TravelStream™ news feed for member will on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/will en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:19:31 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/will/6/1258511469/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/will/6/1258511469/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/will/6/1258511469/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:19:31 -0500 What to do with a year in SOUTH KOREA

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Haenam, South Jeolla, Korea Rep.

Although winter had hit Korea with temperatures of around 0 degrees, my first full pay check coupled with Ania's and my desire to get out of the city meant it was time for our first weekend trip.&nbsp; Earlier in the week I read an article in Korea's English language newspaper, the Korea Herald, about some places in the southern Jeollanam province where it was still possible to see the colourful autumn leaves.&nbsp; Given that autumn had come and gone in a few weeks in Suwon I wasn't getting my hopes up, but we decided to head south anyway to at least get a view of the islands off the coast.&nbsp; As soon as my Saturday morning classes were over we made our way out to Suwon's bus station and jumped on an express bus for Gwangju, a city three hours to the south.&nbsp; It wasn't cheap, but the bus was without a doubt the most luxurious I've ever ridden on, with more room than a business class seat on an airline.&nbsp; Fortunately, upon arriving in Gwangju we only had a short wait for a bus another hour and a half south to Haenam, our base for the weekend.&nbsp; We arrived soon after 8pm, found a hotel and then went for a walk through the small centre of the town in search of some dinner.&nbsp; Haenam was typically Korean, with exactly the same shops, convenience stores and interiors as in Suwon and Seoul, but it certainly had more of a rural feel to it.&nbsp; We attracted a few more looks and fewer smiles than in the north, but I put this down to the political views of the region.&nbsp; Jeollanam province was a lot more left wing than in the north, and in 1980 the military massacred more than 150 communist protesters and civilians in order to quell an uprising in Gwangju.&nbsp; From what I'd read, these Koreans didn't particularly like foreigners encroaching upon their soil, and it certainly showed on the faces.&nbsp; Eventually we found a small restaurant where we were able to get a vegetable and rice hotpot along with the usual assortment of side dishes, although the accompanying smiles from the two old ladies who made it for us weren't at all genuine.Our plan for the Sunday was to spend the morning and afternoon in Duryunsan Provincial Park, just 15 minutes from Haenam.&nbsp; The bus station was interesting place in daylight, without a word of English and a vibe similar to small town bus stations in Eastern Europe.&nbsp; Nevertheless, we didn't spend long their and soon found ourselves in much more pleasant surroundings, the major Zen temple complex of <i>Daedunsa at the base of Garyanbong, the highest mountain in the park at 703m.&nbsp; Thought to be more than a thousand years old, the temple remained relatively unknown until a warrior monk helped repel the Japanese in the 16th century.&nbsp; It also remained undiscovered by the Japanese during the colonial period in the early 20th century.&nbsp; I could see why too, as it was hidden in a valley flanked by mountains on each side.&nbsp; We spent about 45 minutes having a look around and inside the small museum before making our way up to the peak.The walk up was pretty straightforward, if a little steep, and there was some colour left on the leaves.&nbsp; After about an hour we arrived a small temple with huge buddha carved into a rock, which commanded an amazing view out over Daedunsa and the valley.&nbsp; Quite a mouthful, it was known as Bukmireugammaaeyeoraejwasang, or 'North rock-cut seated Maitreya buddha of Daedunsa temple'.&nbsp; Could their possibly be a longer name in the language?From here we continued on up, passing through a picturesque dry forest before attempting the scramble up the rocks to the peak.&nbsp; At one point the rocks only allowed one person at a time to climb, and we found ourselves having to wait for almost half an hour in the biting cold wind.&nbsp; However, the wait was worth it as the view from the summit was spectacular, looking south over hundreds of islands and even the 100km distant Jejudo.&nbsp; We took a few photos but didn't linger too long as we both knew we had a long trip back to Suwon.We followed a different trail back to Daedunsa and were fortunate with connections, as we managed to jump on board strange bug shaped people carrier for a while before making it on to a bus back to Haenam.&nbsp; We then had only ten minutes to wait before our bus to Gwangju, which passed by some spectacular scenery including Wolchulsan National Park.&nbsp; By the time we arrived in Gwangju at 6pm things were looking good for us, and after dinner we figured we'd be home by 10pm.This wasn't to be though, as our luck on the first part of the journey reversed.&nbsp; The next three buses to Suwon were fully booked, and we found ourselves having to wait more than an hour and a half for the next bus.&nbsp; Then, two hours into the journey at about 10.30pm we met bumper to bumper to traffic with people making their way back to Seoul for the week's work.&nbsp; From here we crawled, never getting out of second gear, and not reaching Suwon until nearly 2am.&nbsp; It was very frustrating, but taught us a valuable lesson, which was never to get a bus on a Sunday night and always try to book ahead!It was a fast paced day and a half, but we were both glad we put in the effort to get out of Gyeonggi province.&nbsp; Jeollanam was a lot more rural and picturesque, and the views were very rewarding.&nbsp; However, with christmas around the corner and a trip home to save for we knew it would probably be our last overnight trip for the year.
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Suwon, Korea Rep.

