Jejudo is famously known in the rest of Korea for three things, stone, women, and tangerines. Stone because it is a volcanic island, replete with carved statues of the ancient residents. Women, because Jejudo for a long time farmed shellfish from the ocean floor as a means of survival. Diving for shellfish, which was done with just a knife and a pair of lungs up until recently, was a job that women were thought to be biologically better suited for, increasing their importance in the community as breadwinners. And tangerines, because there are an unbelievable amount of the things growin on the island. Hanging on tress next to the sidewalks, overflowing roadside stalls every mile or two, we were even given a crate as a desert gift by the owner of a restaurant we visited.
While I did enjoy all of Jejudo's three famous attractions, we spent more time among the natural beauty of the island. Watefalls that pour right into the sea, tumble-down sandstone cliffs, and when the snow got too bad, a great botanical garden, (the trimmed pine trees).
There was one strange stop we made on the island, a replica of the ship that carried the first Europeans to Korea. After learning about a group of Dutch sailors who were imprisoned for a dozen years by the isolationist government, we walked around the nearby cliffs and saw what might have been a shop dedicated to the Netherlands, I'm not sure. The sign is talking about the Netherlands, and I get the windmill, but I'm not quite sure how dinosaurs or a boxing Nixon represent the country. Nearby was proof that the Vikings even pillaged Asia, further testament ot the prowess of the Danes.
Yes, that is an amusement park ride.
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