A Package of Jejudo's Oranges

Winter comes and what rhymes with winter than oranges? hahaha...It doesn't.:-(

But..that's not important. 

We got a box of Jejudo's oranges directly delivered from Jejudo.

Thanks to ms. Han Sang Mee who has been kind enough to have these oranges delivered right into our door in Seoul. 

They did not stand the chance of being devoured by the whole family and friends..

I think they're so irresistibly fresh. 

Freedom And Peace Are Not Free.

The first thing that caught my attention as we got out of our car. It was inscribed on the wall on one of the museum buildings that I visited.

Museum? Yes, it was called Museum of Peace. 

Its full-name is Jeju Meseum of War History and Peace.

Yes, this is located i Cheongsuri, Hangyeongmyeon Jeju. well..it's a bit complicated name for a location,but's that's how it's called--pretty much so.

wait! Is it really a museum? Yes. How come that it is mostly outdoor? That's the thing that came across to my mind when I was there. This door led us to something extraordinary...awaiting for us.

It turned out that this led us to labyrinth or tunnels after tunnels that seemed to endlessly go nowhere. Yes, quite partially true.

These tunnels were made by the Japanese during Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula including Jeju island. So, they dug this intricate tunnels as their centers of controlling the island--or so I learned.

All of the things are all intact and exactly like the way they were left unattended....

There are halls where visitors who mostly school students who come and learn the painful history of war.

The main point and goal of this museum is to teach anyone about the tragedy caused by war and the atrocity that war bestowed upon mankind and humanity.

Although this museum basically portrayed the Japanese occupation in Korean land, the main purpose was not to instill the hatred towards Japan, but rather...to remind the new generation that war...of any kind is evil...that we should abolish and never perpetuate it whatsoever.

I happened to take a picture of this photo in the museum. It captured my heart, attention, eyes, mind, senses..and it just....speaks by itself. War of any kinds only did harms to mankind.

We were lucky to have met the founder as well as the director of the museum. He is Mr. Lee Young Ceun who was kind enough to give us a free tour and in-depth story of the museum.

What's more enticing about this is that..he himself was the one who initiated this museum. He found the cave leading to the tunnels and he dug out most of the materials and any historical artifacts found underneath the tunnels. He collected and compiled them one by one and mostly with his bare hands and energy, he established this Peace Museum with a humble purpose on his mind.

In the morning when we were there, the tranquility of the museum was squeezing our nerves as we learned a lot about what to be done with the peace we are living in at the moment...

ok, one more thing: I did not take as many pictures as I should have since I was so glued into what Mr. Lee was talking and explaining about during the tour. 

So, this is one object called a siren. It was activated by moving the handle in such a way to make a siren call for any one to start marching and ready to get instructions from the Japanese ruler at that time. Mr Lee told us that he used to automatically ran towards the village's field as fast as he could as soon as he heard the siren......to receive orders.

I wonder what life must have been like during those years...

---*---

Anyhow..after visiting this museum, I really appreciate the sacrifice our heroes made for us.

Got Lost in Jeju

Literally....I was lost inside the maze made of stones in sulmundae 

Yes..설문대할망설화..or Should I say...this is literally the stone labyrinth ..^^

See what I mean? I do not need to explain what it was...since literally as I explained earlier...

I did not know as to why we got lost into this so-called 'Halmang' Park in the first place.^^

So, instead of going around inside the maze, we walked around the park and found some other stone-made statues of I don't know what....^^

Really...they were full of ghastly shapes that at times...I did not bother to comprehend for it was too difficult to comprehend...

I guess...the best way to enjoy the place..was then...going onto the look-out tower where we could see the whole maze that...was supposed to resemble a halmoni or a woman known for being a goddess in one of Jeju's legends.

Nope...it was not visible from this angle, though. Sorry....^^

Just as we were walking past stones after stones..I started to notice that most of them have been covered with lush green vegetation that make the stones even more interesting...I mean, they were actually nice to look at, considering the natural look it offered.

Since I was a bit tired of what to do and see...the only thing that captured my attention was then...looking something out of this world^^ no. no. no. Just raking into the fallen leaves that scattered around the area...

Got one that caught my eyes..and started taking a picture of it.^^

Then...as time passed me by...I found another subject to look at at the park....this time...it was cherry-like fruits that seemed to add some beauty to the otherwise grey-looking stones

What else? I found a rather attractive stones joined together in between by a curved  stone. I got an idea...why not...taking picture with me in between, then?

This, too. Now..I've officially found some ways to enjoy myself while getting lost in the maze of stones right here in 설문대 할망 테마공원...

Zaaapppeeeddd....I was zoomed into another dimension of Jeju island.

Compared to the previously attached pictures where grey stones seemed to endlessly dotted the site... 

I went to a place where the three demigods of Jeju got married on the spot. 

How green the place was. It was indeed a sight to be.

Oh wait.....^^

The very spot where the three demigods of Jeju or 삼신인 got married in the place called 혼인지 or Honinji.

Some of our friends were enjoying the place. 

I took a snap picture of this beautiful flowers that just sprung up beside the pond...

Isn't it lovely? ^^

Just a pond...

Now...a pond and me.^^

As we were walking through the wooden path, we saw more and more interesting stuffs..

The best part was that...the air was so fresh and that all of the green trees along the way somewhat gave me a booster-kind-of spirit to keep on going with the route...

Although frankly speaking...we were like...what? 

This is something that I wish I could bring back to Seoul and put it right in front of my home^^

Ilchulbung: At a Glance & Wink Wink

Wink Wink? 

There is ilchulbung that we were about to see. Since it was my first time visiting Jeju...so I was like impatient in everything that I saw. Just like this: we were still in our car but I just could not stop clicking my camera and pointing it at the tourist site we were going to 

even when...we were still passing through an alley that leads toward the ilchulbung...once again...I just could not help myself from...taking pictures.^^ 

Even as soon as I was going out of the car ..and that meant...practically I was still at the parking lot, I just again and again could not help but taking the pictures...

Well..the picture does not do any justice to the real beauty of the place, though.

Oh, well. Angel in us Coffee is everywhere in Korea. Even at the nearest entrance to the famous site like this one. One could misinterpret my photo: that this site is Angel-in-us-Coffee, instead of the UNESCO designated site: ilchulbung^^

This is the proof..that this is indeed a UNESCO preserved site.^^

A must-visit place in Jeju island.

Now...I was getting nearer and nearer to the top...cannot wait...cannot wait...

For someone who is so accustomed to seeing grey and grey apartments complexes in Seoul.....

Seeing this vast plain green was a blessing. It was beyond words.

Click there..click here...my eyes just could not stop rolling and wandering up, above, and beyond...Just take a look at that...isn't it breathtaking? 

I may need to enlarge the picture so as to give a view of how majestic the place is.^^

no comment on this one.

Before going up the peak of the inactive volcano, we got a chance to sneer our way into the path that was just right next to the high cliff overlooking the beach down there. Instead of walking up toward the peak, some people prefer taking a boat that would take them go circling around the mountain.

wait...? what? yes, it means that this ilchulbung likes right on the seaside, it used to be the leftover or remnants (?) or remains (?) of the volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago...

This is the cliff that I was talking about earlier...

This is me being narcissistic ...again...on the site. 

(a proof of being there, at least)

I think it deserves some enlargement^^ so as for anyone to see how beautiful it is.

As seen on the picture, we were walking up the steps towards the peak. Well, it was indeed a kind of afternoon exercise, back then.

Do you know what I had in mind? I just wanted to lie down on the grass and reading some books or eating some ice cream.....^^

and....I just wanted to bring the cool and fresh air back to Seoul.^^