If there was one thing I wanted to do during my year long stint in Korea it was to attend a traditional wedding.&nbsp; Fortunately an opportunity came up in my friday evening class, when as part of my normal Friday schedule I asked the students to discuss in pairs what they're doing on the weekend.&nbsp; One or two students usually discuss the 'wedding party' they have to attend, but on this particular weekend it was the sister of one of my students, Jin, who was getting married, and she had no hesitation in inviting me and Ania along.Although Korea is a very Christian country, most weddings are held in wedding halls not in churches, and this is where we made our way late on the Saturday afternoon.&nbsp; This wedding hall was a grand seven story building with a huge gold and white foyer, and it appeared each floor had a simultaneous wedding.&nbsp; Not knowing what floor to go to, or even the name of the bride, I called Jin who directed us up to the seventh floor.&nbsp; She met us off the lift and before showing us into the wedding room introduced us to her parents.&nbsp; Surprisingly her father spoke a little English, and seemed quite happy to have us attend, even though we only had a very small link to the family.The wedding room was an enormous room, with perhaps a hundred round tables and chairs around a 25m long platform extending out from the stage.&nbsp; We were shown to a table (unfortunately on the groom's side) and were later joined by a few more young Koreans.&nbsp; It was quite a strange situation for us, sharing a table with some people we'd never met, at the wedding of a couple we didn't know.&nbsp; However, I was informed this was the norm in Korea, as the bigger the wedding, the more prestigious, and of course more money is made for the newliweds.Before long the groom and then the bride, with her father, made their way up the platform to the front.&nbsp; The bride was dressed in a traditional if somewhat overdone white dress (with some strange baggy white pants underneath, which we noticed as she climbed the stairs), and within ten minutes the ceremony was completed and they were married.&nbsp; Strangely, rather than observe the wedding like in western culture, everyone in attendance spoke quietly at their tables, as if the precedings on stage were simply part of the background.&nbsp; Furthermore, the caterers, decked out in horrible orange aprons were mingling around, preparing for the dinner, which no doubt was for them the most important event of their day.While the bride and groom were still on stage we had our meals brought out to our tables.&nbsp; Not surprisingly there was very little for me to eat, but this didn't bother me as I had planned to attend my first 'Suwon vegetarian club' meeting at an Indian restaurant later on.&nbsp; So, I made the most of the rice and huge amount of kimchi and sweets.&nbsp; Halfway through our dinner we were paid a visit by the bride's father who again thanked us for coming, and informed us that there were two types of wedding in Korea, a traditional and a western wedding, and we were currently at the latter.&nbsp; To be honest, apart from the bride's white dress there wasn't much that was western about it.&nbsp; Soon after Jin came over to ask us what we thought, and then the bride and groom themselves.&nbsp; I thought it was good that they did the rounds of the tables.&nbsp; Even though many of the people there didn't seem to be paying them much attention.We left soon after, both agreeing that it was an interesting and enjoyable ceremony and better than we had expected.&nbsp; It was very different from any wedding either of us had been to, including one I went to when I was in Cambodia.&nbsp; Unfortunately, as with that wedding, I forgot my camera, so I had to burn the images into my memory instead.&nbsp; I was pretty confident with our growing number of Korean contacts we'd soon be invited to another though.
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Seoul, Seoul, Korea Rep.

Seoul is a city with an exorbitant number of galleries and museums, and in trying to lower our spending for a few weeks Ania and I decided a visit to a couple of them would be a good, cheap way to spend our Sunday afternoons.Leeum Samsung Museum of Art - 25th of OctoberOur initial plan was to spend the day hiking in Bukhansan National Park, but a sleep in and overcast skies put an end to that plan once we looked out the window.&nbsp; Not wanting to waste the day, I decided a second visit to Itaewon was in order, and surprised Ania by taking her to what was supposedly one of the best galleries in Seoul.The Leeum Samsung Museum of Art was a very asthetic looking group of buildings, and it was pretty evident a lot of money had been spent on it.&nbsp; It was designed by three world renowned European architects, who each worked on one of three museums that made up the complex.&nbsp; Museum 1, designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, housed Korean artifacts such as celadon and porcelain pottery dating back to the era of the three kingdoms, as well as Buddhist paintings, historic bronze sculptures, and jewelery found inside ancient tombs.&nbsp; The exterior was made of terra cotta to complement the porcelain inside.&nbsp; I was very impressed with what I saw in here, not simply because of the artifacts, but the interior design, which comprised a white spiral staircase and dark rooms really drawing attention to the beauty of what was on show.Museum 2, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, had an entirely different look with outdoor lighting, natural construction materials and a collection of 20th century art from Korea and abroad, including one piece by Andy Warhol.&nbsp; This is what I brought Ania to see, and although she enjoyed it, frankly I was disappointed.&nbsp; The pieces were either too conservative or too pretentious in my opinion, and certainly didn't match the modern art I'd seen in Barcelona and London recently.Museum 3, the Samsung Child Education &amp; Culture Centre was designed by Rem Koolhaas from the Netherlands, and surprisingly housed nothing that dealt with children or education.