I (Ryan) am admittedly not an adventurous traveler (when informed of this fact, Jane shouted, "WHAT?! NOW you tell me?!"). I could just as well spend the next two months seeing a museum each day, while spending evenings relaxing in a hotel pool. Yesterday, Jane and I satisfied my first urge by visiting the Beomeosa temple in Busan. The temple was idyllically set in the mountains of Busan. We spent our time wandering through the temple grounds, climbing a garden of rocks, and experiencing the mountain views, while walking (and sweating) a lot. But what about relaxation?
Ever the helpful guide, Jane shepherded me to a Korean bath (jjimjilbang) at the Hotel Nong Shim. The Hurshimchung Spa there features dozens of pools and saunas, a helpful staff, and the occasional English translation. It also required that Jane and I venture into separate male and female areas, leaving me on my own to confront the Korean language.
Jane and I agreed to meet about 10 minutes after entry in the unisex "Grand Resting Room." I started by stowing my shoes and clothes in an assigned locker, and then making my way to the showers and baths. Of course, this required me to be completely naked. While I have no issues with nudity under ordinary circumstances, I needed to locate the showers, arrange a robe rental, and find the "Grand Resting Room" all without the luxuries of pants or a rudimentary understanding of Korean. After forty minutes (fifteen of which were spent in a milk bath soaking/sulking after giving up any hope of locating Jane or making my way back home), I finally figured out how to rent my robe—which even at XXXL (Korean size) was comically tight. I finally located Jane nervously waiting outside the men's locker room, praying that I had found the strength to not board a plane back home just yet.
We lazed together in small, igloo shaped saunas, resting on the mats with nothing but a surprisingly comfortable wood block for a pillow. We ate delightful noodles in the spa restaurant and soothed our nerves before returning to our respective bath houses for some soaking time.
Korean baths are not for the faint of heart. As a fairly chubby American, I was quite the novelty, and found a number of men staring at my figure upon my return. But Jane could not have picked a better place. I switched from hot spas to frigid pools and marveled at the huge selection (milk, salt, "cavern," philosophy, and waterfall baths just to name a few). I lounged in a half-dozen saunas ranging from 10-90° C (50-194° F). And even though I could not work up the courage to get a massage, I did receive an incredibly thorough Korean scrubbing. I think I might have lost a pound just from all the dead skin they removed.
All in all, while initially terrifying, I can heartily recommend a stay at a jjimjilbang. My only advice: bring a friend.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Searching for "Love" in Busan
The plan was always to try to find a cheap "Love Motel" in Busan, because, well, we need to be cheap if we are going to make it all the way around the world. This plan has wavered here and there, but after yesterday in Seoul visiting Deoksygung Palace and REALLY getting to try out my Sony DSLR camera, viewing the art of Lee Il-Sung at the National Museum of Art (on the Palace grounds- thank you God for air conditioning!), and hiking it to see the Seoul Musem of History (very interesting view points on the occupations of Japan in Korea) we took the KTX bullet train down to Busan. It was almost 10 pm before we even got out of the station, so pickin's were slim when it came to really trying to find a motel. We settled for one right outside the Busan train station, which was conveniently nestled between the gigantic neon "Welcome to Busan" sign, the homeless guys sleeping under it, and the prostitutes mingling in the shadows. All that said, the Toyoko Hotel in Busan (it's Japanese!)- not so terrible. It was less than $70 a night, which was way more than I wanted to pay, but it was nice, seemed safe, and this morning had a nice view of Busan shipping harbor.
After we dined on Japanese style breakfast of rice, rice and more rice, we repacked our overstuffed backpacks and headed out on the subway to get to a more desirable section of town. Seomyeon is sort of the hub of Busan, so I knew there would be plenty of places to choose from, I just had no idea where. These are the parts of my personality that I'm not sure Ryan really has taken on, because even though he says he loves to go with the flow, I think a serious bought of culture shock has taken hold, because we decided that he might do better sitting in a Starbucks with our backpacks while I went on a motel hunt. This was probably a better idea than trampsing all over the place in a VERY foreign world looking for a cheap place to sleep. Give him a mocha and a hug, and most problems were solved. Actually, he wanted to try Kiwi juice, but he seemed content for the moment.
