On to Bangkok

I am about to get on a plane to Bangkok in a few hours, and it is an odd feeling. I just changed my money from won to baht, and am still working on the exchange rate. Thailand is supposed to be very cheap, which is good, but more dangerous due to thieves, pickpockets and razor artists, which is bad. Not so bad, because i have the gear I need to take care of myself, but still, I will have to be wary now in a way that I have not had to be yet.

Last night Yong took me to his college and showed me around. We walked up to the top of the hill his school is on and got an incredible site of Seoul. True panorama is below, but this is just a single semi-HDR image i took. Seoul HDR We made our way back to his uncle’s house and called it a night. I had a great time in South Korea, and the interviews came off looking promising, so there is a very good chance I will return.

I made so many friends in the short two weeks I have been traveling, and it amazes me how easy it was to meet someone, then spend days traveling with them. From the start, Nathan and Rachel, thanks so much for making your place open to me on the first day of my arrival. Without your couch, I would have succumbed to jet lag, and your introduction to English teachers was endlessly helpful, as was the night out. In Sokcho, Claude, you were a great roommate and I enjoyed hiking with you in the mountains. Maybe I will come to Belgium one day. In Geyeong-ju, Lynda, and Mr. Quick Lizard, y’all were great fun to hang out with and go hiking with. Even if one hike was unplanned, and the other was foggy, I had a great time getting to know you both. In Seoul, Johnathan and Andras, good times for the two days at the Backpackers Hostel, and the War museum, and Yong, thanks so much for working it out so I could stay at your uncle’s place and taking me around Seoul in a way only someone who lives there can know. I left my towel there, hanging in the closet of the room we were in, but it is ok. I can find another one to use.

I am sure I missed a lot of people, and I apologize. I am on to new places, and new faces. If you read this and I met you while traveling, please comment and let me know what you are up to. I would love to hear from you.

-Ben

Seoul Panorama

Fire Octopus from hell (and couchsurfing with Yong)

Checked out of the hostel today after I packed my stuff up and gave out my information to the people I had met there. I had mixed feelings about leaving because I was having a great time, and had made some friends. I did not need to worry. On the way to meet up with Yong, I stumbled across Smoothie kingmy greatest weakness and instantly succumbed. Smoothie King! In Korea! I met met up with Yong to Couch Surf in Seoul, and he took me out with his friends. He is an incredibly nice guy, and while it was a little awkward at first, we sat in a park and just talked for a while. Then we dropped my bag off in left luggage, and went to meet up with his friends. We went and ate what they said was the hottest octopus (but not actually octopus – the cousin of octopus… whatever. It was freaking octopus) IMAGE_245 in Korea. I really almost died. So did Yong. It was suckers and tentacles in Dave’s Insanity Sauce. I was sweating, my eyes were dripping, my nose was running, my heart was racing and I got dizzy. But I had to show them I could stand it, so I kept eating. My only saving grace was that Yong was reacting the same way. His friend has taste buds of steel and he was grinning watching us eat. Then we went to a international film festival, but it was too cold so we headed back to his aunt and uncle’s place where we are staying.

In Korea you live with your family until you are married, since Yong is not married, he lives with is family. At his house, there is not so much room, but his cousin is studying in Alabama, so we are staying in her room. I am amazed at the hospitality that I have been shown here, and I am greatfull.

UPDATE: Just got some emails, and tomorrow I have an interview at 1:00 pm, and I have been told to call a woman for another interview either tomorrow as well, or Wednesday before I leave. Hopefully they both go well and I end up with a job teaching English! As much as I don’t want a job, it will be kind of nice to have a little bit of a plan. The Winter camp (end of Dec to mid Jan) will be a good intro to teaching English, and It will allow me to live free for a month as food and living are provided, and pay me almost $3000 to travel with some more. I can make that last 4-5 months in Southeast Asia.

