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September - November 2017
A 37-day adventure by Tim In Japan Read more
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  • TravelerSouth Korea
    1
    Day 26

    Geumgang Park

    October 23, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    Back on metro line 1, I plan to take the cable car from Geumgang Park. After a stop a man sits next to me and starts a conversation with me. Fortunately it's in English otherwise it would have been a little one-sided. He was interested in my origins and where I'd been travelling. As it turns out, he used to live in Japan. Anyway it's good to have that connection when you're on the road.

    I had to leave him with goodwill at Oncheonjang station. Walking around the streets there, it was a little tricky to find the cable car entrance. One thing you can guarantee in S Korea is that you will need to do a fair bit of uphill walking before you reach the cable car.

    I find the park and was directed to the cable car entrance. I'll do the round trip today rather than walk down. One of the last into the carriage (again) so minimal opportunities for photos on the way up.

    When we reach the top, I sit at a bench nearby and eat my lunch. Gimbap again, but I do like it. It's cheap, nutritious and very fiilling.

    After that I walk to the South Gate of the Geumjeongsanseong fortress built here (try typing THAT name when you've been drinking). There's 17 km of fortress walls remaining, I take way too many photos. Eventually I walk back to the cable car until I wander off the path and seek some local help to find it again. Thankfully, a man who speaks decent English in my time of need.

    There are only 3 of us in the cable car going down, giving me the opportunity to take way too many photos of Busan on the descent. The beauty of digital photography, they are easily taken and easily deleted.

    Back to the metro station, I disembark again to go to the e-mart. It's open, huzzah 😃. I pick up a nice bottle of Chilean red, then notice a pretty girl offering wine tasting. Sweet white, then a sweet red (Moscato). Dessert wines, not something I drink very often.

    Back to the metro station, I detrain at Nampo. I'm able to walk through the underground shopping complex from there to an exit upstairs that is very close to my hotel. Takes the traffic out of the equation.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    1
    Day 27

    Busan Day 3

    October 24, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    A very "local" day as the weather deteriorates over the day. No bus, subway or train trips - huzzah!

    Coffee at Angel-in-us again - same server, nobody else around, a little bit Groundhog Day. I walk from there towards Yongdusan Park. This is where Busan Tower is located and I want to check out the view from the observatory. Naturally, the tower is located a fair way uphill in the park. Very very fortuitously I find the side street that leads to a bank of escalators (5 perhaps) that means I don't have to take the stairs. Some decent views of Busan at the top of the escalator stack, also a GS25 store, which are my "go to" stores for most food and drink.

    So I walk over to the ticket office for the Observatory. Sorry sir, there's a fire. No ticket. Bummer. So I walk down all those stairs to ground level.

    There's a Lotte mall across from the park, so I wander in. Level 1F is food court territory along with a supermarket. At the higher levels there are cinemas. A quick Google search reveals that "Blade Runner 2049" is playing here at 4:05 pm. I buy some rice paper wraps (see photo) and head back to the hotel. It is possible to walk the complete way from Lotte Mall underground!

    The weather starts to deteriorate as the afternoon goes on. Around 3:30 it's drizzling. I head back to the cinemas for the movie - walking underground I don't have to worry about the weather. It costs around $10 to buy the movie ticket. There's allocated seating, but on entry to the cinema I sit where I want ...

    The movie's great, with Korean subtitles so fortunately not dubbed. A guy takes a 5 minute phone call during the movie, different culture what? I'm around the last to leave, sitting through most of the credits. I think that something I had for lunch has had a gluten effect on me, it's been a while since that's happened 😫    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    11
    Day 28

    Busan Day 4 morning

    October 25, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    The weather is excellent today so I decide to check out some of Busan's coastline.

    The island of Yeongdo is connected to the mainland by a number of bridges. One of these is not far away from where I'm staying. The #8 bus takes me over this bridge and deposits me not far from the front of Taejongdae Park.

    There is a circular path around the park that runs along the coastline. I am distracted by a monument to medical units so then start to walk clockwise along the path. If I'd walked anti-clockwise, I would have passed the park complex containing tourist information and tickets for the Danubi Train. This road "train" is very cute and runs anti-clockwise around the park. Passengers with a ticket can hop on and off when the train pulls up at various destinations.

    To be honest I was never going to take this train. And tourist information wasn't really needed. The first attraction is the lighthouse. It's not possible to go into the lighthouse but there is very decent coastline scenery from the vicinity.

    Further along is an eatery complex with a top floor observatory. While the eateries look open I don't think the observatory is. There are a lot of middle-aged and elderly people milling around, are they waiting for the train (or Godot)?

