JD – Page 13 – JD's Blog

Around Jeju Island

Jeju is an island that belongs to South Korea. I am going to write separate posts about Jeju Loveland and Jeju Mini Land, because they need their own posts.

However, this is just about Jeju in general.

First off, the island is famous for Jeju Black Pig, which is a kind of pig that they BBQ. It’s wonderful, and we ate at restaurants that served it every night while we were there.

There are lots of beaches to enjoy, and the water is fairly warm and inviting. This is in contrast to the Korean mainland, which has colder beaches and colder water.

We stopped at every temple we saw to have a look around.

We also stopped at every cemetery we saw, because I enjoy the stone tablets in grassy pastures. It looks so peaceful.

We went hiking in the forest on top of the mountain and had a good time there as well. All the trails are very well maintained so that you could mostly do it in sandals if that was all you happened to bring (which was the case.)

There are lava tunnels that you can tour because Jeju is a volcanic island.

You can see the old statues that used to cover the island (they look a lot like the Easter Island statues

Like most islands, it’s just a wonderful place to relax and see the sights. I highly recommend it for a weekend trip.

Jeju Mini Land

You should definitely stop by Jeju Mini Land if you visit the island. However, I have to recommend that you go early in the morning. We went in the afternoon, and the sun was murder.

It’s fun to see little models of all the famous landmarks. I particularly enjoyed the Eiffel Tower, since I have been to the one in Paris and the one in Las Vegas.

The one in Las Vegas is a third scale model of the one in Paris, and the one at Mini Land is barely as tall as me.

Jenifer DeLemont

There are all kinds of great landmarks, from The White House to Sydney Opera House. I won’t post all the pictures here, since I took about a million. But, here are some of them.

See how many you recognize!

If you go, make sure to wear sunscreen.

Jenifer DeLemont

Also, we rented a car, but there were tour buses in the parking lot, so I am sure you could organize something with a tour coordinator.

There are other Mini Land parks in other places.

However, it’s not a long walk around the park. So if you are in Jeju you really should give it a look.

It’s the second best thing there after Jeju Loveland.

Jenifer DeLemont

P.S. The peace sign in all the pictures is because it’s one of the “Korean Photo Poses.” They just do that. It’s called a “V for Victory” in Korea.

Jeju Loveland (NSFW)

Jeju Loveland is a sex-themed park in South Korea.

The photos that follow are arguably not safe for work, so keep that in mind before you scroll down.

Anyway, here is my visit to a sex-themed park in South Korea on the island of Jeju.

I realize that western people might find that kind of thing shocking.

In our culture, it’s not acceptable to display penises and naked people.

However, it’s not uncomfortable in Asia.

In fact, Loveland is a popular honeymoon destination.

Before the Internet, it was a joke that couples would go to these kids of parks to learn about “how things are done.”

Its an outdoor park, so make sure to bring sunscreen.

Jeju can be really humid, so it’s best to go in the morning before the day heats up too much.

Bring a group of people or just one other person, but don’t go alone because it’s all about taking pictures!

In the pond in the center of the park, there is even a statue of a turtle couple… enjoying each other’s company. I thought that was a funny detail.

Thankfully there is an ice cream shop in the back of the park. I highly recommend stopping in to get some to cool down. It’s a big park, and so there is a lot of walking.

Definitely bring someone with a sense of humor though, because otherwise it could be awkward.

Mount Hood

The city of Portland, Oregon stands in the shadow of an imposing mountain. The name of that mountain is Mount Hood.

In the winter, Mount Hood is a lovely place for skiing and snowboarding. But in the summer, it’s a nice place to go for a hike.

There are trails all over the mountain.

And, if you go to the ski resort, you can take the chair lift up to the summit to enjoy the view from the top.

It’s a long and windy drive, but it’s well worth it for the views. I highly recommend it as a place to hike.

Bagby Hot Springs

These days it’s not so important to give directions when you talk about a place, because all of that is online now. I know that the US Forest Service gives better directions than me, so that is the best way to find Bagby Hot Springs.

So what does that leave me to do? Just provide insider information, I guess.

First, bring a blanket and a picnic because halfway up there is a waterfall and pond where you want to spend some time. It’s a really beautiful spot, and it would be a shame to just tromp over the bridge and keep going towards the springs without pause.

Second, bring a bathing suit for the springs. It’s not so much ponds that you can get it (which is what I pictured.) Instead it’s water from hot springs piped into wooden shacks with tubs inside. So, maybe bring wasp spray too if it’s a warm day.

Most importantly: Write the directions down. There is no cell phone reception out in the forest, and my saved map on my phone from Google wouldn’t load. I was so thankful that I wrote the directions down so that we didn’t have to drive back into cell phone reception just to get them.

I had been in South Korea for a few years, and so I had forgotten that there were places that didn’t have cell reception. But Bagby Hot Springs is one, so take care.

