Jeju Olle, Day 2

I’ve overslept after a good hike yesterday, so only starting walking around 9 am. The trail 9 follows a cute little path going up and down through the forest on the mountain. Sweet and cute. At the entrance to the mountain they had an insect repellent self-service station, which I believe is amazing. And on the trail rather than covering the whole mountain in stairs, they put some kind of rough carpet made of thick natural rope. It blends into the ground really fast. But it gives a nice footing — not slipping neither dry nor wet, and pleasantly soft under the feet.

Thick natural rope carpet laid across forest trail ground

Amazing views from the mountain top. And the weather gets good enough to actually see Hallasan for the first time since I’ve arrived here.

Grassy ridge trail with Sanbangsan peak and ocean beyond
View of the rocky stream cutting through hillside
Sanbangsan mountain rising above green forest and trees
Stream through green valley with pine trees on slopes

Then Route 10 goes more on flat ground and visits the remnants of WWII. Apparently the Japanese Imperial Army was trying to turn the island into a stronghold and they’ve built a lot of fortifications here.

Sanbangsan rocky peak viewed across green meadow
Red wooden footbridge along coastal cliff with flowering bushes
Eroded sandstone shelf beside calm sea and small islet
Sanbangsan dome across grassy field with coastal town

A few hours into following the coast I started getting peckish and decided to stop by the only place in the area serving vegetarian food around here (at least according to the map) — a fancy-ish (but still affordable) restaurant in the lobby of the international hotel. So for a change I’ve ordered some international food, a hummus plate. To my surprise (or not) what I got was a plate perfectly balanced following the wisdom of wuxing, with all the five colors present on the plate around the hummus in the middle.

Bibimbap-style plate with falafel, hummus, tomatoes, potatoes, and beans

I spent a bit longer there than I would normally spend for a lunch — both to enjoy the ambience and simply waiting for my order. And then, well rested and properly recharged, I went for the rest of today’s trail. While still mostly following the coast, it wasn’t completely flat, with the path winding up and down here and there, making it quite fun to walk.

Coastal view of Sanbangsan across wide blue bay
Layered sedimentary cliff jutting into the blue sea
Two people on wooden boardwalk overlook with sea and island
Curved pebble bay below cliffs framed by branches

Both of the trails today are shorter than yesterday. So I’ve got to the accommodation while still having some energy in me. Used it to look for a bibimbap of the day.

I got really lucky with the accommodation — a nice hotel room with a 60% discount, almost the price of a hostel bunk bed. So I am staying here for two nights — tomorrow is a rest day, doing a 5 km hike 10-1 on Gapado island and chilling the rest of the day.