Lumina Lake
We climbed into a luxurious van. Just riding in it made me feel strangely proud. The tourists heading back from their completed trips watched us with highly curious eyes, wondering what on earth we had booked to get a ride like that. It felt like we had made the absolute right choice.
Up close, the van was even more impressive. The seats looked massive and incredibly plush, a far cry from the vehicle we had been riding in just moments ago. It was in a completely different league. There was no comparison. It was pure luxury.
Is this really for us? I wondered, walking toward the vehicle with a hint of doubt.
Beside the van, the man who had scouted us—Alex—was shouting continuously through a megaphone.
"Anyone who booked Candy Tour, please come this way!"
"Candy Tour, over here!"
"Candy Tour, right here!"
Alex smiled at us and opened the car door. Inside, four young women were already seated. A quick glance told me they were Korean. We exchanged awkward greetings and took our seats.
Even though the van was clearly full and there were no empty seats left, Alex kept shouting through his megaphone, telling people to come over to Candy Tour.
Why is he doing that? Should we tell him we're already on board?
Just as those thoughts crossed my mind, Alex climbed into the van. The crowd of tourists was no longer in sight. Had he been shouting through the megaphone just to promote Candy Tour to the remaining crowd?
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Now, let's head out for real. To the true itinerary of our Candy Tour."
The van started smoothly. As we drove, Alex began his explanation.
"This is Emerald Canyon, operated exclusively by Candy Tour. What is it called?"
"Emerald Canyon!" one of the women answered energetically.
"Excellent. And your name is...?"
"Park Hye-yeong."
"Great. Hye-yeong, tonight you're getting beef instead of pork belly."
"Whoa! Awesome!" Her excitement was genuine, her high tension bursting through.
"If the response is good, we might get something even more precious than beef."
"Whoaaa!" everyone cheered.
The mention of beef instantly heated up the atmosphere.
"Alright. To give you a brief introduction of the course, Emerald Canyon is a canyon formed of limestone. Limestone canyons are extremely rare worldwide, and Emerald Canyon is the only one where a river flows right through it. In particular, when the limestone meets the river water, it radiates a mysterious emerald glow, which is absolutely stunning. That's how it got its name. You will be traveling down that river by boat. We'll go slowly, so please enjoy this magnificent sight to your heart's content. Take it in with your eyes, capture it in photos, and record videos. The tropical plants along the way are also highly charming, so keep an eye out for them."
Before long, the luxury van came to a stop. As we stepped out, an insane view unfolded before our eyes.
Is this the Grand Canyon?
A breathtaking canyon stood right in front of us. It wasn't quite the scale of the Grand Canyon, but it was an deeply impressive sight nonetheless.
Walking down a short path, we reached a small dock where we could board a boat. It seemed we would be sailing down the river between the canyon walls.
The boat was small but highly luxurious, clean and impeccably maintained.
As the seven of us boarded and began our voyage through the canyon, our jaws collectively dropped.
It was too beautiful. It was mesmerizing.
A thrill ran through my entire body. Just looking at the scenery without doing anything else made it impossible to stop the rush of excitement.
Is this what real travel feels like?
This wasn't my first trip abroad, but this moment felt exceptionally moving.
The emerald river, the towering canyon walls, and the exotic tropical plants felt like a path leading us into another world. It was as if the place itself was whispering that this was a world belonging only to us.
Completely captivated by the scenery, we stared blankly in awe. All seven tourists wore the exact same expression.
Alex spoke up.
"There's a great swimming spot right ahead. If anyone wants to, you can jump in and enjoy the water for a bit."
Only then did we snap back to reality.
There was a small waterfall, and in front of it was a perfect spot for swimming. Without needing to be told twice, all seven of us plunged into the water.
The water was cool but incredibly refreshing. It was so clear and transparent. Though it held an emerald hue from a distance, when scooped up in our hands, it was perfectly clear.
When we climbed out, Alex handed us thick beach towels. The bodies that had grown cold in the water instantly warmed up.