&nbsp; However, it did have some interesting contemporary moving image works.&nbsp; The highlight here was a piece of video art by Kim Sooja called <i>A Needle Woman, which consisted of videos recording the artist's performances in Tokyo, Shanghai, Delhi and New York.&nbsp; Her performance remained identical, but the videos showed some very divergent reactions in the different cities.National Museum of Contemporary Art, Deoksugung - 1st of NovemberThe first of November was World Vegan Day, and given the huge downpour the previous day we once again shelved our plans to do a hike and instead made our way to Seoul Plaza to see how a remarkably staunch meat eating populous would celebrate the day.&nbsp; I was expecting a handful of protesting foreigners, but instead a large stall was being run solely by Koreans.&nbsp; There was lots of free food on offer, including noodles, tofu kebabs, meat substitute and vegan sandwiches, as well as plenty of information about leading a vegan or vegetarian diet.&nbsp; They were preaching to the converted with me, but I did hope that they at least awakened some locals' views.Directly opposite Seoul Plaza was the downtown palace of Deoksugung, an integral part of&nbsp; Korea's long history of royalty, and home to the last king of the Joseon Dynasty, King Gojong.&nbsp; The palace buildings were impressive, although not as grand as those at Gyeongbokgung.&nbsp; However, these were not what we had come to see.&nbsp; At the rear of the complex was the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Deoksugung (a smaller branch of the main building in the south of Seoul).&nbsp; This museum didn't have a permanent collection, but we were fortunate enough to see an exhibition put on by one of Korea's leading photographers, Bae Bien-U.&nbsp; Renowned for photographs of pine trees that emanate the same ambience a black and white painting has, his works have made it onto the international stage, and he was even commissioned by the Spanish government to photograph the gardens of the Alhambra in Granada.&nbsp; I was more impressed here than Ania, although that's given our different tastes in art, with me appreciating photography a lot more than her.*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *I've been in Korea for 2 months now, and have visited Seoul five or six times.&nbsp; Each visit brings something different, and shows there's even more to discover.&nbsp; The galleries we saw here were great, but there's plenty more I want to see.&nbsp; If there's one thing about living where we do, it's that there's always something to see.&nbsp; If we don't go away for a weekend or do a hike somewhere, there's always something new to discover in Seoul which is just $2.50 on the train and 40 minutes away.&nbsp; I'm looking forward to the next ten months I'll be spending here, that's for sure.
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Chiaksan National Park, Gangwon, Korea Rep.

The Koreans seem to love the fact their country has four distinct seasons, and my doubts about this were quickly forgotten in the two weeks following my trip to Ulleungdo as the temperatures eased and Autumn hit like a freight train.&nbsp; The mid to high twenties and humidity disappeared, replaced by mid teen temperatures, cool breezes and thunderstorms.&nbsp; On the bright side, the sun was still out, and the parks were ablaze with an astonishing variety of fall colours.Not wanting to spend another weekend in the megalopolis of Seoul and its surroundings, I decided to get out and explore another of the country's national parks.&nbsp; Ania was feeling a little under the weather, no doubt due to the abrupt change of season, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to tackle a nearby peak.&nbsp; I decided on the 1288m <i>Birobong in Chiaksan National Park, nestled beside the city of Wonju, just an hour and a half from Suwon.I was a little delayed in the beginning as I tried to make sense of the Korean at the Suwon bus terminal, but the roads were clear and I found myself in Wonju just after 10am.&nbsp; Not sure where to get a bus to the National Park, I asked at the bus terminal's information desk where I was met by a group of helpful young Koreans.&nbsp; Turns out an older guy waiting behind me was heading to the same place, and he let me jump in a cab with him to the bus stop, where we then got the 41-1 bus to park entrance.&nbsp; Some nuns on the bus were pretty surprised to see me, and one who spoke a little English told me a bit about the park.Unfortunately, my plans to get away from it all were thwarted, as it appeared everyone in the country decided to take advantage of the sunny skies and hit up Chiaksan.&nbsp; There were people everywhere, and furthermore, my old friend from the bus terminal, Choe Hong Chael, wouldn't let me go off on my own.&nbsp; As I tried to take a few photos at the parks entrance he kept insisting on taking my photo to the point where it was slightly annoying.&nbsp; We continued up the trail for a while but just as I was about to apologise and tell him I was heading off on my own we came upon <i>Guryongsa, the largest temple in the park.&nbsp; In the main temple building some monks were chanting and people were praying, and Choe Hong Chael invited me in to join him.&nbsp; I couldn't really refuse, and in fact it was a pretty unique experience.&nbsp; I'd spent a lot of time in temples in Cambodia, but this was a little different.&nbsp; It not only cleared my mind and prepared me for the hike, but also served as a taster for what the 'temple stay' program in Korea was all about, which was something Ania and I wanted to do.Choe Hong Chael stayed with me for about 20 minutes as we passed a rushing rock strewn river and a kaleidoscope of colours before reaching <i>Seryeom Pokpo, a small waterfall.&nbsp; It was here we parted ways, as in his broken English he made it clear his 60 year old body wouldn't carry him to the summit of Birobong.