More later,

-Ben

fountain

Seoul Backpackers Hostel

Coolest place yet. I got here last night, and found it to be a well run, cozy place with plenty (like 15) other travelers who are all up for a good time. Last night I was invited to go to a trance/house techno party but declined as it was $50 and I was already tired from the night before. Today I am going with two of the guys I met here to the war memorial museum, and wandering through Insadong, a street I saw briefly before, but will actually explore this time.
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So we went to the war memorial, but got distracted on the the way by a street festival. drum dancer By the time we got to the actual memorial, it was overcast. We spend an hour looking at all fo the vehicals outside before paying w3000 to go in. We were treated to an incredible chronicling of the history of Korea, and the events leading up to, and after the Korean war. Through, diorama, film, animatronics and the like, they did a great job and everything was presented in Korean, Chinese, English and Japanese. We spent several hours exploring all three levels of the exhibit before making our way back outside to get dinner. Little did we know it had started raining, and we didn’t have rain gear. We ran to the subway station, then from our stop we walked in the rain till we found a little place that looked good, and we stopped for dinner. We had what can only be described as a fried egg omelet with seafood and vegetables that you dip in soy sauce. It was good, but not so filling. As we left, we sprinted the rest of the way back to the hostel and showed up dripping wet. They tossed us a towel before we came in. I had done laundry today, and it had gotten wet because i had hung it outside to dry, but they had moved it in for me before it got soaked. Not sure what the night holds in store, but if it keeps raining, we may just get some drinks here and hang out at the hostel.

Andre and the canadian
Johnathan and Andras in a chopper at the War memorial

face fountain

Fountain at the war memorial

kids on jet
Kids on a fighter jet
Festival animal
Street Festival performance

Last New City in South Korea

 Last new city of South Korea. I’m in Busan, at Kevin’s apartment, about to go walk around and see the city. From the train ride in, I could see that this place is massive. It just sprawls on and on and on. I realized on the way here that there are no sights I really want to see here. It actually would have been cheaper to stay where I was, as a bus ride from Gyeong-ju to Seoul is w16000 but from here it is 30000. Oh well. I get a free night stay, a good shower, and the opportunity to meet some more people, which is what this trip is really all about anyway. Kevin had to leave to go teach class about two minutes after I arrived, so I haven’t gotten to know him that well, but he is from New Hampshire, and seems like a Big dinnerguy who has his sh*t together. His friend from home, Leah, (I think) is having a house warming party tonight for her new apartment, and he invited me to tag along, which I will of course do.

Last night was a very different night than I have had before. Lynda – the dutch girl, the british guy and I went out to eat dinner at a traditional Korean restaurant in the historic district. Again, so much food! It was one price per person, and we ordered some drinks, and just sat talking and eating for a few hours. I was interested in finding out more about how the rest of the world views America and Americans, and I was not surprised by their views, but was still disappointed.

I went hiking this morning with Lynda and talked more about the way Holland works and her life in general. She has been to a lot of places, and the more I find out about places to go and see the more I think that I may just travel forever. There is so much to this world that you can never experience if you just stay in your own country. My plans now include a trip to China before I head back. Lynda is doing an overland journey, which means no flight. She can travel by bus, train, boat, camel, whatever, but not by plane. She is just trying to see how far she can go without flying. This idea appeals to me because on some level, flying seems like an artificial way to travel. With flight, it is all about the destination, and not at all about the journey.  How many people who sat next to you on a plane are you still in contact with?

Could I do anything I wanted, I would go overland to Europe through the lower countries, and then back overland through Russia and the northern territories, cross the Bering strait on a boat, then work my way down from Alaska to Canada to the US again, then down through California (sigh…again) and into Mexico and on to central and South America on the western coast, then hit Chili and the Patagonia mountains before heading back up the east coast into Argentina and Brazil and back up through Mexico into the US and back to Atlanta.  Perhaps my next trip will be this route, in reverse, starting in Atlanta, going down to South America then across in that direction.

crazy trees 
Bent Pines on today’s hike. With the mist they were surreal.

buddhist carvings 
Buddhist Carvings in the rocks

Spider 

Quick Update

I have just arrived in Busan, or Pusan, depending on how you transliterate the hangul. I will be couchsurfing with a guy names Kevin tonight, I just have to find his place. I have his phone number, but have never used a phone here. It can’t be that different right?

