All Things & Their Opposite

Kuala Lumpur

2009-12-18T17:58:00.000-08:00

So Sarah and I have been on the road for a couple days now. We had an incredible first few days in Singapore. We got in late to the airport and crashed for a spell until we could grab the train into town to drop off our bags. After doing so we took off for the Singapore Botanical Gardens, which were absolutely dazzling. Sarah said they were ranked #1 in the world by some magazine and I can definately see why.

After the gardens we checked in to The Hive offically and got cleaned up a bit. Then we went to Little India and explored the markets, ate some delicious Muslim food, and cruised around the streets a bit.

The next day we went to the Bukit Tihan Nature Reserve. Played with some Macque long-tail monkies and hiked through the primary jungle. Really incredible foliage and some of the largest trees I've ever seen.

Now we are in Kuala Lumpur. It's our last day here before we take off to the Cameroon Highlands. We've been a bit out of sorts since getting here, but are getting into the rythme of this wild city.

The hostel we are staying in (The Raggae Rest House) has been just that. A quiet place to escape the maddeningly chaotic streets of the city. Everywhere you turn there is something to take in. It's a mixture of gritty and flashy. Buildings covered in green moss with crackes running throughout, on the verge of losing a chunk here and there; mixed with posh hotels, frantic street markets and people--so many people. I have to stop from time to time just to look at the diversity of this city. Malaysian, Chinese, Muslim, European, American, Thai...etc. Too much to take it all in. Trying to just relax today and let things flow a bit more. It's easy for me to get caught up in the trying to absorb it all, but not very wise.

I've been snapping pictures non-stop, so I've hoping to get a couple gems. Unfortunately it's been raining off and on since we've been here, so lighting hasn't been the best.

We decide to just walk off from the hostel yesterday and wander. We ended up finding a small interior city park with signs that warned of scorpions, snakes, and so forth. The forest was dark and wet, so we took care to walk slowly. The end of the trail carried us up to the Communications Tower (4th largest in the world I believe) and we went up and walked around a bit. Then headed over to the Petronas Towers for a gander. Incredible to stand a the base of these two towers and take in their enormity.

Did a bit of shopping in the Central Market in the late afternoon and Sarah found a nice skirt and necklace. Lots of great deals to be had, just nowhere to put anything substantial. I'm really looking forward to the markets in Bangkok, which are suppose to be some of the best in the world for treasure hunting.

More later...

It's been a while, so here's a bit of what we've been up to.

2009-05-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well...to start, we're now living up in Seoul. To be more exact we're in Gunpo-city, Gyeonggi-do Province. The area is quite different from where we were last year. It's rather modern and up tempo compared with Cheongok Dong, down in Ulsan. Instead of being on the last bus stop out of Ulsan, we're off the Line 1 of the Seoul Metro Subway, which essentially gives us access to this fair city of 22 million people.

The city of Gunpo was formerly an industrial and agricultural area with only a few reminants of this recent past. Today, it's being built up rapidly and has been reconstructed to have something of a new urban fabric. What I mean is that the city has taken the time to widen streets, add lots of trees, side walks, and parks. In many old parts of Seoul these things do not exist, but the government here is spending billions of dollars trying to improve the green factors here. From my window at work I see a golf course, luxury apartments, a couple smoke stacks and factories, and Suri-san Mountain set back behind it all.

Sarah and I have a nice 3bd/2ba apartment just up the street from work. It literally takes us about 4-5 minutes to walk in each day and we often go home between breaks at work to grab a bit to eat or catch a couple quick zzz's.

From our door step it takes us about 15 minutes to walk to the Gunpo subway station. About 1 minute to a convience store. 3 minutes to Paris Bagette bakery. We have several small grocery stores within 2-5 minutes, along with numerous chicken hof's (fried chicken + beer halls), samgyupsal restaurants (bbq pork restaurants), pharmacies, screen golf (video driving ranges), and dozens of other businesses.

It sounds like we're in the middle of a dense urban landscape, but we can actually walk to the base of Surisan Mountain and get a nice reprieve from city life. It's not a huge mountain, but it does climb up about 1000ft and gives us a chance to get away from it all. As everyone knows I love getting outside and hiking, so for me the access to three local mountain ranges is perfect. To the north we have Gwanak-san, to the east Morak-san, and then Suri-to the west.

Before getting back to Seoul, Sarah and I had a really nice visit home. We spent a nice, yet chilly couple months bouncing around Cody WY, Denver CO, Minneapolis MN, Hopewell Jct NY, Lancaster PA, and Lawrence MA. We're not sure when we'll be back, but maybe as soon as this summer for a shorter visit. We'll have to see how things unfold.

