...watch this and you'll suddenly feel a lot better about yourself.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Insane weekend II, part 3: Busan
My friend and I woke up the next day to a somewhat overcast day, which was a huge improvement over the previous day, when it was pouring rain. Considering that this was our last day in Busan and some of the stuff we wanted to do was outdoors, it was quite a lucky break.
The first place we decided to go to was Haeundae Beach, which is often considered the best beach in Korea. It is also the most famous, and is often crowded with people. The sun was peaking out at times, but it wasn't too busy when we were there.
The gorgeous Haeundae Beach.
Considering that Seoul isn't close to the water and the nearest coastline in Incheon is pretty gritty, and that the Han River that runs through Seoul is so polluted that my friend and I saw a dead fish floating there once, seeing a beach like this was refreshing.
After the beach, we went for a sushi lunch at Centum City, and then decided to wander around. We eventually hit a beach called Gwangalli, where we had a great view of the Busan skyline.
The Busan skyline from Gwangalli.
After Gwangalli, we went on the visit the United Nations cemetery. The UN has a special place in this city because Busan was one of the only two major cities (along with Daegu) not to fall under North Korean control during the Korean War.
Flags of Korean War participants at the UN Cemetery.
The monument for Canadian, British, Australian and South African soldiers.
Canadian graves at the UN Cemetery.
The monument for Canadian soldiers.
General view of graves at the UN Cemetery.
The wall of foreign Korean War military casualties.
The Canadian section of the wall.
We were rather late by the time we finished, and the guard actually locked the gates by the time we got there. But the guard was nowhere to be found. Somehow, we managed to find someone who could track him down, and we finally left for Busan Station. We got there a little later than I would've liked but we made it.
The KTX trip back to Seoul was timely and hassle-free, but it was raining by the time we got back -- a big shift from the sunshine we had in Busan. Apparently it was raining even harder in Seoul the day before than Busan, so I guess we shouldn't complain.
The first place we decided to go to was Haeundae Beach, which is often considered the best beach in Korea. It is also the most famous, and is often crowded with people. The sun was peaking out at times, but it wasn't too busy when we were there.
The gorgeous Haeundae Beach.
Considering that Seoul isn't close to the water and the nearest coastline in Incheon is pretty gritty, and that the Han River that runs through Seoul is so polluted that my friend and I saw a dead fish floating there once, seeing a beach like this was refreshing.
After the beach, we went for a sushi lunch at Centum City, and then decided to wander around. We eventually hit a beach called Gwangalli, where we had a great view of the Busan skyline.
The Busan skyline from Gwangalli.
After Gwangalli, we went on the visit the United Nations cemetery. The UN has a special place in this city because Busan was one of the only two major cities (along with Daegu) not to fall under North Korean control during the Korean War.
Flags of Korean War participants at the UN Cemetery.
The monument for Canadian, British, Australian and South African soldiers.
Canadian graves at the UN Cemetery.
The monument for Canadian soldiers.
General view of graves at the UN Cemetery.
The wall of foreign Korean War military casualties.
The Canadian section of the wall.
We were rather late by the time we finished, and the guard actually locked the gates by the time we got there. But the guard was nowhere to be found. Somehow, we managed to find someone who could track him down, and we finally left for Busan Station. We got there a little later than I would've liked but we made it.
The KTX trip back to Seoul was timely and hassle-free, but it was raining by the time we got back -- a big shift from the sunshine we had in Busan. Apparently it was raining even harder in Seoul the day before than Busan, so I guess we shouldn't complain.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Insane weekend II, part 2: Busan
After arriving at Yongsan Station from Gwangju, I went straight home, had a VERY late dinner, and went to bed around 1:00am. At around 6:00am, I woke up once again to travel across South Korea. This time, my destination was Busan (부산/釜山).
I've only been to Busan once before, and that was only during a layover en route to Fukuoka. This time, I went with a friend and the plan was to stay overnight there before heading back the next evening.
The trip to Busan was faster than the trip to Gwangju, thanks to high-speed rails continuing all the way to Daegu -- almost twice as much as the route to Gwangju. We imagined going to the beaches in Busan and enjoying the open air, a refreshing change from the crowds of Seoul.
And then we arrived. And it was RAINING HARD. Damn.