Fishy Market

When you are traveling, making plans is something that you do in order to act like you know what is going to happen. It never does. But this is often not a bad thing. Today I was going to go ride bikes with the Dutch girl, but she was to hungover, and she was going to switch hostels to one that was less run down. Same price, but nicer accommodations. This sounded like a good idea, but I didn? care to pack up my stuff and move it across town and decided to just stay where I was. This morning a British guy checked in who had just gotten off a ferry over from the holiday island, which is like our Hawaii. It is volcanic and all the Koreans go there. His ferry was an 11 hour overnight ride, so he was rested and he got on the bus with me to go see the temple and grotto. They were nice, but as I have said, the wonder of the large temples has left me to join someone else who is just getting here. There were signs everywhere saying”Taking Photo Prohibition.” Naturally I was unable to understand what this meant, and went ahead and took sneaky photos. Most of what I post was taken from waste level while looking like I was doing anything but taking pictures.
On this tour ,we saw several hundred school children (7th-8th grade) who all greeted us with the ?ello! Hello!?which is the standard greeting of a passing child. There were some occasional ?ice to meet you?and we heard ? love you, I love you!?once. It really is like being a celebrity. I could get used to this.

We were done by lunch time, and were starving because we hiked the 4 km uphill from the first temple to the grotto, so we went back into town and wandered around a covered market looking for something to eat. Pig head We found some tempora fried shrimp that looked really good, and bought a little bag of them. Note to self – never buy anything from an open air market that has been concealed by fried batter. When I bit into it, its eye exploded in my mouth while it simultaneously deposited at least 10 legs down my throat. It was actually a full shrimp. Head, legs, eyes, shell, everything. As I gagged, I heard the British guy gagging too, and saw that he had taken a bigger bite and had the whole head in his mouth. He was looking around for a place to spit it before he just shut his eyes, chewed and swallowed. Imagine leaving a dead fish in a bucket of saltwater for a few days, drying it out, then coating it in cold, half cooked plain oatmeal followed by a shot of brine water. Enjoy.

I was not planning on a large lunch, but I needed to taste something else, and fast. We found a really good Korean restaurant that served jiimjabop. A sort of chicken that is delicious. For w7000 each, we split a whole chicken that had been stir-fried with soy sauce and spices and was served in a giant bowl between us. It was amazing. He went off to check his email, and I went back to the hostel to nap for a while. I ended up reading my book on the roof as the sun went down, and then hanging out for a little while before showering, as we (me, the brit, and the dutch girl) all have plans to meet up for dinner around 7.

Chances are, I will not get around to posting anything else tonight, so the update will come tomorrow. Which I guess is actually this evening for those of you in the states.

Octopus 

Buddha in a cave 

Andong to Gyeongju

I got a great night’s rest last night, as I am now able to actually sleep past 6 am. My train did not leave until 12:40 p.m. and since I had already seen everything this town had to offer, I lazed around the room, and watched an episode of Dexter online. I left, got breakfast at this really great bakery that would not have been out of place in New York or London, but was very cheap ($4 for a cheese scone, jelly donut and an espresso with mocha whipped pudding). Made it to the train station with 30 min. to spare so I chilled and ate my breakfast while watching little kids run around and play on a floor that probably would have killed me if I even took my shoes off.