This single spot alone washed away all the lingering complaints we had from earlier in the day. I silently praised myself for making the brilliant choice to go with Candy Tour.
Leaving the fantastical scenery of Emerald Canyon behind, our next destination was Lumina Lake.
"Lumina Lake is beautiful on its own, but at night, it becomes incredibly mystical due to the naturally bioluminescent plankton. However, if we make things too bright, it will be hard to enjoy the lake to its fullest. Therefore, we use only the absolute minimum lighting here. Please watch your step."
"Yes!"
The atmosphere inside the van was now completely different from when we first started. The initial awkwardness had vanished, replaced entirely by the excitement and joy of travel. Though we had been strangers, a warm sense of familiarity had begun to blossom.
We arrived at Lumina Lake around sunset. We were assigned our tents and unpacked our bags.
At first, we could see our surroundings clearly, but as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness settled, a mysterious light began to seep from Lumina Lake.
"Whoa..."
A soft gasp escaped the female tourists first.
Lumina Lake, glowing all on its own halfway up the dark mountain. It was incredibly secretive and brilliantly radiant.
Hearing the gasps, the others who were still organizing their gear stepped outside to witness the dreamlike view of Lumina Lake. We stared, utterly entranced, as if our souls were being pulled into the water.
As we stood there, lost in the sight of Lumina Lake, a savory aroma tickled the tips of our noses.
Looking back, we saw Alex grilling meat. Come to think of it, lunch at the Loboc River was the last thing we had eaten. Suddenly, my mouth watered.
Without even realizing it, Shin Seung-heon found himself walking over to Alex.
"Ah, you're here? The plates and chopsticks are right over there, so please help yourselves and eat as much as you like," Alex welcomed him with a smile.
"Thank you. We'll eat well."
"There are drinks and alcohol here too, so help yourselves. We have ice over there as well."
As Shin Seung-heon set up the plates and chopsticks for his companions, all seven tourists gathered around the barbecue grill before they knew it.
"Thank you! This looks amazing."
"I'm grilling beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and even shrimp, so eat to your heart's content. Let me know if you need more."
"Wow, it looks so delicious."
Everyone grabbed a plate and began to dig in.
Park Hye-yeong's eyes widened the moment she popped a piece of perfectly grilled beef into her mouth.
"Oh my god! This is insanely delicious! It's literally the best thing ever. You have to try this."
"Really? Let me try. Wait, what is this? The meat just melted in my mouth. Where did it go?"
"What kind of meat is this? Why is it so tender?"
The tourists made a huge fuss as they devoured the food in front of the grill.
Watching them, Alex smiled.
"You can't have a trip without alcohol. Let me mix you a truly delicious somaek."
"Yes, please!"
Alex poured a proper amount of soju into a cup, poked a small hole in a beer bottle cap, covered it with his thumb, and shook it vigorously. When he nudged his thumb slightly to the side, a stream of snowy white foam sprayed out with a sharp hiss.
The pristine white foam filled the cups. Just looking at it made us feel refreshed.
"Here, have a cold one."
Gulp, gulp.
"Whoa, this is the absolute best. Seriously, the best somaek I've ever had in my life."
"Boss, I'm sorry, but could I get one more?"
"Of course. I can make as many as you want."
Perhaps it was the alcohol, but the tourists grew even closer. When we first got into the van, everyone had sat in their own separate seats, but now we were sitting together on the same bench, our shoulders brushing against one another naturally.
"Boss, I'm sorry to ask, but do you happen to have any gochujang?"
"Of course I do. Absolutely."
Alex pulled a tub of gochujang from the cooler behind him. He even had wrapping vegetables and pickled garlic leaves.
What is this, a restaurant?
"Would anyone like some cold noodles?"
"Cold noodles?"
"Mul-naeng or bi-naeng?"
"Mul-naeng, definitely!"
"Ah, a person of culture."
Alex pulled out cold noodles from another small cooler behind him. The broth was filled with thin ice.