The first thing we did was head towards our hostel. It was a bit hard to find, but the guy who runs the hostel was very helpful and led us to it. I was at a hostel in Japan in May, and it was kind of what I expected. But this hostel was much different.
The view of Busan from the hostel.
For starters, this hostel was on the 15th floor of an apartment building. It had a great view of Busan, unlike the hostel in Japan, which had a great view of... the parking lot.
Also, this hostel was pretty big. Its common area was huge and spacious. The place was built as an apartment, so it felt more like a home than a hostel. The layout of the place encouraged more mingling among guests. One thing that I also noticed was that the place was incredibly clean; apparently it won a cleanest hostel award a while back. The host, June, was extremely helpful in offering advice about where to sightsee, even on this rainy day.
After looking for a while for a place to eat, we settled on bibimbap. It was pretty decently priced and good.
Since it was one of the rainiest days in a long time, indoor activities seemed best. So the first place we went to was the Shinsegae Centum City department store, which is the largest one in the world.
The underground subway entrance to Shinsegae Centum City.
The fountain at the underground entrance to Shinsegae Centum City.
Interior view of Shinsegae Centum City.
Across from Shinsegae Centum City is the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), which is one of the largest convention centers in the country and has the largest exhibition hall in the world.
Interior view of BEXCO.
Needless to say, the place was huge.
After that, we went to have dinner. We settled on barbecued chicken, which was a bit spicy but I didn't show signs of distress, with me being the macho man and all. (Granted, this macho man listens to Miley Cyrus, but... actually, yeah. Scratch that. I'm not macho.)
We went to the hostel afterwards and hoped for better weather the next day -- and promptly fell asleep.
---
Coming next:
I've only been to Busan once before, and that was only during a layover en route to Fukuoka. This time, I went with a friend and the plan was to stay overnight there before heading back the next evening.
The trip to Busan was faster than the trip to Gwangju, thanks to high-speed rails continuing all the way to Daegu -- almost twice as much as the route to Gwangju. We imagined going to the beaches in Busan and enjoying the open air, a refreshing change from the crowds of Seoul.
And then we arrived. And it was RAINING HARD. Damn.
The first thing we did was head towards our hostel. It was a bit hard to find, but the guy who runs the hostel was very helpful and led us to it. I was at a hostel in Japan in May, and it was kind of what I expected. But this hostel was much different.
The view of Busan from the hostel.
For starters, this hostel was on the 15th floor of an apartment building. It had a great view of Busan, unlike the hostel in Japan, which had a great view of... the parking lot.
Also, this hostel was pretty big. Its common area was huge and spacious. The place was built as an apartment, so it felt more like a home than a hostel. The layout of the place encouraged more mingling among guests. One thing that I also noticed was that the place was incredibly clean; apparently it won a cleanest hostel award a while back. The host, June, was extremely helpful in offering advice about where to sightsee, even on this rainy day.
After looking for a while for a place to eat, we settled on bibimbap. It was pretty decently priced and good.
Since it was one of the rainiest days in a long time, indoor activities seemed best. So the first place we went to was the Shinsegae Centum City department store, which is the largest one in the world.
The underground subway entrance to Shinsegae Centum City.
The fountain at the underground entrance to Shinsegae Centum City.
Interior view of Shinsegae Centum City.
Across from Shinsegae Centum City is the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), which is one of the largest convention centers in the country and has the largest exhibition hall in the world.
Interior view of BEXCO.
Needless to say, the place was huge.
After that, we went to have dinner. We settled on barbecued chicken, which was a bit spicy but I didn't show signs of distress, with me being the macho man and all. (Granted, this macho man listens to Miley Cyrus, but... actually, yeah. Scratch that. I'm not macho.)
We went to the hostel afterwards and hoped for better weather the next day -- and promptly fell asleep.
---
Coming next:
To Busan, day 2
Monday, July 19, 2010
Insane weekend II, part 1: Gwangju
In May, I did a crazy weekend trip out to Fukuoka and Hiroshima, Japan (1, 2, 3) and the DMZ (1) back-to-back in less than 4 days. I said to myself that I probably won't travel so insanely again until I leave Korea.
Yeah, right.
My school's classes finished on Wednesday, and I unexpectedly had Thursday off. Friday was already a day off, and I had already planned to go to Busan for the weekend with a friend. So now I have an extra day off, and my time in South Korea is limited. What did I do?
