Last night me and Ric went to a stand-up comedy night at Dolce - a 'western' bar near Cheonan station. We recently discovered Dolce and have decided we rather like it. Most of the other western bars we've been to in Cheonan are dark dingy places full of smoke and arrogant ass-holes, but Dolce was well lit, Louis the owner was very friendly - introducing himself and shaking our hands as we walked in, and what I liked most was that it was also Korean-friendly; I don't like the special treatment westerners get in some of these bars, it's weird and elitist. I want to drink where the local people drink, and if I can get a gin tonic there too then all the better!
Anyway, I had my reservations about the comedy night; I find stand up comedy doesn't really transcend international boarders because so much of the material is culture specific, but the American and Canadian performers were good (with the exception of one guy who's racism didn't quite manage to get a laugh) and the material was mostly English teacher/life in Korea stuff that most of the people could relate to. It was a really good night.
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
The Oeyeondo Island Adventure
Sometimes thing just work out really well for us...
Thursday night; it had been raining constantly for 7 days (ever since the Taean soaking) and we were facing a weekend indoors. Checking the weather however, a two-day window of sunshine was forecast for Saturday and Sunday; so, at 10 o'clock at night, we hastily packed a backpack ready to set off on an adventure straight after work on Friday.
Friday night; taxi straight to the train station after work, Lotteria burgers bought and we jumped on the first train to Boryeong with barely a minute to spare. Arriving at Boryeong at 10.30pm we were less than enthusiastic about the prospect of wandering the streets in the rain trying to find a cheap and conveniently located hotel, when, in the station, we were approached by a Korean man offering to take us to his hotel. Now in South America this is completely normal; at every bus, train or plane you get off you're met by a dozen or so people waving leaflets at you and offering to take you to their hostel. In Korea however, this just doesn't happen. Naturally we were sceptical, and when he led us to the back of a mini van and his bandana-wearing accomplice joined us I decided it was either going to work out very very well or very very badly.
Fortunately for us, it work out very very well. He took us to a motel by Daecheon beach, saving us the 10,000won taxi ride there. The room was basic but did come with half-used bottles of massage oil, lotion and a toilet roll next to the bed - classy. Having saved ourselves heaps of time looking for a hotel, we took a romantic stroll on the beach, and just as we sat down on a rock to watch the ocean, a firework display began just 50 meters down the beach. Perfect.
At the ungodly hour of 6.30am we were up and on our way to the ferry terminal to catch the 8am ferry to Oeyeondo island. Oeyeondo is one the 3,000 islands surrounding the Korean peninsula and is the furthest island away from the mainland.
Although the rain had ceased the sea was still in storm mode and I lasted all of 25 minutes before I was throwing up at the back of the boat. I wasn't alone though, half of the passengers were there with me and even Ric looked a little green! We passed countless islands, each one as beautiful as the last with golden beaches, unspoilt greenery and rocky cliffs. We stopped at two islands before finally reaching Oeyeondo two and half hours after setting off.
Now I'm not going to lie, the small fishing town in the centre is a hideous contrast to the beauty of the island. There's a slight waste disposal problem: rubbish lines the streets and bright blue septic tanks provide an eyesore on the outskirts of town as well as a stomach-turning smell. My first impression of Oeyeondo was far from enchanted.
Our bed for the night was in a minbak, a traditional Korean guest house. I was expecting basic but when an old lady led us to our room I was still a little surprised - 4 white walls and little else, the shower was a bucket with a hose pipe.
Oeyeondo island is amazing though. To the left is an overgrown dormant volcano and to the right a towering mountain. It's a trekker's paradise. Some parts of the island have had wooden paths installed - part of Korea's initiative to turn everything into a "national monument", other parts have sort-of rocky paths and elsewhere, the volcano for instance, there is no path at all.
