Walking Trails in South Korea, #6

I couldn't resist.

Olleh Walking Trails are 26 (21 trails, 5 sub-trails) walking paths that cover the entire 2,713 meter circumference of Jeju Island (and neighboring Udo, Chujado and Gapado Islands) with sub-trails that go slightly inland; a whopping total of 422 km.

Just recenlty, I decided to do my very first Olleh Walking Trail.  And of the many things to do on Jeju-do, this is probably the only one that will require the most endurance, as each walking path can range from 14 km to 20 km in length.  You can bet on walking for at least 4 hours should you decide on doing an Olleh path. They range in difficulty as Jeju-do is known for it's mountainous terrain.

If you plan on doing all 26 paths, be sure to pick up an Olleh passport, so you can collect the stamp at the beginning of each trail.

This past weekend, I opted for the least difficult of the 26 trails, Olleh Trail Number 6.

Together with 3 hiking buddies, we made it through tired, but feeling accomplished.

Jeju Island, South Korea

Hamdoek Beach

So, I decided on a second year of teaching in South Korea; this time, Jeju Island.  I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.  I arrived in Jeju on August 26, 2013 with 25+ expats who decided to teach with EPIK, most of whom were in Korea for the very first time.  I could tell that they were excited about learning Korean culture and making the very best of their one year as an English teacher.  And so was I.  I had heard of the many things to do on Jeju Island and of the many people I had spoken to before I got here, no one had anything bad to say about Jeju-do.  I so, I came planning to make the most of my one year teaching elementary school and uncovering the gems that make Jeju-do a perfect destination for honeymooners, vacationers and expats wanting to experience life in Korea surrounded by aesthetic qualities and views that make up Jeju-do.

Tokyo, Japan

On my way out of Korea, I decided that Tokyo was close enough to pay a visit and expensive enough to stay only a few days.  Three days and two nights would be enough for me to get a feel of life there, enjoy some touring and contribute to Japan's booming economy.  I'm at Khaosan Tokyo Original hostel which is a short distance from Asakusa Station.  From Narita Airport, it took about an hour to get here and about 1,400 yen which is about $14. I'd always wondered about life on the other side of the world, namely Asia and after a year in South Korea, I could add Tokyo to the list of places I'd visited.

Cars drive on the lefts-side of the street and steering wheels are on the right side in cars.  So, everything is pretty much backwards when compared to Korea and the United States.  Although, this is the same for my home and native Trinidad and Tobago.  I didn't expect to find that here.  I'm finding that Tokyo is definitely a bicycle friendly city.  From old folks to working men and women in office attire, I see lot's of people on bicycle.  I even saw an apartment that had a stacked bicycle rack; it's very innovative and yea, well, a very healthy way to live.