Well, not much is new these days. We’re in the middle of monsoon season, so it hits at least 30 degrees here every day. Being a Canadian, this humidity is killing me. It’s like trying to walk through a closet full of socks, from the floor to the ceiling. When it rains, it DUMPS water down hard… sometimes for minutes, sometimes for hours… and even sometimes days. I don’t mind the rain, actually I like it, but the humidity is what really gets to me. I drip sweat the moment I leave my apartment. By the time I get to school, I am pretty sweaty… and my school doesn’t really have air conditioning.
So, I missed my brother’s High School graduation, and the party, and a big yearly thing that my entire family puts on… usually about 60 people in a big park just relaxing and catching up. I really enjoyed it the last time I went… This idea of what things will be when I come back to Canada… how much will change? I’ll have been gone for about 1.7 years. Whatever has changed, I know that there will be my amazing family for me to come back to, with their arms wide open, asking me details about my experience here, which I am happy to answer. So far my experience has been somewhat reserved. I was never one to go out and party hard (except in college). I’d like to check out Hongdae this weekend if I have some time. Just have a couple drinks and see what happens. If nothing happens, well that’s cool too.
I decided last week that I would go to Suraksan (수락산) again this weekend. I couldn’t have chosen a hotter time to go. It was up to 32 degrees and humid today. I’m pretty sure I lost a lot of water weight today.
I was up at 5am for no apparent reason again, so I decided to laze around a bit and get out there early. One thing lead to another and I ended up at the foot of Suraksan around 9:30am.
This isn’t my first time at Suraksan. I have been there once before, but this time I decided to take a different route. I was walking through thick forest for about 2.5 hours. I never realized how the trees keep the humidity in, and the wind out. I was sweating buckets.
Once I got to the top, I was greeted with this:
Just a little humid.
Anyway, I had a great time. It’s a pretty challenging mountain at certain parts. I think I need to invest in a decent pair of hiking boots. My old Adidas just aren’t doing the job on the mountains. I saw this one old man climbing rock faces like a spider. It was insane. I made a video of it which I will upload in a bit. I attempted to do what he did while he was around me, but I’m simply not that brave. I was hugging that rock like it was my mother.
This rock, actually:
Photos don’t really show its true size. There’s nothing else in the frame to compare it to. Let’s do the measurement in school bus units. The rock was about 3 school buses tall, and about 4 wide. It was absolutely massive.
After I got to the peak, I relaxed there for a bit, then headed down. I made a wrong turn, and ended up walking an extra 45 minutes or so to get to the subway station. I swear I walked at least 10km today.
I only applied a little bit of sunscreen, and so I have a nasty burn on my shoulders and face. To top this off, while I was walking home, an old lady stopped, smiled, yelled something in Korean, and slapped my sunburn. I think I got her message.
Namhansanseong is a fortress that originated in the year 672 to protect from the Chinese. I decided to check it out last Sunday because I had nothing to do. It took about an hour by subway, and another 45 minutes once I got there, since I had to take a bus all the way up the mountain, which is about 500m above sea level.
The park houses 3 gates, left over from around 1636. I was pretty impressed by this place. It felt like a mini Great Wall of China… although I’ve never actually seen the Great Wall.
I was actually out of Seoul, but I was still able to get some pretty incredible views of the city. I was up pretty high and I could see Namsan tower, which is pretty damn far from where I was. It definitely wasn’t as rigorous a trip as Dobongsan, Gwanaksan, or Suraksan, but I got a pretty good workout. At the end of the day, I found a gorgeous shrine which was unfortunately closed. It was immaculate. There was a spring water well beside it too, which I desperately needed after my long hike with only 500mL of water:
I grabbed some cotton candy, and a bus to the subway station. After that I accidentally got drunk, and came home. The end.
The Hi Seoul festival is a yearly festival put on in Seoul to celebrate the international community, as well as Korea’s history. I decided to check it out last weekend. I went to the City Hall area where there was an international exhibit including booths from many countries around the world. There were about 80 I think. However, Canada, USA, and Italy were missing.
It was a pretty cool experience. There was so much culture around. I was surprised how many different nationalities were there.
Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and many many more.
