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DEAR hon,
Good
morning, you. I’m writing this on this freezing-cold but
nonetheless glorious morning of December 11 on Jeju
Island at the very southern edge of South Korea. I
imagine that, given the one-hour time difference, you
are still fast asleep with one or two or three of the
little rascals at your bedside, but it is 6 am here and
I decided to send off this quick e-mail before me and
the rest in the Philippine media group launch into our
final day of touring the sights and sounds and flavors
of this province, in fact, our final day here, which you
and I have seen but knew of only from the smattering of
so-called Koreanovelas—Jewel in the Palace, My Name is
Kim Sam Soon—we have had the guilty pleasure of
watching. And even then, we knew it only as simply South
Korea.
THE Jeju Jungmun Daepo
Haean Jusangjeollidae, among Jeju’s protected and
designated National Nature Reserve.
THE
dol hareubang,
the “godfather” of Jeju.
THE thatched houses in Jeju,
and lush vegetation everywhere.
THE majestic and
magnificent Mt. Halla
Well,
what can I say nice and quick? Of course, you know that
this is a trip that I almost didn’t make due to the
brief window given to me to work on the usual editorial
deadlines that can’t and won’t wait in my absence.
Nonetheless, after working out some plan of action, I am
seriously glad that I did because Jeju is one of the
most beautiful pockets in this world of many wondrous
places, a place whose natural scenery—even in these
winter months—is absolutely precious, a hauntingly
beautiful poetry of melancholy grays (in the province’s
ubiquitous so-called godfather, the dol hareubang,
carved from a block of lava; in the Jeju Jungmun Daepo
Haean Jusangjeollidae, the breathtaking and thoroughly
picturesque cliffs situated on the Jungmun coastline)
and vibrant washes of color (in the massive tangerines
indigenous to Jeju, in the festive hollies that grow
almost everywhere and effortlessly bring a sense of the
holiday season to the lovely brick and stone houses of
Jeju residents…). There is a gentleness, a slowness to
the pace of the people here, who nonetheless go about
the minutes and the hours with not only a ready smile
but also a quiet sense of purpose, whether it’s an old
diving woman arranging her catch for the day—never mind
that the waters can only be freezing—for visiting
tourists like us along with the locals, or our lovely
tour guide who asked us to call her “Hia” (or is it “Hiya”?)
because there were already two other Kims in our party.
I can go
on and on about how glorious Jeju is but for now, I’ll
leave this as nothing more than a capsule as I have to
take a quick breakfast before the final leg of our tour.
I should remember to thank the amiable Pamela Samaniego
from our very own Department of Tourism, the lovely
Jessica Kang of Philippine Airlines Korea, and the
handsome Kim Dong Seol of Rakso Air Travel & Tours Inc.,
who all made it possible for me and the rest of the
Philippine media group to experience the living and
breathing jewel that is Jeju.
Enjoy
the pictures, hon. More will be sent shortly.
Me
A DIVING woman setting up
her wares despite the bitter winter chill.
THE exquisite The Seaes
Hotel & Resort, which departs from the usual hotel
structure in a beautiful homage to Korean life and
culture.
Want
to experience the breathtaking beauty of Jeju? Rasko Air
Travel & Tours and Philippine Airlines are jointly
offering an all-in Jeju Island package for four days and
three nights for only $ 510+ from December 19 to 22,
inclusive of roundtrip airfare via Philippine Airlines,
roundtrip transfers, meals as mentioned per itinerary,
tour and admission fees as mentioned per itinerary, and
English-speaking guide. For avid Koreanovela fans, the
tour includes the locations where Jewel in the Palace,
My Girl and My Name is Kim San Soon were shot.
For details and online booking, visit
http://www.raksotravel.com.
JEJU shimmering in the
night. |
