Sunrise in Jeju

If you want to watch the sunrise, the best thing to do is to first wake up to see the sunrise. ㅎㅎ.

The best thing to do on Jeju, is to hope (or plan) for good weather, camp out near Sunrise Peak (성산일출봉; Seong-San Il-Chul Bong), and then climb up early in the morning along with a bunch of other Korean (and maybe some Chinese) tourists. Pack your snacks, drinks and most definitely your camera and selfie-stick and you are good to go.

A common angle (or similar to) of Sunrise Peak featured on many postcards

Sunrise peak is one of the selling views of Jeju island. In a package of postcards, you might get 3-4 different angles and seasonal shots of the "Tuff Cone." Most tour companies bus their customers out to the east side of the island and wait the 30 mins to an hour while their tourists explore. At different times during the day, you can also see a demonstration by Haenyeo, Jeju's traditional female divers. (I don't know how these differ seasonally).

This past week, luck (and the weather) were on our side. One of my friends and I wanted to see the sunrise last April (click for blog post), but a cloudy night made for an anti-climatic morning. This time, it was different. At this time of year, the sunrise was also a lot later meaning we were able to sleep longer.

Heading toward the peak, the sun's rays already warm the horizon.

As we headed toward the peak in the early morning hours, we could already tell that it was going to be a good day. The sun's rays painted the horizon's edge in deep orange and yellow hues. The wisps of clouds creeping from the east edged into frame like actors setting the stage. The show was preparing to start!

There were many other people at the top with us, despite it being a Tuesday morning. A forest of selfie-sticks waving, the sound of camera shutters rippled through the crowd like leaves in the wind. We waited. The sky grew brighter, the light reflecting across the water and off the clouds. Then, the first sliver of the sun poked above the horizon. It was like we were at a sports match. There was a collective cheer and smiles all around. (My friends and I regret not filming that moment). In that brief moment we were a connected community and sharing a bit of the world's magic.

The sun above the horizon.

Canada Mitts!

I'm so happy that I was able to see the sunrise during this trip. We probably would have lingered longer, but the cold and our hunger eventually convinced us to return to the bottom. 

Until next time, Sunrise Peak. See you again.

Love and Hugs.

View from the top of the peak, looking back toward Jeju just after Sunrise.

Pokemon Go in Sokcho

We had our first break last week for Chuseok (추석) last week and unlike last year, I opted to leave the island. One of my friends and I talked about going toward the east coast of mainland Korea since last April. We were originally thinking of camping, but with a lack of vehicle, it is kind of hard getting to any of the camping locations. So instead we decided we would head to the small coastal city of Sokcho (속초) for a couple days.

The bus was pretty comfy in comparison to the buses I've been on in N.A.

We drove through beautiful scenery as we crossed the country.

The town is not only on the sea, but also next to a chain of mountains. Even the bus trip to the city was stunning as we wove between and under. There are a couple lakes in and beside the town, too, making some stunning views.

I walked around this lake my first morning. I love seeing the mountains in the distance. 

Same lake as above, the next day. Such a stark difference.

We really didn't know what we were supposed to be doing. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Being by the water, we saw so many seafood restaurants. As my friend had a seafood allergy, we didn't try any--and honestly we struggled a bit finding non-seafood restaurants. Plus, with the Chuseok holiday, a lot of restaurants and shops were closed at different times, making it even harder. ㅎㅎ But we did find things in the end.

We found these boats in a side lot. I thought they looked cool, despite being out of the water.

Heading toward the Expo-area. (Different lake from earlier pictures).

Heading down to the beach! Want to ride in a boat? 

Beach Selfie!

We stayed at the beach a couple hours until it got dark and got to see fireworks. People were setting them off up and down the beach. There were also lanterns for sale and you could write something on the thin material before releasing them into the sky. It was so pretty! (Although I wondered where the lanterns would end up landing later...).

Make a wish!

My friend, Gym Battling

Pokemon Go...

Sokcho is also the only place in South Korea that you can play the popular Pokemon Go, which has released in many countries around the world over the course of the summer. But not in Korea. Despite the fact that Korea is one of the leading gaming countries, Pokemon Go is currently in compatible because the game functions using Google Maps. A very basic form of Google Maps does exist in Korea--enough to give you a rough transit route--but not enough for the game. South Korea is still technically at war with the North, so no one knows if the government will agree to give Google what it needs to make fully working maps. Also, Naver and Daum are two Korean companies that currently monopolize the map software for the peninsula. If Google were to be added, they could also take a hit financially...