&nbsp; Fortunately, it seemed, this was the destination for a lot of the parks visitors, and I was afforded some more space as I continued on up the mountain.It wasn't an easy climb either, as for two hours every step I took carried me higher up.&nbsp; The colours of the dense forest were beautiful though, and it made up for the strain on my calves.&nbsp; Furthermore, there were many older Koreans powering up, and I was determined to keep up with them.&nbsp; They were certainly keen, decked out in their North Face gear with walking poles, and I certainly felt the foreigner in my cargoes and t-shirt.I reached the summit soon after 2pm where I was afforded a magnificent view over the southern part of the park.&nbsp; The autumn colours were stunning, and I could see why the mountain was once named "Red Mountain".&nbsp; I spent about half an hour here, taking a few photos and settling for lunch before making my way back down the western side of the peak to Hwanggol.The southern and western sides of the mountain were a lot drier than the northern side, making for a pleasant change.&nbsp; I got my best view of Birobong here, although the trees made it impossible to get a clear shot of the picturesque peak.&nbsp; It was a steep climb down, but after an hour or so I reached <i>Ipseoksa, a small but beautiful temple nestled at the end of a valley.&nbsp; It was about 4pm, and the setting sun really brought out the colours.&nbsp; Nearby was the standing stone of <i>Ipseokdae, where I had a break for a few minutes.&nbsp; There was a terrific view from here, and I could really feel the energy of the place.My guidebook told me there was a bus from Hwanggol back to Wonju, but this proved to be outdated information.&nbsp; As I left the park and continued down the road I soon realised there was no public transport back to Wonju, another 5km away.&nbsp; Feeling exhausted and not really sure of the right road to take I tried hitching, to no avail, before a cab bringing someone up into the park spotted me and picked me up on its way back down.&nbsp; Unfortunately my problems didn't end here, as once I was back at the bus terminal I discovered the next bus to Suwon was fully booked, and I'd have to wait another hour and ten minutes.&nbsp; I found a nearby cafe, but once I was finally on the bus I was further disappointed to find bumper to bumper traffic like that in the UK.&nbsp; It took twice as long to get back as it did to get there.Despite the lengthy trip back, it was a top day out.&nbsp; The weather was perfect and the autumn colours really spectacular.&nbsp; I hoped Ania would get better quickly so we could take advantage of the changing seasons and visit another park the following weekend.
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Seoul, Seoul, Korea Rep.

Knowing it was my last free day before I started teaching full time, Ania and I decided to get out of Suwon and do a little exploring.&nbsp; We got off to a sluggish start, but finally around midday we decided to head up to Seoul and visit <i>Inwangsan, a small hillside which was home to the city's most famous shamanist shrine.We got the metro up and jumped off at Dongnimmun, a short 10 minute walk from the entrance to the park.&nbsp; This was marked by a temple gate, and a little further up some homes and beautifully decorated temple buildings.&nbsp; It wasn't difficult to find the shamanist shrine of <i>Guksadong, although we were both a little disappointed with what we found.&nbsp; Not only was it somewhat unimpressive to look at, it didn't feel like a particularly special building.&nbsp; Perhaps this was because it was a part of Korean culture neither of us understood, and as such we decided not to linger.Further up the hill were a strange collection of rocks, eroded into some interesting forms.&nbsp; Young Korean couples were numerous here, giving an offering for their expectant children's births.&nbsp; We continued on past these rocks, beneath the trees and past some outdoor shrines, a natural spring and a buddha carving in the rock to a viewpoint at the top of the park.&nbsp; It was a spectacular view from here, down over the park out out over Seoul.&nbsp; There were just a handful of people around and the place was very peaceful, hardly what we were expecting in a city of 12 million people on a national holiday.&nbsp; It felt good here, and we settled for about an hour to enjoy the view and have some lunch.&nbsp; We climbed a little further up to another rock once we were done, and got a glimpse of 'skeleton rock', another eroded stone that looked quite strange and out of place, not to mention a touch frightening!&nbsp; From here we continued down, and jumped back on a metro.&nbsp; Ania was keen to show me a part of Seoul she'd visited with her uni friends earlier in the week, the modern shopping district of Myeongdong.&nbsp; This place was about as far removed from the peace and quiet of Inwangsan as possible, with thousands of young Koreans done with their Chuseok family gatherings keen to hit the town.&nbsp; The neon signs and boutique stores were a little reminiscent of Dotonbori in Osaka, albeit with a little less style.&nbsp; We looked hard for a place to have some dinner, and decided on a place that sold 'noodles with vegetables'.&nbsp; To my disappointment and Ania's disgust,&nbsp; the waitress brought out a huge plate of noodles, cut them up with a giant pair of scissors and mixed them up revealing the huge lump of ice below.&nbsp; Remembering the terrible iced noodles she ate at the folk village, she wasn't too keen on trying them again, but fortunately these tasted a lot better.&nbsp; However, my taste buds found it difficult to process the intense spiciness combined with the cold temperature, leaving me feeling more than a little unsatisfied.&nbsp; Korean spicy iced noodles were just one local delicacy I wasn't too keen on.We had a look in a few shops before jumping on a metro back to Suwon soon after 8pm.&nbsp; It was a good way to spend my last free day, and my mind turned towards the 7am class I had the following day.&nbsp; However, we had a top time in Seoul, realising yet again that the city had something new to offer every time we visited.
