igoiseeishoot: Jeju Day 3 (Part 1)

2 October 2011

I had booked at private taxi tour to bring us to selected attractions on the Western part of Jeju-do (similar private taxi tour can be booked at Trazy.com).

Mr Won, our taxi driver from yesterday, picked us up promptly at 9 AM from the lobby of our hotel (Lotte Jeju Hotel).

Our first stop was Andeok Valley. Even Mr Won was not very familiar with this place although it was about 10 minutes away by car from our hotel and located just off the coastal highway 1132. He told us he has NOT taken any tourists to Andeok Valley before. So this was a new experience for him too.

At the entrance, we saw a harubang (grandfather stone) and the Jeju traditional 3-posts gate. It is said that there is no thieves in Jeju and home owners used the poles in the gate to inform visitors of their whereabouts.

Harubang and 3 poles gate at entrance to Andeok Valley.

3 poles across the gate means the house owner will not be in for a while. 2 poles means the owner will be back in a short while. 1 pole means the owner is out somewhere nearby. No pole on means the owner is around and visitors are welcome to visit. Mr Won said it is OK to go in, even with 2 poles across.

Right past the gate, we took this trail (above) that leads into the valley. The place was deserted with no one in sight. Nice and peaceful, with a small stream on the right and steep rocky cliff on the left of the trail. The cliff has the familiar hexagonal columns that we saw at the Jusangjeolli Cliff on Day 1. So, this valley has a volcanic origin too, like most or all parts of Jeju-do.

This ancient mill stone located in the middle of the trail was quite fascinating. What was it doing in the middle of the trail? What was this like, in the old days?

Further on, we found an ancient mill stone located in the middle of the trail, a drinking well and a cave.

Signs indicated that Jeju islanders lived here in the 500-700 AD and some actually lived in the rock cave (6.5m wide and 2.8m high at the entrance) shown above.

Old well at Andeok Valley.

We explored further in and came to the valley itself. It was like being in land before time. Even Mr Won was fascinated by the place and went ahead to scout the valley. We jokingly told him that he should bring his wife here for a romantic outing one day.

Reflective pools, crystal clear stream running on the rocky valley floor, peace and quiet. This is a nice place for poets and writers. In fact, a sign indicated that an ancient Korean scholar actually lived here once.