Local Sites

The Tea Garden

 The Seogwang Tea Garden in Segwipo-si is renowned for its well-managed effort in producing high quality tea leaves. In an area of 528,928 sq m, the place was thronged with local and foreign tourists when we reached. Jeju is so touristy. The local authority is all out to use both natural and unnatural features to occupy the time of visitors.

The evening sun complimented Esther's photography prowess. The art in her is phenomenal. So I refuse to take photos with her around. I lose my skill whenever she is around. So I use her photos instead. Why not? Many times she would chastise me as she became frustrated when I insisted she does the job. Dad is always her best friend. When she needs assistance in shifting and ideas pertaining to building, they consult each other. Mama is only good for disciplining. Papa is fun.

The tea garden sprawls far and wide. Papa took time off just to be free like a lad.

The Ossuloc Tea Museum is very commercial. It tells of the planting, processing and producing stages of the industry. So every visitor buys an article to bring home. You do not come all the way and not have something to remember the place by. Business is brisk as customers line up for tea, ice cream, cakes and all.

The sweets are not cheap. Have a fruit beverage, consume a piece of cake and perhaps a cup of tea and you will have to fork out at least a hundred or more in Malaysian notes. But you do not come here everyday. Join the crowd and have fun too. But I must confess they do taste fantastic.

 We enjoyed the spread .

In the vicinity of the tea garden is another favourite spot for ladies. 

Innisfree for all. Beauty products of all shapes and sizes seized the attention of those who are followers of them. Korea is home to this range of skin products and you do get them cheaper here.

The ladies went frenzied.

You do get excited when you see the oranges hanging so densely and freely on the trees in almost every backyard. The weather here at Jeju seems to be the best factor for its growth. 

But beware you can get prosecuted if you happen to pluck it off the tree. 

Yes, CCTV is attached at strategic spots to catch thieves.

At a local market, we see them being sold at standard prices.

When you convert, it is cheaper to buy them at Malaysian local night markets.

Why is it so? I cannot get it.

Both daughter and father went into serious throat irritations and incessant coughs after a glorious session of non-stop consumption. Mandarin oranges has a 'heat' factor that can cause some to cough.

Jeju Dongmun Night market is worth a visit.

We enjoyed the fresh oyster on sale. It is really cheap. Salmon pieces too were appetizing. We ate them raw and prayed for no food poisoning. We did not suffer from it. Happy indeed we were.

Jeju folks will never settle for any seafood that is adulterated. Only fresh display from the surrounding seas is acceptable. It is not surprising then that vendors would only sell the best catch. It is a competitive game as every stall seems to offer similar products.

I have always known this as the 'belt' fish but later I discovered that it is called the oar fish. I have never seen them so silvery and appetizing. The Jejuan seas must be local to its existence. 

During the day, we visited 5-day traditional markets which sell local products and where locals to for their taste buds be it in drapery or food. It is fun to mingle among them.

Ginseng roots are offered at a fraction of Malaysian prices and they are used in daily consumption ever so freely. We definitely are not so privileged as them. But of course their trees have no durians.

So, it best not to compare apples and oranges.

Shell fishes are huge. Really huge. Fresh too. 

So, if there is any good reason to reside in Jeju it is definitely for fresh catch from the seas.

My good guess for such unusual produce from the land is the lava factor. An island that emerged from the deposition of lava from the volcanoes is surely fertile for agriculture purposes. Their sizes seem unreal but they are truly exist here.

Seaweed wrappers and spring onions. 

Look at the size.

Black boar trotters being sold openly in the market. They look yummy too.

What then was our favourite food?

Pork noodles served with free flow of sea weed. The bowl size is also huge. 

Every meal is complimented with kimchi and radish marinated in vinegar.

The Korean barbecue affair cannot be avoided. The black boar is a favourite among locals. We were surprised beef was not served. In Seoul we did the Korean barbecue using beef. So, we had a couple of sessions of the meal. It was very palatable. We enjoyed every session.

Perhaps another local cuisine that caught my heart was the sangaetang menu.

 It is chicken cooked in porridge with dates and ginseng. Very tasty.

A disappointing menu is the way seafood is offered. In Jeju the  abalone, oar fish, octopus, and prawns are all mixed together in kimchi sauce. Malaysian seafood display is definitely a level higher or perhaps it is a matter of getting used to the delivery. But if they have never tasted the way seafood is prepared in Malaysia, then it is a shame indeed.

So ends my Jejuan local stories.