South Korea
Room with a view - Seoul.
…when out of the blue came an almighty roar. Deafening shouting through a loudspeaker shattered the peacefulness that we had become so accustomed to. We thought it was an over zealous preacher in the nearby church. We went in search of this noisy rhetoric. It wasn’t coming from the church, it was out on the main wide streets - a very, very loud political demonstration. I had to chase it down…
Read MoreA couple of hours on the train and we arrived in Jeonju, which means ‘perfect location’. This is our penultimate destination. Located in central South Korea, it is known for its cuisine and is home to the Bibimbap. I have eaten bibimbap in every location we have stayed in, so I think I can call myself an expert. The stakes are high.
Read MoreTaepyung Salt Fields was our destination, but it appeared closed despite me talking to someone who assured me it was open for visitors. Not wanting to give up, we left the Taepyung Visitors Site and went over to the fields to see for ourselves how the salt was created.
Read MoreRoom with a view. Mokpo.
…what I see are vast, flat, empty spaces filled with a diverse ecosystem, with layered mountains forming screens in the distance. The wetlands are tidal and at the time of our visit it was a very low tide. Beautifully empty, beautifully still and beautifully mesmerising.
Read MoreNestled into the side of a mountain are the terraced houses of Gamcheon Culture Village. With its waves of colourful roofs and narrow winding alleys.
Read MoreRoom with a view - Nampo.
…Food in Busan is no different but it’s on another level. Busan is all about food, especially seafood - there are fish markets, fish stalls, restaurants, night food markets, bakeries - street after street, food is everywhere...
Read MoreRoom with a view - Pungcheon, Andong.
We arrived in Andong and travelled some 25km out to our short pit-stop in Pungcheon. A little Milton Keynes-esk and unfinished. It’s obviously a new town and has yet to establish itself.
Read MoreWe travelled by bus through the most atrocious weather, over to the eastside of S. Korea to Gangneung, a coastal city with the ‘scent of pine and coffee permeating throughout’.
Read MoreThe Hanbok is the traditional dress of Koreans with bright colours, simple lines, and no pockets. Here you can hire them and later I found out if you wear the Hanbok you get free entrance into ‘the places’.
Read MoreThe Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) is a 4km wide strip of land that runs across the Korean Peninsula to act as a buffer between North and South Korea.
Read MoreSeoul is an undulating, sprawling metropolis filled with industry and urbanisation overshadowing the pockets of the old traditional life.
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