I’m not generally very interested in looking at things in a museum, so this was one of those times having a super engaging tour guide made this museum especially fun!
At the Haenyeo (해녀) museum, we learned about the history of Haenyeo, the women divers (who dive without diving equipment). Apparently, at some point, males did dive, but then when everyone started moving away to other jobs, the government/King ‘ordered’ the women to do the diving so they could keep having things like abalone, tying them to long ‘contracts’ (a bill/law) that required them to provide a certain amount to the King every year.
They were super skilled individuals, having even learnt about all the different types of winds in Jeju in order to ascertain how to dive safely.
Unfortunately, their rich cultural heritage is also on the verge of being lost, due to aging.
We then went to Ilchulbong (성산일출봉), also known as Seongsan Sunrise Peak.
A lot of people like coming here to watch the sunrise. This is also a UNESCO heritage site. Specifically, this peak was created by seawater and volcanic ash interacting with each other, and a lot of extra water to make the basin shape that exists today.
The trek up is about 1000 steps. It wasn’t difficult, and view at the top was amazing!
I also then went all the way back to the bottom to visit the Haenyeo area, where I caught most of their dance! Then, it was time to *very quickly walk* back to the bus for the final stop.
It was time to go to another Herb Garden (허브동산).
This one, however, comes with a footbath aromatherapy. We sat down along some coppery basins and plopped our worn, tired feet into the warm, soapy water. They topped it with peppermint oil for extra relaxation, and sprinkled our necks with peppermint for the ultimate aromatherapy experience. Then we sat, enjoying the warmth of the water while mesmerized by the view outside.
We then took the provided salt, made a bit of a paste, and used that to exfoliate our feet, all the way up to our knees, one foot at a time.
After drying our feet, we massaged our feet with peppermint oil. I’d never thought about the uses of aroma oil apart from as something I put in my diffuser, so this was interesting. Also, my hands felt super smooth after as well.
Once both our feet were done, they sprayed some rosemary mist on our faces, before meandering up the stairs for some tea. Then, off to explore Dongsan Herb Garden. Luckily for us, we were there before it got dark, so we also had a chance to see what greenery was left!
Everything I needed was included in the cost of my tour, so I didn’t even really realize that I had left my wallet at home until we were almost to the city. I guess I was the only one meant to pay in cash, so I let them know I actually still had to pay. He laughed, saying that he had forgotten he had to collect any money from me! Luckily, they were very accommodating, and they even walked me to my accommodation to pick up the payment.
I’d definitely recommend this tour company (Core Jeju) for future trips to Jeju, even if it was technically above my budget. It technically isn’t mean for solo travellers, but the staff I spoke to were very accommodating and understanding, arranging everything for me in advance.
My only wish was that they had room for me for their South tour the next day, too (they said it was fully booked when I’d checked about days at booking).
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