After a restful night, we drove out this morning towards the Yongmeori coast on south western tip of Jejudo, located near the Seogwipo district.
It is a dull and rainy day. This morning there were bursts of very heavy showers and but we steeled our resolve to battle the elements and explore the island in the best possible manner that we could.
Our drive to Yongmeori took about 90 minutes - we passed by Jeju city, stopping for a while there and then drove through misty roads of Hallasan mountain to reach the southern side of the island.
The coastline along Yongmeori is breathtakingly beautiful and the road descends pretty steeply to bring tourists like us to a narrow strip of land between the lofty Mount Sanbangsan on one side and the rocky Yongmeori coast on the other.
This coastline is known for a famous shipwreck. In 1653, a Dutch ship de Sperwer (the Sparrowhawk) ran aground. Only 36 men survived - they were led by Hendrick Hamel, an explorer from the Dutch East Indies Company.
After the shipwreck, they came to this coastline and lit up a fire to stay warm, but this drew the attention of local soldiers who arrested them. After spending close to a year on Jeju under custody, the men were taken to Seoul. In line with the traditions at the time, the Joseon imperial government forbade Hamel and his crew from leaving the country. During their stay, however, they were given freedom to live relatively normal lives in Korean society.
In September 1666, Hamel and seven of his crew managed to escape to Japan where the Dutch operated a small trade mission on an artificial island in the Nagasaki harbor called Deshima. Hamel wrote an account of his time in Korea. From Japan, Hamel and his crew left for Batavia (modern day Jakarta) in the Dutch East Indies in late 1667.
Rock formations along the coast, these volcanic rocks have been weathered by the waves over the millennia...
And there is a slight drizzle...
The famed sea-women or the haenyeo of Jeju. They looked like ajummas (Korean word for middle aged, motherly women) but these feisty women are actually divers who scour the ocean bed for sea cucumbers and abalones, which is what one haenyeo is selling here, alongwith soju... hic!
Selfie-time with a replica of Hamel's ship in the background...
The rock formations are indeed stunning here...
A narrow crevice - the waves gush in and out creating a gurgling sound...
Indeed, it is the enchanting music of Nature!
The Yongmeori coastline has a unique name that translates into "Dragon's Head" - Yong means "dragon" and meori means "head" - it is said that the beach looks as if a dragon's head is going underwater...
The rocks can get pretty slippery - so one has to exercise caution...
The geology of Yongmeori explained...
A legend on the Yongmeori...
Lava tree moulds against the background of the Mount Sanbangsan, which looks a lot like the La Morne in Mauritius...
As we walked back, we came across these pots outside a restaurant...
Looking back...
The top of Mount Sanbangsan is covered by clouds...
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