Herb Hillz & Gatbawi

On Saturday Blair, Britney, Laura and I went to Herb Hillz, an “eco-theme park” here in Daegu. The park has various gardens, a petting zoo, and six ropes courses. We did the King Kong course, the park’s longest course which included three zip lines. We spent nearly two hours enjoying the ropes course with no supervision. It was a lot of fun.

Herb Hillz.

On Sunday we hiked Gatbawi. Gatbawi is a Buddhist statue built upon a mountain outside Daegu. The statue dates back to Silla Kingdom. We spent most of the afternoon hiking the area. Once we reached the top, we watched as dozens of people prayed at the site. It was quite a unique sight to see.

The Temple at the base of Gatbawi. 

Gatbawi.

The view from Gatbawi.

Chuseok (Hongdo & Heuksando)

Last weekend, Blair and I explored the far reaches of southwestern Korea during Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). We left Daegu Friday night and made our way to Mokpo, a rather large port city on the west coast. We arrived in Mokpo just after 1:00 am and quickly checked into a love motel to get a few hours of sleep before our 7:50 am ferry departure. The ferry terminal in Mokpo services Jeju and most islands to the west.

Our first destination of the weekend was Hongdo (Red Island). Hongdo is a tiny island located southwest of Mokpo in the Yellow Sea. The island is a part of Dadohaehaesang National Park, Korea’s largest national park. The entire island itself is declared a National Monument. Thus people are not allowed to enter areas other than the villages. Since its protected land, visitors are forbidden to bring out even one stone from the island.

The only way to the island is by boat. You won’t see any cars on the island, just a scooter or two. There are two tiny villages on the island with only a few hundred residents combined.

After two and half hours aboard the ferry we arrived at Hongdo before noon. I was instantly taken aback by the island’s stunning scenery and simple charm. The pace of life was far removed from the hustle and bustle of the mainland. There was no sound of traffic, only the sound of a gentle sea breeze and rolling waves in the distance. The air was the freshest I have breathed in months. The salty air was welcoming and very refreshing. Since I grew up most of my life along the ocean I felt right at home.

Approaching Hongdo.

As we made our way past the dock and through the narrow alleys of the village, I knew it was a place I was going to enjoy. We found a quaint minbak (homestay/bed) with a balcony that had amazing views of the harbor. After settling in and eating some ramen, we walked back to the dock and purchased tickets for a boat tour around the island. 

Our minbak.

The boat tour was a two hour journey along the island’s stunning coastline. Most of the coastline is made of rocky vertical cliffs reaching hundreds of feet high. The deep turquoise sea seemed to beautifully contrast the red rock while evergreen trees blanketed many of the rocks and peaks. The views around the island were amazing. It didn’t look like anything you’d expect to see in Korea. 

The boat tour around the island.

After the boat tour we spent the evening enjoying the island’s relaxed atmosphere and trying some it’s unique seafood (including 소라 which is similar to a conch, or an edible sea snail, Blair thinks...).

Trying some 소라.

The next morning, we explored some of the island’s trails and pebble beach. That afternoon, we slowly packed up our belongings in preparation for our next destination. We really enjoyed our stay on Hongdo, it’s a great place to relax and take in beautiful scenery. It’s easily one of my favorite places in Korea thus far.

The views of Hangdo from our hike.

 The pebble beach.

View of the harbor.

Our next destination was Heuksando, an island about an hour from Hongdo. Heuksando is a larger, more developed island, but still just as peaceful as Hongdo. We stayed in the island’s main fishing village. The small fishing village is much like the ones you’d see in New England. The village was well stocked with plenty of fresh seafood.

Heuksando's fishing village.

The next morning, we took a bus tour around the island with a group of friendly Koreans. The weather wasn’t ideal, but we were able to see some of the coast as the weather eventually cleared.

Around Heuksando.

Late that afternoon, we got back on the ferry to Mokpo. Once in Mokpo we made our way back to Daegu and ate an amazing dinner along the way. In all, it was an amazing trip and one of my favorites so far. It was well worth the journey and money spent.

World Championships

From August 27^th to September 4^th, track and field athletes from all over the world gathered here in Daegu to compete in IAAF World Championships. As a huge track and field fan, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to attend the event. It is considered the third largest sporting event in the world after the Olympics and World Cup. I reserved my ticket for the Opening Ceremony and Day 1 of events almost two months in advance. I also managed to get tickets to Day 2 and Day 8 on site even though both days were sold out.

The Opening Ceremony.

Usain Bolt.

The games were exciting and a lot of fun. It was even more awesome that the games were held right here in Daegu. I got to see Usain Bolt (the world’s fastest man) qualify and disqualify in 100m, then win the 200m.  

Green Tea Plantations

This past Sunday, Blair and I went to the Boseong Green Tea Plantations. Our journey began early in the morning and after 6 hours of traveling on three different buses we arrived at the green tea fields around mid-afternoon. Unlike most cities and towns in Korea, Boseong and most places westward of Daegu are a little more difficult to get to because there are no direct trains linking the areas. Nonetheless, the long journey by means of bus wasn't too bad.

The plantations in Boseong date back to the 1930s when colonialists from Japan established the area’s first commercial tea plantation. The area was chosen because of its soil, humidity, and day-night temperature differences which is perfect for tea cultivation.

We were dropped off along the road near the green tea fields and we quickly made our past small souvenir and green tea shops. Along the way, we decided to grab some green tea ice cream. The ice cream was delicious, I even contemplated getting seconds. As we ate our ice cream, we slowly made our way to the entrance of the green tea fields. Once inside, we were impressed how big the area actually was, it is setup much like a park. One can easily spend many hours exploring the fields, trails, and surrounding forest.

