Anything from the sea - Busan fish market

Busan's Jagalchi Market (자갈치시장 (부산)) is one of the most famous in the country and known as somewhere you can get pretty much anything that once lived in the ocean.

The biggest nore bang - Korean Baseball

Korean baseball games (and presumably any sporting event) are fun as hell to attend. Half the entertainment comes from the crowd and the energy coming from it just makes any trip a great time.

Earlier in the year me and two friends visited Daejeon to see the Hanwha Eagles play... someone, it didn't matter, we rooted for the home side and had so much fun cheering along with the ajashis (older guys) in the cheap seats it didn't matter.

Take me out to the ball game...

Tickets up in the outerfield seats were only about 9000W (9NZD) and there's plenty which sets it apart from a good-ol' cricket match in NZ. First there's the constant singing along, which if you really want to get involved with you should buy an infield ticket. There's a platform where cheerleaders dance and sing along, but it's more like a K-Pop show with costume changes and choreographed dance routines with the crowd on it's feet singing along to "Sweet Caroline" and, strangely, Bruno Mars' "I think I wanna marry you."

One of the best parts about heading to the game is you can bring your own food and drink, although not glass containers, and there are plenty of people selling chicken and beer as you head into the stadium which in Daejeon is literally walking distance from the train station.

Buzzy Bee enjoys a coldie.

The action on field was also pretty good, although I don't know what it is compared to the American game, but there was plenty to cheer about, even if we lost - including remarkably one of the pitchers being brought to them mound in a convertible sports car.

So for the price of a few beers and pocket money you can have yourself a truly Korean experience and really mingle with the locals.

Oh and we also saw a chipmunk on the way.

Beached as bro

There are a bajillion fantastic bars and club in the Korean sea-side city of Busan located in the south-east of the country, especially around the beach areas of Haeundae and Gwanghali - but there's just one kiwi pub. I have a feeling it's the only New Zealand bar in the whole country and located about half-way down the strip at Gwanghali it's pretty easy to spot by it's blue whale logo.

It's a must-do for any homesick kiwis, with a fridge stocked with Tui and Monteith's among a big selection of other New Zealand drinks, All Blacks gear adorning the walls and other memorabilia - it'll have you feeling like home in no time.

Oh and the view is spectacular.

https://www.facebook.com/beached.bar

Docho-do - Camping madness

In May this year I was invited by some friends to go camping at the South-Western Island of Docho-Do at the end of the Korean Peninsula. What resulted was one of the most ridiculous and rained-out trips I have ever experienced - and also a great amount of help from some of the friendliest Koreans around.
It all started on the Friday night of a long weekend when I made my way to Gwangju at the Southern end of the peninsula and then after a bit of sleep onto Mokpo by bus, right at the country's south.

We were fortunate to meet a very hungover (by his own admission) Korean gentleman named Mr Kim who lived in the city and after a bit of conversation he said he would help us find the ferry terminal for our trip to the island.

Upon arriving at the ferry terminal we discovered one of our troop would be arriving late so bidding farewell to the rest of the party who grabbed seats on the earlier express ride, and a quick dash to the store for food and essentials like tents, we set about trying to find tickets. It turns out you can't book ahead for the ferries like you can with other Korean transport, so there was nothing to do but wait until our time was on sale and panic to see if our last adventurer made it in time.

But, it all worked out and then it was just a case of enjoying the view on the nearly three-hour ride to the island - but my God, what a view.

The thing about Korean ferries is that they are just big rooms with awesome heated floor, so everyone camps out in groups and there are always some characters to meet along the way.

And then, after nearly getting off on the wrong island - twice - we arrived at beautiful Docho-do in the early evening.

Where we were camping was on the other side of the island to the ferry drop-off and after asking around and looking a bit sad and lost, someone was able to help us call a cab, and just as it arrived, a friendly local scooped half our group into the back of his pickup and offered us a ride across. In one of the kindest gestures I have ever seen, we offered the man 20,000 Won ($20NZD) for his troubles and he flatly refused saying it was his pleasure and then took off when we arrived.

Then, there was nothing to do but camp - all the usuals - pot noodles, sausages, songs a drinks by the camp fire, fairy princess tents.

