From South to North

(12th November until 14th November)

I had arrived in Pohang early this morning by leaving Daegu early in the morning. It is one of my three destination for the weekend; Pohang, Uljin and Geojin. After we have arrived we decided to go to see the famous hand stature at Homigot. I did not plan on how to reach it as I had pressumed the tourism office would be open. Luckly a lady help us to get us onto the right or wrong bus. When we arrived we ended up in a fishing village and asked some people for the hand stature. The lady who we asked also wanted to go and see it but did not knew where it was in this area. So we had taken a walk around the coast line and could not find it - we then got out the navigation system and seen why we can not find it. We are in the wrong place. We either could wait for an hour for the next bus or take a taxi. As it had been three of us we had taken the taxi to Homigot and finaly reached our point.

We did not spend as much time as thought as we will and token a bus to the fishing village and return to the bus station. By now the tourism office was open where I could ask the way to the temple. We had gone for lunch with our new friend also from Daegu for some strange reason before head down to the temple.

The way to the temple was quiet long but we had a joyful conversation with American English teachers who gone on the hike there. So at least the journey did not feel to long. We had around 3 hours time at the side, so first we gone to see the temple and then made our way to the mountains with anticapation to find the waterfalls. Indeed we found them but time was running low so we only seen 1 out 12 waterfalls in this mountain. I guess to see all of them you must spend a minimum whole half day. 

In the evening I said good bye to my friend and I continued my way further to the North Uljin. I had arrived earlier then expected and meet my new friend at the station where I stayed for the night. We had a good conversation before we gone to bed.

In the next day I woken up early to take the 6:30am Bus to the temple. I believed it would more then just a temple. Actually I only spend around 1 1/2 hours there. I was one of the three first visitors. I joined up with two middle age man from Seoul to the temple. It was a nice scenario for taking pictures and the lake has kind of shape of the Budha. The mens given me a lift back into Uljin, or I would have waited ages for the bus. There are not many busses into Uljin or around Uljin. It is a very small town.

When I arrived back I purchased my tickets to Sokcho as there is actually no direct ticket into Geojin. Find out further along how it went along.

I then started to take a walk through Uljin from around nine clock until twelve clock to meet up with my friend again. I went to one of the hikes she recommended me, it was very lovely and a nice view onto the town and country side.

In the lunch time we gone outside Uljin to a port village near by. There we gone to see a white light house and the shore where a popular Korean TV show had been broadcasted. The shore looked very nice highly recommend to visit if you are in Uljin.

We then had gone to two local temples and in the last one the monk has invited us for some tea. It was really nice to experience Korean Tea culture - as it was my first time here. Especially by a monk and inside a temple.  Unfortunally my time was running out as I had to catch the 445pm service to Sokcho and try to find a bus into Geojin. As from Uljin a direct bus is only at 12pm - which was to early for myself.

I had arrived good in time to Sokcho where I manage to get a connection - with a local bus to Geojin. It was pretty simple to arrive as long you follow my friend instruction. I may also could have done it without a GPS map system.

Him self he just arrived from Seoul and so we had some Irish sandwhich and went over to his neighbour for some chatting which ended up in watching a movie on the TV. It went already to midnight and she haid a friend over from France so I think its better to go to sleep.

In the next day, Monday, I woken up and had breakfast with my friend and he gone to school for work. Where myself make myself ready to first look around Geojin on the bike and then take a local bus to North Korea. Those of you who are loyal readers will already see where the mistake is. Yes you right - I was already on the way to N Korea border. So I decided to contiune as it is not far anway. It has taken me around one hour on the bike incl pictures taking off the shore. When I arrived I try to purchases a ticket to goinside the DMZ but you need a car, which I did not had. Luckly there was 3 eldery people and I asked them if I could join them as a taxi would be pretty expensive around 40 Dollars and just for one hour visit. As my friend told me more then one hour I really do not need.

They had been friendly and token me on board. We spend two hours inside to look on how well our solider are working and I had mange to get a glance on a North Korean citizen. The mountains and shore looks very good - I wish one day the border will re-open to have a more closer look and may take the bike the full lenght from Geojin.

I cycle back to Geojin and stop at the first president hous - not much to report as I can not understand Korean. The only thing he had a simple house.

After I had arrived back to my friend house - I decided to walk around as his bike is not light and pretty hard to cycle up mountains and not flexible for inside town usage. Incase need to climb stairs. I went out the house and seen that a bus from the local station just left to Daegu, so I went to the station to purchase a ticket to Daegu. This ment I could join him for a dog meal with his friend. Then I had a look on the beach which was empty despite the good the weather we have in November. I had a look around the fish market and went for some local food. I then looked on my map and make my way to a temple. It was pretty hard to find, but I did not given up and found the temple. I had a small look around, is something special for myself to go not to famous places as non famous places less people equal more locals.

I return back to his house as we would set off for dinner for some dog soup - but unfortunally something gone wrong with the order. So no dog today. Instant something else special from the local corner restaurant which does not look like restaurant. We all had baby chicken (medium size) filled with rice in a potattoe soup. It was very delicious and filling.

The time has flies of my long weekend already 9pm so I catched the bus from the station back to Daegu. It was a great experience along the Asia Highway 6 or Korean Road Nr. 7. Korean people are very friendly and would take you with them in the car as I had two occasion or come and join you to tourist attraction as it happen in Pohang. Thanks also to my two friends where I could stay for a night each to save some cost of taxi and motels or jimilbangs. So I had also the chance learn more of your towns rathe just having a tunnle view.

Chicken Time

Its Thursday - the time of day where I take five classes.

After the Korean class today usually my friend and myself go for Hansot but today we went to a chicken restaurant near the North Gate with our Korean class friends.

We had some good conversation about Netherland, China, Malaysia, Germany and a bit of the UK.

It is good to relax with the class team and have some fun, as most of the time we usually do not meet up all together just see each other in the canteen, the stairs or in the class.

Team work

Today I had two team works. I have joint the Korean challenge project. Therefore I meet with my friend and his friends after class to discuss on where we shall travel. We needed to finish the proposal by Friday afternoon time.

We come up with many ideas in a brainstorm and shall think more deeper by tomorrow on how we shall solve it to try to visit some unique places here in S Korea. It is very hard something to find which is unique excluding it is in the north east of Korea or south west of Korea. This is my opinion that this areas would be very unique.

The next group meeting was with my course work. We had finish our assignment and just did a few adjustment and check the grammar of the report. We just stayed together for about two hours to complete the assignment to put all three component into one.

After my last meeting I have joined up with my friends at North Gate to relax and going for some chicken. We have invited also some of our friends that we would be a big group. I have invited the prospective students of Northumbria and did not knew that actually we are already in the same class.

Yes, in Korea or in the English spoken class people usually do not really chat after or before class. That why it can be sometimes hard to meet up with new people. Excluding you start the innovative to talk to them.

We had a great night  and learn more about each other, especially our new friends who we might already seen in the class room..

Chuesok Holiday

(9th September until 13th September) 

  

As you may read the last article it stated I am in the airport. Here it continues.

My girlfriend had arrived and we meet up with our friend from Korea who we meet in Newcastle. He lives himself in Seoul and he has shown us around his city. We had been to a small market street near to our hostel and continue along to the National Museum where we met up with his girlfriend.  While we visited the Museum, most of us felt very sleepy as we all did not sleep well or had jet leg off the long travel.  We decided therefore to head back for a little sleep all of us and meet up again at night time for Nansam Tower in Seoul.  It was a great view during the night onto Seoul.

In the second day we had gone to the bus station to purchase tickets to Andong, it is better to do in advance due to the holiday. Everyone is travelling back home to their parents or a meeting point with all the family.  After purchasing the tickets from the East Bus Station (DongSeoul), we had taken a look on the map where we could go. I saw that just few stations away the Olympic Stadium of 1988 was nearby. Therefore we visited the Olympic Park of Seoul Games 1988.

We then taken the Subway back into town of Seoul, on the way back we come across a stop which called “Market” and decided to have a look. We found out it is a whole sale market and was very interesting to see on how they sell it. It is sometimes very hard to purchases something as they try to sell you either the full box or a bowl of 5 fruits. We only just want to try the pears, peaches and apple, therefore are not willing to purchase the bowl.  We manage to find some stores on where we could just buy one apple, and at some other stall one peach and one pear.  We had a look around the market and continued back on the journey to city centre on where we try to find the market at Nansam and maybe to have also some dinner.  As it is the last night of Seoul, I also liked to see the river as I only seen from the car while stuck in traffic.