Off I went looking for the famed Love Motels of Korea. Now, most young people live with their parents until they are married here, so the Love Motels can be rented hourly or nightly. They rarely are rented for several days, but I've stayed in many that are very nice, on trips I took when I lived in Korea. I would never hate on a Love Motel, but some are more acceptable than others. I was on the hunt for one that looked decent, didn't have a large porno collection near the check in window, and was willing to let me see a room. Don't get me wrong, I like wandering around, and there are parts of Korea that I have definitely missed, but in 90 degree weather, with pretty much no idea where I was going, I had to muster up the courage to keep going on this one. At one point I may have emplored the Lord for some guidance. I found a really cool outdoor market selling loads and loads of all sorts of fresh fish, little old Korean ladies sitting on the side of the street selling onions, and a few really really shady love motels. Several I just walked by. I was truly hoping I wouldn't have to just give up and go to the Lotte Hotel on the main drag, because I knew it cost over $200 a night. Not happening. I needed to make my husband proud and not scared of Korea, so I kept going!
Finally, I saw a promising 모 달 sign in the sky (I think I mispelled it in Korean, oh well). I went in and the lady was very nice to me. She let me see the room, it had a big bathroom, a huge bed (ha, go figure), and seemed very clean (EXTREMELY important in these types of places). So, I decided to go fetch my Ryan. I used the Lotte Hotel as the landmark, and when I got back to the main road, I sorta started to panic because I couldn't quite remember where I left him. I rememered Starbucks, but...um..where was that. I found a map, and started walking in the direction I thought it was. I had to cross more streets than I thought I needed to, then I had to eventually go back down to the subway station, when I remembered we got out of Exit 8! Awesome- problem solved! However, exit 8 was way harder to find than I thought (so much for sequential order!), but eventually I did, and even though it looked different than the first time we exited, I was so greatful when I saw the Starbuck's sign appear as I walked up the stairs! I found him! Hurrah!
Of course I came in, all out of breath, sweaty, and happy that I'd finally relocated him, and he's all like "I wasn't worried at all!". Typical. We made it back to Hotel Nix, located above a large fish restaurant, and we chilled out for a bit. Found the Korean fishing station on TV, which Ryan watched in honor of his father. It has a computer too, so I am able to log on. We've been relying mostly on WiFi for our phones, but this is nice.
Today is sort of a more relaxed day than we had in Seoul. At first we were going to go to a Korean Spa for the day, but after the Love Motel fiasco, we decided to lay low. However, we did get up and go over to Lotte Department Store. If you read my previous post about Lotte Mart, imagine that, but 100 times bigger. Like, Macy's, that you might find in heaven. It's so cool. They sell stone beds. We went there for the Korean food court for lunch, checked to see if there are any good movies playing at the Lotte Cinema (yeah, Lotte owns everything in Korea) and the only thing that caught Ryan's attention was the Korean version of some sort of Top Gun-esque movie. So, it's about military, flying and it's in Korean? I'll pass. We decided to check out some of the 8 other floors in this MegaMall. It's quite amazing.
As of now, we are back in our motel resting. My Korean friend Billy, who was my Korean tutor when I lived in Busan is going to meet us for dinner tonight. Good times with old friends. That's it for now! We found Love in Busan! Phew!
After we dined on Japanese style breakfast of rice, rice and more rice, we repacked our overstuffed backpacks and headed out on the subway to get to a more desirable section of town. Seomyeon is sort of the hub of Busan, so I knew there would be plenty of places to choose from, I just had no idea where. These are the parts of my personality that I'm not sure Ryan really has taken on, because even though he says he loves to go with the flow, I think a serious bought of culture shock has taken hold, because we decided that he might do better sitting in a Starbucks with our backpacks while I went on a motel hunt. This was probably a better idea than trampsing all over the place in a VERY foreign world looking for a cheap place to sleep. Give him a mocha and a hug, and most problems were solved. Actually, he wanted to try Kiwi juice, but he seemed content for the moment.
