Jeju Fire Festival

Last night I went to the Fire Festival, Jeju's biggest festival of the year, where they set an orum on fire!

People carried lighted torches to the mountain side -- felt like there would be a sacrifice --, firecrackers lit the sky, spotlights and then finally, they set fire to the stacks of wood and hay covered spheres.

I took a taxi there with Bill and Arial (the new teacher who just flew in yesterday and will be teaching at the Seongsan Center), and ran into a lot of other foreigners. Even the mayor introduced himself to us!

After the initial lighting of the fire, the crowds cleared out really fast, but most of the foreigners stayed a while, watching it burn and getting warm. The guards stopped guarding the hill and we moved as close as heat would allow, taking photos and watching it turn from white hot to smoldering orange. The wood they used smelled like cedar, little fragments popped off, filling the air.

Nicole and her boyfriend John were there, but they leave for the U.S. (permenantly) on Monday so Lisa was sad because they are best friends. They were hugging and saying their goodbye's by the fireglow.

Justin had his touque and a can of beer open -- never looked so Canadian. And Kiel pulled a bottle of soju from his jacket pocket, so it was a little like camping up North; only with a bigger bonfire.

Afterwards, we all -- and I mean ALL -- took the bus down to Seogweipo for Gecko's Dance Party. At first it was chill, ate supper (the lasagna was great!) and then it got fun: strobe lights and dancing and Bahamma Mama's, but no one got crazy, maybe because we all had full tummies or were tired from the long day at the Festival.

Alicia and Kiel, Woody 'n Laurie, and maybe a few others, stayed overnight at Pensions in Seogwipo but I took a taxi back with Bill and two other girls who were headed to Shin Jeju.

I must've been really tired because I slept until noon! I thought the clock was wrong, but nope. Must be all that fresh air and fire!