In front of Seoul city hall, there is a big fountain what kids seem to love to play in. It was fun to watch them running around in the fountain. It reminded me of what it’s like to be a kid… but those days are long past.
After walking around for a bit, I decided to check out the “Changing of the Guards” ceremony that was happening at Deoksugung:
So yesterday was my birthday. I’m now officially half way to 50. Scary stuff.
I woke up around 11 and lazed around for a bit. After that, I went to Seoul Forest Park by bike. It was a perfect day to just sit around and relax. Unfortunately, it was a national holiday here (Children’s Day), and everyone else in the city seemed to have the same idea as me. The place was completely packed. It was insane.
I rode the bike for about 15 minutes, and ended up at the park. I was feelin kinda frisky, so I picked up a few tall cans and sat in the sun, enjoying them. It was kind of strange… for the first time since I’ve been here, I could sit back and really observe the area. I just sat there, taking in all the sights and sounds… it was a strange feeling that I can’t really explain.
After writing a long email to my brother, I took off for the park again.
It was really nice to just sit in the grass. Of course, I was alone, which makes it kinda difficult to mingle with the locals. They tend to frown upon lonely foreigners. Oh well.
After that I toured around my part of the city until I found a place to eat. I was pretty hungry and kind of drunk, so I wasn’t really too picky. Dinner wasn’t anything special.
After that I came home. That’s all. Birthdays aren’t so exciting anymore. I guess I’m just getting older.
Jeongneung (정릉) is an ancient burial ground for two Joseon kings, and one queen. It’s located in the Seolleung area of Seoul. Anyway, last weekend I was bored and decided to take a trip here because of its historical significance.
It was a nice day and I just relaxed on the grass and enjoyed the nearly-500-year-old tomb. I wonder what the bodies look like now.
Buddy is buried in a tomb inside or on top of a huge hill. The picture doesn’t really do it justice… this burial mound is huge:
Anyway, it was a trip to be sitting in such a historical place.
Apparently this building was used for sacrifices:
The park is really peaceful and quiet. I spent pretty much the whole afternoon just relaxing on the grass (!) under a cherry tree, with blossom petals falling all around me. It was nice.
I went to see the cherry blossoms in Yeouido. It was beautiful, but there were way too many people there for it to be enjoyable. I don’t really have much to say about it because I was really annoyed at how many people there were, and how generally rude they are. The flowers were gorgeous though.
I had planned on renting a bike and riding around a bit, but I couldn’t find anywhere to rent one, although I saw many people riding rented bikes around. Oh, and this Korean guy was riding his bike… one of those guys who wears the biking clothes and stuff… These 2 girls on a yellow tandem bike got in his way and he hit them and went over the handlebars. Anyone who knows me knows that I can’t contain myself when I see someone fall. I laughed my ass off. He was really pissed at the girls… good thing he didn’t see me.
Gwanaksan is officially my favourite mountain in Korea (so far). I got to the top in about 2 hours, and all the way up there were clean streams to drink from. Everything is so accessable there.
I got to the mountain late yesterday, around 1. I usually try to get to the mountain itself around 10 or 11. Anyway, it was about 22 degrees and sunny with a nice cool breeze, so it was absolutely the perfect day for hiking.
It was a bit difficult to get to the peak. I had to climb steep rock faces to get all the way up there. Honestly it was pretty damn scary. 100% worth it though.
Today I’ll go to Yeouido to see the cherry blossoms. I’m sure I’ll get some awesome photos.
There were many people there on that Tuesday afternoon; families having picnics, groups of students playing sports, people running around the track, and me. The park is encircled by a walking/running track. I walked around the track and found an attraction called “Japanese Garden”. I’m in Japan, so might as well check it out. It cost me 250 yen to get in (don’t get me started), but it was WELL worth it. That garden was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Everything was laid out so well. It’s like the park was designed with the rule of thirds in mind. I made a couple of videos from inside the garden, and took at least 100 photos. It was absolutely spectacular. There were brooks and small waterfalls running through it, a zen garden, and all different kinds of trees and flowers. Best of all, I was in the middle of cherry blossom season. I had read about cherry blossom season in Japan before, but it far exceeded my expectations.