Some of the highlights for me in Cody were: photographing the Northfork of the Shoshone River near Cody, getting pushed around by the wind on a frozen reservior near Meeteetse while ice fish with Mike. Taking my nephew and niece, Ben + Abby, on a little hiking adventure around the fields in their backyard. As well as taking my nieces, Ava + Violet, on a couple walks around the windy streets in their neighborhood. Lastly, nearly polishing off a bottle of Crown Royal with Sarah's dad, Terry. Of course, coffee chats early in the morning are always enjoyable, with Sarah's Mom, Marla. This has become sort of a tradition.

Down to Denver: had a great time meeting up with my old buddies from NAU at Kerwyn + Elena's house. Got some good news about them expecting a pair of twins, as well as meeting, Duzan, Maurice and Sarah's son. Also, recently got word that Jed and Leni had their first baby girl, Ivi Mae. While there we took in a nice art walk in downtown Denver, skiied Keystone, ate some gourmet home cooking ala Elena + Kerwyn, as well as getting in some nice rounds of darts.

Over to Minneapolis: we walked into an awesome welcome home party at Poppy + Edward's. I got to jam out to some great local music at the 331 club in NorthEast with Jeff and got to snowshoe in the Minneasota Valley N.W.R on a bright sunny day with a foot and a half of fresh powder on the ground. We also had a great time hanging out with Carly, Stefan, and Aislyn for a couple days, doing a little bit of dining, sleding and chatting.

Further east to Hopewell Jct: Had a great time catching up with my folks and seeing all the home improvements they're done over the last couple months. We also had a great time over at my Jan and Tom's eating, drinking, and catching up. Tom and I even took a nice day hike/snowshoe trip us into the Catskills. Was a perfect day for it.

My parents have been venturing out more and more and found a great little Thai restaurant they took us to in Beacon. Fine foods and conversation were had on numerous occasions, but the best meal of all was a fantastic mexican restaurant they took us to just before flying back to Seoul. I've had tons of good Mexican food over the years, but this place was top notch.

A lot more happened then what I've mentioned here, including a couple short trips to visit my grandmothers in MA and PA. As always, we had a lovely time chatting with them and see what they've been up to. Oh...and to the people in MA. I think I'm a fan of Brown's now. Markey's was my childhood favorite, but Brown's had some of the best scallops and haddock I've had in years.

As you can see...eating was a big part of our trip home. After eating mostly Korean food for 13 months we were on a mission to enjoy as much good home cooking and Western style restaurants as we could. We ate everything from organic T-bones, to Thai, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Greek, and so on. Food is life.

Anyhow, I'm getting ready to walk home. It's been a nice relaxing day a work. 4 classes and some grading and I'm off. Hope everyone reading this had a nice day, too!

Cheers!

Andong Mask Festival

2008-11-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

The 2008 Andong Mask Festival-but you could probably tell already.

Got this one walking through a horde of people dressed in incredibly ornate costumes. Was rather fun actually.

Spotted this classy lady walking with her hand bag dressed in tradional Hanbok.

The face of the statue is representative of one of the tradional masks worn in a dance peasants preformed during the Joseon Dynasty. It was typically a satire poking fun at the Korean elite. Now the elite put on a festival to parade around their politicians and turn a buck off the peasant culture.

Kelly, China Women, + Sarah

"Welcome! I'll need you to put the backpack down, raise your hand over your head and spread your legs."

This guy was relaxing to the fullest. White gloves and all.

They had several types of puppets. Sarah got one that looks more like a monk.

Say, "Kimchi!!!"

A bit of tradional Korea dance, dress, and music.

This lady looked like she walked right off a movie set. She was great!

She was a lot of fun, too. They took photos with everyone, but they didn't turn out to good.

Our friend Dale takes a second to pose for this one. I'm not going to cut on him while I'm still living in Korea. He's a bit of a loose cannon. He once nearly flipped his tank while on maneuvers in the Outback.

Some days just aren't that happy in Korea.

These guys share their head dresses with the local highschool cheerleading squads during the week. Communism still has a hold on some parts of Korean society.

Would have paid a hundred bucks for a paintball gun!

"Come on Kim Su. I see big brother running this way."

"Hey...pass that over here Mr. Lee. You geezers are going to drink it all!!!"

Sobaek-san National Park

2008-11-10T19:01:00.000-08:00

We started the hike at Samga Vistor Center (bottom right). It was a great day!

Birobong Peak 3.4km back up the way we came.

A nice pine forest with a rough 4X4 road as our trail.

Don't know when they built this trail, but the chunks of stone they used must have been hell to work with. This was a couple km from where vehicles could access the trail.

A couple Yew Trees. They ranged in age between 200-500 years old, according to our guide book. This small patch of trees is the largest grove of Yew Trees in Korea.

Gnarly old trees, ehh?

Don't know what kind of tree this is, but it had an interesting shape.

A leg of the trail to Birobang peak--on our way down.

Grassy meadows and some pretty steep sloping terrain.

A group shot on the peak.

(1439 meters)

A trail leading off to Gungmangbong (Peak).