We did a fairly easy 4 hour trek, mainly sticking to the paths as we were both wearing shorts and didn't fancy having our legs ripped to pieces by nettles and tree roots. We didn't miss out on any wildlife though: the insects on Oeyeondo are HUGE. Every couple of yards we walked I'd jump out of my skin as a kitten-sized grasshopper jumped across our path, or we'd have to stop dead in our tracks to avoid a head on collision with a tarantula casually building its web across the walkway. We saw snakes, beetles, butterflies - all gigantic! We even got a video of a tarantula making it's web. It was incredible to watch.
The weather was perfect, warm but still cloudy so the sun didn't fry us (although I still managed to get burnt shoulders). After our trek we went down to one of the rocky coves and swam in the crystal clear sea; there was no one there but us - it really was like having our own little island.
The thing about going to the furthest Korean island from the mainland is that it doesn't get too many tourists, lest still westerners. In a town with a population of 300 people I'd say we met half of them in the evening when we went looking for somewhere to eat dinner. Everybody wanted to talk to us, regardless of the fact that we didn't understand what they were saying. We gathered, from mimes, my broken Korean and their broken English, that the previous week's storm had had a devastating effect on the island. As a fishing village, if the fishermen can't go out to fish, the whole island is affected. As a result, many of the town's restaurants were closed and finding dinner was no easy feat.
Eventually, with half of the town tasked with finding food for the westerners, we had a tasty meal in a family home turned restaurant. I even made a courageous effort to eat the fish they brought us.
Away from the neon lights, traffic and drunk teenagers of Cheonan, sleeping in our room/cell with nothing but the sound of crickets (/GIANT grasshoppers) was wonderfully soothing, even if we were sleeping on a mat on the floor.
The next morning we were rushed out of the room at 8am by two old ladies speed-chattering away to us in Korean. They wouldn't even let us brush our teeth before we left! We'll never know why the wanted shut of us so promptly but it was by no means in malice, maybe they wanted to make sure we didn't miss our ferry... (which wasn't until 10!)
The sea was forgivingly calmer on the trip back to Boryeong and the boat ride was almost pleasant. Back by midday, we spent the rest of the afternoon on Daecheon beach. Without the thousands of mud-covered morons the beach was lovely, the sea warm and the sun was out in full force.
Great weekend.
Thursday night; it had been raining constantly for 7 days (ever since the Taean soaking) and we were facing a weekend indoors. Checking the weather however, a two-day window of sunshine was forecast for Saturday and Sunday; so, at 10 o'clock at night, we hastily packed a backpack ready to set off on an adventure straight after work on Friday.
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| Motel essentials |
Fortunately for us, it work out very very well. He took us to a motel by Daecheon beach, saving us the 10,000won taxi ride there. The room was basic but did come with half-used bottles of massage oil, lotion and a toilet roll next to the bed - classy. Having saved ourselves heaps of time looking for a hotel, we took a romantic stroll on the beach, and just as we sat down on a rock to watch the ocean, a firework display began just 50 meters down the beach. Perfect.
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| The stormy waters of our outward boat trip |
At the ungodly hour of 6.30am we were up and on our way to the ferry terminal to catch the 8am ferry to Oeyeondo island. Oeyeondo is one the 3,000 islands surrounding the Korean peninsula and is the furthest island away from the mainland.
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| Spoiling the view.... |
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| Oeyeondo fishing village, volcano in the background |
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| Basic?! |
Oeyeondo island is amazing though. To the left is an overgrown dormant volcano and to the right a towering mountain. It's a trekker's paradise. Some parts of the island have had wooden paths installed - part of Korea's initiative to turn everything into a "national monument", other parts have sort-of rocky paths and elsewhere, the volcano for instance, there is no path at all.
