Seonyudo, another hidden treasure.

Thursday night, I was trying to figure out where to go for my day off on Friday. I consulted my Lonely Planet and found two options. Since I didn’t want to fork out a lot of cash for the trip, bur still wanted it to be scenic, I chose Daedunsan Mountain, which is a short bus ride from Dong Bu terminal in Daejeon. I woke up early in the morning, because I wanted to hike to a good spot to take photos before it got too hot.

I arrived at the bus station at 8am. They told me that the next bus for Daedunsan would be leaving at 10:30. I saw that there was an 8:30 bus going to Gunsan. I paced around checking my Lonely Planet and figured I could get a few good shots of the ocean at Gunsan. I paid the 7,500 won for my ticket and hopped on the bus a few minutes later. The view was pretty nice from the window; I got to see some interesting farmland and the beautiful colors of spring. An hour and a half later, I was in Gunsan.

I didn’t want to fork out a lot of money on this trip, so I looked at the tourist for the closest ferry terminal around, so I could get some good shots of the boat and be on my merry way. The sign said 3km away. I figured it wouldn’t be too much in a cab, so I hopped in a cab and told him to take me to the ferry. We drove for about 5 minutes, when I realized we should be at the ferry already. I kept my mouth shut, but was a little anxious watching the taxi meter increase 100 won every half a kilometer. At 7,850 won, we finally arrived at the ferry terminal, which I happened to recognize from my Lonely Planet guide. I didn’t want to spend money, but I knew I could hack just hanging out after I spent that much on a taxi.

It was 10:25, and the next ferry was leaving at 10:30 and the last at 11, I didn’t want to waste a minute. I had to make a decision quick, so I went to the counter and ordered a ticket. I only had 30,000won on my person at this point because I wasn’t planning on spending a lot of money. I pulled out my credit card, but unfortunately didn’t register a pin, so it was useless. I paid the 21,400 round ticket fee which left me with only enough for a taxi ride back to the terminal. The attendant asked when I would like to return, there were only 2 return boats 3:30 and 4:30. I chose the 3:30 because it would give me enough time to get home and a reasonable hour and do the grocery shopping I had been putting off all week.

I rushed to the ferry, with a minute to spare. Unfortunately, it was the express ferry, which had no deck to take pictures from. Try to catch a photo of a boat through the crusted over window kinda sucked. Not knowing what to expect, but knowing I would be spending 4 1/2 hours on the island with no lunch money, left me feeling a little down. Fifty minutes later, we arrived on the island.

As I stepped off the boat, I was astonished. It was too beautiful for words to describe. There were motorcycle taxis, with the booths on the back just like in Thailand, you could rent a motorcycle or bike. I didn’t have cash, so I decided to hoof it. The first ajumma I saw, I asked if there was a bank. She directed me to the post office. Glad I have a post office bank account. Didn’t get charged a fee and the menu was in English. I had the cash and my worries were over.

For the next three hours, I walked around 3 islands, which were all connected by bridges and each had a fishing village. There was beach, wildlife, and not a bit of smog in the sunny sky. Other than the 10 minutes it took me to eat my ramyeon, I didn’t waste a second. A little tired, but still excited, I went to find my ferry, which was departing soon. Stepped on a boat, but it wasn’t the boat I came in. I triple checked and it was the ferry I was going back on.

This ferry was fabulous. All open deck, perfect for shots while on the open sea. I got a great seat, perfect to shoot from any angle. For the next 30 minutes, all I did was take photos. I noticed my battery was running low, so was indecisive about shutting off my camera or not. I sat down for a bit. With the cold sea wind blowing over my sun baked face, I was getting a bit chilly. I didn’t want to waste a second of the wonderful view. Two hours later, we arrived at the ferry. I hopped in a taxi and bought my bus ticket. Tinkered around town for a bit waiting for the bus, but didn’t find much.

Soon I boarded the bus. About 20 minutes later, I pulled out my camera to review my spoils, but the battery was dead. Seonyudo is certainly a remarkable island. It was well worth the 60,000 won and long commute for the trip. Next time, I think I’ll stay overnight because the island has numerous pensions and minbaks.

For more Seonyudo photos please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9965698@N08/