Sarah is all smiles while looking around at the views.

A news helicopter pass by, as a couple of Koreans wave hello.

Sarah and Nathan taking a rest after reaching the summit.

Approaching the peak. The legs were shot, so I took a ton of shots on this final stretch of trail.

Approaching the peak. The entire hike up was well forested. So we really couldn't see much of the surrounding mountains until we arrived at this point.

Autumn in Cheongok-dong

2008-11-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

Picnic Spot

Haeinsa Temple

2008-11-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

Haeinsa Temple

Haeinsa

Haeinsa Temple-We were allowed to actually photograph the inside, but the interior was fantastic. It was like a massive cavern supported by giganic pillars, roughly 5 feet in diameter and reaching to the very top of the temple. The interior was as ornate and detailed as the exterior. It was almost too stimulating.

An old fortress near Haeinsa that was used recently for a blockbuster Korean film, though I don't know the name of the flick or the fortress. We stopped by on our way back to Danyang for a couple minutes.

Danyang + Gosu Cave

2008-11-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

2008-11-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

Traversing deeper into the cave.

Gosu Cave

Jinju Beach

Residential Courtyard

Abandoned House

Lighthouse

Monk

Pair of Monks

Shot from a car. You see scenarios like this all the time in the urban areas of Korea.

Standard fishing boats.

Some Joe in a little ocean side coffee hut.

Jinju Beach

My Almost Published Travel Article

2008-11-07T15:24:00.000-08:00

I wrote this article a couple months ago after getting in touch with some of the staff writers/photographers. The editor-in-chief excepted my article along with several photos and planned to publish it in their October issue of the The Korea Sun. Unfortunately, they aren't doing so well financially and have been bought up by another paper. So it may still get printed...but not very soon. And I sure what I have below was edited down, because it's a bit long.

So...take a look if you like.

Escape to Juwang-san

One hot summer weekend, my wife and I were in need of a little peace and relaxation. We grabbed a map and started looking for national parks not too far from Ulsan, in an attempt to thwart the life draining forces of our young English language students. We both love being outdoors and tramping around anywhere green and wanted to get off the beaten path or at least away from the hordes of people at the beaches.

We zeroed in on Juwang-san National Park, located approximately 45 minutes east of Andong in the North Gyeongsang Province. This park lies in the Taebaek Mountain Range, which extends into North Korea and spans a distance of roughly 500 kilometers. On the western slope of the range the mountains raise gently but steeply drop off on the eastern side into the East Sea (Sea of Japan).

The first thing that drew our attention to Juwangsan was that it receives fewer visitors than any other National Park in Korea. Also, it’s a relatively short distance from Ulsan (via a 2hr 20min train ride & a 45mins bus trip). Plus the campground is easily accessible (a 5 minute walk from the park entrance and a two minute walk from the bus terminal). As back up, should a thunder storm decide to spoil our communion with nature, we had our pick of minbaks (30,000 won per night).

We got an early start and caught the train out of Hogye Station at 8:26 am and were relaxing in the shade of a large maple tree before noon. We were greeted by a deep blue sky with only a handful of clouds hovering overhead. A lush green valley accented by massive sandstone formations beneath a mountainous horizon framed our view to the west.

After deciding on a campsite we set up the tent. I then pulled out my hammock and quickly realized the rope I had wasn’t long enough to span the distance between the two trees in our camp. We walked around asking different vendors for rope, but no one seemed to have any. I finally caught a friendly smile from a lady who offered up some twine, not realizing what we were intending to do with it. Then her daughter spotted a thick piece of rope tied off to a tarp. She cut me off a six foot section and handed it to me with a smile. I offered to pay her, but she refused. So I grabbed a bandana and said, “Olma imnika, chuseyo?“ “Sahm Cheonon,” she responded. People in Korea can be incredibly hospitable and this was just another perfect example to us that we were welcomed guests in the Land of Morning Calm.

As we made our way back to camp we noticed a few families were in a nearby creek swimming, while others were lazily grilling fish and chicken. The rest seemed to be napping under their Jackal sunscreens or laughing it up over Hite and Soju.

The intensity of the sun became more apparent after getting back to camp with the rope (94F/32C). The heat compounded with the humidity persuaded us to wait it out before running off for a hike into the mountains. We spent several hours lounging around camp, taking turns in the hammock and reading books under the scattered shade of our maple tree.

While laying there looking up at the sky through the maple leaves’ sublime movements I was drawn back to my childhood; lounging at the beach with my family, napping under the shade of an umbrella. Maybe it was the heat or maybe I was slowly drifting to sleep, but the nearby sounds of yelping children and quips from a group of teens snapping self portraits with their cell phones slowly began to drift away. Everyone and everything seemed to soften in the heat. Soon, all I could hear was the rise and fall of the locusts. Their rhythms weaving into a hypnotic tapestry of sound until I was finally no where. It’s no wonder Buddhists tuck themselves up into these lush mountain valleys to escape the encroaching modernity and meditate on their scriptures.