Off I went looking for the famed Love Motels of Korea. Now, most young people live with their parents until they are married here, so the Love Motels can be rented hourly or nightly. They rarely are rented for several days, but I've stayed in many that are very nice, on trips I took when I lived in Korea. I would never hate on a Love Motel, but some are more acceptable than others. I was on the hunt for one that looked decent, didn't have a large porno collection near the check in window, and was willing to let me see a room. Don't get me wrong, I like wandering around, and there are parts of Korea that I have definitely missed, but in 90 degree weather, with pretty much no idea where I was going, I had to muster up the courage to keep going on this one. At one point I may have emplored the Lord for some guidance. I found a really cool outdoor market selling loads and loads of all sorts of fresh fish, little old Korean ladies sitting on the side of the street selling onions, and a few really really shady love motels. Several I just walked by. I was truly hoping I wouldn't have to just give up and go to the Lotte Hotel on the main drag, because I knew it cost over $200 a night. Not happening. I needed to make my husband proud and not scared of Korea, so I kept going!
Finally, I saw a promising 모 달 sign in the sky (I think I mispelled it in Korean, oh well). I went in and the lady was very nice to me. She let me see the room, it had a big bathroom, a huge bed (ha, go figure), and seemed very clean (EXTREMELY important in these types of places). So, I decided to go fetch my Ryan. I used the Lotte Hotel as the landmark, and when I got back to the main road, I sorta started to panic because I couldn't quite remember where I left him. I rememered Starbucks, but...um..where was that. I found a map, and started walking in the direction I thought it was. I had to cross more streets than I thought I needed to, then I had to eventually go back down to the subway station, when I remembered we got out of Exit 8! Awesome- problem solved! However, exit 8 was way harder to find than I thought (so much for sequential order!), but eventually I did, and even though it looked different than the first time we exited, I was so greatful when I saw the Starbuck's sign appear as I walked up the stairs! I found him! Hurrah!
Of course I came in, all out of breath, sweaty, and happy that I'd finally relocated him, and he's all like "I wasn't worried at all!". Typical. We made it back to Hotel Nix, located above a large fish restaurant, and we chilled out for a bit. Found the Korean fishing station on TV, which Ryan watched in honor of his father. It has a computer too, so I am able to log on. We've been relying mostly on WiFi for our phones, but this is nice.
Today is sort of a more relaxed day than we had in Seoul. At first we were going to go to a Korean Spa for the day, but after the Love Motel fiasco, we decided to lay low. However, we did get up and go over to Lotte Department Store. If you read my previous post about Lotte Mart, imagine that, but 100 times bigger. Like, Macy's, that you might find in heaven. It's so cool. They sell stone beds. We went there for the Korean food court for lunch, checked to see if there are any good movies playing at the Lotte Cinema (yeah, Lotte owns everything in Korea) and the only thing that caught Ryan's attention was the Korean version of some sort of Top Gun-esque movie. So, it's about military, flying and it's in Korean? I'll pass. We decided to check out some of the 8 other floors in this MegaMall. It's quite amazing.
As of now, we are back in our motel resting. My Korean friend Billy, who was my Korean tutor when I lived in Busan is going to meet us for dinner tonight. Good times with old friends. That's it for now! We found Love in Busan! Phew!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Long roads and tired feet
The adventure has really begun!! We were up pretty early yesterday, and that gave us lots of time to dig in to Seoul. We had a breakfast buffet in the hotel that seemed a little expensive, but it was definitely filling and a good mix of eastern and western fare. Eggs, bacon, Korean sausage, rice, bulgogi, lots of breads, cheeses, juices, cereal. We tried a bit of everything, but overall, it was a good way to fuel our bodies for the first day out and about.
Even though the forecast called for rain and thunderstorms, I had kept my eye on the weather all morning, and dubbed it safe to go out armed with an umbrella in my purse. Ryan opted for packing the poncho, but seeing how those are highly unfashionable, incredibly hot, and only necessary in a humongous downpour, I packed it for him, but he is now the proud owner of a Korean made travel umbrella. Good thing, sharing my tiny polka dot one looked silly for many reasons.
Anyway, the first thing we did, like all good tourists do, is argue about which way to go. Standing in the boiling hot sauna of the Korean weather, new map in hand, pointing and gesturing and whatevering, all in good time brought us to the Seoul train Station. Good place for many things, including the train tickets to Busan (on which I am riding at the moment). We purchased said tickets, and felt like champions of the world, then, I saw that the train station was attached to not only a shopping center, but a Lotte Mart as well. Score! As I recently read, Korea is the Mecca of consumption and shopping malls and centers abound. First stop was the shopping mall where we we witnessed the goods that prove Korea's love of everything outdoorsy and anything to do with hiking. Oh, and toys. Could I go anywhere with Ryan and not look at toys? The answer is no, my friends. I married a man who really loves toys. I accept this. And it's a good thing, because I found a tiny bunny toy entitled "Smorkin' Labbit" I had to buy it, that's just too good.
