I really should update more often, but I've been without Internet for a while while I was in Busan. I spent some time hanging out with friends in Busan, checked out a small amusement park where I was like a celebrity to all the Korean high school kids, visited Kyoungju with my friend Heejin, rode an ATV, visited a Buddhist temple, saw a Korean opera, rode the train back to Busan, checked out the party scene in Busan with the English teacher I was staying with, and found this neat cocktail called a B&B which I think my brother would both enjoy and approve of.

It's Monday now, and I've been on Jeju island since Sunday. My plan was to rent a scooter and drive over the island visiting all the places I wanted to go to, ride a jetski in the ocean, and go scuba diving if possible, but they won't let me rent a scooter without an international drivers license so my plan was kinda ruined. So yesterday I went to the beach wearing my 젊은이 t-shirt and made some friends while enjoying the sand and the cool ocean. I met my friend's uncle there and I'm staying at his house here. The place is really nice!

I went for a run yesterday around the house, and saw none of the big city stuff like in Seoul and Busan. The people living up the street have a watermelon farm, and the people next door are growing mandarins next to the house. Actually the man I'm staying with is a farmer here, and has been here for his whole life. He says he went to China for his honeymoon, but it was terrible so he came back to Jeju and hasn't left since. This morning we woke up early and went to Hallasan (the volcano in the middle of the island). The wind was at our back almost the whole way up, and the sound of running water kept us refreshed for the really difficult climb to the top. All of the streams you see on the way up are super clean and drinkable (not that I drank from all of them) and cold like it just came out of a refrigerator. Also, the path is strewn with volcanic rocks and once you climb past a certain point there are no more big trees to give you shade. Once you reach the top of the path, there's a small store that sells ramen noodles and hiking equipment, and a whole lot of other happy/semi-exhausted-looking people sitting around taking a break. Eating ramen noodles up there was the most refreshing feeling!

I haven't found wireless internet on the island yet, but I'll post some pictures as soon as I do ;)