Love

My internet connection has been down for almost a week. Hopefully it will be fixed this week.

In the meantime, remember to love!

1 sparkler + 1 open-shuttered camera = LOVE :)

Jejudo - Honeymoon Central

If you have a weekend off and don't want to leave the country, then consider Jeju island as a place to visit.

Jejudo, "do" meaning "island", is a volcanic island located south of the mainland. It has a semi-tropical climate, so it's a lot warmer and more humid than the rest of Korea. At the centre of the island is Halla-san (mountain), a dormant volcano and also the highest peak in the entire country.

The Jeju people lived in relative isolation for many years, resulting in a unique culture and dialect. Even Koreans sometimes have a hard time understanding them! Women have traditionally been the heads of their families, passing on generations worth of knowledge to their daughters. The "sea women" of Jeju went diving in all seasons for the family's food and income, diving for abalone, shellfish, and various other sea life.

One thing you'll notice all over the island is the presence of "stone grandfathers". These carved men are dotted all over the island. Miniature grandfathers carved from volcanic rock can be purchased virtually anywhere for souveniers (I know.. I have several.. hehe) There are several theories as to the purpose of these statues, but no one knows their real origin. ooOOOoo.. I love a good mystery!

Jeju island is also famous for it's oranges. The jeju orange is a type of mandarin orange. They are very pricey, but make a nice gift for someone you wish to impress!

My husband and I went here for our honeymoon and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We took a tour that let us experience many things such as horseback riding, ATV'ing, a submarine ride, visiting orange and ginseng farms, visiting a few Jeju island history museums, a botanical garden, and much more. It was a fairly inexpensive way to see the whole island in a few days.

I highly suggest it!

Love is in the air

We were hiking up the mountain near Beomeosa when we found this :)

Perfect photo opportunity? Or really just a chance to catch my breath? hehe.