Way back in early March, we had an amazing experience that I never posted on the blog, so here’s a trip down memory lane, to when we helped light a mountain on fire. On purpose.
Entry to the Jeju Fire Festival. Each year they burn the grasses from one mountain-side to symbolize rebirth and healing.
There are billboards and posters all over the island like this. It’s a BIG deal.
People fly into Jeju from the mainland and all over to attend. Hotels are booked. The highway shuts down because of traffic. We biked there from the village on Saturday during the day, when it was very quiet, just to get a taste of the fun. Then we drove up the “back/local” way with some friends for the main event Sunday night.
Dukbokki – rice paste tubes (like very dense pasta) in spicy pepper sauce. Tasty popular street food.
Patrick with his genius street food: a cup of soda with straw (bue) that fits next to an upper cup of fried chicken. Food and drink in one hand!
Guinea Fowl. A local delicacy that we decided not to wait in line for. Maybe next year!
Huge hotdogs on a stick. Patrick and Charlotte were loving the street food.
The fire festival mascot!
The festival had shows, like singing, dancing, and Mongolian horse-riding gymanstics (obviously). Behind the ring is the mountain we were about to burn.
By being white, and being in the right place at the right time, we happened to be one of the lucky hundred or so people selected to sit in the special chairs up front and ACTUALLY LIGHT THE MOUNTAIN ON FIRE. We heard a couple speeches (in Korean) from the mayor and festival chairwoman, put on our red-painted gloves (freebies!), and then…
Some of our KIS crew proudly holding our torches.
Children symbolically walked in with lit torches and “passed the light” through the crowd until all torches were lit.
We stood with lit torches while they set off gorgeous fireworks on the mountainside.
My torch flame and the firework finale.
Then there was an announcement in Korean, and all the Koreans started running forward!
We each stuck our torch into a hay stack covered in people’s prayers, wishes and intentions.
You had to be quick with your torch! Patrick was too busy taking pictures, so was told to just throw his and run. We only had about 10 seconds before air-traffic-controller type men started shouting at us to RUN AWAY.
We backed up a little and saw the mountain blazing – from the haystacks (front) and the firework lettering (middle) and a ring around the outside.
With the fire. So cool.
We kept backing up as it got hotter and hotter. Ash was raining on us and it sort of hurt to breathe. We didn’t stay long then, but what an amazing experience.
Many thousands of people crowded into the chairs, paths, and fields behind us to watch this spectacle. It was pretty amazing being up close and personal.
After the flames were dancing, the people dance too. I guess the Jeju traditional dance uses just a drummer and voice and is danced in a large circle. Several of us – me included of course – joined in! Check out a little snippet: