Kangwondo part 2

We took a short hike on this walking trail that led to a popular camping site. See the sign in the forefront? People like to put up large photos when they've been featured on tv shows, as a way to promote their business. Customers are such suckers. Like me! Oh, and look at the built-in wooden platforms for the tents!

On the walking trail, I encountered some awesome signs:

Allow me to translate for you. "Firsth, Thirdth, and go left if you want to receive your pension."

"Tooth climbing"

Misread this as Herb Nard. But it’s actually Herb Nara(land/country). I like Herb Nard better.

Herbnara is an interesting place, full of ... well, herbs. Herbs, trees, flowers galore. It smells great and it's just really well done. What I liked most is that there were small kids exploring, smelling, touching, and couples/families just getting away from it all, having quality time, taking photos (so many people here have high end dslr's!) By the way, how do Korean adults know every species of flower, tree, and root??

I will miss Kangwondo. I will miss the country and the simpler living:

Catching dragonflies

Catching corn

And chestnuts roasting on an open cauldron with fiery hot black swirling rocks. Nat King Cole had it all wrong.

Kangwondo part 1

My aunt has a timeshare condo in a province about 50 miles east of Seoul. The area is beautiful! It’s full of farmlands, rice fields, trees, valleys, mountains. The air was always scented with pine or good ole earth, while the roads were often lined with cosmos flowers, both landscaped and wild. 

Kangwondo is a major shift from the bustle and compactness of Seoul. It’s easier to just “be” than “do” out in the country ^^

The condo is part of a ski lodge/golf resort (see the ski lift on the course?), but we just went out there to relax and to grub. 

No it's not me. I'm a photographer, not a playa.

Speaking of grub, I ate what was easily the best beef of my life. It’s domestic Korean beef, raised locally and organically. You select the cut yourself, and grill it without marinade. You then wrap it in lettuce, daikon, roasted garlic clove, salt and sesame seed and shove it in your mouth. I nearly wept. Even the best ribeye steak could not compare with this experience. Sorry K-Town Pride, the motherland wins.

Wouldn't be Korean bbq without the scissors and the vacu-suck vent (it's been upgraded here by the way, it's now moveable!)

Oh, and this is my favorite visor sighting, bar nun:

Busan, part 2

Busan has a large memorial cemetery for all international UN troops who died fighting in the Korean War. One of the honored was 17 years old… I felt so grateful and so small.

Went up to a tower observatory, and lo and behold, more lovers locks!  They’re starting to get creative.

At the bottom of the observatory, I saw these goodfellas and goodfeathers. The poor guy on the left, I wonder if he either got punished by the gang, or wants to squeeze himself in...

Hae-woondo, a city adjacent to Busan, recently built these 80 story apartment buildings. Holy moly. I've heard of 80 story office buildings, but apartment?

A few more Busan sights:

Dudes fishing at port, and of course, squatting

D-5. Hit. You sunk my battleship…

At the beach in Haewoondo

Bye bye Busan :(

Busan, part 1

High speed KTX train to Busan! From one end of the country to the other in 2.5 hours! It's a smooth ride, convenient, inexpensive, and some great scenery along the way. I highly recommend it!

Busan is really neat. At 4 million people, it’s the 2^nd largest city in S.Korea, but it doesn’t seem big or crowded. Maybe because I’m comparing it to Seoul (population 10 million). The look and feel of Busan is urban yet cozy. It’s hilly like San Francisco, and has a mild climate. 

Busan, being a port city, is famous for its seafood, and so … Seafood hotpot. Prawns, squid, crayfish, giant clams, crab, vegetables, and this bizarre chewy thing in a spiral shell. Omg.

Busan has this gigantic outdoor fish market that seems to go on and on. It was really impressive.

They even sold whale meat:

But what was even more impressive than the fish market was the awesome variety of visors the female workers wore. As the fish market had no end in sight, the visor variety was even more mind-boggling.

I don't know how Visor Nation began, but I do know how it advances. They indoctrinate their minions early:

A few more Busan notes to come ^^

Haneul Park

This is Haneul Park, near the World Cup Stadium. It’s an architectural and ecological wonder, as this huge hill/mountain is made from garbage! Instead of burning garbage, or dumping it into the ocean, they created layers of garbage and soil, and made a beautiful hilly park, perfect for walking or bicycling. 

The garbage emits methane and other gases, which is collected by sophisticated machinery, and reused for energy. Engineers from many countries have visited this park to admire and learn. At the top, all you can see is the sky above. It’s only at the edges of the top where you can see awesome views of the city.

A pathway made of rocks to walk barefoot on. I tried it and couldn’t last 5 meters. So painful! It’s supposed to help blood circulation. I think it helps jack.

Interesting looking veggies growing at the park. 

What is this?? 

 Chicken pot pie?

I love meandering, esp. when cool things pop up unexpectedly. Like this fantastic off-path area called Bookchon, near Gwanghwamun, lined with little shops and eateries. 

Stay tuned for posts about Busan, Kangwondo, and my hair salon experience ^^