Me as a Gym Leader

How the game looks in Sokcho.

So how does Sokcho work? I don't know. It's a glitch, but one that has boosted tourism to the already popular tourist town. (For a while, you could also play in Ulsan, but I heard recently that it doesn't work as well anymore). Unlike when I opened the game in Canada, there are no streets marked. It's like your floating in a sea with random stops and gyms floating in the distance.

In some ways, it was really funny. While walking around, my friend and I saw so many people playing. Groups of friends and foreigners, yes, but also families and couples. We even saw a girl in Hanbok (한복, traditional Korean clothing) playing with her boyfriend. Near the beach, there were four Pokestops in close proximity. If you stood in the right spot, you could access three of them at the same time. People brought chairs and blankets and then camped out, setting up lures to attract more pokemon.

People crowding around the Pokestops near the beach.

Because Sokcho is the only place in Korea where you can play the game, I can see why people want to spend their vacations playing, making the most of the opportunity. But, I couldn't help feel a little sad and hollow at the thought of coming to such a beautiful town and spending all your time glued to a screen. There is so much more to see and do. My friend isn't much of a hiker, but just outside of Sokcho you can go to Seoraksan (설악산), which is one of the more popular mountains in the country. There is also a waterpark nearby (alas, no swimsuit this time), and a number of museums, too.

I'm glad I went, and I hope that I can go again to do more of the things just outside of the city. Three days was not long enough. ㅎㅎ.

And now... back to school, I suppose.

Love and Hugs

A Day in Busan

One of the first things we did in Busan was teach this Korean
 할머니 (grandmother) the purpose of a selfie-stick. 

I almost called this post, "Busan, Round 2" but I thought this title was more accurate since my friend and I were only in Busan for a day--not even 24 hours if you want to be more exact. We landed at 10 in the morning and were gone just after 9 the next day.

We bought the tickets last week on a whim and then planned out a rough itinerary the night before thanks to a quick google search. Both of us were keen to see anything and we knew would have fun because we were travelling together. Still, I did not expect our day to be so full and so... productive. I think that's the only word for it.

So, here are a couple more things that you can do in Busan. (Click for what I talked about last time)

Meeting up with Changho to start our adventure!

Markets: 국제시장 & 부평깡통시장!
Like many airports, Gimhae is not in central Busan and it takes a while to get into the city. So, we decided to head to Gukje Market (국제시장) first--arriving just in time to explore a bit and grab some food. If you have the time, it's a lot of fun perusing what you can get at a Korean market.

Welcome to the visual chaos at the threshold.

From food to clothes to odds and ends, there are all sorts of things available. Some joke that you can get everything except for a husband or wife at some of the big markets around the country. Plus, you can find some delicious food to munch on while you explore (like Hoddeok/호뗙 a sweet fried rice cake, sorta, and ddeokbboki/떡뽁이 spicy rice cakes). We weren't as hungry as we thought we might be so we didn't actually eat a lot at the market and soon moved on.

Get your ddeokbboki/떡뽁이and extras here! 

That's a lot of
ice cream...

Nampo (남포) & Yongdusan Park (용두산 공원)

Who doesn't want a picture with a giant
pikachu doll?

Changho said that the market was for "older" people (and it's true we saw a lot of middle aged women and older buying things for their homes and such), so he urged us onward to the "young" area. If you've been to Seoul, think Hongdae/Shinchon (홍대/신촌). There were a lot of restaurants and bars as well as the necessary cute knickknack shops. Naturally, we explored a couple.

Our exploration led to the foot of an escalator leading up to Yongdusan. Yes, an escalator. It went up to the park but then you had to walk back down the stairs. ㅎㅎ. You can pay to go up the tower on the top of the mountain (very small mountain, I should qualify ㅋㅋㅋㅋ) and I think it was under 10,000 KRW, but as we were there in the middle of the day and it was cloudy, we decided not to. Night scapes are sometimes better from city towers. It was a relaxing space and we saw many ahjussis (아저씨) sleeping on benches. There was also an outdoor platform that looked like it was for concerts. Très cute.

Riding up the escalator because we can.  

At the top of the mountain.

Dala 100% Chocolate: Bingsu 
Address: 부산광역시 부산진구 전포대로209번길 18
*We were near Seomyeon station (서면역), but I don't know if that was the closest subway station*
In the hot humid weather, nothing is better than enjoying a delicious, cold, bingsu with friends. Especially when there is a giant dinosaur egg sitting on top.

bingsu bingsu bingsu

If you don't know what a Bingsu is, it is a shaved ice dessert, so similar in some ways to ice cream. I think typically they are made with flakes of condensed milk, but you can also find them made with ice. Usually a scoop of ice cream is added on top along with other toppings depending on your flavour of choice.

