To avoid lying in bed on the last day of 2024, scrolling through my phone until I fell asleep, I took a few days off to visit a nearby visa-free place—Jeju Island.
Walking along the seaside, the wind was strong, and planes flew by from time to time.
After walking for a while, it seemed I couldn't reach the end according to the map, so I took the bus back.
I found a restaurant with decent ratings on Google Maps. Due to the style of the restaurant's decor, I could only see two little kids playing with something like building blocks through the large glass, along with a busy woman. I was unsure if I had found the right place and lingered at the entrance for a while, but soon two customers walked in, and I followed them inside.
The menu was handwritten by the owner, and although it had some English, I wasn't very familiar with the food terms, so I looked at the pictures and ordered a set meal. The owner suggested ordering a half portion, which was just right for me, and it tasted great. While waiting for the food, I observed that the restaurant was run by a couple, and since it was Saturday, the kids didn't have to go to school. Both the environment and the food itself are worth trying.
Then I strolled around a few nearby vintage shops; the prices weren't cheap, so I just browsed.
I ordered a cup of hand-brewed coffee at a nearby café. Although my knowledge of coffee is extremely limited, it was quite good.
In the evening, I returned to the hostel and booked a small group day tour for the next day on Taobao, with about 14 people. It was okay for a day, although it just took us to the attractions at the scheduled times and then to the next spot, but it was easier compared to taking public transport myself.
On the third day, I switched to another hostel early in the morning, but I couldn't check in until 4 PM, so I dropped off my bag and wandered around the city. I learned from Xiaohongshu that there was a shop renting outdoor equipment near the airport, so I decided to hike Hallasan on the 31st, but since I didn't make a reservation in advance, I couldn't reach the summit. I went up from the Yirimgok trail and came down from the Seongpanak trail; it was my first time climbing a snow-capped mountain, and the scenery was worth the trip.
The night before, a few Korean uncles and a part-time student at the hostel were chatting in the common area on the first floor. They passed me a bottle of beer and asked if I wanted some, which I, of course, accepted. We started chatting; although everyone's English wasn't great, we talked a lot. One uncle had relatively better English and patiently explained the hiking route for Hallasan, the bus schedules, etc. He even gave me a bag of snacks as provisions for the next day; he was a very interesting uncle.
After descending the mountain, I returned to the hostel and sat on the first floor reading. The part-time student came to work in the afternoon, and we continued chatting. She was studying music and played the piano very well, even taking out the piano to play for a while. In the evening, we ordered takeout together. I thought about going out to see the New Year's Eve celebrations, but due to the recent Jeju Air accident, all the New Year's activities were canceled, and in the end, I lay in bed scrolling through my phone until I fell asleep.
Initially, I stayed in hostels for the cheap price, but now I look forward to meeting people from different places and having a chat, which is a very interesting experience during travel.