We manage to get a subway to the river where we stayed for an hour before traveling back to the hostel and take a good rest for the journey southward to Andong.

It is Sunday now and tomorrow is the day of Chuesok. It is a Korean thanksgiving day, where family member get together and worship their ancestors.  We had made the way the to the bus station and had around a fours journey to Andong. The bus was full and I did not been aware we will drive direct to Andong – so great service. I was as well surprised that 50km before the destination we take a 15mins break.  As 50kms is not anymore a long journey.

We arrived late afternoon in Andong and still manage to visit Tourist Information centre before closure, so they could tell us on how to get to the famous village in Andong. The most important aspect on where is the best place to stay overnight. They had given as a few suggestions and then we made on the way to ask for the best price.

We token a walk in Andong and seen a nice park which looks many hundred years old, but was just recently build for its local citizen to relax and for us tourist after the long journey from Seoul. It was a good place to relax.

The next day has broken in and we been had been given the information on bus services to Hahoe Village which is not very frequent. Therefore we decided to take an early bus, maybe a bit too early.  It was good as no tourist expect us had been on the side of arrival, and you got the best spot on taking pictures of the village. No one will appear in the peaceful village.  As today is also Chuesok holiday I will not expect many visitors coming, but later in the day more people joined from Korea. Maybe some of their family member used to live in the village. As they worship their ancestor as mention above.

As we only would spend one day in Andong we decided for lunch time to head backwards and see if we could visit the bridge, but before that look on how to return back to Daegu and stop by Tourist Centre. They advise us that the train and bus service would be very busy and indeed the train service was fully booked, so the plan change and we gone to bus station to luckily manage to purchases tickets back to Daegu or may would stuck in Andong.

After purchasing the tickets we went to the longest pedestrian bridge in S Korea. It was something special, as usually a bridge is just for walking over, but on this one you could take a rest in the shadow as you do on the river bank in Korea.

In our tour guide it had been mention that the chicken dish is original from Andong, so we shall try it here. We went to the market on where many vendors been and just decided for one and ordered the dish, being unaware it is for sharing.  As my girlfriend is vegetarian I had the whole plate for myself – I am sure you can imagine on how I felt after finishing the dish.

This was the end of the Chuesok, thanks for taking the time to read the blog. As this was a long blog entry so far.

Relax at the fountain

Today I visited the Immigration Office with KNU to apply for my Alien Register Card and Student Visa D-2.  It was a fairly easy process, KNU thought we would spend 2-3 hours but we already been on the way back home after 1 ½ hour.

For the rest of the day I had no plans so just wondered around and saw a society for photography and I asked them if I could join them.  Therefore I have joined them and they told me they will get in touch with me in October time for orientation (welcome) session of the society.

In the evening I had met up with my friends at the fountain of the university to socialize with a few chicken and snack. Chicken is very common to eat as students here in Daegu. The plan was to play a few card games, but we did not come to it. We had so much to talk and shown pictures of our home countries or home university cities where we study. 

Chill out

It was a much an easier day today. I had met my local “buddy” who takes care of us here while we are in Daegu. We had sorted out my Student ID card and register my phone so that I can call and text people. I have immediately called all I knew in South Korea and manage to get an appointment with my friend who I had buddied in England while he been in Northumbria University. He studies at another university here in Daegu, so it token him 1 ½ hour by bus to reach my university ground. We had gone for some tradition Daegu food, which consist of chicken.

The time before he come, I had planned the day for tomorrow. As tomorrow at 9am (Korean time) the Marathon run will open up the IAAF 2011 Games in Daegu. The Daegu 2011 Social Team is very active and was able to answer my questions in a few minutes. So I hope to get a good view tomorrow morning on the female athletic for three times when they pass by the crowd.

I also good quiet addicted to the group Big Bang the song “Tonight”. I already had been listening on a loop while sleeping on the flight to Korea. Maybe you like the song as well, that’s why I like to share it with you today.