Wrote the gear review on the train ride, then spent the rest of the trip listening to music from someone I had never heard of but somehow they made it on my iPod. I just sat and looked out the window at the beautiful scenery as it went by. I kept thinking about how I should go get my camera out of my bag, but I was full, comfortable and just sat and watched as bright yellow rice paddies and green fields rushed by. Every now and then there would be a farmer tending the rice paddies, and the contrast of their blue outfits was amazing against the sea of yellow grain behind them. Then I got off at the wrong station. I realized it about two minutes after I walked out. This place smelled like the underside of a Seoul sewer. And it was ugly. Gyeongju was not supposed to be ugly. I turned around, and ran back, and luckily the train had not left because the conductor was smoking a cigarette. ThankHill tomb god. I left Gungwon-ju and arrived at Gyeongju, which was the next exit.

I walked clear across town to the hostel, checked in, dropped my bag off, and left to go take picures of the tombs while I still had daylight. Got some good ones, met a group from Canada in one of the tombs who were in town for their sons wedding in Seoul. He runs a school and is hiring English teachers, so I got his number and will give him a shout.

I am trying to save money, and since I am here for two nights, I went to the store and bought everything (hopefully) that I will need for the next several meals. There is a kitchen here, so I cooked rice and ramen for dinner. I got some honey rolls and chocolate milk for breakfast and an apple for lunch tomorrow. I have not been eating large lunches, because they are inconvenient and I am always out in the country, or in a temple or something when lunch hits. Rice fills you up. As does some fruit. While I was eating, I met a girl from Holland, and we started talking. She got here last night, but she was the only one around, where as tonight I am here, as well as two guys from Spain, and a Japanese student. Tomorrow we are going to rent bikes and bike to either the temple that is 16km away, or to the mountain and then hike the trails.

-Side note, she has two books she has been trying to get rid off, Harry Potter #1 and the DaVinci Code. Unfortunately I have read them both, but I can re-read the DaVinci code. It has been a while. I’ll trade her my book which I finished on the flight over, but have been hauling around with me.

tree on tomb glowing lamp

Gear Review

Gear Review
I am on another train ride, which means it is time for a GEAR REVIEW! (Applause – cheers – the crows goes wild…) Heh, I know. Just thought I would talk a little about how my gear is holding up, what I find useful, what sucks, etc…

This is not all encompassing, just a few items that stand out.

Lets start with clothes. Most of my clothes are quick drying, moisture wicking fabrics that I got at REI or have accumulated over the years.

Pants

Exofficio Zip off Pants with Buzz Off – These have been my go to pants so far. They are comfortable, light weight, block the wind and hold up well. The pockets are large enough that I can put a full guide book in them without it bothering me. Inside the right pocket is a Velcro pouch for change, chapstick or anything else small you don’t want falling out. Inside the left pocket is a hidden zipper pocket that is decent sized and can hold a wallet or other item you don’t want pick pocketed. It is so well hidden I didn’t find it until two days ago. No cargo pockets on these pants, but both rear pockets have Velcro flaps for they hold things well. The Buzz Off is a built in insect repellant that hold up for 26 washings. There are loops for a real belt and the pants button shut with a double button.
REI Zip off Cargo Pants – Similar to the Exofficio, but different. I did not realize how different until I started using them for more than one day. Pockets are a little smaller, big enough for a language guide, but not for a guide book. These pants have cargo pockets covered with Velcro flaps however, and the right one actually zips shut underneath the flap. The left one has a small pouch for items such as change and chapstick, but the actual pouch does not seal itself. Both are big enough ,but the top inch of the guide book sticks out, which is less than optimal. The back pockets both Velcro shut. No belt loops, but there is a waist cinch band that works just like a belt and clips together along with a snap button on the actual pants. These did not come as insect rappelling, but I soaked them in a solution that made them insect repellant for 6-10 washings.

