Deokjeokdo - Island Trip

Last weekend we decided to visit an island in the Yellow Sea. Deokjeokdo is 77 km's to the southwest of Incheon's Yeon'an Pier. Unfortunately, the high-speed ferry smelled like a urinal, fortunately, we got into a private side compartment and enjoyed the 1.2 hr ride directly to the mysterious island getaway.

Upon arrival to the ferry terminal, w were offered a lift to the Seopori Beach by a Halmoni (grandmother) who ran her own yeogwon/hotel. We accepted the ride unaware of that the group of hikers accompanying the Halmoni were family members of hers expecting us to stay together. We promptly declined the invitation because they didn't seem genuine. She followed us for a while and wasn't ready to take no as the answer. Then she kept saying, "S*x, s*x, s*x..." We took a trail through the trees to the beach and lost her.

The beach was spectacular as the guidebook described. We stayed in a very rustic yeogwon right on the beach. We swam in the Yellow Sea, it appeared clean. A little sun came out, I had a few Cass's from the old women running the Beachside Yeogwon. A Good time.

The night came with our small fireworks celebration, in fact, it was July 1 - Canada Day, so Dave and I had a good reason to celebrate. It was getting cool, and we watched a modified pickup circle the bay with a Fogger smoking for mosquitoes. We took a short walk along the bay, and finally returned to our room in the Yeogwon.

The rain pounded the Yeogwon all night, I thought we might get washed away. The building was a mixture of cement, wood, fiberglass (center courtyard cover). It was noisy, I wish we had spent the night in a hotel. I listened to my MP3s to drown out the thunder and pouring rain.

The following day, at 10:00am we were standed in Seopori Beach. Dave wanted to catch the bus, I wanted to relax more. Once the bus left, I was ready to go too. Unfortunately, buses don't run often. The next bus didn't return until 2:10 pm. Then we met a Korean-Australian nurse, she was really cool and invited us into her mother's clinic for juice and tea. We stayed there until the bus was coming. The bus zig-zagged the island and we finally reached the ferry landing at 3:20pm.

Our ferry pulled up at 3:30 pm, but...it wasn't leaving till 5:20 pm. We walked to another pier and the slow boat, a car/passenger ferry pulled up. They were leaving right away, it looked clean and had relaxing patio chairs on outer decks, it looked like heaven compared to the tin-pot we had arrived on. We bought extra tickets for another 18,000 Won, and caught the ferry, yippee! We were off the island!!!

The trip would have cost 18,000 Won/each roundtrip had we bought from the correct ferry! We spend about 40,000 Won each. Hmmm. Double. It helps if you can speak Korean

The ferry was awesome, it was a 3-hour ride, it had big-screen TV's and a heated floor to stretch out on (on one deck), and there were other places to hangout or sight see through many islands. We made about 5 stops (10 mins each) picking up more passengers and cars on different islands on the return to Incheon. We slept a little too, it was great.

Overall, it was a good trip with beers, fireworks, and a beach to celebrate Canada Day. Maybe I'll return in August with Mi Sung...it would be fun to do it again. ^^++

