We’re jumping ahead about 24 hours here in the timeline. There was a really unexpected detour right after Geoje, but it birthed an epiphany I think would best be shared in my final article about South Korea. I’ll link it here later and link back to here from there, but for now, onto…
After leaving Geoje I decided I wasn’t yet done with islands. I also wanted to get to a part of the country very few people talk about. I’d already been to Suncheon, so that mostly left places in Jeollanamdo. I used to play games like Europa Universalis 4 and had always thought this archipelago-inundated part of the country looked really interesting. The two biggest places worth visiting tend to be Gwangju and Mokpo. I’d already made plans to check out Mokpo with friends, and I was hoping to avoid large cities otherwise. Looking about, the closest option to fit the bill seemed to be a small out of the way place known as Wando.
The name of the city is the name of the island is the name of the county. Its all Wando! With only about 67,000 people in the area, the area was developed but not touristy, and so it lacked the artificial “fakey” feel I’ve felt in Seoul and come to expect in areas up north. Something about these kinds of places – in any country I’ve been to – just feel more authentic for whatever reason.
I arrived pretty late at night and ended up heading for the big glowing tower on the closest peak to the sea. Many cities in Korea have a tower named for wherever you find yourself. There was a really lovely park to walk through surrounding the tower, but I got there just a little too late to actually ascend the thing for its view. Surrounded by bugs and a cool ocean night breeze, I tired myself out enough to go to sleep.
Where I stayed was stellar! Wandonesia was a little place I found through Booking.com that I was a little unsure about. A ten-minute walk away from the ferry terminal, and just a little more from the bus station, the property was huge! Their first and second floors were dedicated to a café with fun board games and an international project looking for servicemen from the Korean War. They also made their own soaps! The other floors were for their homestay business, about five stories total. I was seriously impressed with this place, their very kind and helpful staff, as well as the fact such a lovely place existed so far out of the way.
They also gave me recommendations for what to do with my next day. I wasn’t finished with islands, and they told me most people head over to Cheongsando, about 1/6th of the way across the sea to Jeju Island. Wando, despite being so far from everything else, has a wealth of ferry services owed strongly to the fact that the county is a grouping of several islands. They send several ferries all over the area daily, and even have ferries to Jeju – Korea’s most popular vacation destination that almost everyone flies to.
Now, I didn’t know anything about the island, but the staff assured me that it was quite pretty with lots of walking. Because it was a Thursday, I needn’t to worry about too many people. So I set across the sea!
The sun was harsh, let me tell you. I applied sunblock every two hours and roasted. You can feel the local flavor here and tell the 2100 inhabitants love their home. Sadly, this was the off-season, and so many of the restaurants or coffee shops – of which there are few – were closed because the owners have the luxury of deciding that on a whim. It didn’t stop me from seeing all of those nice places, however. A beachfront, a small but open community, and a bus that had the absolute worst sounding horn I’ve ever been exposed to before. There was an undeniable charm here.
I also did a bit of hiking to a former detached island that in more recent years has been connected by a concrete road called Hangdo, or maybe Mokseom Island? It isn’t entirely clear to me. There’s a little walking path that brings you to the top and overlooks the east toward Japan. Hot and hard work, I enjoyed the views it gave me even if I was drenched in sweat.
After heading back to Wando, I had a local meal that the folks at Wandonesia again recommended. A spicy abalone/shrimp stir fry, it was delicious! The two people on the table next to me were so surprised to find a foreigner in the restaurant they offered me some of the steamed sea snail off their plate! Unbelievably kind, though I declined. Then I spent the last few hours doing some laundry that desperately needed it and walking around the quiet but beautiful city.
Honestly, I could have happily stayed in Wando for a few more days going out to see other islands. Wandonesia was nice enough I’d have just chilled there for hours at a time, and the locals were so kind that I never felt nervous about approaching them. I’m not sure many people will end up visiting such a remote place due to my recommendation here, but I really think those who need some time away from busy city life in Seoul would benefit from the visit.
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