Imagine pink-white clouds hovering about 7 feet off the ground, with millions of petals floating in the calm breeze. I haven’t felt something like that in… well… ever, really. Tranquility. Peace. Calm. This was a stark contrast to the noise and filth of Seoul. Don’t get me wrong, I love Seoul, but that garden gave me a feeling like no other, and I am an avid mountain climber in Korea.
I met a girl eating lunch by the water. I can’t remember her name. Anyway, I asked her where the castle ruins are, and she didn’t know. We talked for a bit and I was on my way.
STOP LOOKING AT ME, SWAN!
I completed my circle of the park, and decided to head to Nishi Park, which is famous for its cherry blossoms and intricate shrines and temples.
Nishi park was absolutely gorgeous. I can’t stress enough how clean Japan is. The park was filled with white cherry blossoms. They seemed to be ever-exploding fireworks, bursting mid-air, reflecting peace and tranquility. I am really glad that I am a decent photographer. Had I not been able to get good photos of the cherry blossoms, you wouldn’t even begin to understand how beautiful it was. My photos don’t come close to showing the true beauty of the flowers. It’s just one of those things that you have to see for yourself. I wish so much that my family and dog could have been there to see this. I spent about 4 hours wandering the park, and found a labyrinthian convolution of stairs and paths to mini-shrines, each more delicate and intricate as the next. they were impeccably cared for. It was so quiet and peaceful there.
The sun was going down, and I was exhausted, so I headed back to the subway to my hotel, and relaxed for the night.
The next day, I woke up at 8 and headed over to pick up my visa. It was ready, but I still only have a stupid single-entry visa. WHY!? Why. Americans get multiple-entry visas. Mine is single, meaning if I want to leave the country and come back, I have to pay something like 50,000 won for a re-entry permit. It’s a pain to have to go across Seoul to get one. I don’t have any travel plans for the future, but if I did, I would need to get a permit, like I did when I came home for Christmas.
I walked around the beach (yes, beach) near the Yahoo! dome, and got a nice soaker when a wave came crashing onto my foot. I went to the mall, walked around a bit, bought an $8 pair of socks, and headed to the airport.
And here I am, waiting for my check-in. I came about 4 hours early for my flight, just to be sure there aren’t any complications like there was in Seoul. I can’t even check in until 2 hours before my flight leaves, so I am sitting on a bench outside of the desk area, waiting to check in. I’m getting a bit hungry, but my butt already hurts from being raped by the yen, so I’m going to try to hold off until I get on the plane. They’ll have a little something something for me once we’re in the air.
Quite the post eh? I should chop this thing up so that people will actually read it. Us Sesame Street generation aren’t used to paying attention for more than 10 minutes at a time.
On my first day here (after arriving), I woke up at 8am and headed to the consulate right after my shower and ‘breakfast’, which consisted of 2 tubular objects that the Japanese consider to be sausage, a blob of yellow mass that I assume is supposed to resemble scrambled eggs, toast, and a roll. Whatever.
The consulate was easy to find, but I am really good with direction. Some may find it hard, so I documented my trip there, complete with pictures. I’ll post my guide to the consulate in a bit. I’ll give it to my recruiter too, just in case others have trouble finding it. The consulate itself was pretty cool looking. The guards were really nice guys. The visa cost me *6,000 yen*, which is 82,800 Korean won, which is $76 Canadian dollars. Wow. And they only take cash. Good thing I didn’t check out any of the restaurants.
After that, I realized I was near the Yahoo! dome, which had a McDonalds. I got a Big Mac, fries, and orange juice. I don’t usually eat McDicks, but I figured it would be familiar food and it was close. There, I spent my last 1000 yen. Realizing that I only had about 300 yen in my pocket, I began to panic. I had no money; only enough to get me to the airport from where I was at that point. Shit. I tried every ATM machine in the area, but none of them would accept any card I had. At this point, I felt real panic gripping me. Was I really going to be stuck? After all, I had to get back to my hotel (250 yen), and tomorrow I had to go to the consulate (290 yen), and then to the airport (another 290 yen). I decided on a whim to go to the airport and see if they had international ATM machines. Bingo. I had money. I never really felt so panicked before in my life. But it was all over.
Money in pocket, I got a big bottle of water and headed for Ohori park, which has to be one of the nicest parks I’ve ever seen. More about that in the next post.