The next day bathed us in golden sands, warm (ish) seas and lashings of sunlight for beach sports and a lot of sitting in the light.

As the afternoon continued it became apparent we might be in for a bit of rain. What we got was a torrential downpour which washed out all of our tents and gear. Leaving us freezing and seeking refuge under the concrete camp kitchen and huddled on the floor for what was a boozy, hilarious but mostly sleepless night.

So Docho is the perfect spot for a camping adventure - but as always, it pays to check the weather forecast.

Happy Travels!

Taiwan - checking out Taipei city of scooters and noodles

The first thing you notice about Taipei in the middle of summer is the heat. When you step out of the subway and the little screen tells you it's 34 degrees outside you know you're going to be a sweaty monster in seconds.

The second is the scooters - they are everywhere, clogging up footpaths, roads and alleyways, it definitely seems to be the main form of transport and everyone's got one. From young people texting on the back seat as their driver weaves through traffic or the dapper gentleman with suit and tie it's the most prevalent way to get around.

Once you become accustomed with these two facets of the city, which you do quickly due to the overwhelming aspects of both, you see Taipei a thoroughly diverse city which appears relaxed, although constantly moving and friendly.
One of my favourite things about Taipei was the mix-up of people and cultures everywhere we went. At the Chiang Kai-shek area there was these huge white arches that were obviously designed and built by someone for whatever inspiration and they are absolutely magnificent. While gazing upon these structures in awe and contemplating what motivations people have and what great lives people must lead to have things like this built in their honour - there was a bunch of ladies next me feeding a swarm of pigeons. Both these sights were as interesting to me because one is a monument which will stand for centuries and the other a fleeting moment, but both represented humanity at its finest and most interesting, which is kind of what this city was all about.

In the nearly a week I stayed there with two friends we found plenty of amazing little pockets within the sprawling mass and staying several different areas we found Taipei to be different and changeable wherever you are.

Around Taipei main station and Datong
Arriving in the city from the airport and looking super-lost as we studied maps and cellphones in our quest to find the accommodation we had booked. It was not long before a woman came up to us and in perfect English let us know the right direction to head. As we toddled off thanking her profusely she finished the conversation with a chirpy "welcome to Taiwan". It was only the first of many with a number of people helping us along the way, often without being approached and made the experience feel really friendly and welcoming. I even had one short lady stop me mid-stride on the last day just to welcome me.
Being based in Korea this really got us talking about the differences between the two countries. In Korea I had been approached a few times when lost also and people had been very helpful at times as well. Taiwan, though, at least the city, seemed to have more English speakers but I do not think this was an education thing, I think Koreans are just more shy about using their English.
After checking in we explored the Museum of Contemporary Art which is in a stately building not far from the station. A trendy little gallery the artsy among you will feel right at home and a the cute accompanying coffee shop offers a nice breather.
The area North of the station where we stayed seems a bit like your average Taiwan with lots of pokey little shops and apartments intertwined with noodle shops while south offers shopping malls and sky-high department stores catering for every need.

A short walk away is the Ning-Xiao night market. Taiwan is famous for its markets which are pretty much everywhere. Ning-Xiao is a smaller one but offers heaps of food and drink. We tried all sorts of things like octopus and pork noodle rolls, papaya smoothies and sausages of unknown origin and make. One of the most remarkable things about Taipei is the range of food, catering to every taste. The entire time we were there we ate out in noodle huts, the markets, corner dumpling stores and even a couple of restaurants. All of which offering flavours from very part of Asia and beyond.
In the coming days, we explored the National Museum which was currently holding an amazing amber exhibit featuring preserved tree-sap capturing animals, insects and plants from millions of years ago - most recognizable from Jurrasic Park as where the dino-DNA is taken from. Unfortunately this was pseudo-science, but looking upon a perfectly preserved lizard or mosquito from a time before our species even existed was very striking and ultimately humbling.

Not far from here on the West side of the station is the San Yan Set Memorial House and park. This incredible building is absolutely huge and features and three-story high statue of the Chinese leader, who, politics aside, is revered on both sides of the Taiwanese Strait. We arrived there to a packed hall for the changing of the guard's ceremony. We did not even know it was on, just happened to be there. With a lot of rifle-twirling and boot stomping the well-dressed guards exchanged places, but the ceremony was hilarious because the actual security in suits protecting the guards provided the real protection. But, it was interesting all the same.

