Korean Travels: Ullengdo & Dokdo

I am a compulsive and nervous giggler.

It's cute when someone tells a joke.

It's not so cute when there's an awkward silence,

I feel uncomfortable or scared,

someone falls,

I make a mistake, 

I'm confused,

people are sick.

Because I laugh uncontrollably in these situations.

I'm not really sure why :/

It's like a weird coping mechanism...

Here's a story about that time everyone started throwing up on the ferry 

and there was nowhere to go 

so I curled up in a ball and tried (unsuccessfully) to stifle my giggles.

I wasn't laughing at them.

Nor was I laughing with them (they were definitely NOT laughing).

I was just laughing because the experience was so horrific,

it was ridiculous. 

Last Chuseok (Thanksgiving in Korea), 

some friends and I decided to travel to two very special islands:

Ullengdo and Dokdo.

Dokdo is famous due to the longstanding dispute between 

Japan and Korea for rights to the small island. Read more here.

First, we took a four hour bus ride from Seoul to a harbour town near Ullengdo...

The ferry from here took about 4 very long hours because of the weather conditions.

Finally arriving on Ullengdo was pretty great after such a long and rocky journey.

In Ullengdo...

We went bridge jumping off Ullengdo’s rocky coast after a hike…

After some nervous giggling I finally managed to talk myself into jumping off a bridge into the sea below.

That’s me directing Natalee about where to jump...

Because I'm an expert.

We took a very informative bus ride around Ullengdo.

This is the beautiful Turtle Rock.

And then we drove through something called the Vagina Rock. 

Don't ask.

Really. Don't ask...

We went hiking, swimming and watched a few sunsets.

We ate some ice-cream...

Unfortunately, we were not adequately prepared for the ferry to Dokdo... 

aka RIDE OF DEATH.

Lots of people.

Lots of time.

Confined.

In a boat.

WIth lots of Congo Queen type motion.

By lots I mean more than 4 hours.

So inevitably there was some seasickness.

By some, I mean HOARDS of people were dropping like flies.

I've never seen so many people get sick before -

it was exactly like one of those slapstick comedies were everyone starts throwing up everywhere and people run away screaming.

Except.

haha

There was NOWHERE TO RUN.

Fortunately I don't get seasick,

but I do have senses of smell, sight and sound.

There was nothing I could do to get away...

And then the crazy giggles began.

And went on and on and on.

Finally we arrived on Dokdo.

We were only allowed on the dock because tourists aren't actually allowed to enter the island.

That's OK because it's pretty small.

We stayed there for 30 minutes and took the 4 hour ferry of death back home.

I think on the way back it was worse.

The moral of the story?

When life makes you want to cry, scream, throw up or run away,

sometimes laughing is the only answer.