It was amazing enough that the noodles were still freezing cold, but it was even more baffling how things kept endlessly appearing from that small cooler.
"Boss, I really can't eat another bite. I'm stuffed."
"Why? There's still plenty of meat left. Eat more."
"No, I really can't. I've already eaten way too much."
"Hahaha. Alright. Then from now on, I'll just leave out some light snacks. The alcohol is here, and I'll leave the snacks right next to it. Here's some firewood, so if the fire starts to die down, just toss a log in one by one. Have a wonderful night. If anything happens, my tent is the one further inside. You can come find me there."
"Thank you, boss. Get some rest."
As Alex retired to his tent, only the tourists remained.
With the barbecue over, the area around Lumina Lake grew even darker. The overall lighting had been dimmed to an absolute minimum to allow us to see the glowing lake.
A cool breeze blew across the mountainside. We sipped our beers while gazing at Lumina Lake as it emitted its mystical light.
Behind us, the crackle of the campfire echoed, and looking up at the sky, it felt as if a torrent of stars was about to pour down on us.
It was incredibly peaceful and refreshing. This was what people meant by "healing."
Even the person sitting next to me suddenly looked exceptionally beautiful. Feeling a bit shy, I struck up a conversation.
"Did you guys come here as a group of friends?"
"Ah! Yes. We're college friends, and this is our first trip together since graduation."
"Really? We came as college friends too. What year did you enter?"
"Class of '17."
"Oh, we're the Class of '15! Nice to meet you. I'm Park Nam-seon."
"You already know my name, right? I'm Park Hye-yeong."
"Yes, of course. You introduced yourself so energetically. By the way, isn't this place just incredible?"
"It really is. Honestly, we were just going to book a tour to see the monkeys at first, but Alex told us we absolutely wouldn't regret this one. If we hadn't come, we really would have missed out. I've been to Southeast Asia several times, but I've never seen a place like this."
"Is that so? This is my first time in Southeast Asia, so..."
"I can guarantee you, there is absolutely nowhere else like this. The scenery is one thing, but this atmosphere is just insane."
In the pitch-black mountain, only Lumina Lake glowed. The sound of the wind and the chirping of crickets drifted from afar like a soft melody.
"You're right. The atmosphere is... actually, I had a bit of a fight with my friend while preparing for this trip, and now I feel so sorry to him."
"Me too. I got chewed out so badly by my boss on Friday right before leaving work. He asked how I could go on a trip after leaving my work in such a state. That comment weighed heavily on me the entire trip, but being here, it feels like it's completely washed away. It feels like any worries or negative emotions are just utterly pointless here."
"It really puts your mind at ease."
As the night grew deeper, the conversations deepened as well. Before we knew it, the people who had been chatting in small groups of twos and threes slipped away into the darkness.
On the way back.
Nam-seon spoke to his friends.
"The trip was great, wasn't it?"
"Great doesn't even begin to describe it. It was absolutely incredible. Seriously, Lumina Lake... wow, that was mind-blowing."
"Thanks, man. Thanks for bringing us to a place like this. I admit I was grumbling a lot. I've been under a lot of stress at work lately, there's stuff going on at home, and things didn't go well with the girl I was set up with, so I think I was just highly sensitive. I apologize again. In return, I'm buying a massive round of drinks once we get back to Korea."
"Forget about it. Everyone has those days. By the way, how about we come back here next year?"
"No way."
"Huh?"
"I don't think I can wait until next year. Let's come back this winter."
"Deal!"
The Emerald Canyon and Lumina Lake tours by Candy Tour sparked an explosive reaction. Whether shouting "Candy Tour!" to all the tourists coming down from the Chocolate Hills had worked, inquiries kept pouring in, and the photos uploaded to Instagram piqued people's curiosity.
The response from the participants was also overwhelming. Ninety-nine percent of them responded that they wanted to go back anytime. The remaining one percent were only those who wanted to keep it as a precious memory, fearing that returning might break the magic of that happiness.
And just like that, Candy Tour was steadily growing.