    I walk further around so I'm now on the west side of the park. There is a pebble beach here and steps down. I'm up for the challenge so hike down. It's not the easiest thing to walk on the pebbles!

    Further along I reach the park complex. Ah well. I walk off and take the #8 bus back to the hotel.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    4
    Day 28

    Busan Day 4 afternoon and evening

    October 25, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    I missed out on the BIFF (Busan International Film Festival) by one day. I am curious to see where it was staged, namely the Busan Cinema Center. This will require a metro trip to Somyeon station where I will need to transfer to a line running east. The Centum City station is my final destination.

    The area around this station seems to have been redeveloped in the recent past. Besides the Cinema Center, there's also a large auditorium as well as the Shinsegae department store (world's largest). A Trump building is also nearby 😫 nobody panic! I walk around some of the levels of the Shinsegae store and have some gelati. I'd like to buy some socks but apparently the world's largest department store can't fit in a store that sells socks 😄

    It's a long way back by metro. Detraining at Nampo station, I think of taking some night-time photos of Busan from the Tower. I take some photos from outside the tower and then go to the ticket office. Sorry - facilities inspection - tower closed. We just weren't meant to be ...

    There is an Indian restaurant close by my hotel in BIFF Square. I order a seafood curry. As per usual with Indian restaurants here, they are light on with the seafood. At least the view's good.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    Day 29

    Busan to Gyeongju

    October 26, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    I have bought train tickets online for the next 3 destinations, and printed them to PDF. This is a convenient and time-saving way to go. Gyeongju is the first destination.

    Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla kingdom, which endured from 57 BC to 935 AD. Given the volatility of the region over that millenium, that is serious longevity.

    There are 2 separate train stations in Busan; Busan Station for the express KTX service and Bujeon station for the slower services. It is Bujeon where I'm headed today. My train will stop at Gyeongju Station, which is in town and not far from my hotel. The KTX station is quite a long way out of town.

    At Gyeongju station I look for tourist information - nothing in English, no staff so no point. I roll my megaluggage down the road towards my destination, which is Sugar Hotel. On the way I have to navigate around a street market, I've found it's easiest to use the road!

    I reach the hotel and a young lady who speaks excellent English checks me in, even though I'm an hour early. There are a number of "love motels" in the area, but this hotel is not one of them. It seems to cater to families and business travellers.

    I'm told where to go for tourist information. Turns out it's down the road near the bus terminal. I notice a number of scooter rental places in the vicinity. There's a reason for this - Gyeongju can be considered an "open air" museum. If you're not on a tour and you don't have a car, you end up doing a LOT of walking to get around. Hence the scooter rental places.

    The lady at tourist information tells me which buses to take to get to the National Museum and where the stop is. I duly follow her guidance and take bus 600 to the museum.

    Walking into the museum, it is quickly evident that this city is very much on the tourist trail. Plenty of schoolkids and tour groups. It's FREE to enter the museum, my favourite 4-letter word after **** and 😯😯😯😲.

    It has a very good collection of Silla artifacts with consistent English translations. I especially like the history of how the Silla kingdom came to be, it's regional alliances and its demise. I make sure to stand out of the way when a tour group comes through, will get bumped out of the way otherwise.

    Outside the museum I take some photos, it is located in quite an attractive setting and has some outdoor artifacts. I then walk around 25 minutes east to Bunhwang-sa temple. That's 1500 KRW for entry. The temple area dates back to 634 AD and features a well-maintained brick pagoda. Later I follow the crowd along a path to the Hwangnyongsa Temple Site, dating back to 553 AD and featuring burial mounds out in the open. There's an interpretation centre nearby, but time is passing so I take bus 10 back to the bus terminal.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    2
    Day 30

    Bulguk-sa Temple, Gyeongju

    October 27, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Bulguk-sa temple is on the Unesco World Cultural Heritage list and is considered by some to be the crowning glory of Silla architecture. It's a fair way out of town (south east) so I will need to take a bus from the same bus stop as yesterday. Either number 10 or 11 will do, the 10 comes but I wait for the 11 as I think it's quicker.

    On arrival at the temple bus stop there's an uphill walk to the ticket office. It's crowded here today, same deal as the museum (school kids and tour groups). This is a working temple, I feel for the monks having to chant their rituals. The sound of shoes crunching on gravel and kids shouting must be a distraction, but I suppose the revenue brought in by tourists is essential.

    The temples are well preserved especially considering their 7th century origin. I take special note of the eaves' artwork, photo attached.

    I think that it's the best time of year to visit because of the autumnal setting. Some schoolkids are playing amidst the falling leaves, I shoot some video because it's pretty. As seems to be universal in Korean temple complexes, there's an adjacent forest setting with a stream. Good for contemplation (where did I go wrong in my life 😥).

