Actually, it took us two busses--one to get us to the Boseong station, and a second heading towards Yulpo. We met a kind local that was heading in that direction too and helped us out, also making sure we got the right bus along with her. On the way, the bus driver made a stop and yelled out "nok-cha!" (meaning 'green tea') and stared at us a few seconds longer and we realized maybe we should get off here too (earlier than we'd expected haha). We said farewell to the kind stranger and found that the place of our green tea dreams was just a short walk down the road!
We grabbed our first green tea ice cream of the day and walked down the path which was lined with tall and admittedly majestic cedar trees.
You know those moments where you feel like time slows down and you want to breathe in a little deeper?
This day was full of 'em.
Since we were pretty hungry, we grabbed lunch at a place subtly named "Heaven" and ordered a Green Tea Beef Casserole for two option, which did not look anything like casserole to us. It was delicious nonetheless (below is a photo of all the fresh ingredients before they were reduced in the boiling broth). The outdoor decor was charming. Repurposed old kimchi/gochujang jars as planter pots.
The little bit of research I did before our trip did not prepare me for how I would feel when I finally saw them for myself. You can't contain the grandeur in a simple photo. It's like looking out at the ocean, or sitting under a sky full of stars. You feel so small.
The fields stretch as far and wide as you can see and up the side of a huge mountain. Absolutely incredible.
We walked and walked and went up and up.
I even went all the way to the top to see the view. A sweet, Korean lady saw me struggling to take a selfie--haha, embarrassing--and kindly offered to take one for me as I was about to head back down. It turned into a family ordeal as she couldn't hit the right button on my iPhone, so her husband hopped over to do it, but then the daughter tried to help instead, then he was motioning that she should take it from the waist up and took over again. Slightly more embarrassing, but SUPER sweet that they all took it upon themselves to get me a nice photo up there! Here's the result of that teamwork:
(Martha and I took some pretty great selfies together too, but they were on her camera, sorry guys!)
Also, there were sooo many flowers!
So, we mightttt have bought a thing or two at the gift store of ALL THINGS GREEN TEA (literally, if you can imagine it, you can probably put green tea in it) and we maybeee got a second scoop of ice cream, each (although, mine was technically an apocato- a delicious ice cream and coffee combo), along with an actual cup of green tea, and a green tea churro on the side, but I'll try and keep some mystery.
Or, not:
Why choose between hot and cold? Get BOTH. ^^
To get back we waited at a little bus shelter on the opposite side of the road that we got off at (which entailed going down the street and through a tunnel, not as straightforward as that originally sounded, friends!), but a taxi came by and brought Martha and I to the bus terminal along with two other young women who were visiting from Australia. It was nice to meet new people and hear about how they were enjoying their travels.
The bus back to Yeosu felt much faster than the ride there, as the way all trips do. I heard there's a place where you can actually bathe in green tea which intrigues me enough to want to go back and try it some time, if not to simply stare at this lucious, ocean of green.