After the heat started to break and a few more cumulus clouds collected in the sky we ventured into the park. No one was collecting money at the entrance, so we strolled right in. We followed a wide, well groomed path for about a kilometer into the park watching the sun over head beat down on the orange sandstone cliffs. This was the first time in Korea I drew a mental comparison to the American Southwest. Though the scale was smaller, the rock formations, trickling creek, and large deciduous trees were reminiscent of a trip I took to Zion National Park; walking along the Virgin River and skipping stones, in Southeastern Utah.

I was quickly falling in love with the sights and sounds of Juwang-san, but the sun was setting quickly and my wife didn‘t want to get stuck out in the dark. We made our way back to camp slapping off a mosquito or two and taking in the notes of the creek meandering next to the trail.

The next morning we woke up a little after 5am, packed up a few snacks and a couple bottles of water, and off we went. Unlike the clear blue sky of the previous day, a dense white fog had settled in overnight. It was as though we were walking through some exotic dreamscape. Well, actually…we were. Less the dream. I looked up on occasion expecting to see Chow Yun Fat battling on the limbs of bamboo trees, but everything was still. It seemed no one was awake yet, only a few birds jostling around in the tree tops over head.

As we approached the park a Korean gentlemen sweeping the entrance collected the nominal 2,000W fee. The previous evening we bypassed Daejeonsa Temple; where several buildings, ornately trimmed trees, and a large collection of lotus flowers lay (Nelumbo nucifera). This time we turned in to get a closer look. The lotus’ delicate purple and white petals are offset by the lime green seed pod at the center of the flower. I later learned that the seed pod of the lotus is used in some of the banchan (side dishes) served alongside traditional Korean meals.

We located the trailhead to Juwang-san Peak, only a few hundred meters down the trail from the temple. The narrow dirt path immediately began climbing and was broken up occasionally by sets of wooden stairs. The climb to the summit was a moderate 2.3km. Gorgeous views of sandstone rock formation were visible after only 25 minutes on the trail. In the distance, we could see more expansive views of soft peaks poking up through the low lying fog. It took roughly two hours to slowly lumber to the peak. We were in no rush. Various parts of this trail provided nice resting spots to grab a nip of water or a handful of pistachios.

The peak was marked at 722m, a rather low peak compared with some of the climbs Korea has to offer. The only disappointing part of the trail was that the peak didn’t offer up a view. However, the summit was littered with wild flowers, which attracted a variety of butterflies and blue dragonflies. The most notable among them all was a large black and white butterfly (nearly 4-5 inches in width); moving from flower to flower drawing nectar.

After a rest on the summit we continued down the backside of Juwangsan Peak. This portion of the trail followed a ridgeline, toggling up and down with several steep declines along the way. Parts of the trail (2.5km) were under construction; people with unsteady footing might opt to turnaround. But, if you’re able - a pristine view looking out over the confluence of several forested peaks opens up about half way down this leg of the trail, which eventually leads to the 3rd Fall. We had the trail to ourselves for nearly 3 hours, passing only one lone photographer. A true rarity considering the fervor Koreans have for hiking.

Once we were off the mountain side and into the valley, we hiked one kilometer along a trail that crisscrossed a small stream. We saw countless butterflies, dragonflies, several large toads the size of a man’s fist and a couple of yellow bellied toads. We had heard that the elusive Eurasian flying squirrel lives in Juwangsan, but we saw only a couple of regular squirrels running along the ground.

As we approached the 3rd Fall, we were quickly snapped out of our trance. The falls were impressive, but the instantaneous increase in the number of people left us wishing we had lingered up on Juwang-san for a little while longer.

Along the final section of trail (2.5km-to the park entrance or 0.4 up to the 3rd Fall) the most impressive part was a narrow gorge. Several dozen small falls and massive rock walls were traversed by a well-built wooden pathway. I don’t know how they managed to construct it (with running water and steep rocky falls under toe) but the scenery was spectacular. The boardwalk clung to the edge of the canyon wall and slowly toggled downward en route to a larger dirt trail. Families with young children could easily make it to this particular spot with out any trouble.

The heat of the day was more apparent after leaving the cover of the forest canopy. We decided to make a V-line back to camp, pack up and check on bus tickets to Andong. Though we got more out of our trip than we expected, we were both a bit grubby; craving a cool shower, a solid meal and a bit of A/C.

When we got back to camp we packed up and caught a bus to Andong for 7,500W each. The bus and train station in Andong are only a couple of blocks apart, which isn’t a bad walk - unless the bus driver decides to kick you out a bit early and the clouds split open and unleash a torrential rain, which they did. Luckily, we nabbed a cab and missed the brunt of the storm.

