Geojedo - May 10-12

Geoje Island lies off the south coast of Korea, a tumultuous hour-long ferry ride or a cruisy 3-and-a-half hour taxi ride from Busan - both of which we experienced over the second long weekend in May. We left Seoul on Friday evening aboard the high-speed KTX train, with obligatory beers for the road - er, rails - in hand (much to the chagrin of neighboring passengers). Saturday morning in typical Geoff-Shannon-Nicole-Les road trip fashion we were met with drizzle, stepping out of our discount Busan motel.

By midafternoon we had reached Gojura beach on Geoje. Once checked in to the bada green pension, the four of us did what any other travellers would do on arrival to a pseudo semi-tropical island. We passed the #%*! out inside our room.

The island offered sand beaches, bereft of beachcombing crowds as May is still well ahead of the oft-observed official beach season in Korea. A conspicuous cornice of rock jutting out from an overlooking mountain-side called Nicole and I to its flanks on Sunday afternoon, after an epic Saturday night's session of noraebang.

Ae-bawi, the rock, offered the most aesthetic, finger-tip pleasing climb I've experienced yet on the peninsula, or anywhere near it. A three pitch climb to the top all along offered the most amazing views of the coves, of the emerald blue waters, the dark green forests and the curving beaches below. The wind was strong enough that day, I feel, to have swept me at least as far out as the nearest island, should the rope have snapped.

Another incredible trip with the highest calibre companions.