Happy Camping

(25th - 27th November)

Today was the day to go to Happy Camp! I was feeling better again - as some remember I been last week to Haeinsa temple (My friend actually has some good picture from it if you like to see it). 

I received various text message during the day to make sure to wear warm clothes - and I replied back if there would be a lake for swimming. 

We had met up with Keimyung University in the South East of Daegu before going on the charted buses to the south. I do not know until today where I was and therefore you can not find a pin point on the map. (Also in reminder please select second page - you must now scroll down or download the KML file if you have Google Earth).

When we arrived after around one hour journey we had some small food and introduce ourselves. As it was already 10pm we gone all to bed and would meet tomorrow each other again.

It was a very cold night indeed in the mountains and when we woken up and had a walk after breakfast we could see that the small pond actually had some ice. It was a bit cold to walk outside, so good that it token place indoor the event where we had various activities going on. In the afternoon after lunch we actually have gone outside and as the hall has no window I was very surprise to see that it was warm. We did not needed our jacket anymore. The temperature feeling was like late spring. 

In the outdoor we had played some funny games, such as running like Spider Man or X-Man, throwing chopsticks to one end and the other.

After playing the games - most people gone back to the houses to take a rest. My friend and me decided to go for a walk around this small village to experience the real Korean culture. 

Along later this evening we had an International night as most from us come from different country we would perform a show or a dance from our country. As I had been the only international of KNU to the event we perform a Korean dance style.

It was a very good ending of the Saturday where we also had the activity to paint a t-shirt for ourselves on what we have learnt in the camp.

In the next day we had been wrapping up on what we had learned through out this weekend and for lunch we had BBQ. Yes BBQ end of November. It was an amazing cultural experience, as I had BBQ in Taiwan before. I been aware that Asians are health concious but combine health concious with Korean culture it is not a good combination. I never seen in my life before so many times a BBQ going on fire. I told them not do it fast - enjoy it take it easy it will get warm soon.

After all it was a very good weekend. 

Getting lost in Daegu

Yesterday I had a long day - if you read the previous article. As we waited very long until the doors had been open plus we watched the entire program until 10pm and as thousands of people come we reached home finally at midnight.

I woken up for around lunch time - and did not fancy to study or read the books. As I already did it last week long and I just will do it on Monday and rather go outside and go somewhere around Daegu.

I remembered that there was a small lake near Apsan Park - so I decided to go to the lake. The lake was really not that big and managed to walk around in just less then 15 minutes. I did not want to finish off here, I decided to go to the bus station and take the first bus which will come. Just try to find something maybe something interesting while being on a bus or explore a totally new area with the aim as well maybe to get lost. As I did not had any map on me - only my bus card. 

The lonely bus station

I ended up in Beommul-dong and there was not much of an interest at the final stop and no more bus connection from this area. Ok - only one but one stop to expensive to take a bus for one stop. Therefore I decided to walk straight ahead and ended up on the toll gate for the motorway and a small bus station. Finally I found out how people can actually end up on this bus station. As I always asked myself - there is no one living who will use this bus stops here. I will use them. I actually did not regonize this bus station until the bus come and we only driven for 500 meters then I saw where I had been. I am at the stadium back again. 

I did not get off at the stadium I went again to the final destination and finally after the third visit or fourth visit if it counts of today. I visited the village which is behind the stadium where we always could see the high buildings.

View Larger Map

I found out that I had been in this area - actually when I gone back home and looked on the map where all I had been. At least I seen a few new spot areas in Daegu.

I walked the way back to the stadium - as I managed somehow to find the main route by walking along the side roads. There I just token the bus which gone into city centre and to return back to the dorm.

Gyeongju

Today was rice cake and liquor festivals in Gyeongju. I went with my two Korean friends to the city of the old capital of old Korea.

When we had arrived we joined up the queue to try various alcoholic beverages from tomato wine to Soju. It was an interesting experience to try different kinds of alcohol for just only 1.000 Won (>£1). Some alcohol had been very strong other once soft and easy.

As you can see from my writing I am not an expert in alcohols therefore lets skip it before I embarrassed myself more.

We had continue along the event and come by to the rice cake - on where had on hand activities to make yourself rice cake and a few vendor had allowed to try some rice cake. The other once needed to be purchased to try them - not free as alcohol.

We had reached now the mid day and wanted to go the lake. As we are not familiar with the bus lines in the area and we are three people. We decided to take the taxi to the lake. When we reached the lake we had first some traditional food in one of the nearby resorts.

After the meal we had borrowed each a bike to cycle around the lake - as we did not had much time anymore to walk.  We had set of our journey and come across a stand on where we could do a mission. We found out that at this side of the lake had been eight mission to be done to have a chance of winning an iPad 2. So we just did the one mission and received a stamp and tried to look out for the second mission. The first mission was just to take a picture, the second mission was a bit harder - but not hard. It was to memorize a text on a memorial wall and speak it out in front of the staff. We memorized the text and gone back to the staff - they just given us the stamps with out proofing to them we memorize it.

The third station had been easy - just find them. The time was now also running short and we just visited the fourth station on where again a picture needed to be taken - but she wanted to go home therefore it was not required. It was also not a good spot on taking a picture. The lake side was much nicer - maybe there is just something in the house that they like to advertise.

We token a small ride further along the lake but could not complete the full circle due to the mission we had done. Therefore we needed to return to the main station to give back the bicycle. We had also now the opportunity to win the iPad 2 but we let the chance to someone else. We had been on our way back home to Daegu.

It was a nice weekend, with Andong Mask Festival and more culture today of alcoholic beverage and nature aspect to go around the bikes.