We did a fairly easy 4 hour trek, mainly sticking to the paths as we were both wearing shorts and didn't fancy having our legs ripped to pieces by nettles and tree roots. We didn't miss out on any wildlife though: the insects on Oeyeondo are HUGE. Every couple of yards we walked I'd jump out of my skin as a kitten-sized grasshopper jumped across our path, or we'd have to stop dead in our tracks to avoid a head on collision with a tarantula casually building its web across the walkway. We saw snakes, beetles, butterflies - all gigantic! We even got a video of a tarantula making it's web. It was incredible to watch.
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| One of the more civilised paths |
The weather was perfect, warm but still cloudy so the sun didn't fry us (although I still managed to get burnt shoulders). After our trek we went down to one of the rocky coves and swam in the crystal clear sea; there was no one there but us - it really was like having our own little island.
The thing about going to the furthest Korean island from the mainland is that it doesn't get too many tourists, lest still westerners. In a town with a population of 300 people I'd say we met half of them in the evening when we went looking for somewhere to eat dinner. Everybody wanted to talk to us, regardless of the fact that we didn't understand what they were saying. We gathered, from mimes, my broken Korean and their broken English, that the previous week's storm had had a devastating effect on the island. As a fishing village, if the fishermen can't go out to fish, the whole island is affected. As a result, many of the town's restaurants were closed and finding dinner was no easy feat.
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| Grasshopper mating season, so passionate... |
Away from the neon lights, traffic and drunk teenagers of Cheonan, sleeping in our room/cell with nothing but the sound of crickets (/GIANT grasshoppers) was wonderfully soothing, even if we were sleeping on a mat on the floor.
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| Praying Mantis |
The sea was forgivingly calmer on the trip back to Boryeong and the boat ride was almost pleasant. Back by midday, we spent the rest of the afternoon on Daecheon beach. Without the thousands of mud-covered morons the beach was lovely, the sea warm and the sun was out in full force.
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| Another tarantula boldly blocking our path |
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| Web making in progress |
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| Beasty |
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| Oeyeondo, beautiful |
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| We walked past the headland and then some |
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| Oeyeondo beaches |
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| Oeyeondo |
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| Deserted rocky beach (burnt shoulders, back sweat...) |
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| The fish that I courageously ate |
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| The fishing port of Oeyeondo at sunset |
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| Ric on the pier |
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| The ferry back to Boryeong - calmer seas |
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| Daecheon beach |
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
Thursday, 16 August 2012
Taean - Typhoon
Don't you just hate it when you get the day off work and you go to the beach, only for a typhoon to hit minutes after you arrive?
The 15th of August is Korean Independence Day and is one of those wonderful things known as a bank holiday. The celebration in Cheonan was massively unimpressive/nonexistent. This surprised me; Korea only gained independence from Japan in 1945 - fairly recent, and considering the atrocities the Japanese inflicted on the Koreans I would have thought their independence day would be a huge celebration. The streets were lined with flags at least, and I think some places had festivals.
To celebrate our day off (and Korean independence) me and the boy decided to go to the beach and have a relaxing day topping up our tans. Unfortunately, we didn't think to check the weather forecast when we bought our bus tickets in advance.
We went to Malipo beach, Taean; a beautiful unspoilt beach on the west coast. It has golden sands and hundreds of islands that you can swim out to and explore. The sea front has only a couple of restaurants and hotels that have been built in recent years; beyond them are mountains and forests. It's a lovely place.
The heavens opened literally minutes after we got to the beach. The black clouds were so low I could almost touch them. We lasted less than two hours in the wind and rain then took the 3-hour bus back home again, shivering under the air conditioning in our sodden clothes.
Lesson learnt: always check the weather forecast before making plans in Korea!
The 15th of August is Korean Independence Day and is one of those wonderful things known as a bank holiday. The celebration in Cheonan was massively unimpressive/nonexistent. This surprised me; Korea only gained independence from Japan in 1945 - fairly recent, and considering the atrocities the Japanese inflicted on the Koreans I would have thought their independence day would be a huge celebration. The streets were lined with flags at least, and I think some places had festivals.
