Recollection of a 3-day trip to Ulleungdo and Dokdo

It has almost been 2 years since I moved to Korea from Nepal for graduate studies. Under the scholarship program provided by the Korean government, I was required to study a year-long Korean language program before I began my coursework. So, during the 1st year of my stay in the language program, I had the opportunity to travel to different places in Korea. However, as soon as I began my graduate studies, my chances of travel were once in a blue moon. Weeks would have passed by in the process of attending lectures, doing assignments, term projects and reports, and I was hustling between my classes, lab and dormitory. And then one day, over a lunch meeting, one of the foreign students in my campus mentioned about a sponsored 3-day trip to Ulleungdo and Dokdo…

Searching for more information about the trip on my university’s website, I found that this 3-day trip was being sponsored by an organization called The Korean National Council for Conservation of Nature (KNCCN). KNCCN has been organizing different campaigns and programs (garbage collection, land cleansing, ecosystem restoration)  in an effort to protect and conserve nature. Among its programs, the 3-day sponsored trip to Ulleungdo and Dokdo was aimed at foreign students living in Korea to introduce the inherent majestic beauty of nature in the islands and implore future generations to conserve the nature. The trip was scheduled for the dates- 21st, 22nd and 23rd June 2019, the timing couldn’t have been better as I had just finished my semester a few weeks ago. And so it began, the long-awaited trip to Ulleungdo and Dokdo.

Day 1

A group of 10 foreign students including me were scheduled to meet at the Pohang passenger terminal at 7.30AM in the morning. An alarm at 6AM wakes me up from my slumber. On other days, I would have snoozed and slept through the alarm but I could not afford such luxury on the day. A quick breakfast and one last check for my packing before I left for the passenger terminal via bus. I had the impression that the ferry from Pohang would be leaving as early as possible (around 8 or 8.30) but it wasn’t until 9.30 that the Ferry decided to sail the sea. I guess that is the Koreans’ way of getting ahead of the schedule. While waiting for the departure at the terminal, I acquainted myself with other participants in the program - our team leader, MyeongJin Ko, and students from POSTECH and GyeongBuk University, Vietnamese undergraduate students and officials from KNCCN. Though the Ferry was sailing along the surface of the sea, I had already been drowned by the feeling of both excitement and anxiety. Excited because it was my first ever ferry trip exploring the unknowns of the sea, anxious also because it was my first ever ferry trip and that I would be seasick. After 4 hours of sailing and thankfully no vomiting, we arrived at our destination, Ulleungdo. The landscape of the island reminded me of Nepal (hills, narrow and winding roads and small houses). The air smelled familiar, the smell of the forest and soil. Like the Korean proverb goes - “금강산도 식후경” (“Geum-Gang-San-Do Shik-Hoo-Gyeong” which highlights the importance of eating before anything), as soon as we arrived at Ulleungdo island, we were taken to our hotel of stay and were served lunch before any proceedings. This was followed by an opening ceremony where we were introduced to other students (who arrived from Seoul) and were given souvenirs. Next, we were escorted to the “봉래” (“Bongnae”) waterfall. To get to the waterfall, you would require a hike of about 20 minutes as vehicles can’t take you all the way up through the forest trail. Along the trail, we discovered an interesting site called “wind cave” where cold air naturally blowing from a hole caused cooling in the cave. Next, we were scheduled to travel to an observatory (the name of which I forgot) but this plan was cancelled due to bad weather (mist and rain), instead, we went to see a giant monolith rock alongside the sea called “촛대암” (“Chhod-Dae-Aam”). It was not the best of weather there either, but light showers from the sky gave us a feeling of refreshment. Right there, watching the sea and the sky, the rain felt like a link between the sea and the sky and we were being part of this link, and being soaked in it. Now it was almost 6PM and the itinerary for the day had come to an end. We were taken back to the hotel, had dinner and I decided to take a short nap after a long day. Later at night, a few of us decided to take a night stroll and explore the surroundings. Nearby was the Jeo-Dong port, from where tomorrow afternoon, we would be taking the ferry to the Dokdo islands. Sitting at the port, listening to the sounds of the ocean, nocturnal birds and the wind, bestowed upon me a synergy with nature. I was loving the time here and was overflowing with excitement. However, it was already midnight and I had to keep my excitement for tomorrow as we were on a tight schedule. Back to the hotel we went and slept.