The train tickets back to Hogye ran us 11,000W each. We were home, showered, and lying in bed with the AC cranking by 9 pm. Overall, our weekend away from the from the city did the trick and cost around 60,000W each.

Korea in August

2008-09-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

Woke up one morning to this bright orange glow coming through the windows. I got up and took this picture of the valley from the window.

Saw this guy while walking through the gardens that lead to the hiking trails

One of the local gardens checking me out as he plucked chili peppers.

A make-shift garden lounge. These are set up throughout the local gardens and the farmers like to enjoy a Hite or soju in the evenings after baking in the sun all day. I usually hear them laughing up a storm returning from a late afternoon hike.

I was sitting in the living room when this guys' feet appear on the sliding glass door of our balcony. No fancy harness or ropes for this cat. He had a simple metal framed seat with rope wrapped around it (acting as the actually seat). To bold for my blood.

These roads cut through the valley floors provided access to the rice fields for the farmers. The make nice walking or bike paths, too.

Went a bit off the pavement and spotted this insect. It was a cross between a grasshopper and a locust. Roughly 5 inches in length.

These hairy guys are all over the place. I watched for a bit as he pulled webbing from his rear and stretched it out, then placing it quickly to expand his web.

Toward the end of my bike ride I came across this old Korean guy building a totem to the 2008 Bejing Olympics. I was a bit odd that he was building it next to a creek with loose rock and concrete, but that's how things go in Korea. No real regulation on a lot of the things we would get a ticket for in the US.

Seoul in August

2008-08-31T09:34:00.001-07:00

Bongeunsa Temple - Seoul

Mireukdaebul - at 23 meters this statue and is the largest statue of Buddha in Korea

A busy intersection in Seoul

Only in Korea could you get away with wearing a pink shirt and a Yankee hat.

Juwang-san National Park

2008-08-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Some random photos...

2008-06-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

Minneapolis in Spring '07

Westcliffe, CO - May '07

Minneapolis, MN - Mar. '07

Westcliffe, CO - May '07

Minneapolis, MN - 2007

Weismen Museum - Minneapolis, MN - 2006

Minneapolis Skyline - Jan '07

Minneapolis Skyline - Summer '06

Eliott Park - Minnepolis, MN - 2007

Boundry Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, MN - Fall '06

South Fork, WY - 2006

Waffle House - Lancaster, PA - Sept '07

Great Sand Dunes, CO - Oct '07

Belfry Highway, WY - 2007

South Fork, WY - 2007

Hogye, South Korea - May 2008

Cheongok Dong, South Korea - May 2008

El Nido, Philippines - May 2008

2008-06-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

Around El Nido

2008-06-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

Day 3 - El Nido

2008-06-07T23:08:00.000-07:00

Woke up to a beautiful sunrise on day 3.

These guys were up early every morning building a boat. They were taking a little break in the shade here. Their kids were great fun to watch. Chipping in here and there, but more or less, getting in the way.

Beach path into town. I spent a lot of time lounging around here watching the locals and snorkeling in the water.

We did an island hopping tour. Coming in here to a hidden beach for some snorkeling. The coral and fish were amazing. Saw this neon blue plasma doughnut shaped thing-don't know what it was, exactly, but the fish loved diving inside, nibbling on something and darting back out.

Sarah loved the snorkeling, even though we got stung by these tiny translucent jelly fish over and over again. The bite was simalar to a mosquitos. Not bad, really.

We stopped on this tiny beach for lunch. Fresh snapper + tuna, rice, and cabbage salad. A couple San Miguel to wash it all down with. Snorkeling here was great. Saw a bunch of large blue star fish (maybe 14-16 inches in diameter), sea turtles, and numerous corals. Swimming out about 15 meters from the shoreline the ocean completely opened up and dropped off into a deep blue chasm. This was really fantastic. The water was so clear. Looking down the wall that dropped off covered in long seaweeds, massive corals, and swarmed by so many schools of fish...I'll never forget this spot.

The whole of El Nido and the surrounding island were comprised of these really jagged limestone cliffs. Every bit of the surface was rough and not very forgiving. Trees grew out of anything they could and some were just gorgeous.

The boat and a couple of our fellow island hoppers.

Sarah used a jellyfish for the "O".

Helicopter Island. We spent a few hours here loafing around, walking the beach, checking out the shells and corals.

I fell in love with this place and really didn't want to leave.

I met this young teenage kid, who approached while I was head down, looking at all the seashells. He went by the alias "Truth" and explained some of the local history. He'd moved with his family from Manila and was starting to learn the ropes for becoming a guide. He hoped to help educate tourists about the value of coral reefs and some of the others beautiful areas around the island. Neat kid.

The color of the water + sand, contrasted with the limestone cliffs and foliage was really amazing.

We couldn't get over the size of the shells. The giant clams in the ocean were even larger.

Some fossilized shells embedded in the rock.