To celebrate our day off (and Korean independence) me and the boy decided to go to the beach and have a relaxing day topping up our tans. Unfortunately, we didn't think to check the weather forecast when we bought our bus tickets in advance.
We went to Malipo beach, Taean; a beautiful unspoilt beach on the west coast. It has golden sands and hundreds of islands that you can swim out to and explore. The sea front has only a couple of restaurants and hotels that have been built in recent years; beyond them are mountains and forests. It's a lovely place.
The heavens opened literally minutes after we got to the beach. The black clouds were so low I could almost touch them. We lasted less than two hours in the wind and rain then took the 3-hour bus back home again, shivering under the air conditioning in our sodden clothes.
Lesson learnt: always check the weather forecast before making plans in Korea!
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| Malipo beach |
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Zhouzhuang, Shanghai, China
After two days fighting the crowds and trying not to get sunstroke in Shanghai, me and the boyfriendman took a 90 minute bus to the quaint waterside village of Zhouzhuang. Known as "The Venice of the East", Zhouzhuang is a gorgeous little place with traditional houses and winding narrow streets that lead you around a maze of shops and restaurants. The atmosphere is so laid back compared to Shanghai; shop owners snooze in the corners of shops or if not, sit slouched on a stool fanning themselves in the sweaty heat. It's a great place to visit for a relaxing day out of Shanghai.
Although it is a bit of a tourist trap, it still has charm. The market stalls sell hand made arts and crafts as well as the tat you can find in the city centre. The canal banks are lined with trees, flowers and lanterns, making for a very pleasant walk in the afternoon sun. We took a relaxing boat ride on a traditional boat powered solely by one old guy and his oar. 
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Communist China
China - the most capitalist communist country in the world.
The Communist Party of China (CPC) has headed the Chinese government for almost 60 years; however, the country is rapidly opening up to international trade and foreign investment, which is probably the main reason China has become such a powerful country over the past 15 years.
The photos below show "communism" in China:
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| A typical neighbourhood found at the base of the 100-floor skyscrapers. |
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| Motorbike repair; a great advert for celotape. |
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| Everybody has a bicycle in China, but they're 50 year old bikes. |
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| Contrasting properties. |
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| Local seamstress just chilling outside her front door. |
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| Typical neighbourhood, the topless guy was washing his dog in the communal sink. |
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| Me in the blue rain poncho asking the miniature guard if I could take his photo. He said no. |
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| Big Brother really is watching, on every street corner in China. |
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| Military marching around Tiananmen Square in the pouring rain (carrying but not using umbrellas) |
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| Soldiers in Tiananmen Square; they're not too friendly. |
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| Shop delivery being taken in through the window. |
Beijing, the Heart of Communist China
31st July - 3rd August
Beijing is totally different from Shanghai. Where Shanghai feels modern, touristy and vibrant, Beijing feels oppressive regimented and dull. Although the dullness may be something to do with the heavy downpour that lasted for two full days of our time there.
In Shanghai it is evident that China is moving away from its strict communist past. In fact, it's probably the most capitalist communist country in the world. In Beijing, however, there is still a strong communist sentiment. There's a heavy military presence in Tiananmen Square in the centre of Beijing (famous for the military action taken against protesters there in 1989.) You have to go through security checks just to get onto the square and the entire area is fenced off and guarded.
Tiananmen Square
We went to the square the afternoon we arrived (in the torrential rain). In the vast empty space we headed towards the crowd of umbrellas at the far end, assuming something exciting was happening. They were however, from what I could gather, just waiting from the flag to be lowered. One Chinese spectator told me "it's so cool" - I'm not sure I agree.
The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is where numerous emperors of China resided for hundreds of years. It's a walled city surrounded by a moat and inside the walls there are around 800 buildings which look very much the same: ornate roof, gold and red. I don't think the Forbidden City is worth the 60 yuan entrance fee, it certainly isn't better than the Great Wall and it's more expensive. On the other hand, if you like being crammed into a confined space with a million Chinese tourists looking at 800 identical buildings it could be just your thing.
