Jeju Olle hike, Korea day 3

#Jeju #JejuOlle

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | (routes 1→ 6 = 106km)

I did part of this route with the Walking Festival. And came back later by myself, to finish.

Walking in Korea and most of Asia is traditionally for the purpose of religious pilgrimage. To walk for fun and fitness is a relatively new and foreign concept.

Festival motto – be happy on the trail

Perhaps the most amazing sight on the sections I hiked was this vast area covered with Mandarin orange peels. We were told that, once dried, it would be used in tea.

The aroma was wonderful.

It was here, too, that our hiking group sampled the famous Jeju pork. Delicious.

Of the stretches along the water, I think this was my favourite.

Near the coast there are always surf cast fishermen in sight.

Most of the “beaches” are black and stony …

This one, Pyoseon, near our official Conference hotel was a rare sandy treat

We took a shortcut to the finish

Christian funeral monument.

Korea is about 40% Christian though none of the huge churches you’ve seen on TV are located on Jeju.

One of the bloggers saw some of the famous diving women of the island close to here.

It’s an interesting story, those divers.

Another saying of this island is that “rocks, wind and women are plentiful“. It’s a bit of a matriarchal society.

Haenyo are skilled divers who are known to be able to hold their breath for more than two minutes and dive to depths of 20 meters. Diving was the first profession for women in Korea and the Haenyo are some of the best free divers in the world.