Daan and Xinyi
The financial capital areas of Taipei, these two areas feature incredible high-rises, upmarket shopping, fancy hotels, trendy bars and, nestled in between fantastic markets and great finds. The most notable piece of Xinyi, especially is the famous Taipei 101 tower.

It sprouts out of the city like the bamboo shoot it was designed to look like and is a great reference point when navigating as it is huge. At the base of the tower it touts it is "the greatest engineering achievement in the world" which, I guess is open to interpretation. If your a shopper this area is for you and a variety of late-night dance clubs will keep you going to the early hours if you want to party after.

Being frugal travellers we were able to marvel as we had a poke into one of the high-rise bars and the biggest freaking bookstore I have ever seen, but were always warmly welcomed in what appeared to be the typical Taipei fashion.
We stayed in a hostel in Daan, maybe 15 minutes walk from the tower and this area is less up-market but once again had amazing night-markets. This is where you want to eat in Taipei as we were able to find treats from all over the world. I often have a large disdain for "foodies" and people who identify themselves as such - but it is impossible to deny that eating in Taiwan is a great adventure as well as being cheap, delicious and fun. One of my favourite treats in Asia is being able to buy a whole coconut and drink it from a straw which is easily found in every market we visited.

Zhongzheng
Zhongzheng is a popular tourist spot as it  features a number of architectual marvels from the Presidential palace to the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall area featuring a number of towering monuments and buildings. We had a whole day wandering through this area and it's well worth it.

Just about every building here is epic and if you like looking at big and old things its a great spot to be.
It's also home to the Government buildings including the Presidential palace:

There's so much to see and do in Taipei it's impossible to capture it all in one go, so a few days was well worth our time.

Cheers to Taipei!

"I'm sorry, we can't do stitches here." - fun fun Korean hospital trip

Her voice came wavering over the phone "I've cut myself really bad and need to go to hospital," in the - we're raised tough in Indiana but things have turned South - kind of way.
Moving to a new country like Korea and not speaking the language can be a frustration at times but when there's a genuine emergency and you've been in-country just two weeks, things can get pretty scary as it did for my friend two nights ago.
It was out the door and ran straight into neighbor from Washington on her way out the door to give assistance as well.
"I don't even know where she lives," she tells me.
When you're in a town of 50,000 with just a dozen or so expats, you see each other on weekends and have a few laughs, but when it comes to the crunch they can be the only help you have some days and it's an interesting note how little we know of each other at times.
We found Indiana in the parking section of her building sounding very meek and clutching a bloody paper towel to her hand. It was straight in a taxi as noone has a car and up to the nearest hospital which, due to a public holiday was meagerly staffed.
A short wait and our patient was able to see the doctor who quickly stated, "I'm sorry, we can't do stitches here."
Bewildered, we were told the nearest place to get a sliced finger repaired was the next city, Daejeon which meant after they bandaged the hanging piece of flesh attempting to escape the ring finger, we would be on a 40 minute train out of town, then a ten minute taxi, just to get there.
A frantic search for the emergency room resulted in a wonderful, if tiny, lady escorting us down to the basement level where there was paperwork and many questions before we could get in to see a professional.
The first noticeable thing about a Korean emergency room was the lack of curtains, they're present but all nicely tucked away so you share the space with the other patients quite intimately.
The nurses were very efficient and practical and a fantastic young Doctor came to her aid, announcing it would only be 30 minutes before he could stitch her up.
We were led to a small surgery room and Washington was straight out the door again due to the fact a young man was having a side wound treated in full view as right in the doorway. Myself and Indiana were left there in the corner, able to observe someone else having minor surgery for a while - neat but not for the faint stomached and certainly did not ease the patient's mind.
The Doctor was a stunning craftsman and six stitches into a smallish flap of skin to essentially reattach it was done even with a phone call and one or two text messages in between - although he did change gloves between each checked message.
It was then time for the post-op which for some reason involved an allergy test before four injections of anti-biotics which had our patient reaching for the puke bag.

