Day 12 was a "Sea Day" and this day on Jeju Island off the southern tip of South Korea was a truncated day. Korean officials delayed our arrival by an hour, so it turned out to be a pretty short day, indeed. I was hoping to hike up to the top of Mt. Hallasan, the volcano that apparently dominates the Island (I say apparently because I'm not sure that I actually ever saw it). But, forces were against me, both time and weather. It would have been pushing it to make it to the top given our scheduled time, let alone the time that remained after the delayed docking, and on top of that, it was a very cloudy and pretty windy day as the island was experiencing some "weather" from a typhoon that was approaching Japan at that time. In any case, I thought it would be good to see some Korean wilderness, and continued with the plan, anticipating an early turnaround. It turned out not to be the most scenic of hikes, and yet was a very busy trail, and didn't offer terribly stunning views because of the weather. Still, a good stretch of the legs...
A typical stretch of the trail with stairs and stones.
Another example of the nature of the trail...a bit ankle-twisty.
Sara Oreum crater full of recent rainwater.
View from the top of Sara Oreum
Autumn colours occasionally visible through as the clouds moved by.
The clearest view I ever got towards Mt. Hallasan.
Autumn colours on the way down.
A wee creek bed.
Looking back to what I hiked up. I'm not sure if that is Sara Oreum or Mt. Hallasan...that could be Sara Oreum to the left, in which case: doh!
This was pretty much the end of the trip. The ship got into Incheon the next day and I headed to the airport. It was a bit truncated, but still an awesome trip. I'd go back to Japan in a heartbeat, there is so much to enjoy and see there. The cultural aesthetic is fantastic and permeates the food, architecture, gardens, writing, art, every thing. Friendly people and beautiful sights, what more could one ask for?
Bonus Material: a video of the clouds whipping past the top of Sara Oreum.
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