The island on the right reminded me of Balanced Rock in Arches National Park.

Leaving Helicopter Island and heading back to El Nido. The beach in this photo was on Cadlao Island. Sarah and I would later explore this beach after a jungle trek coming down a slippery jungle trail to the right in this photo. I took a good whipping in the face by a piece of bamboo and earned a couple nice pin pricks on my cheek.

Almost back to reality.

El Nido from the sea.

Heading to Taiyo Village

2008-06-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

A boy doing backflips off a banca.

El Nido

The trail we took back and forth from town to Taiyo Resort. No cars beyond this point.

A glimpse of the Bacuit Archipeligo at sunset.

Day 2 - View from the balcony.

Taiyo Resort-The word taiyo in Japanese means "the sun". The lady who owned the resort was a Japenese lady named Naoko, who at 65, had more energy than the two of us put together. She was an "ace" areobics instructor and photographer in her previous life. Her co-hort, Albert, who at 75 was a rather willy cat, quite witty and jokey, was a civil engineer and inventor. "Taiyo" was their idea of a working retirement.

Traditional rattan hammock.

Entry into Taiyo Village and their lush gardens.

A "banca" anchored out at high tide. Cadlao Island and Helicopter Island seen in the distance.

El Nido is assessable by road, but many of the small outlying villages could only be reached on foot, via dirt bike, or boat. So building a resort like Taiyo Village was a pain staking process, taken up by groups of young men and boys humping supplies on to shore from boats like this one. Due to the strict environmental laws set in place to protect the coral reefs and the local fishing economy, only smaller boats are able to access much of the coast lines. The government recognized the value of a pristine ecosystem, like the Bacuit Archipeligo, as a source of revenue from tourists. Although there is a military presence on the island, rouge conveys of "dynamite" fishermen still sneak into various inlets along Palawan's shoreline to make a score.

Day 1 - Arriving in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

2008-05-13T16:38:00.000-07:00

We caught a jumper flight out of Manila. Two seats per isle.

The local welcoming committee.

Waiting for our rucksacks.

The "Jimboy" chatiot approaching to cart us off to our abode.

Sarah getting excited!

Bulguksa Temple in Spring

2008-04-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

Just another wacky sighting in Korea

A hobbit's abode

Sarah scrolling over the map of Bomun Lake.

Cherry Blossom Row

An old stone canal

A couple getting their photos taken with the blossoms

Walking around the touristy part of Bulguksa, only no one was around.

Bulguksa Temple

No entry this way

Peeking through a pagoda

Bulguksa again

Magnolias and Cherry Blossoms

A tradional broom

Self portrait

The ever present swastika

Squatting in the shade

Another couple shot
Looking out over the grounds.

Descending the steep steps

Relaxing into the view

Willow Tree and Cherry Blossom

An old stone arched bridge.

Sarah in colorful spring scene

Grounds keepers quarters. Pretty nice pad.

One of the many Buddhas inside the numerous temple on site.

Jeonja Beach

2008-03-24T20:55:00.001-07:00

A mess of fish nets and ropes.

Future fish jerky drying in the sun on mesh wiring.

What looks like massive concrete jacks protecting the pier from the sea.

A lighthouse at the end of the pier, don't know if it was for looks or not.

The blacks pebbles of Jeonja Beach. A really nice color of blue water in this area.

A massive horde of seagulls.

A fisherman walking the beach.

A merchant working her kiosk.

A young girl eyeing up the fish jerky.

This, this right here...

2008-03-24T20:49:00.001-07:00

I wake around 10. Focus. Stretch it out a bit. Look out the window and put on some water. It’s overcast. Low flying clouds today. Beautiful…really. Decide I’ll make a proper breakfast with fresh eggs, garlic roasted potatoes, some raspberry preserves for the toast. A proper meal in my belly and some dark roast to wash it down with. A fine start. But I need the ingredients first. Toss on the rain jacket, the chaco’s and hit the button for the elevator. A good solid, “DING!”. And down I go. I hit shuffle on my player and ahh! A piece by Bird and Dizzy. Perfect. Standing in the doorway to the apartment complex looking at the mountains. Still a bit fuzzy from the night before, but feeling really good. It’s warming. I can smell the ozone. Suns popping through a bit, baking some of the early morning rain still glistening on the black top. I turn the corner and there it is. I’m blown away. It’s only March 7th. Back in Minneapolis the temps are still in the 20’s. But not here. Not this morning. And this tree, this absolutely beautiful tree. It’s just standing there. A thousand small white star shaped flowers. Some opening. Some large buds. And some completely unfurled. My first. My very first Cherry Blossom. Bird and Dizzy are trading licks. I smile uncontrollably and think, this, this right here, this is happiness.

