My trip to East Asia lasted three months. In the region, I travelled about 15,000km. It started in Tokyo from where I went to Kyoto and Hiroshima. Taiwan was next and it was a very pleasant surprise. I had little knowledge of the country and zero expectations. I visited Taipei, Taichung, Chiayi, Fenqihu, Alishan, Kaohsiung, … Continue reading / view photos East Asia itinerary
Tag: South Korea
Non-stop rain in Seoul
It rained and rained and rained on my last day in South Korea. I searched for some indoor activity and settled on going to the National Museum of Korea. My hostel owner gave me an umbrella and I made my way to the museum by bus and metro. In the photo on the right below, … Continue reading / view photos Non-stop rain in Seoul
War Memorial of Korea
In all my time in Seoul, both before and after going to Busan, I’d stayed in this lovely hostel run by a considerate owner. It was well located, reasonably priced, close to a grocer, and had all the facilities I wanted: washing machine and dryer (both free to use), kitchen, and dining/lounge area. They even … Continue reading / view photos War Memorial of Korea
Baegundae Peak
Samgaksan is the highest mountain in the chain of mountains to the north of Seoul and consists of three high peaks named Baegundae (836m), Insubong (810m) and Mangyeongdae (787m). When people saw the mountain from a particular location, it looked like three horns. These three peaks were collectively named Samgaksan (literally ‘three-horned mountain’). You can … Continue reading / view photos Baegundae Peak
The demilitarized zone
I did a day-tour today to the DMZ, which is the demilitarized zone between South and North Korea. The DMZ is 250 km wide and 4km deep. Before the Korean War, the border was on the 38th north parallel. At the end of the war, there was a scramble to gain territory, which replaced the … Continue reading / view photos The demilitarized zone
EWHA Womans University Museum, Gangnam, and Itaewon
My hostel is next to the EWHA Womans University. I’d not ventured to look at the university but today I did. There’s a small museum in the university. The campus looks like a beautiful place to study. Gangnam is now famous. It’s a large district and one of the most expensive places to live in … Continue reading / view photos EWHA Womans University Museum, Gangnam, and Itaewon
Into the future at Dongdaemun Design Plaza
After leaving Hongdae, I headed for the futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza. It exemplifies Seoul — the most modern of cities I’d been to around the world. It looks like a spaceship and even has an alien-like figure staring at it. There’s not much in the museum or adjoining buildings but the building itself is the … Continue reading / view photos Into the future at Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Hip Hongdae
Named after Hongik University, Hongdae is one of those neighbourhoods that was once cheap to live in and given a new lease of life by artists and musicians until it became impossible to ignore. Gentrification followed and the upmarket brands moved in. Despite that, the area is still known for its indie music scene, urban … Continue reading / view photos Hip Hongdae
Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival
After my taxi journey from the temple to Singyeongju Station, I was standing on the platform waiting for my train. At one point, I heard a train coming. By the time I’d switched on my camera and was ready to take a photo of the train, it flashed by without stopping! The KTX trains are … Continue reading / view photos Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival
Gogulsa temple stay
On my last day in Gyeongju, it rained all day, and I didn’t get out at all. So, I had only one full day in Gyeongju because I’d already booked my next stop. This, alas, stopped me seeing the sites (that I’d seen previous day) at night, when they’re illuminated. On my list of things … Continue reading / view photos Gogulsa temple stay