Yeosu - Seaside Sun & Fun

According to wikipedia.com (2018, 'Trust Me' et al), Yeosu was the safest place during the Japanese Invasions (the Imjin War (1592-98)). A famous oak named Yi Sun-sin refined and perfected what is known as the Turtle Ship. Basically, Sun-sin went into battle this one time with 13 of these ships against 133 Japanese vessels. Without losing a single turtle ship, the Korean defenders destroyed 33 of the invaders while also leaving many of the remaining ships heavily damaged. Impressive stuff! Yeosu's animal of identity, as can be presumed, is the turtle.

Turtle Mural on the way to Hyangiram Temple

Yeosu, other than being a town of maritime activity and historical significance, is fast becoming a tourist hotspot. So my friend Mari and I added to that growing tourist number on Friday, June 15th. We checked in at our guesthouse quite late, though it didn't stop us from befriending two chatty Koreans. At 2am the landlady came to put a halt to our beer-drinking and shit-talking activities. Just as well, we had a busy day planned for Saturday.

Beer - always a winner when play-time comes around

"New crew - who dis?"

We managed to fit in a bunch of activities. Namely, our day started off with a look-see around Odongdo Island, ice cream at Jasan Park, a cable car across ocean channel from Jasan Park to Dolsan Park and a Hwae (raw fish) lunch.

An infamous Turtle Ship

A Gazebo halfway up Dolsan Park

Our lunch meal consisted of, among other things, stingray, perlemoen (abalone) and hwae. After the third course we were pretty stuffed. We then checked in to our next guesthouse and hung out in the pool there. That evening we made our way to Gwangjang Park and met up with our Korean friends from the night before. We listened to local buskers and ate ChiMaek (Chicken and Beer).

If Jesus were born in Yeosu, the passage would say "And the Lord fed the 5000 with 5 barley beers and a fair amount of chicken"

We spent Sunday walking up to Hyangiram Temple, checking out the Maritime & Fisheries Museum and then checking out the remnants of an old North Korean spy-submarine.

Coast-side Coffee before Hyangiram

Hyangiram Temple Gate

All around Korea are these carefully carefully constructed rock piles. The idea behind it is that a person walking along can pick up and place a rock in the pile. In doing so they make a small wish.