Jeju Island

Jeju island is the “Plettenberg Bay” of South Korea. It is their biggest tourist destination, and highly affordable for the average Korean. I managed to visit it for 12 days and walk the streets, climb the highest peak (not that high), eat at the same burger place thrice (it was good!), and generally just loaf around. Funnily enough, it was probably 20C the day I landed at the airport – in midwinter – and there were very much alive and growing palm trees swaying in the breeze, but a few days later it was snowing.

This is perhaps due to it being so far south (not really that much more) but likely also cos global weather is crazy, and Korea is pretty crazy too, let’s just be honest. Their food, their obsession with computer games, their social norms, their absolute obedience of the law (oh Lord, please help us South Africans!), and their desire to never lose face – meaning they will go to such lengths to help you out and give you a great time in their country.

It reminds me of that old joke actually.

A dog thinks: “Hey, those people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me…..They must be gods!”

A cat thinks: “Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me…I must be a god.”

Anyway, I do feel like a ‘god’ in that country, but maybe partially because I’m taller than almost all of them…