29 September 2024
This was my third "Olle". There is an Olle "Passport" where you can stamp the relevant pages at the start, part-way and at the end. This is required to be certificated at the end.
The plan was to ride my bike to the the end and then take a taxi to the start. However, I was not in the taxi for long before I realised that I had left my passport at home. I do not speak Korean and could not explain the situation to the driver. So I got out of the taxi and then ordered another to take me back to my apartment, which was about 15 - 20 minute ride. Of course the same driver turned up! I picked up my passport and then ordered another taxi. Same driver again! He did rather well out of me, though thankfully, taxis are reasonably cheap on Jeju.
The plan was to ride my bike to the the end and then take a taxi to the start. However, I was not in the taxi for long before I realised that I had left my passport at home. I do not speak Korean and could not explain the situation to the driver. So I got out of the taxi and then ordered another to take me back to my apartment, which was about 15 - 20 minute ride. Of course the same driver turned up! I picked up my passport and then ordered another taxi. Same driver again! He did rather well out of me, though thankfully, taxis are reasonably cheap on Jeju.
Back at the start, there is a small tourist office selling Olle merchandise. I was wearing a Buff Sahara style but I decided that an Olle sun hat would give better protection. This is the end to Olle 13 and also the start of both Olle 14 and 14-1. I was keen to make sure that I set off on the right one. The trails were well marked with ribbons and arrows, but these do not indicate which trails. I knew which side of the road I needed to be but was not totally sure which direction. The lady in the tourist section pointed me in the right direction.
Once on the correct trail, it is clearly marked though there was one long gap in the ribbons. I wondered if the locals had removed them.
Apparently the shape is based on the Chinese symbol for a person, a sort of reversed lambda. The blue is the "normal direction and the orange is the reverse. The blue represents the sky and sea, while orange represents the tangerines.
The route was lined with flowers, so I was not making much progress. The route also passed plastic greenhouses, where the tangerines are grown.
As I was going so slow, a group of four caught me up. One American, one Korean, One British and one Peruvian. I joined them for the rest of the route. The route continues up pleasantly through forest and up to the top of Mundoji Oreum which is one of around 360 small extinct volcanoes (They are commonly described as cinder cones or parasitic cones). The Korean lady was kind enough to take my photograph. Note the new hat. The photo would have been better if I had faced the sun, but then you would have got the horse's rear end!
The route then descends through dense forest. I took very few photographs and the ones I did take are not worth publishing here. We eventually reached a clearing with a selection of ships. I have no idea why they are in this particular spots but they added a bit of interest.
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The route descends further until reaching the Ossuloc Tea Museum. This marks the end of the trail and our passports were stamped before enjoying refreshments at the museum.
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