat there 3 or 4 times. Maybe. Possibly. Because it was delicious and at a certain point, you just want home comforts that you would otherwise want on vacation-DELICIOUS FOOD! And we found it at American Sushi and Roll:

We stumbled upon this treasure the second night we were there...

Then we tried to make dinner the next night, but realized shrimp abroad just isn't the same. 

So the sushi came home with us...

And we made it one last time before we left Jeju...

We were there so often that they put a picture of us up on their wall of expats who come through the country and end up at familiarly-named delicious sushi joint. :)

Our week in Jeju was a nice little break from rural Jeollanamdo and our first time really doing much traveling around Korea so all and all, I think it was a win!

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-E