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Mukho, Gangwon, Korea Rep.

Ulleungdo was about 35km closer to Mukho than Pohang, and as a result the ferry only took two and a half hours to make the crossing, rather than three hours and fifteen minutes like on the way over.&nbsp; I sat with my new found friends Joyce and Euniss in second class, and fortunately I had no seasickness whatsoever.&nbsp; Although the seas were a little choppier, being on the lower deck was certainly better for my stomach, proving that business class isn't all it's cracked up to be.&nbsp; At least on a high speed catamaran.My plan was to get a bus back to Suwon or Seoul from Donghae, although upon arriving at the ferry terminal we were informed that the bus station was closed due to the Chuseok holiday.&nbsp; Joyce and Euniss both had to go there own way from Gangneung, about 35km to the north, so I jumped in a taxi with them in the hope I could get a bus from there.&nbsp; It took about half an hour to get there from Mukho, passing some forested hills and small villages.&nbsp; It was my first real look at the Korean countryside, and I was a little more impressed with what I saw here than on the train south to Pohang.Luck was on my side in Gangneung, and there was a direct bus leaving for Suwon just ten minutes after I arrived.&nbsp; The girls helped me get a ticket and then we went off in our own separate directions.&nbsp; It was a stroke of luck meeting up with them on the boat tour around Ulleungdo, as not only did I have some company for half of my journey home, but I would reach Suwon about five hours earlier than I planned.The ride back to Suwon across the Korean peninsula was quite smooth, sticking to the freeway and passing through tunnels and beneath some huge mountains.&nbsp; I was even more impressed with what I saw here, particularly with what I think was Odaesan National Park, and I decided I'd have to come back and visit one weekend.&nbsp; South Korea was a small country, and it was possible to get to almost anywhere within a few hours.&nbsp; Fortunately, I'd made the most of my last week off, visiting the most far flung Korean destination of all (save for Dokdo), and I felt refreshed and ready to start work.
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Ulleung-do, Korea Rep.

The first day of October greeted me with clear blue skies and sunshine, to which I immediately regretted climbing Seonginbong the previous day.&nbsp; For a while I contemplated climbing it again, but with just a day and a half left on the island I decided instead to do some exploring of other parts I hadn't seen.&nbsp; Overnight I thought about doing a boat trip around the island, and as soon as I picked up some breakfast I made my way down to the docks to enquire about it.&nbsp; Unfortunately I'd just missed the only boat trip of the day at 9am.&nbsp; So, I scheduled it for the following morning, and decided to walk the Dodong-ri seaside trail around the base of the cliffs to a lighthouse.The seaside trail was quite interesting, carved into the base of the cliffs and winding its way through caves around to the Dodong lighthouse.&nbsp; From here there was a fantastic view out over Jeodong-ri, the second largest town on the island, and out to the small island of Jukdo.&nbsp; On the other side of the headland I could see the seaside trail continued right around to Jeodong-ri, although for some reason it was barricaded and I had to take a fairly steep trail through a bamboo forest instead.&nbsp; I arrived there around lunch time, and as I was contemplating where to eat a local came up to me and said he had seen me the previous day.&nbsp; I asked him where I could get a bus to <i>Bongnae Pukpo waterfall, at which he offered to drive me up himself.&nbsp; It was only a short 2km drive up the hill behind the town, but it showed me how generous the island's inhabitants were.&nbsp; It was another short but steep hike up to the waterfall which was quite impressive, save for the digger at its base.&nbsp; It was here I worked out what I would do with the rest of my day, and as soon as I had done that I raced back down the hill to the bus stop and jumped on a bus back to Dodong-ri.After some vegetable bibimbap back at my hotel, I jumped on another bus headed back around the island to Cheonbu.&nbsp; Rather than go all the way I jumped off at <i>Taeha, as I had the inkling the views from the lighthouse would be pretty spectacular.&nbsp; A Korean girl on the bus (next to her silent western boyfriend) had a book about Ulleungdo with her, and on the cover was a photo of some spectacular sea cliffs.&nbsp; This, I felt, was what I would see at Taeha.&nbsp; It took less than half an hour to get there, after which I jumped off and made my way through the small fishing village to try and find my way up to the lighthouse.&nbsp; Along the docks was the longest squid drying operation I had seen, with possibly hundreds of thousands hanging up the entire 300m length of the dock.&nbsp; At the end of the dock I came across a monorail, but no apparent trail leading up to where I thought the lighthouse was.&nbsp; There was no one around, save for one young girl working in the huge modern building constructed for the monorail.&nbsp; It was about $4 for a ticket, so I picked one up and waited about 20 minutes for it to come down and pick me up.&nbsp; The ride up was ridiculously steep and a little unsafe, and before long I caught sight of a trail up,&nbsp; which I immediately regretted not finding earlier.