Now, the Koreans also love their shopping centers. One of my all time favorites is Lotte Mart- man, that place has EVERYTHING!!! No, really. It's like a Meijer, or Super Walmart/Target, but way, way cooler. Their electronics section resembles a small Best Buy, and their toy section actually is a small Toys R Us. That's just the 3rd floor. On the 2nd floor is any kind of household or health and beauty item you would ever dream of, and the 1st floor is a grocery market that has fresh meats and veggies that will make your mouth water, and a fresh fish section that will make your head spin. It's pretty unnecessary that I mention how much I love grocery stores, but this one just leaves me in awe every time. Ryan was equally impressed! How often do you photograph food in a supermarket? Anyway, praising of Lotte Mart over: if you are ever in Korea you can't miss it!
They even sell glasses, which was our next stop, and actually, we had both planned and saved to purchase new glasses for both of us and sunglasses for me. They were a bit more expensive than I remember, but it's pretty sweet that you can just walk in, they'll check your eyes for free and you can get glasses made on the spot. They told us to come back at 5, and we walked back out into the sauna weather, and high fived because it was only noon and we are the best travelers of all time. So much accomplished!
It still wasn't raining or thunder storming, so I gave up trusting the weather report as we made our way over to Namdaemun Market- a great indoor/outdoor market in the center of Seoul that sells all the bath mitt scrubbies, bags, blankets and bulk bags of candy you will ever want. Ever. The thing goes on for miles. Ryan and I literally just wound our way through different alleys and doorways and basements and up ramps and around and about this market. Ryan bought aforementioned umbrella and we also got a new spoon/chopstick set. We walked down one pretty tightly packed alley that was filled with all kinda of food stalls, men crowded around plastic tables, ladies in aprons storing pots of red stews and soups, and even more ladies trying to entice us to come in to try their bulgogi and bibimbap. We passed, but Ryan mentioned that the whole thing was like something out of Bladerunner. Cool to see!
We Got lunch at a place called Nulboo, which is a yummy Korean soup place. I guess having the American GIs around for so long because on top of noodles and mandu dumplings and beans, they put pepperoni, spam, balogna, and a slice of American cheese in there to make it a little creamy. I used to have a restaurant like it right under my school when I taught in Busan, so it took me back. Yum!
We still had a little steam after lunch and the rain was mostly holding, so we took the tram up Namasan park to Seoul Tower. We got the whole view, even though it was cloudy. My feet were aching, so we took the subway back to Lotte to pick up the glasses and headed back to our room. We both pretty much immediately fell asleep, thinking we'd wake up in an hour to go to dinner, but neither of those things happened. I woke up at 9, and we still weren't really hungry, so we went to check out our hotel pool and spa instead. It felt good to dip my weary feet into the hot tub! We swam till 10 when the pool closed, then went back up and settles in for the night. We were just about as tired as reading all this has made you.
Lucky for us, we got a good rest before we started up again today, so, I guess it's ok if you want to take a nap before reading about today. Go ahead...
So, breakfast buffet happened again cause we were hungry! We replaced our bags and stored them at the front desk. Today we didn't argue about the direction, because we are now map pros, and we easily found our way to Deoksung Palace, where I put my DSLR camera to good use! I love me some temples!! It was still very very ho, but it wasn't so crowded. Beauty within the city. There was a great exhibit by a Korean artist at the Seoul Art Museum which is within the palace walls. The air conditioning was a welcome respite from the drenching humidity, and I did like a lot of the art.
We got sandwiches for lunch and then continued up to another temple area, but opted for the Seoul History museum, which is free, like all museums should be (you got it right Korea!), and a very, very good museum. We looked at a really interesting exhibit about the Japanese occupation of Seoul in the 40s. I love challenging my American perspective. I know it's so limited, so this was fascinating. They did a nice job of really considering how the Japanese occupation changed their way of life for good and bad. Another great part was a 3D lit map of the city that took up the whole bottom of a room that has suspended glass floor above it to interact and investigate the tiny city from above. Very cool!
The walk back to our hotel was not that long, but we our feet were tired, and I think we've done well with the jet lag thing, expect I. The afternoon when all we want to do is pass out.
