June 13, 2010

jejudo

caveat: this and future korea posts are more about travel than food. i'm ashamed to say it, but i didn't take as many pictures of food as i'd have liked. just letting u know before some of yall get your panties in a bunch...

observation 1: people were pushy as heck here. growing up, i witnessed this of my halabujee(grampa) plenty of times and it didn't matter if it was a kid or old granny, he would push them out of the way without a word and went on his merry way. i always attributed this to his cantankerous nature, but now i know better. the words "excuse me" do not exist in korea. so make sure you gtfo of the way.

it took about an hour to get to Jejudo, a volcanic island. It is known for its abundance in three things: wind, stone, and women, and said to lack these three: beggars, thieves, and locked gates.
Dol Haleubang, literally meaning stone grandfather, are Jejudo's iconic statues made of basalt stone and seen all over the island. They were thought to be protective spirits.
Yongduam, or dragon's head rock.The angle of this picture doesn't cater to the imagination very well, but this link, taken from lifeinkorea.com, shows it better.
Of course, there were some food stands everywhere, and I got a chicken skewer.
It was basted with some sweet sambal sauce. It was a lot of gristle, was lukewarm, and overall not very good.
there was a slow country time feel to the island and we wandered around. saw some squid hanging out to dry
nearby was a barley field.
also visited a bonsai garden. one thing i noticed in korea was that they seemed to promote well being. i'd see little quotes and phrases in front of urinals to read and ponder on life while taking a leak.
trippy gate thing (not exactly sure what it's called)
picked up some freshly made yut, a korean taffy. this was on my list of to eat. my parents went a few years ago and asked me what i wanted. i told them some fresh mountain spring water and yut. they brought me back a polo hat and godiva chocolates. what the fruit? so i made sure i got mines this time around mang.
a closer look. while the hardness may intimidate some, some gentle gnawing will coax the bit to a pleasant chew that will have you grinning before it gets stuck on your toof and pulls it out. i love this stuff and just writing about it makes my gums ache in want.
could have just stayed here for a month alone

3 rah rah rahs:

Carol said...

hahaha, I love the gtfo of the way remark. My mom was a bit like that although she loved to bark orders to everyone. Korea is on the top of our list to visit in Asia but I don't think that will happen for a few more years. Can't wait to read more.

kirbie said...

The yut looks interesting. Looks like something I'd like. That's funny that your parents brought you back a hat and chocolates instead.

Dennis K. said...

Sawyer you crack me up mang! Jejudo sounds like my kind of place..

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