Sokcho to Gyeungju to Busan Bike Trip

I am currently enroute to the historic southeastern city of Gyeungju. I have pedaled for almost 6 hours today, from Sokcho to Gangneung. I currently write from a PC Bang, an internet gaming cafe. My upper upper legs are still burning, so I stopped to buy some metholatum to rub into these cramping muscles. It was a rainy day for most of the ride. I am relieved the rain finally gave it a rest, it's currently clear. ^^++ Still many miles to go. Tonight I am spending the night in a Jim-Jil-Bang, which is an incredible public bath/sauna/family that has full-facilities including fitness clubs, a restaurant, the saunas, and the general relaxation areas with big-screen TVs and sleeping mats. Tonight the Jim-Jil-Bang is only 4,500 KR Won, less than $5. This place is extremely clean, relaxing, and I can stay all-night, sleeping on mats in "quiet/sleeping rooms." The eastern Korean coastline is beautiful, miles of untouched beaches and barb-wired fences and numerous seaside villages. There were also numerous small-scale military bases throughout central Kangwon-do Province, reminder that the country is still fortified against invaders from North Korea. South Korea itself, is a beautiful country, and this bicycle trip really has been "eye-opening" to the beauty of a country that has history stretching back 1000's of years. The route I am taking is Route 7, along the spectacular route bordering the Pacific coastline. I have met numerous Koreans, all were extremely helpful, and really genuinely interested in my cycle trip. This is a safe, welcoming country to travel across, and either in English, Korean, or body-language, it is easy to communicate with everyone, and everyone is willing to help! ^^++ Thank you! I have no idea when I will stop, I will to try the "deep heat" treatment and see if my legs can take more pounding. Peace and love out to all my friends and family in Korea and around the cosmos. I love my honey, she's lonely at home without me. Stay tuned for more...

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EXPLORING KOREA CLICK HERE!

Two weeks until "Chuseok" // Letters to my family in Canada Returning to Korea, 2007 //

South Korean "Chuseok" is a celebration for Thanksgiving. 

Families will gather and eat Duk (sticky rice cakes), fresh fruits and cooked fish are the selected cuisine. Buchinggue (Korean veggie pancakes) are also popular on this holiday. Chuseok (Korean: 추석), originally known as hangawi (한가위 from archaic Korean for "the great middle (of autumn)", is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar.

Most foreigners I know are traveling abroad outside of Korea. The most popular destination this time of year is Cambodia. Another former English teacher "Ben" is mountain biking along the coast of Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and finally Thailand with another former teacher and outstanding guy, Scott. If I had the time/$, I would like to ride on a similar adventure, but our baby is coming, and it could be dangerous. 

1994 KONA Explosif mountain bike around Daegwallyeong

Mountain biking in South Korea

There is a cheaper alternative to expensive overseas vacation travel - this year, I will ride my mountain bike across the eastern coast of South Korea. So I'm taking that option and riding from Sokcho to Gyeongju starting on September 22. It'll be an East Coast trip to the southeast corner of Korea. This will be my first adventure crossing the country on a mountain bike. Looking forward to the trip!

According to the Lonely Planet, For almost 1000 years, Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla Dynasty...it has it's origins as far back as 57 B.C. 

The area is well known for it's royal tombs, Buddhist temples, and numerous other options to check out. ^^++ Question is, can I find a riding companion in so little time...I'll put the word out, it would be cool to ride with someone having a similar interest. But, I'll meet Mi Sung in Gyeongju around the 24th of September if I ride 10 hours per day. We'll have a great time. ^^++ 

It's also been 14 years since I first motorcycled across the USA on my Suzuki GS500. 

I did similar rides in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998. I rode "cinco" times across the United States, and once from Alberta to B.C. all alone on my own motorcycle. I totaled more than 24,000 miles in 60 days (including two winters in Ontario). My photo albums are non-digital, so for now it's not included in Blogger. Maybe I'll update those old stories and scan the photos to share next year. My last ride was on a 2005 Honda CBR600, from White Cloud, Minnesota (where I bought it from eBay) to Windsor, Ontario. I totaled only 1200 miles and sold the bike before returning to Korea. I'm too old for "crotch rockets" but they make touring more exciting...Dad, good luck with those Spanish, Korean and ??? lessons.

Music :: And Life

I wish my life could be as smooth as the music I listen to. Turbulent weeks in Korea have passed and continue to root out my contentment. Some days are the best days of my life because the challenges I throw off are endless, so it moves my life forward with a deep pulse. Thanks for visiting my blog, Blessings to all my friends and family!!! ^^++

Facebook & Blogger ^^++ Ode to friends!