I'm on the train now down to Busan, Ryan is napping by the window and I'm updating this bloggity blog. Maybe you are ready for another nap too! Me too. Darn you jetlag!
Even though the forecast called for rain and thunderstorms, I had kept my eye on the weather all morning, and dubbed it safe to go out armed with an umbrella in my purse. Ryan opted for packing the poncho, but seeing how those are highly unfashionable, incredibly hot, and only necessary in a humongous downpour, I packed it for him, but he is now the proud owner of a Korean made travel umbrella. Good thing, sharing my tiny polka dot one looked silly for many reasons.
Anyway, the first thing we did, like all good tourists do, is argue about which way to go. Standing in the boiling hot sauna of the Korean weather, new map in hand, pointing and gesturing and whatevering, all in good time brought us to the Seoul train Station. Good place for many things, including the train tickets to Busan (on which I am riding at the moment). We purchased said tickets, and felt like champions of the world, then, I saw that the train station was attached to not only a shopping center, but a Lotte Mart as well. Score! As I recently read, Korea is the Mecca of consumption and shopping malls and centers abound. First stop was the shopping mall where we we witnessed the goods that prove Korea's love of everything outdoorsy and anything to do with hiking. Oh, and toys. Could I go anywhere with Ryan and not look at toys? The answer is no, my friends. I married a man who really loves toys. I accept this. And it's a good thing, because I found a tiny bunny toy entitled "Smorkin' Labbit" I had to buy it, that's just too good.
Now, the Koreans also love their shopping centers. One of my all time favorites is Lotte Mart- man, that place has EVERYTHING!!! No, really. It's like a Meijer, or Super Walmart/Target, but way, way cooler. Their electronics section resembles a small Best Buy, and their toy section actually is a small Toys R Us. That's just the 3rd floor. On the 2nd floor is any kind of household or health and beauty item you would ever dream of, and the 1st floor is a grocery market that has fresh meats and veggies that will make your mouth water, and a fresh fish section that will make your head spin. It's pretty unnecessary that I mention how much I love grocery stores, but this one just leaves me in awe every time. Ryan was equally impressed! How often do you photograph food in a supermarket? Anyway, praising of Lotte Mart over: if you are ever in Korea you can't miss it!
They even sell glasses, which was our next stop, and actually, we had both planned and saved to purchase new glasses for both of us and sunglasses for me. They were a bit more expensive than I remember, but it's pretty sweet that you can just walk in, they'll check your eyes for free and you can get glasses made on the spot. They told us to come back at 5, and we walked back out into the sauna weather, and high fived because it was only noon and we are the best travelers of all time. So much accomplished!
It still wasn't raining or thunder storming, so I gave up trusting the weather report as we made our way over to Namdaemun Market- a great indoor/outdoor market in the center of Seoul that sells all the bath mitt scrubbies, bags, blankets and bulk bags of candy you will ever want. Ever. The thing goes on for miles. Ryan and I literally just wound our way through different alleys and doorways and basements and up ramps and around and about this market. Ryan bought aforementioned umbrella and we also got a new spoon/chopstick set. We walked down one pretty tightly packed alley that was filled with all kinda of food stalls, men crowded around plastic tables, ladies in aprons storing pots of red stews and soups, and even more ladies trying to entice us to come in to try their bulgogi and bibimbap. We passed, but Ryan mentioned that the whole thing was like something out of Bladerunner. Cool to see!
We Got lunch at a place called Nulboo, which is a yummy Korean soup place. I guess having the American GIs around for so long because on top of noodles and mandu dumplings and beans, they put pepperoni, spam, balogna, and a slice of American cheese in there to make it a little creamy. I used to have a restaurant like it right under my school when I taught in Busan, so it took me back. Yum!
We still had a little steam after lunch and the rain was mostly holding, so we took the tram up Namasan park to Seoul Tower. We got the whole view, even though it was cloudy. My feet were aching, so we took the subway back to Lotte to pick up the glasses and headed back to our room. We both pretty much immediately fell asleep, thinking we'd wake up in an hour to go to dinner, but neither of those things happened. I woke up at 9, and we still weren't really hungry, so we went to check out our hotel pool and spa instead. It felt good to dip my weary feet into the hot tub! We swam till 10 when the pool closed, then went back up and settles in for the night. We were just about as tired as reading all this has made you.
