Island of Flowers- Oedo Botania Garden

Goeje ( /go-jay/ ) is the second largest island in Korea. It has many harbors, lending to the shipbuilding industry. Many of our students at GIFS live in Goeje, as their parents work there in shipping. Goeje is also part of the Hallyeo Maritime National Park. This particular day we visited one of the most well-known Goeje sites of Oedo Botania.

Daisy and I went with our friends the Gludsteds. The Pops was studying and the boys did not think it sounded fun to go look at flowers. What ev's.

We got to take a ferry because Oedo ( /way-doe/ ) is a little island of the southeast shore of the big island.

This is Oedo Island. First we bypassed it to go around Haegeumgang Island, also known as The Sea Diamond.

Haegeumgang ( /hay-goom-gong/ ) is known for its tall cliffs, stretching 116m high.

The coastline of Goeje is lined with over 60 little islands.

After we circled Haegeumgang, we came back to Oedo. The ferry drops you off for an hour and a half, while they just drop anchor and wait off shore for you.

Oedo is Korea's first privately owned island. A married couple moved to the island in 1969. They left North Korea penniless after the war. The couple tried unsuccessfully to grow a tangerine farm and later a pig farm.  After both failures they decided to grow exotic plants, which became a success.

With over a million visitors a year, it is considered Geoje's busiest tourist attraction.

Oedo Botania is a marine park, or basically a landscaped botanical garden. The total area is 144.995 square meters. It houses more than 1,000 plant species, including some rare tropical species. The gardens have been meticulously cared for by the couple for over 50 years. The founders like to call it a beautiful utopia on earth. Fun fact: their grandson used to attend our school.

Oedo Botania is broken into several sections.

~Fountain Intersection~

~Cactus Garden~

There are over 50 types of cacti and succulents here.

~Venus Garden~

Oedo has been renovated to resemble Mediterranean towns and I totally felt like I was in Greece. (Not that I have been there yet to know, but that's what it felt like.)

~Lee House~

~Flower Garden~

~Panorama Observatory~

I think that little spot is Tsuhima Island, Japan.

~Café Oh! Beautiful...~

This is the view from the café.

~Sculpture Park~

This is Adam and Eve.

This is how I felt when breastfeeding.

~Eden Garden & Chapel~

~Hill of Love~

~Stairway to Heaven~

~Cocas Garden~

~Water Garden~

~Observatory and Gallery~

~Lighthouse of the Wish~

After an hour and a half the boats all pulled up to the docks. We found our boat, loaded and we went home.

[April 18]