Shopping in Beijing
We took the subway to the famous silk market. I was expecting a traditional market with quirky, unusual stalls and typical Chinese arts and crafts. Oh, and silk, I was expecting silk! The market was in fact a shopping mall with isle after isle of identical shops; each floor selling a different item. The sales approach of the shop workers there wasn't so much 'hard sell' as much as it was 'physically violent attack'. After showing a slight interest in a tennis racket a female shop assistant trapped Ric in the shop and started grabbing, pushing and hitting him when he tried to leave. Once he'd escaped the shop she followed him, shouting at him and trying to grab him. After that we were scared to look at anything. In every shop you had to barter. The sales women would start off obscenely high and only drop to a sensible amount once you'd walked away. I know that's common all over the world but honestly, it seems a pretty senseless way to do business; why start off asking for £400 if what you're selling is only worth £5? I suppose some people enjoy bartering but I didn't have the patience for it.
Speedy Trains
There are 1000 miles between Shanghai and Beijing and amazingly, you can get from one to the other in just 5 hours! Going to Beijing we took the high speed bullet train: two stops, 300km/hour the whole way. Returning to Shanghai we took the slower sleeper train, it was very exciting for me as I'd never been on a sleeper train before. It was lush: 4 to a cabin, each bed with its own reading light and flat screen tv, table in the middle with a kettle - I slept like a baby!
To conclude, I did like Beijing despite my negative reviews. It's great as a base from which to visit the Great Wall but it's not a fun city to explore like Shanghai is. Maybe my experience was affected by the terrible weather we had while we were there; maybe it was the strain of the 2000mile round trip we did to get there, but I found the city no match for Shanghai.
Beijing is totally different from Shanghai. Where Shanghai feels modern, touristy and vibrant, Beijing feels oppressive regimented and dull. Although the dullness may be something to do with the heavy downpour that lasted for two full days of our time there.
In Shanghai it is evident that China is moving away from its strict communist past. In fact, it's probably the most capitalist communist country in the world. In Beijing, however, there is still a strong communist sentiment. There's a heavy military presence in Tiananmen Square in the centre of Beijing (famous for the military action taken against protesters there in 1989.) You have to go through security checks just to get onto the square and the entire area is fenced off and guarded.
Tiananmen Square
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| Tiananmen Square - grey grey grey |
The Forbidden City
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| The Forbidden City |
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| The entrance to the Forbidden City |
We took the subway to the famous silk market. I was expecting a traditional market with quirky, unusual stalls and typical Chinese arts and crafts. Oh, and silk, I was expecting silk! The market was in fact a shopping mall with isle after isle of identical shops; each floor selling a different item. The sales approach of the shop workers there wasn't so much 'hard sell' as much as it was 'physically violent attack'. After showing a slight interest in a tennis racket a female shop assistant trapped Ric in the shop and started grabbing, pushing and hitting him when he tried to leave. Once he'd escaped the shop she followed him, shouting at him and trying to grab him. After that we were scared to look at anything. In every shop you had to barter. The sales women would start off obscenely high and only drop to a sensible amount once you'd walked away. I know that's common all over the world but honestly, it seems a pretty senseless way to do business; why start off asking for £400 if what you're selling is only worth £5? I suppose some people enjoy bartering but I didn't have the patience for it.
Speedy Trains
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| Left: bullet train; Right: sleeper train |
To conclude, I did like Beijing despite my negative reviews. It's great as a base from which to visit the Great Wall but it's not a fun city to explore like Shanghai is. Maybe my experience was affected by the terrible weather we had while we were there; maybe it was the strain of the 2000mile round trip we did to get there, but I found the city no match for Shanghai.
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| The Forbidden City - view from outside of the walls |
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