Lucky for us, we got a good rest before we started up again today, so, I guess it's ok if you want to take a nap before reading about today. Go ahead...
So, breakfast buffet happened again cause we were hungry! We replaced our bags and stored them at the front desk. Today we didn't argue about the direction, because we are now map pros, and we easily found our way to Deoksung Palace, where I put my DSLR camera to good use! I love me some temples!! It was still very very ho, but it wasn't so crowded. Beauty within the city. There was a great exhibit by a Korean artist at the Seoul Art Museum which is within the palace walls. The air conditioning was a welcome respite from the drenching humidity, and I did like a lot of the art.
We got sandwiches for lunch and then continued up to another temple area, but opted for the Seoul History museum, which is free, like all museums should be (you got it right Korea!), and a very, very good museum. We looked at a really interesting exhibit about the Japanese occupation of Seoul in the 40s. I love challenging my American perspective. I know it's so limited, so this was fascinating. They did a nice job of really considering how the Japanese occupation changed their way of life for good and bad. Another great part was a 3D lit map of the city that took up the whole bottom of a room that has suspended glass floor above it to interact and investigate the tiny city from above. Very cool!
The walk back to our hotel was not that long, but we our feet were tired, and I think we've done well with the jet lag thing, expect I. The afternoon when all we want to do is pass out.
I'm on the train now down to Busan, Ryan is napping by the window and I'm updating this bloggity blog. Maybe you are ready for another nap too! Me too. Darn you jetlag!
Friday, August 17, 2012
Quick notes from Days 1 and 2 of the Adventure by Ryan
- Within five minutes of entering JFK, I had lost my passport. If not for the attentiveness of the Asiana Airlines employees (who found it on the ground and started looking for me), I'd still be in the U.S.
- My Ecco sandals, which I ordered several months ago for this trip, had such a horrific odor that I bagged them as soon as I boarded the flight. My first act in Seoul was to throw my sandals in the combination washer/dryer in my hotel room. Jane just mentioned that she spied the gentleman next to her in the window seat waft his nose several times.
- I can highly recommend Asiana Airlines. Great staff, nice in-flight entertainment, and two scrumptious Korean-style airplane meals made even our coach seats very enjoyable for the fourteen-hour flight. The only hiccup was that we were delayed at JFK for 1.5 hours while the ground crew tried to disconnect a trailer from the aircraft.
- After 2.5 hours in immigration and busing to Seoul, I threw up my arms in praise once we made it to our hotel. Jane and I had been up 27 hours before laying down on our rock-hard (but strangely comfortable) mattress.
Time to start Day 3!
- My Ecco sandals, which I ordered several months ago for this trip, had such a horrific odor that I bagged them as soon as I boarded the flight. My first act in Seoul was to throw my sandals in the combination washer/dryer in my hotel room. Jane just mentioned that she spied the gentleman next to her in the window seat waft his nose several times.
- I can highly recommend Asiana Airlines. Great staff, nice in-flight entertainment, and two scrumptious Korean-style airplane meals made even our coach seats very enjoyable for the fourteen-hour flight. The only hiccup was that we were delayed at JFK for 1.5 hours while the ground crew tried to disconnect a trailer from the aircraft.
- After 2.5 hours in immigration and busing to Seoul, I threw up my arms in praise once we made it to our hotel. Jane and I had been up 27 hours before laying down on our rock-hard (but strangely comfortable) mattress.
Time to start Day 3!
I've got Seoul
We touched down in Korea tonight! We have checked into a superbly located hotel, walking distance to two temples, and on of my favorite street markets!
It took simply FOREVER to get from the airport to our hotel. At least an additional one and a half hours. My head was lolling around in the seat, plus the driver had the AC blasting away. It's very hot and humid outside, and we were sweating waiting for the shuttle bus at the airport. However, the bus was so cold I needed a sweatshirt and I debated rooting around in my bag for another layer.
Ah well, it dropped us off right outside our hotel, so I can't complain. We've already unpacked too much, taken showers and visited the local 711 for Korean snacks. Yup, first night in Korea and I'm back to eating Ramyun noodles.
It's time to tuck myself into my extremely firm, Korean style bed and experience the sleep of backpacking kings! Goodnight!
