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During my three-day trip in Cheonlipo, I explored historic volunteering events, Got to know ‘The’ greatest arboretum among all over Asia, water gun fight with adorable kids, and savored local delicacies. Here’s a detailed account of my journey.
At 9:30 AM, I met the participants at the Seoul Express Bus Terminal and we traveled to Taean. We had participants coming from far places like Daejeon, but Chanoo picked them up with his private car so we arrived at right time! The group consisted of 14 people. Despite having different nationalities, they were mostly students in Korea around the same age, each with unique and charming personalities.
Upon arriving at oil spill memorial hall, we started with a buffet-style lunch at the local restaurant, run by the same owner of our guesthouse. where everyone could choose their preferred food. After lunch, we did a orientation at the oil spill memorial hall. We learned about the worst oil spill incident, and also a bit of ice-breaking too. even more than just presentation about the trip, made name tags, and had an introduction session to get to know each other. Later, we went to a local childcare center and did some cool culture exchange. Some of the participants explained about their country, and we did lots of games!! (Including water gun fight) People were not trying get wet at the first, but you know, the first shot is the hard one. Kids loved the games and we all won ice cream after the game. Everyone felt proud and happy with their scores. We ended the first day by making our own jeon (Korean pancakes) and enjoying traditional Korean rice wine, makgeolli, at our accommodation.
Starting with breakfast between 8-9 AM, we then headed to Cheonlipo Arboretum. It was 1 minute walk from our stay. We had a guided tour about the rare plants, trees and history about the arboretum and also did some volunteer activity, picking up dead hibiscus. they had a hibiscus park filled with 230 kinds of flowers!! We got a hibiscus flower pot (actual flower) as a gift from the arboretum.
In the afternoon, we spent some time cleaning up the beach, picking up trash to help keep the area beautiful. After that, we enjoyed some fun in the water, splashing around and soaking up the sun. Later on, we split into two teams for a little junk art competition. The women’s team created an impressive crab out of the materials we found and ended up winning. But honestly, I think it was a bit unfair!
We ended the day with BBQ dinner, followed by a cozy night walk on the beach, stargazing and sharing stories.
On the third day, we visited the Sinduri Coastal Dunes, where we took a leisurely walk, enjoying the stunning natural scenery and the refreshing sea breeze. Afterward, we explored the exhibits at the museum below, which were really impressive. I was especially fascinated by the animals that live in the coastal dunes! It was a bit disappointing not to spot any lizards in person, though.
