Seoul Searching: Adventures in Korea: Jeju Island

I have just returned from one of the most glorious vacations to Jeju Island. Jeju is known as Korea's "Hawaiian Island", about an hour plane ride south of Seoul! Mariem and I booked tickets about a week ago and made the most of our 5-day trip. We did so much, so I'll just stick to the highlights:
On our first day, we took a bus ride and a ferry to Udo Island, a small island off the coast of Jeju. We rented an electric scooter (similar to a small moped) and cruised along the coast of the entire island, enjoying rural and beach-side sceneries. We were a bit shaky in getting the hang of the scooter at first, but soon got the hang of it! It felt like something out of a dream. Along the way, we stopped to dip our toes in the water and also enjoyed a peanut-chicken burger for lunch. It was surprisingly delicious! I find myself still craving it.
On Saturday, we visited a lovely botanical garden, a few waterfalls, and spent some time at Jungmun Beach. It was shockingly empty (as was our time on Jeju Island-- it's the off-season, we were some of the only foreigners, and it was a nice break from the giant population of Seoul). We swam in the sea (the Koreans were shocked by this), soaked in the sun, and ran around on what felt like our own private beach.
Another great treasure we found was a natural swimming hole near Oedolgae Rock (pictured below). Encouraged by some picnicking Koreans, we hopped on into the pool and were carried about by the incredible current that flows in it. We swam, cliff-jumped, and even snorkeled about in it (thanks to a kind man who lent us his goggles). The picknicking Koreans gave us some oranges to eat afterwards, a fruit Jeju is famous for and that you see growing everywhere. We loved this place so much that we visited it twice!
In addition to our day trips, we enjoyed the bonfires and karaokes that the hostel provided on the weekend-nights. We met and talked with so many Koreans (and a few foreigners). It was interesting to hear their perspective on Korean culture and ask us about ours. We gained a lot of insight and really enjoyed ourselves.
That's all for now! Enjoy your week :)