It took simply FOREVER to get from the airport to our hotel. At least an additional one and a half hours. My head was lolling around in the seat, plus the driver had the AC blasting away. It's very hot and humid outside, and we were sweating waiting for the shuttle bus at the airport. However, the bus was so cold I needed a sweatshirt and I debated rooting around in my bag for another layer.
Ah well, it dropped us off right outside our hotel, so I can't complain. We've already unpacked too much, taken showers and visited the local 711 for Korean snacks. Yup, first night in Korea and I'm back to eating Ramyun noodles.
It's time to tuck myself into my extremely firm, Korean style bed and experience the sleep of backpacking kings! Goodnight!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Holding my breath.
It's almost time! We are so close! Right now I'm laying amongst all my backpack stuff that I've packed, repacked and packed and unpacked again. It never ends, the decision making process of the things to carry around for a 65 day trip through multiple climates. Ay!
Ryan and I spent our honeymoon yesterday mostly in the car. It was a lot harder to leave my parents house in Michigan than I thought. We had had such a relaxing and memorable time, both my brother's and cousin's wedding, camping in the rain, sitting by the lake, playing with my nephew, even listening to the fountain out my window at night. It's never easy to leave, but this time was especially difficult. Much anxiety ensued while getting ready to leave, I was tired, anxious, nervous, and even though we were supposed to take off Sunday night, I really couldn't get it together emotionally to make that happen. I needed sleep, and Ryan was wide awake! So, getting up at 5:30 am didn't go over too well. We were both grumpy and still tired, so what started out as a crappy morning, soon was remedied with the idea that we would stop at Hersey Park in Pennsylvania for a bit to make our 1st anniversary a little bit less of a forgettable day. It was just what we needed!! We made that theme park our b#%^! We rode some awesome roller coasters and got some chocolate for the Daniel clan. We stayed a few hours longer than expected, but for $20 for an evening pass, and roller coasters that made me scream and laugh simultaneously, I'd say it was worth it.
I guess getting ready to travel is a little bit like getting ready to ride a new, big roller coaster. You wait in line, wait in line, wait in line, thinking about how great it will be, all the twists and turns , the inverted hills that will make your stomach drop out, the banks that will surprise you, the dips that will thrill you, waiting there with fear and excitement all mixed up because it's all an unknown, but you wanna do it anyway and you hope everything will go ok, and you will get off and turn to the person next to you, with your heart beating fast, and your hair all a mess and say, "that was AWESOME!!! Can we do it again?" Yeah, my stomach might be filled with butterflies now, but just wait till after we make this trip our b#%^!
Ryan and I spent our honeymoon yesterday mostly in the car. It was a lot harder to leave my parents house in Michigan than I thought. We had had such a relaxing and memorable time, both my brother's and cousin's wedding, camping in the rain, sitting by the lake, playing with my nephew, even listening to the fountain out my window at night. It's never easy to leave, but this time was especially difficult. Much anxiety ensued while getting ready to leave, I was tired, anxious, nervous, and even though we were supposed to take off Sunday night, I really couldn't get it together emotionally to make that happen. I needed sleep, and Ryan was wide awake! So, getting up at 5:30 am didn't go over too well. We were both grumpy and still tired, so what started out as a crappy morning, soon was remedied with the idea that we would stop at Hersey Park in Pennsylvania for a bit to make our 1st anniversary a little bit less of a forgettable day. It was just what we needed!! We made that theme park our b#%^! We rode some awesome roller coasters and got some chocolate for the Daniel clan. We stayed a few hours longer than expected, but for $20 for an evening pass, and roller coasters that made me scream and laugh simultaneously, I'd say it was worth it.
I guess getting ready to travel is a little bit like getting ready to ride a new, big roller coaster. You wait in line, wait in line, wait in line, thinking about how great it will be, all the twists and turns , the inverted hills that will make your stomach drop out, the banks that will surprise you, the dips that will thrill you, waiting there with fear and excitement all mixed up because it's all an unknown, but you wanna do it anyway and you hope everything will go ok, and you will get off and turn to the person next to you, with your heart beating fast, and your hair all a mess and say, "that was AWESOME!!! Can we do it again?" Yeah, my stomach might be filled with butterflies now, but just wait till after we make this trip our b#%^!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Pack it up!