Ganghwado - Island Temple Trip

Dave, Andrew and I had a good weekend break on a northwestern coastal island called Ganghwado.According to the Lonely Planet guide, we bused from Sinchon Stn in Seoul to the Ganghwaeup bus terminal. From there we hitched a ride with a Pastor's daughter to their farm/church property, a Methodist Church. We enjoyed some watermelon in the shade and they lifted us to Oepo-ri, a small coastal village on the western part of the island. The ferry took us to Songmodo Island in 10 minutes. The short ferry ride was fun, it cost KRW 1,800 r/trip, or about $2.00. We took a bus directly to Bomunsa Buddhist Temple and hiked to the Buddha statue carved into the rock cliff. It was really humid, but we rested near the top at the foot of the Buddha before returning to the Temple grounds where Koreans were sitting around collectively. Earlier, we had been asked to leave the temple, when I asked a burly young monk if we could sleep at the temple. We had been told by the Methodist family and the ticket clerk at the shuttle bus terminal on SOngmodo, that it was possible. So, I looked for an elder monk, handed him my cellphone to speak to my wife. She explained in Korean that we were English Teachers and needed a place to stay for the night. He spoke mild English and was smiling from ear-to-ear, he was welcoming and wanted to do anything to help us. It was afterdark, we were tired and wanted to rest. He showed us to our dormroom, and where we could wash up (no showers, but there are large plastic bowls and scoops and soap, bring a towel...) They opened the dining hall for us, and prepared a full-course Korean meal, rice and many different types of Kimchi, very delicious and generous! The dorm room smelled like a mosquito coil, and was full of mosquitos. It was breezy outside and we could see alot of stars around 1am. The three of us went outside, and decided to sleep next to one of the temples. I spotted a corner spot next to a temple and parking lot. Dave and I decided to sleep there, Andrew opted for inside the dormitory. We awoke at 5am to loud Korean drums, and brass gongs going off inside the buildings next to us, and above in the open pagota on the cliff. I had wet-toilet paper earplugs in, I didn't hear it over the murmur of the water fountain spring also on our right. The drumming went on for awhile, then the gongs, finally we went back to sleep. There were mosquitos out there, since we had no repellant, donations were happily accepted. ^^++ It was a great adventure for a night. In the morning, breakfast was being served already in the cafeteria, we ate and hiked back to the lower lot to catch the bus to the ferry terminal. An inexpensive get-away, we left donations for the monks and I turned the prayer wheel with the older monk that befriended us before we left. Good times...

Wedding Anniversary in South Korea :: Birthday

Sunday, May 27th is Mi Sung's 30th birthday and our fourth wedding anniversary. We were officially married in Seoul, South Korea on May 27, 2003. We had an apartment rooftop BBQ today with all the foreign teachers and our supervisor Sophia and her daughter Anna. We had delicious Americana BBQ'd beef, three types of salads, and appetizers all thanks mostly to Sean & Erin (Toronto) and Aaron (Calgary) who prepared the amazing feast for all to enjoy!

We had unusually clear weather today, absent of smog or the likeness we have not seen in the West. So, I rode the trails and streets loop around Ansan 3X's today. I just returned from a night ride. My bike is a Korean (built in China, as most are) LESPO...it's aluminum with a mix of Shimano parts including rapid fires, annodized rims with semi-radial spokes. It's looks and rides great for $250. ^^++ It's quality for the price, bought in Korea is as close to buying in China that we can get.

Our BBQ today was good, it's a little odd seeing the supervisor allowing her underaged daughter drink Captain Morgan's until she was flush, but this is Korea. ^^++ Tomorrow is our anniversary, am I ready?

Recovered from the fall, illness

Korea has an excellent medical service system. I have recovered from the food poisoning, concussion, and stiches are out. I'm grateful. I still need to see Dr. Yoo in Seoul, whom is considered an recommended Chiropractor for my back. An Orthopedic surgeon in our neighborhood recommended the titanium screws in my L-5/S-1 as a last-resort. Otherwise, I just need to return to regular exercise on the bike and also do Yoga to strengthen my spine. School is going good, we started a new session this month, with new students and many returning from last month. I enjoy teaching and can't complain about the comfortable apartment or location nearby the school and subway system. I just wish there was more time to relax in the sun. Other teachers are returning to "happy spirits" after our spring picnic fiasco. Thank God.

Insa-Dong, NamSan Tower, Gyeungbokgung Palace, National Museum of Korea

Mi and I hiked to the peak of Namsan and saw the tower until the lights. The next day my Windsor buddy Dave & I returned and did a straight vertical hike up Namsan the following day. I wanted to show Dave more places in Seoul, and we went to many landmarks within a few hours. The weekend was brilliant because the yellow-dust from Mongolia sandstorms combined with Chinese and Korean pollution was at a minimum for the entire weekend. Smog returned to our area today, but we were all teaching, it's just not so nice to look at through the grimmy school windows on the 5th floor.