I'm not really a fan of chocolate and ice cream things--I just find they are too rich for me--but this treat was too cool to not try at least once. They cave you a small meat tenderizer (yeah... weird... but still) that you used like a hammer to bash the dino egg. Inside was a... a secret. You could order all sorts of other chocolaty treats if you didn't feel like bingsu. Choices for everyone!

Haeundae* (해운대)
Let's go to the beach!

Walking along the beach feels so nice!

Beach season is "officially" closed, but there were still a few people out swimming in the water. In the heat, I wished I had brought a swimsuit for a dip, too. Wading felt so good! But you had to be careful where you stepped. There were a number of jellyfish washed up onto the sand. I don't much about jellyfish, but I didn't want to get hurt by mistake--even though I really wanted to touch one.

Diana playing in the sand. 

Centum City, Spaland (신세계 스파랜드)
And last, but not least... Diana's favourite part of our trip: Spaland. This Jjimjilbang (찜질방) is located inside a mall. There is a discounted price if you go after 8pm, so we ate dinner and killed some time before going in. Some of us could easily have spent a full day here... sleeping. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ.

Wearing my lamb ears!

After you pay, they give you a wrist band and you then use this to monitor your tab inside the spa (so food and spa treatments). There were multiple sauna rooms ranging in temperatures. My friend said he saw a negative one, but the coldest I saw was 14 degrees. The hottest was in the 60s. I don't really like hot rooms, so I didn't try any, but both Diana and Changho explored a few. I enjoyed the footbath area as well as the really comfortable chairs in the lounge room. (They also have a room for sleeping).

And then of course, there are also the baths. Various temperatures are again available and there are also numerous shower and wash stations. They even provide some soap and shampoo if you didn't bring your own!

We stayed until almost midnight (when they close) and then made our way across the city to beds. Well... I went to bed. Diana had slept at Spaland and had energy to spare. I did not. ㅎㅎ

Definitely a good day in Busan and I hope to go back for more adventures in the future!

Love and Hugs.

Busan, At Last

(Dated 7.29-31.2016)

I thought that my second attempt to go to Busan would end at that: an attempt. As I was on my way to the airport Friday after work, I got the first message that my flight was delayed about an hour. Something to do with a congested runway, I think. That hour turned into 2.5, but my plane did take off and I made it at last to the seaside city.

What a weekend. Very little sleep (in part due to surprise adventures and misinformation) and too many mosquito bites later (seriously. over 35 on my right leg alone. I am so itchy!), I returned tired but happy to Jeju. Here are two of the highlights of my weekend. With a one more typical tourist things, and one a little less tourist-y. Ha.

Starting with the latter: My Night Hike of Busan
This was partly unexpected due to missing information. I was told we were going on a night hike by my host so I expected a late night, but what I didn't know was that it was a hike to see the sunrise. Oops. I generally don't do all nighters. Sleep and I have a somewhat jealous relationship. We can't stand being apart for too long, but well, I suppose waiting for the sunrise is a good reason.

From a hidden beach at around 00:30.

We started in Nampo-dong (남포동) and headed toward the water, walking along the coast when we could as we headed east. Out trail eventually led to Bongraesan (봉래산) which was the most strenuous climb on our hike and the tallest peak out of the three on our route.

From the top of Bongraesan at around 3:00.

The sky beginning to change colour as we waited for the sunrise. It was really humid/hazy... 5:20.

We slowly made our way along the mountain range, south to the smallest peak which also had the best view of the sunrise. It was a little cloudy, but it was still stunning. I was well beyond tired, and we still had to get down, but I was definitely happy that I said yes to the hike.

At last we saw the sun break through the cloud cover, 5:50.

Next, Gamcheon Cultural Village (감천문화마을)
This village is one of the more famous tourist spots of Busan. It's a whole neighbourhood that used to be a real eyesore in the city and was known for being really poor. Then, sometime in the later half of the 1900s, people started painting the buildings and from there it became a work of art. Now people come from all over to see how this poor community changed into something beautiful. I don't know how the residence feel about that, but it is somewhat cool to walk around. There are a number of cool things to look at and there are some awesome lookouts, too.

My first view of the village. Can you find the building shaped like a mug?