One week until we set a course for adventure!!! Ryan is so excited for this trip that he has literally been packed for months. Yes, months. Well, he's been taking things in and out of it, but he's got the list down pat. I started yesterday. Even though I was excited, I guess I needed to really see what I like wearing these days. This is going to be a pretty difficult trip to pack for, because, silly us, we are visiting Southeast Asia during monsoon season, which means HOT and WET! Yay. We did invest in panchos.
Most of our inspiration for packing has come from the blogs of others who have gone before us. My friend Ashley and her husband Justin are on a serious Round the World adventure now, a much longer and more physically demanding trip than we will be doing, but considering that we will be staying in some hostels along the way, we thought it best to pack lightweight, quick drying clothes. REI in New York became our best friend roundabout January. Ashley and Justin's packing lists are here http://theparallellife.com/things-we-carry/
Please check out their blog as well, because it's fantastic, and has been a true inspiration to us as we get ready for our own trip.
So, I'll be honest. I've never been what you call a 'light packer'. If you know me well, or have ever seen me move (and you've probably commented "you have so much stuff!" and you're right) then you might imagine how I actually fit a kitchen sink into a backpack. Not easily my friends, not easily at all. So, my goal for the trip was to really try to cut back. I've already started eliminating shirts. But, I guess I've done a better job at acquiring shirts that weigh next to nothing. I am limiting myself to 6 shirts, 5 tank tops, and 3 long sleeve tops. At least right now I am. We have to pack for the hot weather in Asia, the mild weather in southern Europe, and the not so warm weather of Denmark, London and Iceland at the end of October.
Let's start with my list so far: I have one Northface jacket for rain/wind/cool weather and a light zip up top to layer. After much deliberation, I am taking one pair of lightweight jeans, but Ryan won't be. I wear them a lot, I can roll them up like capris and I like them too much to leave them at home. I have one pair of black Columbia yoga/outdoor pants, one pair of Eddie Bauer travel pants that duel as capris and a pair of Eddie Bauer travel shorts. I'll take one pair of athletic shorts for beach and sleeping, 7 pairs of underwear, 3 bras, 5 socks, one pair of flip flops, a pair of Land's End lightweight gym type shoes, and my Chaco Travel sandals. I have a quick dry travel towel, a sarong for the beach, a hat and a scarf from my friend Liz Tracy. We're also carrying playing cards, a small LCR game, and a container of detergent. That's it so far. Toiletries and Ryan's list to follow!
Most of our inspiration for packing has come from the blogs of others who have gone before us. My friend Ashley and her husband Justin are on a serious Round the World adventure now, a much longer and more physically demanding trip than we will be doing, but considering that we will be staying in some hostels along the way, we thought it best to pack lightweight, quick drying clothes. REI in New York became our best friend roundabout January. Ashley and Justin's packing lists are here http://theparallellife.com/things-we-carry/
Please check out their blog as well, because it's fantastic, and has been a true inspiration to us as we get ready for our own trip.
So, I'll be honest. I've never been what you call a 'light packer'. If you know me well, or have ever seen me move (and you've probably commented "you have so much stuff!" and you're right) then you might imagine how I actually fit a kitchen sink into a backpack. Not easily my friends, not easily at all. So, my goal for the trip was to really try to cut back. I've already started eliminating shirts. But, I guess I've done a better job at acquiring shirts that weigh next to nothing. I am limiting myself to 6 shirts, 5 tank tops, and 3 long sleeve tops. At least right now I am. We have to pack for the hot weather in Asia, the mild weather in southern Europe, and the not so warm weather of Denmark, London and Iceland at the end of October.
Let's start with my list so far: I have one Northface jacket for rain/wind/cool weather and a light zip up top to layer. After much deliberation, I am taking one pair of lightweight jeans, but Ryan won't be. I wear them a lot, I can roll them up like capris and I like them too much to leave them at home. I have one pair of black Columbia yoga/outdoor pants, one pair of Eddie Bauer travel pants that duel as capris and a pair of Eddie Bauer travel shorts. I'll take one pair of athletic shorts for beach and sleeping, 7 pairs of underwear, 3 bras, 5 socks, one pair of flip flops, a pair of Land's End lightweight gym type shoes, and my Chaco Travel sandals. I have a quick dry travel towel, a sarong for the beach, a hat and a scarf from my friend Liz Tracy. We're also carrying playing cards, a small LCR game, and a container of detergent. That's it so far. Toiletries and Ryan's list to follow!
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