Underwear

I have two pairs of Exofficio quick dry breathing underwear, one boxers, the other boxer briefs. Both are very comfortable, dry fast, and breathe well. The boxer briefs ride up all the time and are uncomfortable while they are bunching, but once you are situated, they are fine. I also have two pairs of Patagonia Capelene boxers that I have been using since I was a sea kayak guide, and they are great. They dry fast, are soft as silk, and I love them. However, they don’t breathe as well as the Exofficio ones.

Shirts

Two quick dry t-shirts, one Columbia, one Mountain Hardwear. The Columbia one is a little tighter, thicker, and warmer. It is blue. The Mountain Hardwear one is lighter, thinner, looser and light brown. Both dry fast, roll up tight, don’t wrinkle, and are good.

I have an REI black long sleeve thermal shirt that is a half zip. It has a collar of sorts that can go all the way up like a mock turtle neck for warmth, or zip it down a little and it is a collar, good to go out in or to a nicer place. This is my favorite shirt here where it is often cold. It is soft, stretchy, and dries fast. Many Koreans where black as well, so I blend in better.

I also have a long sleeve Columbia quick dry button down. It is red, and soaked in the same insect repellent as the REI pants. It is vented everywhere and the sleeves roll up and button so they stay up. I have not worn it yet since I have been here.

Another shirt I have not worn yet is a short sleeve button down Northface that is quick dry, vented, and double layered for moisture wicking ability. It is more of a tropical weather shirt, which Korea is not.

I have a green REI jacket that I got a while ago, it is only an outer shell, but it breathes, has a roll up hood, a chest pocket, and is very light weight. It has been cold, and I wear it a lot. But as I am heading south, less and less, and in Southeast Asia I will probably only wear it when it rains.

Socks and Shoes

Standard light hiking socks of a blend of materials, they are all fine, just of different thicknesses.

I have my Chocos here with me, but have yet to wear them. I also have a pair of Merrell light hiking shoes with Vibram souls that are amazing. They stretch enough that I can slip them off when I enter a place that you have to take your shoes off (restaurant, room, etc…) I also have hiked a long way in them, and they work like a charm on trails, wet rocks, city streets, and palace paths. I haven’t got them soaking wet yet, but I bet they would dry. They are light, bouncy and great.

So much for clothes.

The rest of my stuff is a random assortment.

My laptop, a cheaper HP that has been working fine, but I wish the battery life was longer. I haven’t run out yet, but it eats it up. It is small with a 14 inch screen, but I download my pictures to it every night, and then upload them when I get internet. It has wifi and all the other trappings new laptops come with, including a card reader which is nice and a built in webcam with microphone, which is crucial for Skype calls back to the parents. I also type my blogs on it while I am traveling then upload later.

My Nikon D50 dSLR camera. It is big, and I am split on it. I often find myself wanting a small, unobtrusive camera that I can just keep in my pocket, but then I love the control this camera gives me. It takes great pictures, and I have had it for a while. I just feel like such a tourist (which I am) when I have it out. Because it has many options, I find myself spending more time at locations trying to find great shots. If I had a point and shoot, I might get more candid shots, but less composed ones.

My cell phone, which is basically a little computer. Touch screen, slide out keyboard, I have been using it to take the videos you see, and for the occasional photo when my big camera is packed away. I have also been using it to plan out my itinerary and budget on pocket Excel and Word. It is easy to just put in what I spend in the excel sheet then put the phone back in my pocket.

I have an assortment of random gear, including power adapters – a must, and a little bendable tripod I can position anywhere, even around a tree limb. Haven’t used it yet. Also my iPod nano, and a med kit, along with my dop kit, which has toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, Doc Brauner’s everything soap which I use for shampoo, body wash, shaving crème etc…

That’s about it. I keep everything in my back pack, which is a High Sierra 45 pack. It has been good, is the right size and is holding up fine. I have a wire mesh cinch bag that I can fit most of my gear in inside of the pack so that I can lock it to my bed in hostels, and so people can’t razor the bag and steal my stuff, but it is annoying, and I tend to use it only when I am in a shared room in a hostel, as Korea is safe in general. When I am in Thailand and Southeast Asia, I will use it all the time.
If you made it this far, you are way too interested in how gear holds up, and you should probably quit your job and meet me over here.

