1 October 2011
The Manjanggul Caves are actually lava tubes. We had visited lava tubes before while holidaying in Hawaii but this was different. The size and length of the lava tubes in Jeju were much larger.
Our taxi driver, Mr Won, explained what to expect inside the caves and waited for us in the carpark. The cave is several kilometers in length, part of a complex lava tube system that is probably the longest and largest in the world. Only a section of about one kilometer is opened to the public. So it would be a 2 km round trip hike to explore this section.
The lava tube were formed about 200,000 to 300,000 years ago.
From wiki : Lava tubes are a type of lava cave formed when an active low-viscosity lava flow develops a continuous and hard crust, which thickens and forms a roof above the still-flowing lava stream. When the supply of lava stops at the end of an eruption or lava is diverted elsewhere, lava in the tube system drains downslope and leaves partially empty cave-like conduits beneath the ground.
In Jeju, this lava flow was under the sea at that time. This place is fascinating for its geological uniqueness, features and it was quite an experience to visit.
We bought our tickets (2000 KRW per person) and walked down the staircase leading into the cave below.
It was pretty dark and cool inside, which added to the mood. Water was dripping from the ceiling and the floor was wet, but not slippery since these were lava rocks after all The air was surprising fresh, given that this was supposed to be an enclosed space. The ceiling of the lava tube was very high, and lava flow lines could be seen running horizontally throughout the tube, marking the levels of lava flow during the formation of the lava tube.
To capture the atmosphere within the cave realistically, long exposure shots from my DSLR without the use of flash were necessary. I did not carry a tripod for this vacation, so capturing a long exposure shot without blurring the image in the dark cave was challenging. The shot above was taken with ISO1000 and 1/1.6 sec exposure without a tripod and flash.
Lava stalactites that looks like shark teeth were formed by drying lava dripping from the ceiling as the molten lava flow level dropped within the tube many thousands of years ago. Lava flow lines could be clearly seen below.
A lava raft is formed when rock fragment falls from the ceiling during lava flows and is carried along like a raft. It eventually settled somewhere and solidify.
Lava column inside Manjanggul Cave.
At the end of the 1 km trail inside the lava tube, we came to a lava column. This column was formed by lava flowing down from a hole in the ceiling to the floor. This 7.6m high lava column is the highest lava column known in the world. This must be the highlight of the cave since this was the only feature that enjoyed colourful lighting. It marked the turning point for us to return to the entrance.
We found our taxi driver, Mr Won, in his cab reading something that looked like a dictionary. He is a very studious chap and using his time while waiting for us to learn the Chinese language. As it was about 5 PM by now, we requested him to bring us to a nice Korean restaurant near our hotel for our dinner.
He brought us to this place, along the main highway 1132, just outside Jungmun resort area where a row of Korean restaurants were located. We ordered a set dinner consisting of sashimi, spicy hairtail fish soup, some pork that tasted sweet, yet spicy.
After the dinner, we took a slow walk back to the Lotte Jeju Hotel just in time to catch the 8 PM volcano fountain show. After a day of seeing an actual one-of-a-kind tuff cone volcano at Seongsan Ilchubong and world’s largest lava tubes, the show seemed like an anti-climax.
To be fair, I think kids will enjoy the show; with the sight and sound and virtual dragons (formed by laser light on the water fountain) to go with it.
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