During winter, the early morning sun peaks its head out from between the mountains that I can see out of my bedroom window. I often snap pictures in awe of the beauty, but this day it was the clouds that caught my attention. When the sun popped up, the dark clouds disappeared and it was a beautiful day.
Some friends and I took advantage of the glorious sun and went for a walk at the coast in Samcheonpo. As I have written about many times, Sacheon is very proud that Admiral Yi Sun Sin called this port his home base for a time.
Sacheon and Samcheonpo were two different cities in the south until they merged in 1995.
The northern part is called Sacheon-eup (where we live) and the southern part is called Sacheon-si, which is located at the mouth of Sacheon Bay. While they are technically and politically one city, people still refer to them as their old names of Sacheon and Samcheonpo. Koreans kind of make fun of others when they go off topic in a conversation and say that the person has fallen into Samcheonpo.
We took a walk around Nosan Park.
Camellia flowers usually bloom in February, but the weather has been a bit off this fall/winter, and it has left the poor flowers confused. Even if they are out at the wrong time, they are still beautiful.
Every year people create hearts on the ground from the fallen blooms. I think it's sweet.
I caught Linda flexing her angel wings.
Even though Jeju is most known for their women skin divers that collect seafood called 해녀 haenyeo, they do it all over Korea. You can even spot them here in Samcheonpo. This ground mural pays tribute to them.
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| Lotte, Laura, Linda and Trish |
Right around the corner from the park is 삼천포수산시장 Samcheonpo Susansijang, or the Samcheonpo Fish Market.
The fish market was renovated around 60 years ago. Three to 4:00 am is when the Yonggung Seafood Market, as it is also called, opens its doors. That's when the over-night fishing boats begin to come in from sea with their nets full from the Hallyo Sea.
The stalls seem to go on and on forever. There are 270 different vendors lined up, side by side.
There are all kinds of live treasures from the sea, weird things I don't even know, dried fish, gutted fish, live fish, a few vegetables, some stalls to cook your meal...it was endless.
Seafood stew is made right there in the market. It contains foods like crabs, scallops, clams, shrimps and vegetables. The most important part of the seafood stew at the Yonggung Market is the stone octopus added to the top. Stone octopus grow between rocks deeper than 10m and they say it makes the stew's taste deep while simple. I will take their word for it.
Look at these little things move:These are dried anchovies.
Seafood noodle soup is made with clams. A couple vendor stalls boil the clams and cook it right there on site.
사시미 Sasimi, or raw fish, is cut and sold here, too.
The Fish Market is a bit of a tourist attraction for lovers of seafood. You can choose your poison from the market, and they will deliver the fresh fish, or whatever creature it is you choose, straight to the restaurants located right outside the market. Apparently it's a seafood lover's heaven.
I was happy to just have a look around. No fresh seafood for me. Just good times with friends.
[December 15]
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