2 March 2025

I walked Olle 20 the previous day. I had originally looked at doing Olle 19, staying at a guesthouse overnight, and then continuing along Olle 20, but looking a the reviews on Booking.com, it seemed that there was somewhere better near Gujwa than Gimnyeong Beach. So, I did 20 and 21. Olle 21 ends between a kilometre and a kilometre and a half away from the mid-way stamp to Olle 1, which I had missed. Olle 21 is one of the shorter ones, so the extra distance to complete the stamps in my Olle passport was going to be easy.

The guesthouse/hostel was very near to the Olle 20 route, but instead of just following the blue and orange ribbons, I headed for the harbour with a view to taking some atmospheric pictures in the fog. It wasn't really foggy enough for that, or not by the time that I had got there, but it was good to check it out.

Then I headed along the coast to pick up the ribbons. I had walked past the chairs the previous afternoon, but they did not seem interesting enough to photograph. The mist out to sea isolated the subject better with a pastel backdrop.

It seemed like a very short walk to the Information Office and the Olle pony holding the finish stamp to Olle 20 and the start stamp to Olle 21. I knew where the route started as I had seen the ribbons while exploring and taking photographs the previous day.

The route heads inland and up a small oreum, with a gazebo at the top. There are flowers year round on Jeju. I wish that I had a macro lens with me. I have 35mm, 70mm and 100mm macro lenses but all of them are in Scotland.

Rejoining the coast, I saw hanging squid and haenyeo washing their catch. I wish I had been there earlier when they had been bringing it ashore. I asked one of them if I could take a look inside her bucket. She was very friendly and smiled. None of the haenyeo I have seen looked very young and I am wondering if it is something that will soon disappear. I believe that there is a school of haenyeo, so maybe the traditions and culture will continue.

Then it was up Jimibong at 161m. Shrouded in mist, it looked a lot bigger. At the base was some sticks that people could use and then leave on returning to the bottom of the oreum. There seems to be a similar approach to umbrellas. There was a middle aged couple that passed me, but whom I would pass later. I saw them several times during the walk. Every time I took some photographs, I lost ground on them, but would later pass them. This part of the route was quite steep, but as always, there was a good path. As is usually the case, there was a small hut at the top. This is usually manned during the day. I have no idea why. Is it for people's safety or are they making sure that people stick to the route?

I would not describe the rain as heavy, but it was much more than just drizzle. I stamped my passport under the cover of my umbrella. I had been aware for some time that I had missed the mid-way stamp. So the plan was to find the midway stamp to Olle 1 and then take a taxi to the midway stamp of Olle 21. I knew that it was near to a noodle restaurant, so thought that I could have some lunch before heading back home. It was only 13:30, so there was plenty of time.

The route took around 3 hours 45 minutes. I did stop for an iced coffee and I was carrying spare clothing for overnighting, a DSLR and a tripod, so I was not travelling a light as most people. The Jeju Olle Passport gives 3-4 hours. 

I first headed along the coast road to find a cafe, so I could check the locations of the stamps on my phone. The map on my phone indicated that the midway stamp to Olle 1 was just 300m to the south. When I reached it, I realised how I came to miss it a month earlier. I had seen a seagulls that had swallowed a baited hook and the line was stuck under a rock. I had gone over to release the line. I had then continued, feeling that I had not done the best thing. Perhaps, I should have euthanised it. Anyway, it was this incident that distracted me from the Olle pony across the road.

Then I took a taxi to the Olle 21 midway pony. I probably missed it as it is not the usual blue. There is a bit of copper carbonate blue-green and has a blue-green cormorant "sitting" on top of it. I have no idea what distracted me this time, but I was not the only one, as cars pulled up and people got out to stamp their Olle passports, including the middle aged couple that I had met several times during the walk.

So it was time to cross the road and have some noodles ..... except they didn't have any. It took her about 25 minutes to prepare this "pancake" which is a traditional dish of Jeju. It was very wholesome, stuffed with seafood and vegetables. It is the first time that I have been presented with a pair of scissors to eat my meal. I suppose chopsticks have their limitations!

21 Olle trails walked and six remaining. Three of them are on other islands, but hopefully I will do them over the next couple of months, especially with two weeks off at the start of April.