In a true spirit of spontaneity, Rachel and I decided to hike Seongsan Ilchubong {Sunrise Peak} to catch a coveted glimpse of a "perfect" sunrise, along with hundreds of eager tourists. Seongsan Ilchubong is perhaps the most famous of the hundreds of parasitic volcanoes that are scattered all over Jeju. So I was pumped to check it off my to-do list {!} We learned it is a tuff cone formed by hydro-volcanic eruptions nearly five thousand years ago. The top is a bit like a bowl, and has been preserved this way. The peak is 182 meters high, and took Rachel and I about 30 minutes to hike.
^^ My favorite picture from our adventure!
With a bit of beginner's luck, Rachel and I {with little planning} found a motel beside the foot of the mountain. We payed 30,000 KRW {30 USD}/night for this little gem. The owner was kind and spoke no English. He gave us instant coffee and Raid. Thankfully, only the coffee came in handy.
With the sun rising at 6:20 am, we walked quickly through town to the base of the peak. With little time to spare,{about a 5 minute brisk walk} we began the ascent. The path up the peak was clearly marked for hikers and had several pretty lookout posts.
And finally, we were rewarded with a truly stunning view. I appreciate why TripAdvisor ranks this #1 in 66 places to see in Seogwipo {still amazed}:
Here we are again at the TOP. Full of happy energy and a hundred new pictures of the sun:
And descending {just as beautiful}:
Our treats for finishing the hike. ;) Dunkin' Donuts in Korea! Even across the world, they have primo locations staked out. True American commercialism. The bottom row of donuts here is a soybean black sesame tofu donut:
A few happy tourists post-hike:
*Seongsan Ilchubong is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along with Jeju Island, it is considered one of the seven wonders of the natural world. For more info, visit:
http://english.jeju.go.kr
Visit. Add it to your bucket list. Do it. One of the most stunning things I've ever seen{!}
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