Island Hopping 2 hours ago I was sitting on a tiny pebble beach, wondering if I was running low on luck. The small fishing island of Heuksando off the south east coast of Korea is not well travelled or documented. You have little information to work with before arriving here and very few transport options, which is why I found myself in a tricky situation. The day began at 4:00am. I walked through the dark, foggy streets of the port town of Yeri, heading towards a spot Id chosen for a sunrise seascape shoot. Headlamp on, I clambered over rocks until I arrived at the spot, only to find an almighty light shining right towards me from the sea. The light was impossible to work with and the fog reduced visibility drastically. I put my camera away. For a while I sat on the rocks in the relative darkness, watching the sea insects scamper about, listening to little more than the waves. I eventually returned to my hotel for an extra hour of sleep. Id seen a map of the island the day before while hiking. There was camping at Sari beach, it said. I stocked up on supplies, and found out the bus timetable. The buses run twice a day. After waking up for the second time that day, I set off for Sari. The bus left on time. My fellow passengers consisted of about 13 old ladies. Some opened my bags to see what I had inside. Some just stared and smiled. We arrived in a quiet little village with a few dozen houses, at the foot of a steep valley. I sincerely hoped this wasnt my destination. The bus driver stood up and said Sari!. He got off the bus with me. I asked him where I could camp. He said camping.... Ummm, here! pointing to the school wed stopped next to. The school grounds were rocky...and filled with children. I didnt want to be that strange bearded foreign fella living in the school playground - thats the stuff of nightmares. Just then a crab walked over my foot. Before I knew it the bus was driving away and I was left in the middle of Neverwhere. I walked towards the beach hoping to find something more promising. It was no use. Apart from a small pebbly strip of sand, it was mainly concrete and sheer cliff. Not for the first time since I started travelling, I sat on a beach with no idea what to do. There was only one thing for it - since the photography was limited, as was everything else - Id have to return to Yeri. When the bus would arrive, I had no idea. I walked up to the bus stop and sat. The bus, I suspected, would be about 4 hours. There was little else to do but wait. To my surprise, after 10 minutes a bus to Yeri came winding down the hill. Relieved, I jumped on it. As I write this Im sitting at the ferry terminal with a 2 hour wait. Id considered returning back to the mainland, especially since the weather is a bit grey. Instead, Im going to another island, Docho, about 45 minutes from here that Ive visited before, 3 years ago. Theres a quiet beach on the coast where I can camp alone. It may not be the ideal photography spot, but Im looking forward to some peaceful camping. Travel photography, while a rewarding experience in itself, can often yield few results, especially when visiting lesser-known places. You never know whats around the corner, but theres almost always an interesting story to tell at the end of it.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 12:52:49 +0000