    On the way out of the complex, I buy a cob of grilled corn from a vendor. It was dry, chewy and rubbery, the exact opposite of how I like my corn 😑. But it didn't kill me 😁    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    1
    Day 30

    Gyeongju Day 2 afternoon

    October 27, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    The #10 bus coming back from Bulguk-sa drops me close to the bus terminal. I decide to have a salad at a nearby eatery called Nordic. And what a salad it is - 2 sausages, grilled bacon, avocado slices, onion, tomato, banana, apple, orange and a lot of leafy greens. I forget to ask them to hold the salad dressing, but I have no later ill effects.

    The remainder of the day will be spent walking locally around the Daereungwon Ancient Tomb Complex. I won't need the travelcard but I will need good walking shoes!

    I have a tourist map with 2 recommended routes. Both start at the tourist information kiosk down the street, which is convenient.

    The first stop is the Geunwangchong tomb complex, then I duck across the road to see the Bonghwangdae pavilion. I walk clockwise to the area that is the limit of my walking.

    This is Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond. It costs to get in, but I do like a good pond stroll. I see some storks at a distance in the pond, and there are carp in the pond as well. I'm fascinated watching some of them feeding around the water lillies (or should I say hoovering?)

    I start walking back to the hotel, which takes me past the Daereungwon ancient tombs and the Cheonmachong ancient tomb. There are ongoing excavations happening in some tombs so history is still unfolding. Its fascinating to think that all this history is at least 1100 years old.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    1
    Day 31

    Gyeongju to Daegu

    October 28, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    It's been a tiring couple of days in Gyeongju, I'm a little bit footsore. Today is mostly a travelling day so the walking will be limited.

    On checkout, the hotel receptionist tells me that their car has a problem so she calls a taxi for me (and pays!). My only free dropoff in S Korea. My train leaves Gyeongju station at 9:36 and arrives at Dongdaegu station at 10:50.

    My data SIM expired yesterday so I can't use Google Maps from Dongdaegu station to reach my destination (the AR motel in Daegu). A bus is the quickest and most direct way to reach the motel, but I won't know when to get off. There is a metro adjacent to Dongdaegu station, and I can use it, transfer to another line in a few stops, ride a couple of stops and then roll my luggage for a bit over a km to the motel. There is greater certainty in this approach.

    It pans out this way and I have no problems finding the motel. The receptionist here speaks no English and is quite disorganised. No matter, I'm able to check in to room 510. It's one of the cheapest places in my Korean trip but quite serviceable (apart from the bi-polar shower).

    I realize that I will need information about the bus to take to Haein-sa temple tomorrow so I walk into town. Although I could take a bus, the traffic is clogged so walking is probably quicker.

    When I reach the city centre I realize why the traffic is congested. There's a big protest march taking place down some of the streets. It's chaotic as there are a huge number of bystanders, police trying to control the traffic and the marchers themselves.

    So I don't find the tourist information kiosk that I was looking for. The next closest one is at Daegu station. This is a bit of a walk, particularly as I try to bypass the marching route. I find the kiosk and the lady there is primarily for Japanese tourists, but she speaks serviceable English and gives me useful information.

    I walk back to the motel to check the information. Then later I go back into town for a meal. I take a bus this time as the march is long over. I go to a Thai restaurant for a chicken penang curry and a bottle of Bundaberg Ginger Beer (I've missed you, old friend). Very nice. My server speaks good English so I thank him for the meal. Later I wait at the bus stop amongst some bright young things for a bus back to the motel. Good night!    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    11
    Day 32

    Haein-sa Temple

    October 29, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    This was a big day, with many photos taken. Choosing six won't be easy.

    The day starts with a short walk down the street. I take a local bus to Seobu Bus Terminal, where I buy a ticket for Haein-sa. What troubles me is coming back, as the buses have no numbers or English signage. And I have no internet access. That's a problem for later in the day though.

    We hit the road, travelling west towards the Gayasan National Park. It's around 90 minutes in all to get there. When we reach the national park, the road winds around as we ascend. Around 7 km before the temple the bus stops at the Tripitaka Koreana Theme Park. The tripitaka comprises ancient Buddhist scriptures that are incredibly well preserved. I'm not sure what a theme park named after them would be like, hopefully it's not like Disneyland!

    The drop off point for the temple is around 500 metres before the bus terminal, saving some time and energy. It's still an uphill walk to the temple complex, par for the course really. The autumn scenery is stunning here, I think it's probably the best time of year to come.

    There is a crowd here, being a Sunday, but it becomes even busier later on. Not surprising as Koreans aren't morning people and it takes some time to get here. I notice a roped area that people walk through. It's a practice by which they pray or meditate as they walk.