I decided to do another insane traveling weekend.
One of the places I was already considering was Gwangju (광주/光州), in the southwestern part of South Korea. Mainly, it's for historical interest; Gwangju was the site of a major political uprising and massacre during the country's period under military rule. One of the pivotal sites, the former Jeollanam provincial building, was being scheduled for demolition so it seemed a bit important to visit it now rather than later.
I woke up bright and early on Thursday morning. I live near Seoul Station, which serves most train routes going to other parts of the country, but in this particular case, the KTX bullet train to Gwangju started at Yongsan Station. I had to make an extra journey, but Yongsan isn't too far away. The trip to Gwangju takes a bit longer than usual because after Daejeon, the high-speed rails stop and the train goes at regular speed. After what felt like forever, I arrived at Gwangju Station.
Gwangju Station in all its glory.
Unlike some of the other KTX terminal stations, Gwangju Station is not connected to the subway system. I had to go on foot for a while to reach one, but in my stupidity during the planning phase, I didn't realize that there's another KTX station in Gwangju that DOES connect the subway. Whoops.
The Gwangju Subway has an interesting payment system. In Seoul, we have T-Money cards, which are contact-less smart cards that you use. One-time only tickets in Seoul work exactly like the cards, except you return them to a machine at the end to get your 500 KRW (50 cents CAD) card deposit back. Gwangju's system gives you a small POG-like token. It has a sensor inside, which you scan like a smart card. When you exit, you don't scan it. Instead, you insert the token in a slot, and the ticket machine swallows up the token and lets you out.
Views of a Gwangju Subway car. It's narrower and feels more cramped than Seoul's subway cars, but are a lot fancier.
My first stop was the former Jeollanam provincial offices. This building was the site of a lot of bloodshed and violence during South Korea's period under military rule; these uprisings eventually led to the democratization of South Korea, which is a source of pride among residents of Gwangju. One of the people involved in the uprisings was Kim Dae-Jung, who eventually became one of the most influential presidents of South Korea and unfortunately passed away on the day I arrived at Incheon airport last year. (Canadians: he was like the Koreans' version of Pierre Trudeau, except more activist-like.)
The former Jeollanam provincial offices, site of much bloodshed and violence during the Gwangju democratization uprisings in 1980.
When Gwangju became a self-governing metropolitan city, the capital of Jeollanam province (which Gwangju used to be a part of) moved out and the building was vacated. In the photo above, you can see demolition fences around the building, and much of the area looks like a construction zone at the moment. The fate of the building is uncertain, but in any case, my timing was impeccable.
After having lunch nearby, I went out to the 518 Memorial Park, which is dedicated to the victims and heroes of the uprisings (nicknamed "518" because of the uprising's starting date, hence the name of the park).
The 518 Memorial Park.
Afterwards, I decided to check out the World Cup Stadium. Officially named Guus Hiddink Stadium, it was one of the important venues of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea. It was named after the Dutch-born head coach of the South Korean team during that tournament. It was a bit far, and I decided to catch a taxi back rather than waste more time.
Gwangju World Cup Stadium, or Guus Hiddink Stadium.
Near Gwangju Station is another important site of the Gwangju uprisings, Chonnam National University. It was at this university that the uprisings started in the first place, and it shows. Throughout the university are structures dedicated to the uprisings as well as reminders of how democracy is something worth fighting for in the face of injustice.
Path near the entrance to Chonnam National University.
A plaque commemorating the university's role in the Gwangju uprisings.
A statue dedicated to the Gwangju uprisings.
After seeing the university, I headed back to Gwangju Station and started making my way home on the KTX... and got ready to head off across South Korea again the very next day, this time to Busan for two days.
---
Coming next:
Yeah, right.
My school's classes finished on Wednesday, and I unexpectedly had Thursday off. Friday was already a day off, and I had already planned to go to Busan for the weekend with a friend. So now I have an extra day off, and my time in South Korea is limited. What did I do?
I decided to do another insane traveling weekend.
One of the places I was already considering was Gwangju (광주/光州), in the southwestern part of South Korea. Mainly, it's for historical interest; Gwangju was the site of a major political uprising and massacre during the country's period under military rule. One of the pivotal sites, the former Jeollanam provincial building, was being scheduled for demolition so it seemed a bit important to visit it now rather than later.
