Jeju Furey Beach Volleyball 2

Come spend a weekend the way we spend most of ours...

The skies were blue and there and the wind was light. The weather was absolutely perfect. People started coming to beach to set up their tents on Friday night. The organizers and helpers worked their butts off to create 6 courts, clean the sand, and prepare the beach for an amazing weekend, the likes of which Iho has never seen.

On October 10-11, 2009, Ninteen separate three men/three women teams came to Iho beach in Jeju, Korea to participate in the second Jeju Furey Beach Volleyball fundraiser tournament. There was a healthy mix of Korean and foreign competitors in the round-robin tournament. All proceeds from the tournament go towards the Furey Foundation, a benefit for the family of the late Nathan Furey.

There were 6 courts total.

Five courts would play simultaneously,

with an extra court in the back for practice.

Slowly!

Each team shared refereeing duties.

Sometimes the sun was too intense for Sang Soo!

During the breaks, people threw footballs, frisbees, and even danced!

Every team had 3 men and 3 women

Dan Nabben, on the right, the head organizer,

put together a smooth tourney

This was my team, the Peace Frogs.

This was our most exciting game,

when we played the all powerful "Hero Squad"

Congratulations to the winners! Red Sun!

Wind Power

Jeju is going Green

산사람 Mountain Person

방선문 Bangseonmoon Bouldering

Christine is trying the highstep

Guard Cow

Squid Boats at Hyeopjae

Hundreds of Squid Boats light up the sky at night in the summer

Squid Boats

It's squid season and hundreds of these boats

light up the sky all around the island at night

July 22nd Solar Eclipse

In the morning on July 22nd, there was a total solar eclipse that passed through Asia. The path of totality passed just below Jeju Island, so we got the best view in Korea. In Seogwipo, the most southern city on the island, the sun was 93% covered. I went up to the new planetarium and observatory to check out the festivities, but I had to head back to work right before the eclipse. I snuck out just before class to snap a couple of pictures when the eerie darkness was coming on as the eclipse was near total. It was the longest eclipse of the century, lasting for more than 6 minutes.

Jeju Cuisine

Here's a nice article about some traditional Jeju Cuisine.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2902773

The article is pretty well written, and I have to agree with the generalization that the traditional foods of Jeju are pretty simple and somewhat bland. Almost none of the specifically Jeju foods I can think of are even spicy at all. Here's a list of some of the foods I've tried and I have to admit that sometimes I really like the sushi/sashimi, and on Jeju, it's relatively cheap.

• 몸국 (moum gook???) This is a kind of a chopped seaweed soup with pork bones. Its pretty bland, and tastes earthy, but not bad.
• 빙떡 (bingddeok). These are crepes with radishes, you can imagine the taste. Well, I guess come to think about it, it kinda tastes like nothing. This is eaten on some special day I think. We made it on our traditional culture tour
• 흑돼지 (black pig) We had this last weekend. If you go to the normal restaurants, it looks like harmless, delicious bacon, but if you go to the special restaurants the Koreans love, you'll get the traditional Jeju black pig that lives on eating shit. Apparently people travel from all over Korea to eat this stuff, and if you go to the right place, you'll get it, hairs, fat, and all...sometimes lots of hairs.
• 전복죽 (Jeonbok Juk) You can't have a write-up on Jeju foods without the abalone soup. It's basically a thick rice based soup with abalone, with kind of a porriage texture.
  

Back to Musucheon (무수천)

I got back on the rocks this weekend! I didn't make it out bouldering on Saturday like I wanted to, but I got out with Darren, Christine, and the climbing gym members on Sunday. One of the folks at the gym, Ju Nam (이주남) was a little upset with me for not mentioning last fall that I was leaving until the last minute. He didn't get a chance to say good bye. He made it up by taking us climbing and then out to dinner. I'm really looking forward to training and climbing lots this year.

Darren showed me a new climb


I tried it


And fell


Darren and Christine just finished a worldwide climbing trip,
so they're rockstars now!

Rape Flowers

Road Trip!

I'm trying to get to Jeju as fast as possible. My contract started 3 days ago, so I ought to get there soon, right? Well, I had to send my passport to Chicago to get the visa, so instead of trusting FedEx to deliver quickly, I drove up myself to drop it off. They told me that they couldn't make an exception for my exceptional circumstances and my visa has to go through the normal 2-3 day processing time, so I had to drive BACK to pick it up! I am the proud new owner of an E-2 visa and ready to leave on Friday!

The Windy City


He's in the Band! Jeju Buskers!



Dad wanted some polish sausages



My Destination....
Yes, the Korean Embassy shares a building with Oprah

Limbo

Have you found anything yet Troy?

I'm in limbo.