I am grateful for all friends in Korea. This is the constant change in Korea, living each day as a foreigner isn't easy, so good friends are a valuable resource.
Well, here's some photo's of the weekend. God Bless all Souls!

Bi-Bim-Bop Poisoning 8-9 people

Last weekend I blogged about our fantastic hike on Chiaksan (Chiak Mountain) but on Sunday night following the Saturday outing I started becoming ill. I was tired all day Sunday, whereas, I usually go out mountain biking for an hour or two normally. I couch-potatoed and watched TV most of the day. I felt sweaty and sleepy, but thought nothing of it. At 2am Monday morning, I awoke in a complete sweat. My t-shirt was soaked and I felt nausea, so I went to wash my face and brush my teeth to freshen up. I passed out and did a face first dive into the edge of the bathroom door before landing face down on the wood door frame (in korea, it's a 4"-5" thick wood beam) at the entrance to the bathroom. Mi found me there with my eyes open breathing rapidly but unresponsive. I must have been in shock for several minutes, then I revived and got up. "Time to go to emergency!" There I was treated for head injury and lacerations to my face, but not food poisoning. I had a CAT Scan, X-rays, Stiches, Blood work, I also had a bum-shot for Tetanus, all services for $240 USD. From 2:30am-6:00am, it was a long night. I rested at home Monday, but in the evening starting dashing to the bathroom. On Monday night, I had to go #2 every hour, then every 1/2 hour, then every 15 minutes...and it seemed to never end. Finally, by 5:15am I felt like I'd lost 50% of my body fluids. With my face plastered in stiches and bandaids, I went to a local hospital for 3 hours of IV hydration before returning to work for another 8 hours of ESL Fun! Apparently 8-9 others were really sick too. The source of the poisoning was Salmonella bacteria in the raw egg yolks served in our Bi Bim Bop. This is a popular rice and vegetable dish served at most Korean restaurants. Thanks for the rotten eggs! ^^++ Never eat uncooked eggs or poultry in a Hillbilly backhills restaurant anywhere! It's a most regrettable experience.
Hope all is swell back home. I just wanted to report: "I'm still alive!" ^^++

Chiak Mountain Spring Picnic

We took a trip to Chiak Mountain yesterday with the entire school staff, enough people to fill a coach. The mountain is designated a Korean national park. The trees in the area were deciduous, and many were only bearing buds. Therefore, the view wasn't spectacular at all, but the ascent was physically challenging. Before the hike, we departed the bus and had a group "warm-up" exercise led by Miah, Lindsay, and Michelle. It was a stretching and aerobic workout, it was a funny way to start the hike. We all got warmed up, and had some laughs in the process. I set out with Ben, Lindsay, Michelle...and Lindsay and I reached the top of Chiak first, followed 15 minutes later by Ben and Michelle, then Aaron, Sean, and the rest of our fellow participants. The decent was quick, Mi and I hiked together and reached the restaurant just outside the national park entrance. We didn't know if the place was actually open, or it was ready to serve all us hikers. To our surprise, inside everyone was drinking Makkali Soju (fermented rice wine) and eating Kimchi. We joined the Korean staff, shuttle bus drivers, hall monitors, friends and a few parents for the appetizers. Then we ate delicious Acorn Tofu, served with red pepper sauce and leafy greens. We also had more Tofu and finally Bi-Bim-Bop and large bowls of rice and red pepper paste served on the side. It was delicious. After dinner, we played a Korean version of "foot volleyball" on a dirt sports lot, setup nearby the restaurant. It was a tough game to play, I took the first two hits off my chin (sorry Erin!!!) and couldn't serve inbounds. It was fun though, and we headed for the bus after losing two matches to the Korean pros. We sang kareoke or Noribon on the way home, and songs were in Korean and English, it was hilarious! I'm exhausted today, I have a cold and didn't go to church. Well, it was a busy weekend, but it was nice to have a trip somewhere without our own expenses. Hope all is well back home, miss everyone, wish I could return (my wish everyday) but I have to save enough to make this teaching worth all the effort. Cheerios and milk ~^^++