Hallasan is the volcano at the center of Jeju island, off the southern coast of the Korean peninsula. In truth, it is Jeju island, as the whole thing is the volcanic output of Halla. Anyway, we did a hike part way up the mountain, and were surprised to find a boardwalk at the top, along with a snack shop powered by solar panels and a wind turbine. Pretty cool, except for the disruption of your hiking zen by the throngs slurping down noodles.

Hiking is a very popular activity here. Everyone’s got nice boots and gear, and cellphones seem to work on every peak we visited.