Gwangalli Beach

I'm on holiday from work. Two weeks free to do as I like in pandemic-hit South Korea. I had planned to visit Jeju Island off the southern coast of Korea for two weeks of hiking, sightseeing, and exploring. I even purchased my airline tickets and reserved the first few nights in a hotel before I decided to cancel the trip given the 4th wave of COVID-19.

Also, I was assured that my trip to Jeju wouldn't interfere with getting my first vaccine shot, however, my school set my vaccine appointment for the middle of my vacation. It was best that I cancelled the trip.

So, I'm at home for two weeks looking for something to do to make use of this vacation. Two weeks are nice. Last summer, because of the delayed start to the school year, I only had a series of long weekends in August as a vacation. Back then I went to Jeju for four days. This summer, the epicentre of the current outbreak is Seoul and the surrounding area, so it would also be wise to avoid the capital during this vacation.

I decided to take an evening trip to Gwangalli Beach to enjoy the night view of the famous bridge and the light show at 8pm. I had visited the beach once last year during the day but had always wanted to return at night to see how they light up the bridge. Even though we're in a heatwave now, the temperature was really comfortable after sunset.

It's about 1.5 hours by public transit to Gwangalli Beach and I arrived 6 pm. I knew exactly where I was going for dinner, Subway. I had a footlong roasted chicken sub on hearty Italian bread and it was amazing. It was so amazing that I dropped a bunch of it on my shirt. I had to walk around with 10 little stains on my shirt. Thankfully it got dark soon.

I strolled around the beach after my meal. There were plenty of people at the beach out and about. Some people brought blankets to sit on, and others used the provided beach chairs. But no one was in the water. Well, some kids went in but they were soon ushered out by the security staff. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, there are specific rules for the beach. Swimming is only allowed from 9am - 6pm until the end of August. Everyone on the beach must wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. Groups of 8 are permitted but only groups of 2 may eat together on the beach. 

The star of the show was the bi-level Gwangandaegyo Bridge which is 7.4KM over the ocean. Each level has traffic flowing in a one-way direction. The bridge is adorned with LED lights which come on every evening and change their pattern depending on the season. I think in pre-COVID times there are also fireworks but that is temporarily cancelled. Luckily, one of the ships cruising under the bridge let off a small fireworks display for its passengers, and it provided a fascinating view from the shore.

My vacation continues with an August heatwave. The high-temperature today was 34°C but felt like 43°C with the humidity. It's a steam bath. Let's see what other adventures await.