After walking around, I came to this lookout toward the sea and couldn't resist a picture!

I paid a couple thousand won to get a stamp booklet and map. It takes you through the village with some information about key areas and some of the artworks. You can also collect 16 stamps and get 2 postcards. As I love maps and finding things, this was right up my alley.

Canadian fish must swim together. It took me a while to find this little guy.

I didn't really have a huge agenda for that Saturday afternoon and I really enjoyed slowly exploring the village during the afternoon. The village is a tourist spot for a reason and I think it is definitely worth a visit. I think it's really amazing how the people came together to turn something rundown into something people really want to visit and explore.

All in all, I loved my first trip to Busan and hopefully when I'm next there I'll be able to see more cool things and awesome people.

Onto the next adventure, I suppose. =P

Love and Hugs.

What They Don't tell you about the CN Tower

My mum and I wanted to do something new this summer--something we both had never done--and so we decided to go up the CN Tower. Despite living so close to Toronto, we haven't fully explored the GTA like a tourist. Thus, our adventure began. The following are things we wished we had known before we went. Nothing major, but small stuff that no one really talks about.

Looking down from the skypod, the sun at our backs.

What's the line like?
We told a number of people that we were going and yet not one thought to mention that you FIRST line up to buy your tickets and THEN you line up to get to the elevator. Maybe it seems obvious to some, but I think it's worth being said that the wait times are different. Wait time for elevators can be less than 45 minutes at a good time, or more than an hour and a half at peek times. So if you are aiming to be at the top for sunset or even daylight, don't wait too late or by the time you get to the top, it will be dark.

The Skypod - Line B. If you choose to do skypod, there will be another line-up. There are multiple elevators ferrying people up to the main viewing area, but there is only one elevator for the skypod, so again, if you are hoping to see sunset, or something, make sure to account for time. Also, I found the windows in the skypod kind of weird. They are at awkward angles so taking pictures without glare was a bit of a challenge. Nothing bad, but now you know.

Sunset through the Skypod windows.

My mum and I bought our ticket at 7pm, grabbed a quick bite and were in line by 720. We made it up to the main deck by 822 and then just made it to the skypod for 846. Sunset was recorded as 852. It was tight. Still, we made it and we were able to see the night lights come alive across the city.

As we left the CN Tower behind, it was lighting up the night sky.

Consider: Night or Day?
Maybe you want to go and like my mum and I, you've lived around the GTA your whole life. If your time is flexible, then consider during the day or in the evening. In the day, if it is clear, they say you can see Niagara Falls and somewhere in New York State (from the Skypod). You might even be able to see your neighbourhood. I night scene, too, is beautiful. In some ways, you don't see as much, but in others, a night scene shows you so much more. So think about it before you go.

The sun setting; the beginnings of a city blinking to life

 Now, I am at the airport preparing to head back to Korea for another year of who knows. To those I didn't get to see this summer, I hope you are well and dandy. To those I did, I'm glad it worked out. And to everyone, until next time.

Love and Hugs.

Look, Mum! Monkeys!

Well, it's just about time to head back to Korea. It's been a fun couple of weeks and I had a lot of fantastic experiences here in Malaysia, but I am ready to sleep in my own bed again. I am also looking forward to some good Korean food.  I have enjoyed the food in Malaysia and Singapore, but I like Korean food better. 

My first day on Peninsular Malaysia, my friend Jade and I trekked it out to the Batu Caves.  The Caves double as, well, caves, and a temple.  It's a pretty touristy-spot, but a cool one nonetheless.  Be amazed at the impressive exterior and giant statue:

A shot of the stairs leading up to the temple as well as the giant statue.

You can go all the way up and into the temple section, but in addition, near the top their is a cave veering off where you can go on a tour and learn more about the caves in general. The cave tour features lots of bats overhead (some squeaking some not) and other cave dwellers. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any snakes but we did see lots of spiders, a rat and a couple centipedes and cockroaches.  Yum yum.

Jade and I inside the cave-cave portion. Women can't wear shorts up the stairs to the temple so we have makeshift skirts.

 But, the best part of the experience was seeing all of the monkeys.  They came right up to the stairs and wove between the pedestrians.  I was borrowing Jade's camera and was able to snap some awesome shots.  I feel like a stellar photographer now!

Monkey 1!

Mother and child--although Jade and I agreed that it's a pretty big baby.

Same Mother and Child as above, only they followed us around the corner--or maybe we followed them.

 And of course, another couple more monkeys here:

Love and Hugs.