By the way, the swimming hole along the way was very cold (in May) but still wonderful. I think I liked it better than the Hot Spring water. It was very deep with smooth rocks at the bottom and some beautiful small waterfalls.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is not in a major city, nor is it conveniently located. It’s on Newport, which is a city name used to frequently in the USA.

In spite of the long drive, I was glad I went. It’s right by the coast so it’s easy to make a day of seeing the tiny aquarium, and then having an afternoon on the beach.

Mostly the aquarium has things that are local to that area, like star fish and seals. You can see these things at the beach too, but seeing them in the aquarium allows for closer look, and for the staff to tell you interesting things about them.

I even stuck around to watch the seals and sea lions eating, which was a good time. I love the way seals sort of squish their way along the land, and yet, they are so graceful in the water.

I think the most interesting part of the aquarium is being able to go through the local Oregon exhibits and see things like living Sand Dollars and colorful sea cucumbers.

After doing the tide pools and the beach, I had seen all those things from far away. However, a close-up look at healthy and well-cared for animals is always appreciated.

In this picture (above) you can see a green anemone, an orange sea cucumber, and a purple sea urchin.

If you were on your own wandering around, you might see all of those in one day. But I promise that you wouldn’t see them all together in one place. So I think that is the real benefit of making the drive and paying the steep admission price.

It is just really cool to see all of the sea life of the Oregon coast packed into one place, where you can enjoy it all in a morning.

Samcheok Penis Park

My friend Jon and I decided to explore the wonderful world of Penis Parks in South Korea.

The phenomenon of the penis park is an old part of Asian culture. It’s traditional for couples to get married, and then go to a penis park as part of their honeymoon.

Of course, now I suppose they are more of a tourist attraction than anything.

I don’t want to post too many explicit pictures, but basically, it’s a lot of statues of penises.

I realize that it might seem strange to a Westerner. But you have to remember, ever culture has a different set of taboos.

In South Korea and Asia in general, it’s just not as big of a deal to depict a penis. I suppose Europe has had similar times in their history.

Anyhow, the Samcheok Penis park isn’t very impressive. It’s small, and there isn’t much to it. I am told that Jeju Loveland is much better.

Christmas in Paris

I know everyone says that Paris is beautiful in the spring, but I went for Christmas.

It’s not that they don’t have Christmas in South Korea. They do. It’s sort of a date day where you go around with your significant other and look at trees.

Korea is historically a Buddhist country, and it is only recently that Christmas even became a national holiday there because of pressure from the vocal minority who are Christian.

Anyway, instead I went to Paris.

I saw all the things you would expect, like the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Cathedral of Notre Dame.

However, I also ventured off the beaten path to see Oscar Wilde’s grave in one of the cemeteries.

I hate to be cliche, but the best part was definitely the food. The food in Paris really is the best.

I ate everything! There was a little bakery by our hotel, and every morning the woman there would suggest breakfast pastries and pack us a lunch of meats and cheeses. It was heavenly.

We stayed outside the city and took the train in each morning. It was much cheaper that way, and it was nice to see a little country town.

Friends had suggested this after staying in the city and being kept up all night by the noise. If you are there to party until the middle of the night, then I suppose that is okay. That’s how some people vacation.

But I went to see the sights, and so it was nice to be in a quite village.

London is Lovely

I went to London on a whim while I was on vacation in Paris. It was an inception style vacation within a vacation.

Really it was because my cousin Stacy Spence was going to college in Cardiff, and she agreed that if I took the train over from Paris, she would meet me in London and show me around.

We did a tour where you go around in a bus and stop to look at things, which was really lovely.

Naturally we stopped for Fish and Chips in a pub as well, because I insisted. I had it with a pint of beer that our bar tender recommended.

Honestly, they were not the best fish and chips I ever had, but we’ll leave that to it being a pub outside St. Pancreas Station and not a five star resort or something.

I have to say that the people were nice. When we got lost, my cousin asked for directions to the British museum by saying “Where is that building full of things you stole from other countries?”

Not only did the boys she asked have a good sense of humor about it, but they walked us over to the museum to make sure that we got there okay.

This is not the cold and unfriendly England that folks warned me about, but I guess maybe that’s just how they want us to see them, eh?

Anyway it was really, very nice. It’s made me want to go back for a proper look when I have more time.

Until then, cheers London! You’re beautiful!

Winter in Korea

I am ashamed to say that I spent an awful lot of winter staring out my window at this view.

I know I should have gone out and done more. I should have had snowball fights and built snowmen.

But the truth is, I grew up in Arizona. Snow is beautiful and magical to me. I love to watch it fall.

However, I also love to make some hot chocolate and stay indoors.

Even after I bought the right clothes (long underwear, better coat, etc) it was still just a bit much for me.

But, from the window of a cafe, or my apartment, or a restaurant; it really is lovely.

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