Fun in Seoul

There is plenty to do in Seoul and recently I spent a weekend hopping around the downtown area to check out the sights on a rainy but entertaining day - proving it is an all-weather city.
Awakening to grey skies, I enjoyed a sweet pastry breakfast and coffee, then headed the bus from Cheongju to Seoul with a friend and her nephew. Arriving at the Seoul bus terminal we hitched a subway to Itaewon and the Namsan area and a then a bus to the base of N Tower.

Despite the rain there were still plenty of people making the hike up the hill to the tower and upon arrival stumbled into a boy-band show, complete with screaming fans in see-through ponchos. Before entering the elevator up the tower, we and the other visitors were treated to a psychedelic light show and then herded onto the lift in droves.
The ceiling of the elevator includes a cinematic show giving the feeling of floating through space. Once at the top it became evident how high we actually were, not from the spectacular view but from the fact we were up in the clouds. This did make the views of the city a little disappointing as we could only see half way as what is normal. But we could still see the expanse of the traditional village and Itaewon through the business district and Hongdae.
In a way being up in the clouds was a special magic of its own and there was plenty of fun playing with the binoculars and sending a postcard from Seoul's highest post office. What is also fun about the tower is the windows have locations from around the world printed on them with the distance they are from where you are standing - 9,500 kms from home it tells me.

Back on the bus and a cab into Itaewon - the foreigner district - for lunch. We picked Johnny Dumpling, one of the more famous mandu places in Seoul. It was a typically small place but the food was amazing. We had two orders of soup and half fried, half steamed, pork and seafood dumplings. It was fantastic with the flavours of both steam and the fry pan being something I had not tried before but quickly became my new favourite thing.

Back out into the rain and another cab for the trip through downtown and to one of Seoul's most popular and well-known attractions the National Folk Museum. First stop was the cafe for a cup of coffee before catching the afternoon performance. These are put on each Saturday and change each week so there is always something different when visitors attend.
The one we caught was put on and choreographed by Ahn Gwiho who is the leader of the Chum Yi-Eum Dance Troupe. This performance gave asampling of different style of Korean dance from wonderfully colourful fan dances to classic forms and the humorous scholar's dance. The whole performance was deeply mesmerizing and was designed to give a sampling of the different styles of dance from around Korea. From classical and more contemporary works I think you would be hard pressed to find a better cross-section of traditional dance. Twirling hanbok to beautiful peonies all combined to really make this show something special.
The museum itself offers insight into the many directions Korea has taken over the centuries and can easily chew through a couple of hours of walking time. But what is most fascinating is the grounds around the museum. The building itself has a six-story temple stacked on top of it, recreated in the 1960s to resemble parts of existing buildings from around the country.

As with many things in Korea some of these no longer exist or have been rebuilt during its tumultuous history. The grounds also feature art and buildings brought in from around the country relevant to its history. A wander around here offers insight into current architecture based on the old-style homes present throughout.
Next was off to Chungcheongno for a showing of Nanta. Now Nanta is without a doubt Korea's most successful stage show, having showed in 43 countries more than 25,000 times since it opened in 1997 and currently plays three full-time locations around Seoul. So it's a must-see when in Korea and a point of pride.
Nanta, also appeared globally under the English name Cookin', is difficult describe but it is certainly one of the most entrtaining things I have ever seen in my life. Using every kitchen utensil imaginable and real food, the crew bang through an hour and a half of music, comedy and fun in this hilarious stage show. It follows a basic plot about a kitchen staff having just one hour to prepare an entire wedding feast. Everything from skillets to the bulgogi itself becomes musical and audience interaction is encouraged. There's plenty of laughs and heaps of fun with this show and I have definitely recommended it to many of my friends. After the show it was dinner time at the restaurant down stairs and we enjoyed a huge pot of extra spicy beef rib - straight off the bone. It was one of the best dishes I have eaten in Korea and also one of the hottest.
Saying goodbye to my campanions I headed on the subway to Itaewon once again to Bar Americano - a hot spot for foreigners which often features live music and reasonably priced drinks. I caught a performance from a number of acoustic musicians and a friend of mine Skizzo - a native Hawaiian who raps in Korean and beat boxes - check him out here; http://www.youtube.com/qklilx