We woke up early, around 7am, to eat breakfast. We were taking a bus tour of the island right after breakfast, so went ahead and packed our bags before grabbing food. The breakfast was in the hotel restaurant, so when we finished, we just hung out there and talked for awhile. Finally, it was time to go!! We asked Max which bus he would be the tour guide on, and we jumped on his bus. He's just awesome, and makes everything 10 times more fun! We toured around the island, stopping at various places along the way. We would get out and snap a few pictures, and then jump back on the bus. We saw some great places on the island that would've been impossible to see on our own, so that was really cool! There were four buses total, and the mountain roads became quite scary at times...but we all survived and had a great time!
The final destination of our bus tour was the top of the crater on the island. We arrived there just in time to have some lunch at the ONLY restaurant there...a bibimbap place. (Bibimbap is a traditional Korean food with rice and vegetables mixed together. It's delicious AND healthy!!) We ate lunch together and met new people in our group, so that was good. After that, we wandered around outside, took more pictures, and prepared to go on our next adventure. Half the group was going to hike back down the mountain that we drove up (No thanks!!), and the other half of the group was going to Dokdo Island. It went to Dokdo. There's a back-story with this island. Korea and Japan are fighting over ownership of this island. They've been fighting over it for years, and no one officially owns it. If you ask a Korean, they'll argue to the death that it's Korea's island. I'm sure the Japanese would react the same way...Anyway, it's a big deal and a very controversial issue, so I'm really lucky that I had the opportunity to go see the island for myself.
I know I may be playing favorites here since I've been a part of the Korean culture for over a year now, but there are pretty clear facts that make it seem like Dokdo should belong to Korea:
-Currently, there are about 50 people living on the island. All 50 people are Korean.
-There is a small group of Police officers who patrol the island and the harbor. All the Police are Korean.
-On previous maps of Japan and Korea, Dokdo Island never showed up on Japan's maps until recently, whereas, it has always shown up on Korea's map.
Given the facts, I'd say the argument is clear. But what do I know?! :)
Anyway, we took the 3-HOUR LONG FERRY RIDE out to the island. The ferry was quite small, so a lot of people were getting seasick. I would like to consider myself to have a pretty strong stomach, but I was NOT appreciating the high waves and the jolting of the boat back and forth. Disaster. By the time were got off the ferry, we were exhausted and not feeling that great. We were on the island for only about 30 minutes, which was disappointing. We weren't able to go see anything on the island because no one had permission from the people living there. We could only stand at the harbor and take photos. Our group had a poster with us that read, "Dokdo is Korea's Island." This sign was passed around among both foreigners and Koreans who all wanted to take a picture with it. After pictures were finished, we loaded back onto the ferry and took the 3-hour journey back to the mainland. Over half the people in the boat were sick, as in SEASICK. There were people lying on the floor and in the aisles, pretty much anywhere they could find space. It seemed like ages before we finally made it back.
By the time we got back to the mainland, it was really dark outside. The buses were waiting for us, but Max suggested that we all rest for about 30 minutes before getting back on the bus. Everyone just wanted to feel solid ground under their feet, so no one objected to Max's suggestion. Once everyone felt better, we got on the buses and went back to the hotel. It took about 30 minutes, and by that time, we were super hungry and tired. We just wanted to get food and settle our stomachs.
Dinner was on our own, so we decided to grab food at the pizza place next door to the hotel. Lisa and I had been eating rice and soup for almost every meal since we don't eat seafood. Both of us were ready to have something substantial and normal for dinner. We sat inside and ordered a pizza, and then headed back up to the hotel room. Elaine and Kelsey went back up to the rooftop to party with some people. Lisa and I couldn't bring ourselves to do anything, so we chatted until about midnight in the hotel, and then called it a night. Old ladies. :)
To be continued...
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