Hopefully some of my old friends and family will find their way to my diary about Korea. Hello friends and family! I've come down with a cold the past two days, following the looooooong intensive teaching month for elementary and middle school students. I think when you push so hard working long hours, and suddenly stop, you catch a cold really easily. It's great to see my buddies from the surf days in San Diego. James is missed too!!! Hard to believe it's been more than 7 years since we were all played soccer at USD fields and having the BBQ in Long Beach. Moreso, I am meeting up with friends from elementary, high school and university on Facebook after 10...15...20 years! How the years go. Some friends I met over the past 10 years while traveling/working/schooling...I really miss you all! I miss everyone who has called me a friend in the past/present, who are now living in distant places, but you know guys, your never forgotten. Take Care & Blessings to you! ^^++

Rain to clear the air

Interesting weather pattern in South Korea. Obviously, we have enough humidity and pollution that on many summer days would call for smog-advisories. I have lived downwind of Detroit, and now Seoul which adds to pollutants coming from not-so-far-away China. One day I want to live Northwest of all the cities, away from this smog, one day it'll happen and we'll be healthier. ^^++ Rain is our best friend in Korea. Rain flushes out this Eastern air, and the following days are always the best days of the entire year! Please, more rain, more rain! The month of August is a our definitely hottest and the most humid month of the year. "Clear blue skies" are only dots on a map, or diamonds in the rough when living near Seoul. I've changed my mind about rain, I love it! Please, more rain, more rain! It flushes out our grey sky ^^++ Coworkers are going to Sokcho for the weekend, they may summit one of Seoraksan Peaks, the highest of all South Korean mountains, sounds like fun. Should I stay or should I go...tomorrow is the last 10 hour teaching day, I don't think I can muster the strength to do another 4.5 hours on buses and trains. Hope Sean & Erin are having stupendous breaks...God Bless their safe arrival back to Korea!

Summer Sizzle Almost Over!

We've been hit by high temperatures, steamy humid air masses, and intensive summer teaching days (which would have been better spent on holidays!). 1 week of hammering English classes to go. It will be easy for our students, they're only in the school for a few hours a day, it's the teacher's that really deserve all the glory (if there is any?). The meek, or easily-tired need not apply for ESL teaching jobs...a lesson easily learnt in the course of a year contract in South Korea. Otherwise, we are very happy, and we have nothing to complain about either! Mi's in her first trimester, so she had headaches and feels nausea often through the day. Poor girl! I tried to give her a scalp and neck massage, it seemed to work! She is now reading "Anne of Green Gables" and is quiet, the massage must have been therapeutic. We rested most of the weekend, and today went into the computer market in Yongsan. The place has every gadget associated with computers, gaming, audio, or entertainment(minus Xbox's and true commercial US products). We realized in all their gagetry for sale, their are no printers available. Maybe Homever, Lotte Mart, or Homeplus will solve that problem. The weather has cooled off, with rain showers throughout the day today. In Sokcho, along the east coast...I read about flooding and other problems in Kangwondo province and other provinces south of here. We've been spared, but I still wish we could see more sunny, smogless days. This is not the ideal environment to be cancer-free, so the daily exposure to Seoul's washout isn't appetizing if your looking up. We spend the majority of our times in school, teaching English, hoping the lessons will eventually hit home...and more Korean children will learn to be fluent in their official second language. Hope all is well when you read this! Greetings to Andrew in Washington, you'll be long missed in Ansan! Farewell!

Teaching is a conquest in Korea

Either conquest or be conquered in the institute (henceforth, Hustle or Be Hustled) Our summer intensive session has been a pounding on the body/mind/voice, tremendous efforts in 44+ hours spent mainly teaching. Of course, spare moments in the office are used to speed-prepare for the 10 daily classes, 4 hours in the morning, and 8 more on MW and Fridays back-to-back. Tuesdays and Thursdays I add another 8 hours of work...Overtime Overtime Overtime, uh oh! No paid overtime, no union, nobody with the nerve to complain about it either. Ouch! Democracy is only a fairy tale in the world I work in. Tis' Tis' ^^++ I'll keep my chin up and try to enjoy more classes...the next job will be much better! But hard work will pay off in professional teaching experience abroad, a salary, and a life I could only have dreamed of years ago. ^^++ Korea is an excellent adventure, a challenge, never easy, but a very rewarding place live/work!