Haeinsa Temple + Gayasan National Park

2008-03-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

Dague in Daylight

2008-03-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

Dague is situated in a huge valley walled in by some fairly large mountains. From the city center it can be hard to keep this in mind as the concrete apartment towers and endless interweaving roadways lead the eye astray. At around 4 million people is can get a bit crowded, yet offers lots of interesting shopping, eating, and people watching opportunities. Stepping off a curb can be a hazard to your health and even the alleys contain rpm happy scooter patrons.

In some of the back alleys you find the trendy urban youth's art work and the endless fashion shops that offer "no larga si-ZEE" for the likes of me, but all the English signage and marketing one could ever hope to find. Wearing the good old romanized lettering on one's shirt in Korea with no real idea of what it says is commonplace. Even my 30+ year old co-workers have shirts that say nothing of particular interest and could be as lame as a car insurance ad.

Another interesting fashion thing here is a dress style that resembles America's back in the 1950's; thick square black rimmed eyeglasses, lots of tweed and polyester-mixed with yet another style-one that echoes the less than glamorous 80's style we all seem to mock or are slowly begining to adore again with late night bashes pimped out in spandex, acid washed jeans and big hair.

Whether it's left over army surplus or tacky plaid suits, large oversized T's with enormous ruffled collars Korean's and Korean youth in particular love it and turn a decent buck selling it off in Dague's back alleys to their comrades.

2008-03-12T04:53:00.001-07:00

First Sign of Spring

2008-03-05T15:38:00.000-08:00

This is a small pond used to water local gardens.

The grasses at this pond side had clusters of seeds giving them a twinkling effect.

It was an exceptionally hazy day down in the valley, but made for some interesting scenery.

The first real sign that sign is on it's way.

A Cherry Blossom Tree

Laying on my back shooting this one while a flock of birds passed over head.

Gyeongju + Namsan

2008-02-14T06:10:00.000-08:00

This is a shot taken in the Namsan Mountains, due south of modern day Gyeongju.

Gyeongju is the former capital of Korea, during the Silla dynasty. For more info on this fascinating city click on this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyeongju

I see a bit of a resemblance to Egyptian statues in this one above.

The Confuscian leaders often tried to destroy any significant artifacts or relics of Buddhism. As seen here in the chunk missing from this Buddha, circa 600BC.

A pagoda at the Gyeongju National Musuem

One of the ancient tombs found around the Gyeongju. Kind of Tim Burton-esque...no?

In case you can't read Korean...the exit is over to the right.

Heading back to Ulsan

In The Foothills Behind Our Apartment

2008-02-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

A local's house in mid-February.

A buddhist temple we discovered by accident on a long afternoon hike into the foothills behind our apartment complex.

Sarah checking out the fish in the pools below.

The wind was blowing slightly, stirring up the wind chimes which made for a really incredible audio effect to this visually tranquil mountain side temple. Keep in mind we hiked for about 3 hours before we stumled across this place.

I didn't even notice the fat buddha until looking at this photo. There was so much to check out.

A couple of guards watching over the bridge which led into to temple.

We met this guy and took him to be a grounds keeper. We was friendly and did his best to explain what some of the signifcance to the ornamental figures were. He eventually offered us some coffee and we got in out of the cold. He began to show us some photos of himself taken with various diplomates and dignitaries. Then I saw one taken with the President of South Korea and a 4 star general. As we began to catch on that he was the head of a sect of Buddhism in Korea and knew dozens of prominent people, he kept giving us the thumbs up...indicating that he's the man and also martial art's master. He had a certain charm or charism that was quite serene and tranquil. After spending about 45 minutes with this guy, Sarah and both felt kind of light and giddy. That may not make sense to some, but this guy with a good soul-so to speak. Very happy and friendly. I'd like to see if he's teaches martial arts at the temple or could turn me on to someone who could. That would be really sweet!

Siddhartha

On the road down toward the temple.

On the trail to the top of the hillside.

A view looking west.

Ho-Gye

2008-02-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

Roasting chestnuts on the street in Ho-Gye

Local products being made and sold in the streets.

I think these are used for sifting rice. Not sure though.

There are so many grains, beans, and types of rice I don't even know where to begin.

You can buy just about any kind of fish fresh in the streets. Many of the merchants have temporary fish tanks set up on the sidewalks where the fish are still swimming, waiting for the end to near.

Oegosan Pottery Village

2008-02-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

A more modern factory with some of pottery in foreground being produce in the village.

Sarah with a new batch of kimchi pots.

A couple locals kids hard at play.

A back yard in the village.

A kim-chi pottery before receiving a finishing glaze.

A tradional kiln in the village. Most of the kilns are built with clay and rock found right on site and date back to over a hundred years old.

Walking Around Oegosan Pottery Village

2008-02-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

A glimpse into a potter's abode

The ceramic kim-chi pots that are produced here are found all over Korea.

A tradional Korean meal served in stoneware pictured with Jared. Everything from seaweed, sardines, and kim-chi, to rice, ramyen noodles, and sweet potatos.

