Korea DAY 4: (Pt. 1) Tranquil Awakening in Jeju, Laundry + Gimnyeong Beach

I awoke to sunshine and a beautiful, glorious morning. Jeju during daytime was drastically different from the night before, and our chosen pension admirably accentuated its beauty through strategical incorporation of windows and skylights.

From the second floor, one could relish in the gradual overtaking of dawn - where darkness transformed into a lush, breathtaking field, where azure waters could be spotted in the distance, and where sunlight peeked through intertwining layers of cloudy mass.

Jeju was stunning.

​Getting ready in the sauna-style facilities also set the tone for the day. Seemingly boundless blue skies could be seen through the ceiling cutouts, instilling a sense of cheeriness and excitement.

​One ought not be fooled by the outside scenery, for winds were still ruthless as ever. They were manageable under the warmth of the sun, yet nonetheless too strong for enjoying breakfast on the patio.

​Two sets of outdoor slippers were provided on a shoe rack, while exactly two chairs were tucked underneath the square table. At the far right of the patio was a barbecue station, while the left a view of the (paid) indoor-outdoor private pool.

Coffee was prepared from the Kanu sticks previously procured from Lotte Mart. Each of us took to a flower-adorned ceramic mug from the array above the sink to enjoy the aromatic beverage.

​The internally soiled, red microwave on the countertop seemingly doubled as a toaster oven, with knobs to adjust baking temperature on the side. Tous Les Jours' Chestnut Pain Suisse was successfully reheated using the mechanism. Its surface was delightfully crunchy, featuring the covetable strips of crispiness seen in Le Génie's atrociously pricey rendition, while the cross-section flaky and encasing a subtly sweet chestnut paste. The creation was simultaneously the best item of the bakery haul and a satisfactory start to the day.

​Directly behind the headboard of the bed was another window, mainly shrouded by draped curtains. Peeking through the gaps enabled a view of the front yard and its stone walkway. We also caught sight of two white vehicles in the gravel area - the one that had been present at our time of arrival plus one more.

Laundry was the first order of business, given that the pension was our sole source of complimentary washer and dryer services for the entire duration of the trip. With the mandated check-out time of 10 AM, the following morning would not be feasible for this process.

​On-site laundry facilities was the first item I confirmed with the Airbnb host. When she later followed up with the pension house number, I couldn't be certain whether the assignment has been provided based on availability or proximity to the laundry room, for the latter would have been incredibly considerate.

​The laundry room adopted the form of a standalone building, its access door within minutes from our doorstep. Given the horrifically windy conditions and inevitable need to transport dry and damp apparel between the areas and their respective elevated landing spaces, our assignment of House No. 1 admittedly worked in our favour.

​The machines were labelled with both English and Korean, with red text to indicate steps to turn on the device. Detergent had previously been confirmed to be complimentary, and the pods were easily visible above the machine in a labelled basket. Besides the hazardous configuration, the washer was relatively easy to use. That said, some degree of Korean vocabulary knowledge would be required to determine the appropriate settings - be they presets or manual.

Once we commenced the washing stage, my browsing partner gestured to the left. "There's water and toilet paper."
Turning my head to the left, I realized that the laundry room housed two compartments. Bedding, mattresses, pillows, cushions, and more were stored in the ancillary space, likely for ease of both the property owner and visitors of the space.

​​We set a timer for the washing portion and returned to the unit to determine the plan for the day. Being quite quick, I proposed remaining on site to complete the process. Transferring the clothes between the machines proved challenging with the door swing orientation, but we managed the task collectively without any sacrifice of towels to the grimy floor.

The remainder were transferred to the dryer. I hastily selected a twenty minute cycle without translating the preset name, only later to realize that it read "Dust Removal" as opposed to "Drying". By this point, we had entered into the late morning hours. Instead of waiting for at least another hour, I suggested heading out, for there were no other tenants on site waiting to use the facilities anyway. My browsing partner agreed after some hesitation, purposely placing an empty laundry bag above the dryer as indication of our return.

I would later receive a message from our Airbnb host notifying us that she had graciously helped us retrieve our dried laundry and place them into the unit while we were out.

​And so we slowly made preparations to depart.

​Admittedly, neither of us could resist capturing images of the pension exterior. Promotional images circulating the online booking portals were edited excessively, however the establishment itself was indeed nothing short of beautiful. The space was shockingly splendid and just as advertised!

​Of course, navigating farm roads was the obvious challenge. As residents of the GTA with ample driving experience, these corridors did not daunt us. The exception lay with nighttime hours, when lack of illumination resulted in reduced visibility and awareness of opposing traffic on the narrow one-way paths.

​"Let's take the scenic route!" I announced, as we meandered in the direction of the lunch destination.

​Within minutes of driving, a larger-than-life carrot installation was spotted. This fixture was unsurprising, as Pyeongdae-ri, the neighbourhood in which we were residing, was renowned for the carotene-rich crop.

Continuing onwards, I was impressed to see sharp, clean pavement markings and unbelievably smooth asphalt. Wind turbines also began to come into view along the shoreline.

​My enthusiasm was unmistakable as we neared bodies of turquoise, cobalt, and aquamarine waters. Spotting a beach along our route, I proposed a detour. ​

​Pulling into the parking lot of Gimnyeong Beach, it was apparent that there were few others in the vicinity. The lack of visitors was a given, as strong winds and temperatures threatening to plummet into the single digits were more than sufficient in deterring swimmers/coastline strollers.

​But I would brave these gusts readily, for what would a trip to Jeju be without seeing its mesmerizing waters at least once!

​A portion of the beach was covered in a tarp of sorts, kept in place with hundreds of - what appeared to be - bean bags. We proceeded along its perimeter, turning away from the wind to prevent being whipped in the face with coarse sand. Ultimately though, sand showers were inevitable.

The experience conjured memories of wandering along the Atlantic, but with distinctly different terrain and ground conditions. Where the PEI had been hilly with sturdy, red clay, Jeju evoked scenes from Moana: ocean waters, volcanic rock, and forested mountains in the distance.

Avoiding fishing equipment, broken planks of wood, and other miscellaneous trash items, I descended down to the shoreline for a closer look at the thrashing, foamy waves.

Needless to say, I wouldn't stop just there. Wherever the rocks allowed, my limbs led the waterproof footwear, until such point my browsing partner called out, "We should probably stop here."

​Brutally breezy, but boundless and beautiful: The scenery was fascinating, and the turquoise waters so, so surreal.

As windy as it was, I wouldn't have omitted the stopover for anything - save maybe slightly more forgiving conditions.

​Connecting the curve of black rocks was a field with trail inscribed along its water-facing edge.

​We later learned of it to be part of the Jeju Olle Trail for which we had seen signage earlier.

View the full album HERE !

​The approximate 45-minute stopover had sent chills down our spines. Battling the winds, we scurried back to the car for respite. The return trip incited whips of sand into all exposed areas, from my eyes and mouth to the surface of our bags and jackets.

Gimnyeong Beach had provided us with a truly unique view of cerulean waters and volcanic lava rock. Nearing 1 PM though, we were more than overdue for lunch.

Read Part 2 HERE !