&nbsp; It was a short walk from the top round to Taeha lighthouse which did provide the views I was expecting, although for some reason all of the viewpoints were barricaded like the seaside walk to Jeodong-ri.&nbsp; Nevertheless, I was able to get a few good shots, and jumped the barrier to get a closer look at the Chinese juniper forest on the headland.It was about 4pm by the time I decided to make my way back down to Taeha, where I jumped on a bus back to Dodong-ri.&nbsp; However, there was still a couple of hours of daylight left, so I jumped off at <i>Namyang and made for the Sunset Point Pavilion, another steep 15 minute walk above the town.&nbsp; There were terrific views out over the ocean here, and without a soul around I took the opportunity to relax for a while and enjoy the sunset.&nbsp; Knowing there was a 6pm bus back to Dodong-ri, I made my way back down in order to make it, but for the second time that day a local offered to drive me.&nbsp; This time it was a young man in an SUV who spoke no English.&nbsp; The most I could gather was that he lived on the island, and taught IT or something at the high school.&nbsp; He had a top notch SLR camera too, and quite proudly showed me a few of his sunset shots.&nbsp; As much as I loved travelling light, I couldn't help but wish I had a camera like that.&nbsp; I spent the evening relaxing in the lone PC Bang on the island and later in my room.My boat back to Pohang didn't leave until 3pm the following day, so I rose early and jumped on board the round the island cruise.&nbsp; After climbing the highest peak on the island and exploring a few of the headlands, I figured it would give me a different perspective before I made my way back to the Korean peninsula later in the day.&nbsp; Once the boat left the harbour we were swamped by gulls who followed us for about 20 minutes.&nbsp; They were obviously used to the Koreans throwing food to them, and it was quite an interesting sight.&nbsp; The boat trip offered a close up glimpse of some of the unique rock formations around the island, namely elephant rock and three angels rocks.&nbsp; The best part was the opportunity to chat to a few young Koreans though, who were very intrigued as to why I had come out to the island alone.&nbsp; Two young girls studying biology in Seoul, Joyce and Euniss, told me they were heading to Mukho on a 1pm ferry.&nbsp; I wasn't aware this ferry even existed, and given Mukho was much closer to Suwon than Pohang I figured I could probably make it back home a couple of hours earlier if I went with them.&nbsp; As soon as the boat made it back into Dodong, soon after 11am, I picked up a ticket and found a place to get my last meal on the island.The three days I spent on Ulleungdo didn't pass too quickly, and I left feeling I had seen as much of the island as I possibly could given the time I had there.&nbsp; My only disappointment was the cloudy weather I encountered at the summit of Seonginbong, although the views over Nari-bunji and around the coast more than made up for it.&nbsp; It was a special place, and I was really glad I made the effort to get out there and see it while I could.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/will/6/1254248751/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/will/6/1254248751/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/will/6/1254248751/tpod.html Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:16:44 -0400 What to do with a year in SOUTH KOREA

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Ulleung-do, Korea Rep.

The ferry to Ulleungdo from Pohang took just over three hours, and despite having a seat in business class I still managed to get the worst seasickness I have ever had in my life.&nbsp; There may have been more legroom, but being on the top floor of the high speed catamaran wasn't all I hoped for, as I spent the entire time clutching my stomach willing myself not to vomit.&nbsp; I was so relieved when the rugged misty island finally became visible outside the left hand window, despite the lack of sunshine.Ulleungdo is an extinct volcano, some 135km east of the Korean peninsula.&nbsp; It has a population of about 10,000 and is mainly a fishing village, and thanks to its rugged topography and isolation it is only sparsely inhabited and the few farms are very small.&nbsp; The ferry docked at the island's administrative centre and largest town, <i>Dodong-ri, which was hidden away like a pirate outpost in a valley between two forested mountains.&nbsp; I was glad to be on dry land, and it didn't take me too long to get my bearings before I found a hotel to check into.I spent my first afternoon on the island at the mineral spring park next to Dodong-ri.&nbsp; It was quite cloudy and a little dark, and given the forecast was more promising for later in the week I left my plans for hiking until then.&nbsp; Nevertheless, I was keen to get up high for some sea views, and the cable car in the park provided me with the opportunity.&nbsp; It was a steep climb up a single cable to Manghyangbong (316m) where I was awarded with stunning views of the sea and a bird's eye view of Dodong-ri below.&nbsp; There were also a handful of short walks to lookout posts through some beautiful forest.&nbsp; The place was virtually devoid of tourists, and after spending about an hour taking in the views I made my way back down.&nbsp; Next to the cable car terminal were two small museums, Ulleungdo's simple historical museum, and the Dokdo museum.&nbsp; The latter was particularly impressive, detailing the history of two small rocky islands 92km to the south east, which are claimed by both South Korea and Japan.