Day 2

I usually don’t set alarms on weekends so that I can sleep for longer hours. However, since we were leaving early in the morning, I set an alarm of 6.30 just to be safe. Mosquitoes did their service of keeping me awake at night. After an early breakfast, we were scheduled to the Dokdo observatory, which is located in the east-coastal areas of Ulleungdo (although its name suggests otherwise). A few minutes of walk from our hotel takes us to the Dokdo museum. It is believed to be the only museum in the world that archives “not about the livelihood and civilization”, but rather it records the documents of the conflicts between Korea and Japan regarding the ownership of Dokdo island. Nearby the museum is the place where you board on the cable car that takes you to the Dokdo observatory. We waited for about 30-40 minutes in line before our turn to board the cable car. When we arrived at the observatory, all the boredom and tedium from the waiting disappeared in an instant. The sight of the endless sea in front and the majestic scenery of landscape and forest behind. The forest and the seas welcomed us with gusts of cool breeze. I don’t click pictures like a professional would, but saying that the camera wouldn’t be able to capture what our eyes saw there wouldn’t be false. The scenery seemed no less than a “fantasy” where you could imagine dragons and mythical creatures flying around. One of the students even joked about seeing a “nymph” through the binoculars in the forest. I was not wanting to leave. But we had to leave for Dokdo later that afternoon. On the way back, near the museum, the organizers showed us a short 3D movie about Dokdo, how it was formed and how it serves as a haven for aquatic life. Next, we came back to the hotel for lunch and shortly afterwards left for Jeo-Dong port, heading for the destination - Dokdo. Dokdo island is located at about 90kms to the South-East of Ulleungdo island. After almost 2 hours of ferry ride (most of which I slept through), we arrived at the famous Dokdo island. The sad part about this trip was that we had travelled 2 hours to get there but only about 20 minutes to explore the island. I had not even grasped the picture of the island in my mind when we were recalled back to the ferry. All that we could do on the island was take some pictures. Another 2 hours and we were back to Jeo-Dong port. All planned events for the day was completed and dinner was served in the hotel while some of us decided to have dinner elsewhere. Our small team headed out for dinner to savour the local cuisine. It had been a long day (wake up early, walk uphill and travel in a ferry), but it would be the last night in this wonderful place. So, I wanted to stay up as long as possible and enjoy every moment of it. Nearby the port, a small group of musicians were playing some Korean songs and the locals were dancing to it. Perhaps, merry and joyful about having accomplished the feat of exploring the mysterious Dokdo and Ulleungdo. After a while, the musicians had dismissed and I listened to the sounds of the ocean and the message it brought from a faraway land. It brought me thoughts of my family and my loved ones. A feeling of longing filled me up. Perhaps, it is what nature does best, even in its absolute magnificence, it reminds you of your loved ones. Later at around midnight, we decided to take a night stroll to the lighthouse which was about 2kms away from the port. With lights up along the path, it felt kind of safe to walk around at that hour. However, when the forest trail began (about 200m) from the lighthouse, a feeling of anxiety stirred us up. Ultimately we returned without having reached the lighthouse. Back in the hotel, I decided to sleep hoping to see the sunrise the next day.

Day 3

“Ah, it’s past 6 and the day has already broken out!”, I said to myself as I missed the sunrise. Unbeknownst to me, I had traded watching the sunrise for a few hours of peaceful sleep. Outside, the sky looked murky and it seemed the decision to sleep was the better choice. After an early breakfast, the organizers took us to a round trip around the island in a bus and stopped at tourist attractions. I honestly don’t remember the names of the places but they were all beautiful and alluring. Along the path, I saw few cyclists and it reminded me of my cycling days back in Nepal. Riding along this narrow street that goes up and down in an eco-friendly, “green” vehicle (bicycle) would have been so satisfying. One of the memorable spots along the round trip was the Jukdo island. It is connected to Ulleungdo via a suspension bridge and boasts an observatory at the top with a majestic view of the surroundings. After the round trip, we were back at the hotel for lunch. In the closing ceremony, the organizers provided some of us (a select few, before mailing to everyone) with a certificate for successfully participating in the program. I was also among the six lucky students to receive the certificate earlier. There then, we bid our goodbyes to the friends we made and the island we explored. We boarded the ferry back to Pohang at 2 and got back at around 6PM.

It was a wonderful trip and who knows when the rare chance to travel to Dokdo and Ulleungdo will come again. I would like to thank our friends from POSTECH, GyeongBuk University, our Vietnamese friends, officials from KNCCN and our team leader, MyeongJin Ko for making our time memorable.