I woke up bright and early on Thursday morning. I live near Seoul Station, which serves most train routes going to other parts of the country, but in this particular case, the KTX bullet train to Gwangju started at Yongsan Station. I had to make an extra journey, but Yongsan isn't too far away. The trip to Gwangju takes a bit longer than usual because after Daejeon, the high-speed rails stop and the train goes at regular speed. After what felt like forever, I arrived at Gwangju Station.
Gwangju Station in all its glory.
Unlike some of the other KTX terminal stations, Gwangju Station is not connected to the subway system. I had to go on foot for a while to reach one, but in my stupidity during the planning phase, I didn't realize that there's another KTX station in Gwangju that DOES connect the subway. Whoops.
The Gwangju Subway has an interesting payment system. In Seoul, we have T-Money cards, which are contact-less smart cards that you use. One-time only tickets in Seoul work exactly like the cards, except you return them to a machine at the end to get your 500 KRW (50 cents CAD) card deposit back. Gwangju's system gives you a small POG-like token. It has a sensor inside, which you scan like a smart card. When you exit, you don't scan it. Instead, you insert the token in a slot, and the ticket machine swallows up the token and lets you out.
Views of a Gwangju Subway car. It's narrower and feels more cramped than Seoul's subway cars, but are a lot fancier.
My first stop was the former Jeollanam provincial offices. This building was the site of a lot of bloodshed and violence during South Korea's period under military rule; these uprisings eventually led to the democratization of South Korea, which is a source of pride among residents of Gwangju. One of the people involved in the uprisings was Kim Dae-Jung, who eventually became one of the most influential presidents of South Korea and unfortunately passed away on the day I arrived at Incheon airport last year. (Canadians: he was like the Koreans' version of Pierre Trudeau, except more activist-like.)
The former Jeollanam provincial offices, site of much bloodshed and violence during the Gwangju democratization uprisings in 1980.
When Gwangju became a self-governing metropolitan city, the capital of Jeollanam province (which Gwangju used to be a part of) moved out and the building was vacated. In the photo above, you can see demolition fences around the building, and much of the area looks like a construction zone at the moment. The fate of the building is uncertain, but in any case, my timing was impeccable.
After having lunch nearby, I went out to the 518 Memorial Park, which is dedicated to the victims and heroes of the uprisings (nicknamed "518" because of the uprising's starting date, hence the name of the park).
The 518 Memorial Park.
Afterwards, I decided to check out the World Cup Stadium. Officially named Guus Hiddink Stadium, it was one of the important venues of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea. It was named after the Dutch-born head coach of the South Korean team during that tournament. It was a bit far, and I decided to catch a taxi back rather than waste more time.
Gwangju World Cup Stadium, or Guus Hiddink Stadium.
Near Gwangju Station is another important site of the Gwangju uprisings, Chonnam National University. It was at this university that the uprisings started in the first place, and it shows. Throughout the university are structures dedicated to the uprisings as well as reminders of how democracy is something worth fighting for in the face of injustice.
Path near the entrance to Chonnam National University.
A plaque commemorating the university's role in the Gwangju uprisings.
A statue dedicated to the Gwangju uprisings.
After seeing the university, I headed back to Gwangju Station and started making my way home on the KTX... and got ready to head off across South Korea again the very next day, this time to Busan for two days.
---
Coming next:
To Busan, day 1
To Busan, day 2
Sunday, July 4, 2010
If I was Jack Bauer, this would be the stupidest 24 hours of my life.
My plane ticket home has been confirmed.
I'll leave Seoul on August 15, and stay in Beijing until September 1.
However, the trip from Beijing to Vancouver will be a long one, since it's not a direct flight. I will have a layover in San Francisco for over 7 hours. Jack Bauer could save the world in the same amount of time it'll take for me to reach home. (Damn it, Chloe, give me a better flight!)
I'll leave Seoul on August 15, and stay in Beijing until September 1.
However, the trip from Beijing to Vancouver will be a long one, since it's not a direct flight. I will have a layover in San Francisco for over 7 hours. Jack Bauer could save the world in the same amount of time it'll take for me to reach home. (Damn it, Chloe, give me a better flight!)