Jindo Sea Parting Miracle Festival

Hello again loyal (and non loyal) readers! It has been over a month since we have posted in our blog (pure laziness being the reason) and we have lots to catch up on. So, we will be posting several posts in the next week or so catching up on resent activities. First, and most importantly, the weather has been great the last month! The sun has been shining and we have been out and about exploring Korea. We have been to 3 different festivals and a National Park this past month and they were all great!

Lets start with the Jin-do Sea Parting Miracle Festival on Jin-do Island (well, Jin Island, "do" is island). The island was about an hours ride from Mokpo and we headed down for the annual sea parting with a group of friends from the city. Due to some strange tides and presumably some magic the sea literally parts between these 2 islands once a year. The resulting road in the sea is almost 2km long and 60 meters wide! It was amazing to watch. It was packed and crazy with easily over a thousand people. There were people dancing and singing in traditional Korea outfits with large groups of people just singing and dancing along.

The sea supposed parts because a long time ago loads of tigers were killing people on the island so everyone moved to the neighboring tiger free island. Except, being selfish, they forgot one old lady on the island. So naturally, she prayed to the god of the sea so she could see her family again...because for some reason they couldn't just go back and get her. The sea god was kind enough to provide her with a rainbow that parted the sea so she could get to her family. Unfortunately, she died on the way over but she got to see her family who came to help her across so there was a happy ending. Now, the sea parts every year and everyone can enjoy without the ever present threat of tiger attacks. Although, that would certainly add some thrill.

Due to resent requests for less words and more pictures, here are a bunch of pictures!

Marching Band

The always delicious Korean street food

just in case the festival is too much for you

We got these amazing gators for our crossing, we still wear them regularly

Friends dancing in the street with Korean women 

The crossing begins...

Not so sure what this person was doing but they were dressed like a Klan demon and came right at me with their toy gun

The older Korean woman were all collecting seaweed and digging for clams and mussels while the sea parted while there was a whole festival going on around them

Someone dressed as Moses to part the sea

Lots of cool starfish on the sea path

Statue at the end of the road on the island

Lots of people and lots of fun! Definitely a sight to see. Next, I'll be posting about the Yudalsan Flower Festival in a day or two.

Thanks for reading!!!