Escape to Deokjeokdo

"Oh man!" said Kim, the Korean guest house owner, when we started haggling him down on the cost of his rooms. "But today is the weekend". He doesn't put up much of a fight though, instead he looks happy to have customers to chat some English with. He takes us to our room, two minutes from the sandy Seopori Beach, and shows us the bikes and BBQs we can use without charge. "Take my number and call me if you need anything, OK man?" (He likes to say 'man' alot).

 We wave, walk out onto the beach and let out a big sigh......ahhhhh we've escaped to Deokjeokdo.

Deokjeokdo is a small West Sea Island, just an hour boat ride from Incheon Yeonan Pier. And despite being so close to the mainland, it feels a world away from the chaos of Korea. Only 2 ferries a day, at erratic times based on tides and who-knows-what, keeps the number of tourists low. Not a dunkin donuts or tower block in sight. Phew.

So now in the tranquillity of the isle, it was plan-making time. Which is easy on Deokjeokdo, because there is nothing to do. There are beaches, mountains, pine forests and farmland, all with the smiling, bowing, 'helloing' friendly locals who occasionally stroll by. Other than that - nothing. Even shops and restaurants are few and far between. So, the plan of action:

1) Buy booze to lie on beach with

2) Lie on beach

3) Make a BBQ

4) Collect wood from surrounding forrests

5) Make fire on the beach

Add some singing and paddling and.... voila! You have the perfect evening in the making. No-one to disturb, and no-one to disturb you. And once you're all done, you're just a stone's throw from the wonderful Mr.Kim's gueshouse.

The next day needed a lie in. In hindsight, ditching the paper cups for an empty noodle pot because it 'held more soju' seemed a little unwise. But once outside and in the sunshine the hangover gave way. Time to get cycling! We took the bikes Mr. Kim had offered to lend us (which I'm guessing where actually his children's, judging by their dirty looks as we peddled off in them) and cycled off to explore the area.

The area, it turns out, is almost completely mountainous. And by that I mean, dear-god-I'll-never-make-it-up-that, mountainous. Especially if you're riding borrowed kiddies bikes. But if you're willing to brave the steep ascents, there are amazing viewing spots of the island and a sprinkling of deserted hidden beaches...perfect for camping another time methinks.

So once we returned the bikes to Mr.Kim's kids, sunbathed some more and oohed and aahed at the scenery, it was time to leave. We made our way to the main port, on the other side of the island, and waited for our boat.

An elderly Korean man saw us, hollered, stumbled over and forced Makoli (rice wine) into my left hand, and a stick of cucumber into my right. He abruptly downed his drink, illustrating what I should do with mine, and then stumbled off again. Yes. That's how goodbye's should be - short, sharp, and with a drink. So Goodbye Deokjeokdo! Until next time! Which, if I have anything to do about it, will be very very soon.

Need to Know for Deokjeokdo....

How do I get there?  Take the subway to Dong Incheon. Then take no 12 or 22 bus....or be lazy and get a 6,000 won taxi...to Yeonan Pier.

And the ferry? You can see the ferry timetable, and make reservations at http://eng.kefship.com/  This month, May 2011, boats leave at 09:30 and 14:30 daily.

Where do I stay? You can camp pretty much anywhere for free. There are also quite a few motels and pensions to stay in too, which usually have their owners waiting at the port waiting to offer you free rides to their place. Keep an ear and an eye out for Mr Kim!