&nbsp; They remain disputed territory because of the fishing rights, although boat tours are now available from Ulleungdo.&nbsp; These have become somewhat of a pilgrimage for Koreans, with advertisements for the 'patriotism boosting' tours all around town.&nbsp; The islands did look impressive, although the thought of a round trip of 184km on the open seas after my recent bout of seasickness didn't sound too appealing.&nbsp; Besides, I had come to visit Ulleungdo, and I wasn't as drawn to the islands as the locals were.&nbsp; I took my time looking over the exhibits before heading back outside to have a look at <i>yaksu gwangjang, the mineral water spring with supposed medical benefits.&nbsp; Some locals encouraged me to try it, and I did in the hope it would power me to the top of the islands highest peak the following day.&nbsp; After a relatively quiet evening I rose early the next morning.&nbsp; My plan was to hike to the summit of <i>Seonginbong, the highest peak on Ulleungdo at 984m.&nbsp; It was a little cloudy, but the peak was visible from Dodong-ri, so I decided to head on up.&nbsp; It was a steep two and a half hour climb through pristine virgin forest to the top, although unfortunately the clouds gathered and just before I reached the lookout point I found myself surrounded by mist.&nbsp; I spent about half an hour up here waiting for the clouds to part, which they did occasionally to reveal the valley below, but not enough to provide me with the view over the crater and out to see.&nbsp; After a bite for lunch I began to head down the other side to the crater, and at one stage the clouds cleared so much I decided to turn around and head back up.&nbsp; Unfortunately, mother nature was playing games with me, and once again I found myself staring out into the mist.&nbsp; I waited another twenty minutes or so, before continuing back down to the crater, <i>Nari-bunji.&nbsp; About a third of the way down the steps opened up onto a platform, and I was afforded the most magnificent view over the crater and the northern part of the island.&nbsp; It was truly spectacular, and my disappointment from not being able to see anything from the top was soon forgotten.&nbsp; The mountains formed a huge arc around the crater, which was the only flat part of the island, and home to the small settlement of <i>Nari-dong.&nbsp; I spent some time here taking photos, and tracing out a route to follow to the coastal town of <i>Chusan.The climb down was pretty straightforward, and after coming across a vocal feline who seemed to be lost the forest I made way for the fields of Nari-bunji.&nbsp; It was a surreal atmosphere here, and I felt like I was on the set of Jurassic Park.&nbsp; Huge forested mountains surrounded me on all sides, and I almost wished a T-Rex would come bounding out.&nbsp; There were some reconstructed traditional thatched roof houses here, and I had a quick peek inside before finding a sugar cane field and what I thought would be a trail down to Chusan.&nbsp; I was soon proven wrong, as the trail disintegrated into nothing, and I had to retrace my steps for ten minutes to get back on the main track.&nbsp; From here it was another twenty minutes to Nari-dong, where the only people I saw were some soldiers training at what appeared to be some sort of barracks, and a grumpy old lady who yelled at me when I showed an interest in purchasing one of her cold drinks.&nbsp; I decided not to linger here, and continued onto the town's only bus stop where I hoped I could get a ride to <i>Cheonbu, another town on the coast.&nbsp; It was deathly quiet, and without a soul to be seen it felt like I was in a ghost town.&nbsp; I waited for a while and just as I was about to make my way on foot down the road a van pulled up and the driver motioned me to get in.The drive from Nari-dong to Cheonbu was further than I thought, winding it's way some 2 or 3km down a road to the coast, 400m below.&nbsp; The crater of Nari-bunji was a lot higher than it seemed from the viewpoint, and I was glad I didn't try and bushbash my way to the coast from the sugar cane field where the trail disappeared.&nbsp; Cheonbu was a small fishing village, and it was here I got my first taste of what Ulleungdo is famous for - its squid.&nbsp; These were hanging out to dry like washing on the line in completely mind boggling numbers.&nbsp; I had about half an hour to wait for the bus back to Dodong-ri, so I spent the time taking some photos of the squid drying and of the dramatic <i>Songgotbong peak, reminiscent of something out of Tolkien's Middle Earth.The 24km drive around the coast back to Dodong-ri was stunning the whole way, and by the time I jumped off the bus I felt I truly was in a really special and unique place.&nbsp; It was unfortunate I wasn't able to get a view from the summit, and I spent the evening plotting my moves for the following day and half.&nbsp; I didn't rule out climbing Seonginbong again, although there were a few other sights I wanted to see first, namely Jeodong-ri and Bongnae waterfall, as well as one of the observatories along the coast.&nbsp; Nevertheless, despite the disappointing weather the first half of my three day trip was terrific, and I was looking forward to doing some more exploring.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/will/6/1254162166/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/will/6/1254162166/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/will/6/1254162166/tpod.html Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:22:21 -0400 What to do with a year in SOUTH KOREA

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Pohang, Korea Rep.