The green tea plants were aligned in winding rows which grew up the mountainside. It was an amazing sight to see even from the bottom. We slowly made our way upward through the winding rows of green tea plants and arrived at the top after a bit of hike. The view of the sweeping field was even more amazing from the top. The view was calming as the scent of green tea gently floated upon the breeze. On our way out, we stopped at a tea shop and enjoyed a freshly brewed pot of tea for only 1,000 won (about a dollar). I’m a big fan of green tea (it’s my favorite) and this tea was one of the best I've ever had.

After spending the afternoon at the plantation, we started making our way back to Daegu. We arrived back in Daegu just before midnight. It was a long day that included a lot of traveling, but it was totally worth it. 

Rainy Weekend in Seoul

On Saturday, I went to Seoul for the first time. We had Monday off for Korea's Independence Day. My coworker and I spent most of the weekend shopping since it was raining nearly the entire time. Nonetheless, we enjoyed shopping and got to explore many parts of the city. We also scored some good deals at H&M and Forever 21.

On Sunday, the weather cleared up a bit, so we decided to go to Gyeongbok Palace. We got there just in time for the changing of the royal guards. We really enjoyed the ceremony. We spent most of the afternoon exploring the vast palace grounds.

Gyeongbokgung is the main and largest palace of the "Five Grand Palaces" built in Seoul by the Joseon Dynasty and dates back to 1394. 

 Gyeongbok Palace.

We had a good time in Seoul. It’s a really nice city, but I much prefer living in Daegu because it’s cheaper, smaller, and feels a bit more traditional. 

China, Part 2 (Xi'an)

The next day, Andy and I ended up flying to Xi’an. Our original plan was to take an overnight sleeper train, but we learned that all the sleepers were sold out days in advance. The train had only hard seats available and Andy wasn’t very eager to travel that for 12 hours overnight. I was a little more willing because I’m all about traveling on the cheap and wouldn't have minded being uncomfortable for awhile if in the process I saved myself $100. However, I decided to “bite the bullet” and spent a little more than I wanted, giving us an extra night in Beijing. Not to mention, the flight was only an hour and 40 minutes long.

We arrived early in the morning.  After checking into our hostel, we spent the day exploring the city. We got to see the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the City Wall, and  the Wild Goose Pagoda. Xi’an is one of China’s oldest cities and most of its historical sites are well over a thousand years old. There was a very different feel in Xi'an than there was in Beijing. The pace of life there seemed a bit slower, yet it had much more charm.

 The Drum Tower.

 The Bell Tower in the distance.

Biking on the City Wall.

The Wild Goose Pagoda.

The next morning, we headed to Mount Hua Shan for a hike.  I learned about this hike while reading an article in Travel and Leisure magazine, “World’s Scariest Hikes.” Their website had a video link of the hike (Mount Hua Hike Video). After watching the video, I knew it was something that I had to do one day. The hike became the inspiration for my trip to China!

Mount Hua Shan is known as 'The Number One Precipitous Mountain under Heaven'. It’s one of the five sacred mountains in China and has a long history of religious significance. Various Taoist temples dot the mountain’s five peaks. We boarded a bus near the Xi’an train station and two hours later arrived near the base of the mountain. Since we were limited on time, the cable car took us halfway up, but we were able to hike the rest of the way. The views near the top were amazing.

  The mountain’s cliff path was our ultimate destination. After hiking for about three hours through the clouds and in the rain, we finally arrived. It was an incredible sight to see. The path appeared even more intimating in person, to the point where I was doubting my ability and talking myself out of attempting it. It looked scarier than I imagined; a straight descent along small metal bars that were built into the mountain. The fact that it was raining and everything was wet, thus slippery, made the situation seem even more precarious. For a very lengthy moment, the thought crossed my mind to back out of the whole thing. Meanwhile, Andy had strapped right in to his harness and started on his way.After about 15 minutes, I gave the cliff path one final look and thought to myself, "I came all the way to China for this moment; I can’t back out now".  I put my stuff down, strapped myself in, and made my way down to the path. I would have truly regretted it had I not. I was surprised how safe and at ease I felt once I started making my way down. It looked much scarier than it actually was.

 The experience was amazing. It was quite the rush, almost spiritual like. Every thought and worry I ever had seemed to disappear for a moment as I took in all the beautiful scenery around me. There’s just something indescribable about nature when you see it on such a massive scale.  It makes me feel so small, yet, on top of the world. I’ve always been drawn to nature, and this was the most amazing sight I have seen yet! 

 Approaching the cliff path.

 Heading down to the path.

 After the cliff path, we made our way back down the mountain. We arrived back at our hostel around 8:00 pm. Then we treated ourselves to some typical Chinese food, KFC (our greatest export), they’re everywhere in China.

The next day, I had a few hours to visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors before my train departure. By the time we actually made it there, I had less than an hour to explore. Nonetheless, I got to see the main building, which was very impressive. The sculptures date back to 210-209 BC.

The Terra-Cotta Warriors.

At noon, I had to catch the train. I ended up taking the train to Tianjin (an 18 hour train ride), then the high-speed to Beijing (the only option available at the time). Once I arrived in Beijing, I got into a taxi and made my way to the airport. I made my plane just in time. After an hour and 45 minute flight I landed in Seoul, then it was a 4 hour bus ride back to Daegu. It was nice to be home after nearly 30 hours straight on some form of transportation.

 The hard sleepers on train.

China was amazing experience. I saw a lot in a short amount of time and got to experience some the country's unique culture. I also met a lot of friendly and interesting travelers along the way.