    I have no information on the complex so can't identify the individual buildings. Once again I look at the artwork in the eaves and marvel at how well preserved they are.

    Once I've done a full lap of the complex, I take a look at the adjacent forest. There is some good hiking here. Although I'm wearing hiking pants and boots I'm not really equipped for a serious hike. Nevertheless I head off towards the Sangwangbong peak, which is 4 km away.

    The hike goes through some pretty terrain in the lower reaches. As the trail ascends, I notice a more wintry appearance to the trees as leaves are scarce on them. There are plenty of leaves on the trail though.

    The views I was hoping for don't come to fruition as it becomes hazier, windier and colder as I ascend. After midday I come to the final scramble over rocks to get to the peak. Yeah, no, not doing that. The wind would make it too uncomfortable to spend more than a minute there. Instead I find a windbreak in some rocks and have my lunch.

    It's now after 1pm and it's a long way back to my Daegu hotel. The weather also looks like it's deteriorating. In spite of my usual descending concerns, I rush back to the temple complex. Even from there, it still takes time to get back to the main road as there is a crowd of people coming the other way.

    Back on the road, I start walking towards the bus terminal. I pass a bus stop and notice a German couple who were on my bus in the morning. At the bus terminal I buy a ticket back to Daegu but have no idea which bus to take at the various platforms. Fortunately I find help from a man who may have been a bus coordinator. He takes me to a platform where a bus is waiting and confirms with the driver that it is bound for Seobu bus terminal.

    So we board in a few minutes and I have a window seat. There's still some time until the 3:20 pm departure so the bus fills up. Eventually people have to stand in the aisle. We depart and make our first stop at the bus stop 500 metres down the road. Quite a few people board and then have to stand, including the German couple. The wife is not happy at this, but she does get a seat around 30 minutes later.

    It's slow going on the road due to traffic congestion. This eases when we pass the theme park and a number of people depart the bus. Slow progress still back to Daegu, it's around 5 when we reach Seobu bus terminal. I'm not sure where the bus stop would be to return to the hotel, but a metro stop is nearby. It's the less direct way back home, but at least I know where I'm going.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Korea
    1
    Day 33

    Daegu to Sokcho via Seoul

    October 30, 2017 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    I have a ticket for the express KTX service to Seoul. A stopover in Seoul is the easiest (and quickest) way to travel between Daegu and Sokcho. The train leaves from the Dongdaegu train station, made famous in the 2016 ROK box office smash movie "Train to Busan" (which I've seen). Zombies on a train, whaaat???

    The train leaves around 11:45 and I have a reserved seat in car 6. The train comes, it looks a bit short and only has 4 cars. It's further up the platform so I roll up in a hurry, as do other people. I show the guard my ticket, and he tells me to get on another train coming in behind this train. So I roll back down and can see the next train pulling in behind the first train. I've done a lot of overseas train travel but have never seen this. People are frantically running along the platform in both directions, so I'm not the only one not knowing what's going on. Essentially it's an 8 car service split into 2, perhaps for safety reasons.

    Anyway I board car 6 and find my seat without further incident. There's decent free Wi-Fi on board so I watch "4 Corners" on ABC iView. It's a bit under 2 hours to Seoul, where I transfer to the metro to check in at Hotel Atrium.

    I have to pick up a data SIM card from the KT shop near Hongik University. Back on the metro heading west, find the shop, insert the 5-day SIM card and I'm back online!

    I take the same line back east to the stop next to Dong Seul bus terminal. Here I buy a ticket to go to Sokcho tomorrow. Then back to the hotel, stopping in at Starbucks next door for a take-away coffee.

    Next morning, I partake/gorge once again in the hotel's breakfast buffet. Everything I need to sit on a bus for 2 1/2 hours! Check out, then roll my luggage back to the metro to go to the bus terminal. No issue in boarding, but as always there's heavy traffic to negotiate before exiting Seoul. We cross the river and the slowness of our progress allows me to take some photos. As I have unlimited data I watch the latest "Q&A" on ABC iView. KRudd and Alan Jones together? Irresistible TV - if only KRudd was still PM 🤗

    We arrive in Sokcho and I buy a Seoul return ticket for 2 days time. The lady at the information booth gives me details about travelling to Seoraksan National Park. It takes an hour by the 7-1 bus as it travels down the coastline for some distance before heading west to the National Park.

    We close in on the National Park. I can see my destination (Kensington Stars Hotel) on the right. I attempt a quick exit, well as quick as it can be trying to haul my luggage off the bus. I'm early to the hotel by an hour, so they store my luggage while I go inside the National Park. Firstly I take photos in the vicinity.    Read more

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