After a few wonderful days in Jeju City, our vacation was dwindling down to just two more days. We had a few things left on our to-do list, one of which was visiting Manjanggul Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage sight that is a cave formed from a lava tunnel.
We started our fifth day in Jeju City making our way to Manjanggul via a journey of bus rides and transfers. Once dropped off at the bus stop we continued on a mile or so walk that was actually quite picturesque. We followed a long and sleepy tree lined road, speckled with wildflowers, until finally making it to our destination.
When we arrived, we were greeted by a vine covered staircase entrance into the cave. We followed along the one kilometer path through the lava tunnel enjoying the chilly climate that was so different from the sweltering streets of Jeju.
Though dark, the tunnel acted as a museum at some points, sharing information of how the cave was formed thousands of years ago. We explored for a while taking in the dimly lit scenery and appreciating the great, nearly unimaginable, stalactites.
Later we headed back into the city towards our hostel and geared up for our final day on the island.
. . .
Our last day started with us packing our bags and quickly dropping them off at the airport before catching a cab to the beach to soak in some sun before boarding our flight that evening. We had an incredible cab driver pick us up who tried his absolute best to communicate with us in his broken English and we attempted our best broken Korean. Though we had to act out words for ‘beach’ and ‘swimming’, he had no problems telling us his opinions of what was at the time the upcoming 2017 presidential election.
We spent a few hours on Iho Tewoo Beach swimming, snacking, and reading before grabbing another taxi back to the airport.
After six glorious days, we boarded the plane with salt-water in our hair and and sand in our bags. We watched from the airplane window as the sun set and we flew back into Incheon, and back to our regularly scheduled lives of teaching English. Though short, it was an incredibly rejuvenating summer vacation and exactly what we all needed.
After a few days 
Once we had taken 100 or so photos we decided to leave the refreshing mists of the falls and start making our way to Sanbanggulsa Temple.
In my travels I must have visited dozens of various temples at this point, but each one grabs my attention in a new way. They are so beautiful and feel so sacred and offer such an interesting insight into the beliefs of those who follow the respective religion.
Finally it was summer vacation. One thing I’ll say about Korea is that there’s a descent amount of public holidays, but they really don’t space them out efficiently. I joyfully boarded the small plane that would be taking some friends and I to 
We knew that the Cheonjiyeon Waterfall was within walking distance and at some places could even hear it. Finding it was another task entirely though. We walked around the island following maps and street signs for what felt like hours. Eventually we made it to the park for the falls, where we walked along the path stumbling upon little bits of character all the way.
After lunch our group split up. One friend and I decided to brave the 90 degree heat and walk the town. Along our way we found a bustling street market and a charming café filled with vintage books and tropical leaves on each stainless steel table top. I also had the best coconut ice of my life.
Always in search of an enticing weekend get away, when a friend mentioned this festival last winter I was equal parts gung-ho and yet seriously questioning my desire to spend the weekend in a teeny tiny town surrounded by snow. Ultimately I decided that if nothing else it would be an adventure, and I purchased my ticket.
It started with a fish pedicure. Essentially you put your feet in a pool of water, and these little fish eat away any dry skin. While it feels really weird at first, once you get used to it, it’s not bad, and your feet are incredibly soft once your leave. I had the opportunity to have it done in Thailand as well where it’s a bit more common and the effects were, possibly, even better than a traditional pedicure.
And so, after our pedicure we taxied over to his office and walked into a small building with about 10 or so beds for acupuncture separated by curtains. We had a Korean friend go with us who signed us in and helped us translate. While the acupuncturist has assistants who help him do some of the work, he actually feels your energy and places the needles himself. He somehow managed to know the year I was born simply by holding my wrist. We left 40 minutes later feeling relaxed, and I personally was feeling very zen.
One of the wonderful parts about living in Korea is that the country is small enough to be able to make it to any coast just to spend a weekend away from the city. After a stressful week post 2016 election, some friends and I were looking for a peaceful weekend away, perhaps on a beach. We decided to head out for central Korea, towards a city named Sokcho. Near the larger city of Sokcho are both Seoraksan Mountain, as well as, a cozy little beach town, Ingu. Both would be my destinations for Saturday and Sunday.
My travel mates had previously hiked through Seoraksan National Park so we decided to part ways for a few hours as they went straight to Ingu, and I left for the mountain.
Ingu is a tiny surf town that runs about four blocks long and is set against the Sea of Japan. There are coffee shops, burger restaurants, and countless surf shops. This appears to be the city where all of the few Korean hipsters have settled. It is amazing.
After leaving the coffee shop it was time to get to the beach. While my friends hit the waves, I opted for the warmer option of reading a book on the sand. Somewhere in the middle of chapter two, a beautiful friendly golden retriever came up and sat down right next to me on my blanket. His owner seemed to be mortified, but it was everything I could do to keep him right next to me for as long as possible. Once again, perfection. Calming, peaceful, quiet perfection.
bbm travels 