After finding out that the business classes I was going to teach had to be taught by an American I was given a different bunch of classes commencing on October the 5th.&nbsp; That gave me another week without work, and I was determined to make the most of it.&nbsp; Rather than laze around Suwon and Seoul, I decided to get out and see a bit of the country, and then go even further afield to the remote and rugged island of Ulleungdo, 135km offshore.I could get a ferry to Ulleungdo from either one of two ports, and opted for the one slightly further afield as was easier to reach from Suwon.&nbsp; Pohang was approximately four hours away by a direct train, and I could leave late on the Sunday afternoon before boarding the 10am ferry the following morning.&nbsp; Unfortunately when I arrived at the train station I discovered the train was fully booked, forcing me to postpone my trip by a day.&nbsp; It didn't really bother me too much, as I was feeling quite lethargic and it was raining quite heavily.The view south of Suwon was pretty much identical as that to the north, with hundreds of tower blocks along with a few rice fields and wooded hills.&nbsp; Just as the urban sprawl began to thin out it became dark, so from Daejeon south I couldn't see anything.I arrived in Pohang around 11pm, and was met by a taxi driver asking me where I was headed.&nbsp; I mentioned the name of the hotel I'd booked, the "Manstar Motel", at which he struck up a conversation with a couple of other nearby cabbies.&nbsp; They were talking for a while, and I picked up the word "Manstar" a couple of times, but after a while it seemed like they'd forgotten I was even there.&nbsp; I waited about a minute, and then found the original cabbie who got my attention.&nbsp; On asking in English which taxi I should get he pointed to one some 50 metres away with another driver.&nbsp; Certainly a very different situation than was common in South East Asia, with moto drivers willing to take you somewhere before thinking about where it was.&nbsp; It was fortunate I had my guidebook with me, as the taxi took me to the "Manhattan Motel" rather than the Manstar.&nbsp; I contemplated just jumping out there, but upon remembering I'd booked the Manstar on account of it being in such close proximity to the ferry terminal I showed him the map and we soon found our way there.&nbsp; It wasn't bad for the price either, with a pc with internet in the room along with a bunch of free drinks.&nbsp; I thought this was a fantastic way to make use of aging computers world wide.I rose early the next morning and picked up a little breakfast before going for a short walk along Bukbu beach.&nbsp; It was virtually deserted, although somewhat attractive given the huge steel works not so far away.&nbsp; Soon after I made my way onto the ferry terminal where I picked up my reserved ticket and had my passport checked as I chatted with one of the custom guards before boarding the boat.&nbsp; I was pretty excited too, as from what little I'd read about Ulleungdo in my guidebook and online it looked absolutely amazing.&nbsp; I'd soon know.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/will/6/1253730057/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/will/6/1253730057/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/will/6/1253730057/tpod.html Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:07:55 -0400 What to do with a year in SOUTH KOREA

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Bukhansan National Park, Seoul, Korea Rep.

Although I'd been in Korea for almost a month, I hadn't had a chance to get out of the urban sprawl, and the pollution and smog was starting to get to me.&nbsp; So, still without work, I decided to head to the nearest national park, Bukhansan.&nbsp; And when I say near near, I mean near, given it was possible to reach it on Seoul's subway.&nbsp; This proximity to the second largest metropolitan area on the planet meant that it was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most visited national park on the planet, with approximately 5 million visitors a year.&nbsp; I figured I wouldn't be alone.I officially started work on the 21st, although due to some issues at school I still didn't have any classes to teach.&nbsp; I was originally scheduled to teach business classes, although when the students discovered I was Australian they told the school they didn't want me to teach them, and wanted an American instead.&nbsp; This was the first time I'd encountered any issues with my accent, but it seems to be the norm here, at least in business culture.&nbsp; The Koreans, whilst friendly and curious enough, have the notion that in a business context an American accent is essential, and any lessons from a non-American may lead them to adopt an 'inferior' accent.&nbsp; It is totally unjustified, for a number of reasons I won't list here, but rather than get upset and take it personally I brushed it aside and decided to make the most of my extra time off.&nbsp; And after all, I was still getting paid!I made my way up to Seoul and out to the Gupabal metro station before jumping on bus 704 for 10 minutes to get to the start of my walk.&nbsp; My aim for the glorious sunny day was to reach the summit of Baegundae, the parks highest peak at 836m.&nbsp; I got a little help at the beginning, with a local catching me looking at a map, and telling me to change my planned route and instead take a more roundabout route to the top.&nbsp; All in Korean of course!&nbsp; If there's anything I've learned from my travels, it's to listen to the locals, so I took his advice and made for a longer but more gradual ascent.&nbsp; It was good advice too, as I passed through a maple leaf forest, by an ancient fortress gate, rushing streams and beautiful remote temples.&nbsp; There were plenty of people about, despite it being a working day, although the majority of them were twice my age.After climbing about 700m the hike became a lot more strenuous, and I found myself using metal cables to haul myself to the peak.&nbsp; The view from here was stunning, although marred my the smog below in Seoul.&nbsp; Despite that, it felt like I was twice as high as I actually was, most likely as I'd climbed from just a little above sea level, and as the peak was so distinct.&nbsp; Nearby Insubong (810m) was particularly impressive, with rockclimbers scaling and repelling the steep cliff face.&nbsp; It was a great place to sit for a while to have lunch and enjoy the view.Soon after I began the hike back down I was yet again apprehended by a local as I read my map, this time by a younger lady who spoke English.&nbsp; She recommended I take a different route out of the park, climbing down the other side of the mountain, and getting a bus to another metro line to make my way back.&nbsp; It was more good advice, as it was a very simple descent, and I met a few more locals who were keen to practice their English and find out where I was from.It was a good day in the mountains, despite the proximity to Seoul, and it satisfied my thirst for a bit of fresh air.&nbsp; The only downside were my shoes.&nbsp; I went for sneakers given I hadn't had a chance to buy new hiking boots, and the steep climb reinforced in my mind why boots are so essential, as my ankles were killing me.&nbsp; I decided to get a pair that weekend, because if I had another week without work I was going to do a little more exploring, although further afield.&nbsp; Having students decide they didn't want me without even giving me a chance hadn't worked out so badly after all.
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