Mmm… Finally.

Korean food is notoriously light on meat. It consists primarily of vegetables, spices, and rice. If you know me, you know that I am definitely a carnivore. It has been weeks since I grilled out, and had I known I wouldn’t have my fill here, I would have overloaded before I came. I have been eating a lot of bread during the day, and getting these little corn-dog type fried things in the evenings to try to satisfy my cravings. Tonight I was walking to the Dunkin Donuts that is around the town square because they have internet and it is cold here, so it feels good to get a coffee and sit on my laptop while watching people rush by the window. I suddenly smelled the distinct smell of someone grilling out. No crazy hot spices, no odd dog scent, just good old fashions cooking out. I froze, and then proceeded to do a full block grid search to find the smell. I finally located it up on a hill. it was a restaurant with pictures of meat all over it! I have since been told that Koreans are known for their barbecued meat, but it is not always easy to find, and they don’t eat it as often. Could have fooled me, This was the first place I had seen. I went in, planning on ordering the cheap w3300 pork strips, but got talked into getting the grilled sirloin. I said I wanted one, but the kid insisted that I get two – thus doubling my bill. He was right, I ate it all. They bring a bed of coals to the table, and grill it for you on the table. The smell of marinated meat was overwhelming. As usual here, they also give you a plethora of side orders that no man could ever finish. Of this were some sauted peanuts, a mix between boiled and pickled, but they were great. There was also an entire apple cut up and in a sweet yogurt sauce. Also great. I had to get the kid to show me how I was supposed to eat the meat, because he had chopped it up into bit size pieces. You pick them up with your chopsticks, put them in a lettuce leaf, add garlic and sauce, wrap it up, and enjoy. Whenever he wasn’t looking I just stuffed the pieces into my mouth. He was laughing with some people because I was a silly American who didn’t even know how to eat. I may be a silly American, but he is a 17-year-old guy wearing pink Hello Kitty slippers. The world says I win on this one. I end this day of rest full, content, and ready to travel again.

A good break day.

Today has been about resting. I started the day off by walking an hour to a local folkPagoda Door village which was a disappointment. After the first few minutes, all the other tourists cleared out and I was the only one around. However, I think I have pagoda’d myself out. They all look the same, and these did not have much of a historical significance. The high point of the morning was when a class of school children, probably in the first grade or so, saw me and swarmed me. They were shouting “Hello! Hello! Are you Crazy?!” over and over again. They came up to me and started rubbing my beard and my arms, laughing at my hairiness. They had probably never seen a caucasian before in person, and Children playing on an field trip could not understand why my arms had hair and how I could grow a beard. Their teacher came up and haltingly asked where I was from, and when I responded, she told the class and used it to teach them for about five minutes.

I already bought my ticket to the next city and I leave tomorrow, so I am here until then. This is not all bad, as the night life here seems to be very good. There is a small college, and last night there was a great environment. I haven’t seen anyone who is western yet, but maybe one of the college students speaks some English and we can start a conversation.

I wandered around the local market for a while, which was much more interesting than the folk village, and I simply stumbled upon it randomly. Some of the stuff for sale was recognizable, the rest questionable. I cris-crossed the streets for an hour or so before I was convinced I had seen it all and made my way back to shave so that the next batch of children won’t think I am the Wolfman. (And because it is more in line with the culture… thus possibly allowing more friendliness and a chance at a discount from people I meet.)

I took care of finding my next place to couchsurf, and contacted  a man about interviewing for a job in Seoul on Monday. Other than that, I am just going to hang out and wait for the train tomorrow. Expect some random calls tonight as I get restless and want to communicate with people back in the states.

Out door market in Andong Out door market in Andong (Octopus) Out door market in Andong (Squid)