Sinsi-do Island

Recently, we had the opportunity to go on a church picnic, to Sinsi-do Island.

We had a great time with friends and seeing a new place in Korea.


We realized/learned many things we arrived at Sinsi-do. 

1. When Koreans tell you, you will be going on a picnic, what they don't tell you is that it involves hiking. And when they tell you, it will be an "hour walk" to get to the place we are eating, what they really mean is an hour of hiking.


   P.S. If you didn't know, now you do, it is possible, if you are  extremely graceful, full of pride, and a go-getter, like me, than you CAN hike a mountain in red flats and skinny jeans. 

No, but really. No big deal. Don't let wearing flats stop you from hiking!


2. There are all different kinds and appearances of islands. Coming for the States, the only "Island" pictures that fill my mind, is South Padre and Hawaii. I have had a false notion, my whole life, that this is what all islands look like, tropical paradises or 5 star resorts. This, we have found, is not true. 
But most of you, more traveled and geographically wise, probably already knew this. 

3. There is such things as tides. Again, the wiser out there, knew this. But coming from the middle of Texas, we were very perplexed by being on an island, but seeing no water. We saw lots of boats, shells and fishing nets, but no water. They were all just sitting on dry land. We didn't get to see the tides come in, but I am sure it would have been beautiful and more "island-like." 

4. A promised, "Delicious meal," on an island, in Korea, with Koreans, probably means a meal of raw fish, raw oysters, and more fish, with bones. 

5. You should not sit on Korean graves, half way, up a mountain. Our friend tried, and a Korean woman, told her not to. 




We learned many new things, but overall had a great time.


Zachary found an awesome glass fishing ball, rumored to be only used by Japanese fisherman, which now sits artfully in our livingroom.

I touched a baby dead whale! It's very sad. Poor little guy must have been happily jumping in the water, when the tide was in, and hit his head on all these rocks. But still, I got to touch a whale, a baby whale. 

Sinsi-do Island is located in the west of Korea, in the Yellow sea. It is connected to land, by the longest damn in the world (the Saemangeum Sea Wall), which is 20 miles long, so it can easily be accessed by car. 


Korea has invested millions of dollars into building up this area of the Jeolla province. They have blocked off the ocean, in order to reclaim more of the land. They have plans of building a huge, perfectly crafted, marina, to promote business business. On the Invest in Korea website, it quotes an official of the Saemangeum Gunsan Free Economic Zone(SGFEZ) Authority, saying that “Sinsido marina will transform Gogunsan Archipelago into a center of marine sports and an international marine attraction.”

Sinsi-do Island May not be considered an Island much longer as they keep creating more and more land.