Actually, I've been in limbo for over a month. I'm supposed to be in Jeju by now, but getting my visa has been delayed thanks to the wonderful world of government bureaucracy. In a way it is a blessing in disguise. Although I missed the storm of the year in Utah (30 inches in 24 hours), I'm able to hang out at home with my family, relax, practice guitar, and get my Korean back into shape. Occasionally I get to see old local friends, although many have moved on. Today I get to see an old friend from middle school, met the old fashioned way (not on facebook). My mom ran into his dad at the grocery store. Hah! Can't wait to see ya Kevin!

Coffee and Guitar

I'm pretty excited about getting back to Jeju. In particular for some coffee and guitar with Scott.

National Geographic Jeju Video

I was searching for a topo map of Jeju Island (anyone know how to get one?) and I found this video on the Haenyo. I think the tour guide "Sunni" was my tour guide when I did the Jeju Traditional Culture Tour way back when. Check it out.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/people-places-kids/korea-divers-kids.html

FAQ: Rock Climbing in Jeju, Korea

Where can I rock climb in Jeju?

Some really nice rock climbing can be found in a few places on Jeju. It's a volcanic island, so the rock comes in various forms of basalt. The quality varies depending on your location, but the best areas offer solid rock and interesting climbing. Bring your quickdraws as the climbing is 95% sport climbing; there is little to no trad climbing.

Right now, there are established routes at:

• (무수천) Musucheon
• (다람쥐굴) Squirrel Cave
• (외돌개) Oedolgae
• (단산) Dansan
• (엉또폭포) Eongtto Waterfall
• (오름 마당) Oreum Madang

In the dry riverbed 무수천 Musucheon, the rock is slippery, overhanging, balancey and technically interesting. There are no running rivers in Jeju since the rain seeps through the porous rock but be careful of flash floods that can come suddenly to these dry rivers if it's raining hard on Halla Mountain. There are a few of every grade ranging from 5.9 to 5.13. It's not super friendly to beginners as there is only one 5.9 but the 5.10s are fun, the 5.11s are spectacular, and the 5.12s are the best around.   The 굴다리 area is on the south side of the road and up the river about 500 meters. 
(Rough route guide at http://blog.daum.net/kjcjkj/15714434)


다람쥐굴 Squirrel Cave is another dry riverbed located in the city close to the Halla Library. It's similar to Musucheon, so be careful of flash floods if it's raining.  Squirrel Cave is one of the better choices for novices, as there are more easy routes here. They tend to be a bit shorter than Musucheon, but for the expert, the routes in the cave are fantastic steep climbs.


The sea cliffs at 외돌개 Oedolgae feature some solid but sometimes sharp rock, scattered with quite a few rusted and sketchy bolts, but never too difficult, starting at 5.7 and capping at 5.11. There are no chains, so you have to build your own anchors from the bolts at the top.


단산 Dansan has some routes for the adventurous. The rock is generally slab and a bit crumbly. The South Ridge is a route for the bold. 


엉또폭포 Eongtto Waterfall has a few nice routes, but it is seldom climbed, so the routes can get a bit dirty. 

There is also a 12m artificial outdoor wall called 오름 마당 Oreum Madang at the stadium area near the bus terminal in Jeju City. The wall is free to the public, but you must bring your own rope and quickdraws and be able to lead climb to put the rope up. You'll need 10 Quickdraws and there are anchors at the top. Simply call the phone number that's posted there and sign in at the main office to turn the lights on for evening sessions.

Where are the climbing gyms in Jeju?

There are two bouldering gyms in Jeju City. These are quite small compared to back home, and occupy only a single floor in an office building. That being said, they can be quite fun and are run more like a club than a business which provides a wonderful community and a fun way to get to know the local climbers. Call or visit the gyms for rates.

Jeju Sport Climbing Movezone
Website: http://cafe.daum.net/sansoo1214
Address: 이도이동 1011-6(고산동산 2로 2)
Phone: 064-723-5014(Click for Map: 2nd floor, black windows, above the convenience store)
Directions for a taxi - 특별자치 경찰대(구 세무서) 맞은편 조선한위원 골목 맞은편 편이점 2층

Ace Climbing Club
Website: http://cafe.daum.net/asiaone8848
Address: 제주 특별자치도 오라2동 1433번지 2층
Phone: 011-693-3119

Where can I buy climbing gear in Jeju?

In Jeju City, you can find all sorts of gear at Mountain Island. Soft goods, such as shoes and harnesses are reasonably priced as compared to home, but hard goods such as carabiners and cams are quite expensive. Mountain Island is located less than one block East of Starbucks in Shin Jeju.

How do I learn how to climb in Jeju?
Join a climbing gym.  You must find someone who can safely teach you how to climb. The owners and members of the bouldering gyms are extremely friendly, excellent climbers, and offer free lessons for members. 

You will need to buy:

• Shoes
• Harness
• Chalk bag
• Chalk

More info:
Visit http://www.koreaontherocks.com/