Some pics of Daegu

2008-02-06T04:53:00.000-08:00

Exploring Dague

2008-02-06T04:24:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we took our first train ride out of town and headed northeast of Ulsan to Dague. We traveled with a group of fellow English teachers from various parts of the world. The mix of people made for some interesting conversations and quirky antics.
Some of the highlights include:
1)Bunper cars
2)Passenger airplane converted into a restaurant.
3)All you can eat and drink brewery
4)Punk bar with Long Island Ice Tea and pool tables.
5)Sleeping in a jinju-ban (basically, a large room with headed floors where you can nap and a hot shower after partying all night. This was truely a cultural experience. More than a hundred Koreans slept shoulder to shoulder to us. This was definately a moment when you realize your in another world.
6) Much of the trip was centered around making something of a pilgramage to the Costco in Daegu, where we ran around looking at all the western food; everything from tortillas to apple pies and blocks of delicous cheese. We stuffed our packs and headed back to Ulsanstocked up.

At last...a dusting of snow!

2008-01-14T07:11:00.000-08:00

So here I am on the 14th of January and we are finally getting some chilly weather. I woke up this morning and stuck my head out the window looking east toward the East Sea (just over that range) and this was my view. It's funny how simple things like the familar smell and feel of crisp cold air can send me back in time. I remember taking long, frigid walks in Minneapolis- just checking things out -enjoying the relative peace the cold brought to the side streets of Steven's Square and Whittier neighborhoods near to the casa. The one nice thing about being on the other side of the globe and nearly the same latitude is getting the familar moods the seasons can bring. I took a walk this weekend and was a dark, rainy day out. It brought back memories of playing in the woods as a kid in my parents back yard after the leaves had dropped and everything was damp and decaying. This is a fond memory for me, much like the crisp cold air was this morning. Anyhow, if you're reading this...whom ever you might be, I hope the winter is treating you as well as it is me.

Seoul, South Korea

2008-01-05T09:53:00.000-08:00

A very intimidating police force. Not really...most looked bored and tired of having tourist snap pictures of them.

A Tour of Seoul on New Year's Eve

2008-01-04T20:31:00.000-08:00

So we arrived in Seoul and met up with Nathan; our expat friend whom we last saw in Jamaica and the time before that in Nicaragua. Interesting pattern. Anyhow, he took us through the maze like underground of the Seoul Metropolitian Subway System, to a street market (where all goods where cheap and plentiful and sometimes strange) and then to the Seoul Museum of Art ( for a Van Gogh exhibit on display).

The market was loaded with all sorts of cheap and interesting items. You could get just about anything here

The Seoul Museum of Modern Art

Ginseng in a Jar

The next day we toured around the city. Saw the Seoul Tower, the 63 Building, and spent a good part of the day walking around the Gyeongbokgung Palace. This place was really incredible. The original palace was built in 1392 for the royal family and has subsequently been rebuilt in phases as various structures deteriorated. Here are some of the shots we got on this rather frigid day.

A Seoul New Year

2008-01-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

So we hopped on a bus for 4.5 hours that took us up and over some rugged snow covered mountains near the Soebaeksan National Park, where down below narrow valley floors could be seen, while a multitude of 3 dimensional mountain side slopes extended out endlessly into the hovering storm. In order to pass through the mountains we did not take switch backs, but rather numerous, expansive tunnels that would spit us out onto bridges, some of which were a hundred plus feet about the slopping pitch of the mountain side. The winds were strong upon exiting and the snow strewn roads quite slick. We did a wee bit of fish tailing upon exiting that made for a couple nice surges of adrenaline. Sweet! This shot was taken on the drive back, as the storm didn't allow for an decent views of the mountains.

X-Mas Day

2007-12-28T14:27:00.001-08:00

We spent the better part of X-Mas walking around Ulsan. We started the day out by stopping at Lim & Bok's for a bite to eat. I've taken to the Bi Bum Bop and Sarah's digs on the pork cutlet. This little restaurant is always an experience. This couple, who are somewhere in their upper 60's, seem to really enjoy us stopping in. They get numerous laughs out of our attempts to pronounce Korean and the looks on our faces as we dabble in new tastes and flavors. Overall, the food here is good and becoming a bit a a regular spot for us.

After eating we caught the 1402 into downtown Ulsan. This was our first time hopping on this particular bus and it took us through several new neighborhoods. Initally, it turned in the wrong direction and we just looked at each other-oh well...here we go. But this bus ended up shaving about 20 minutes off our travel time, getting us into downtown in about 40 minutes. Total fare for the trip was 1100 won or a little over $1.25. The buses are a cheap and reliable way to get from "a to b" here, as long as you understand where "b" is and how to get back to "a".

So we arrive in downtown and found a bus stop that lists the 807 bus on its sign. This is what we were hoping to find. Success...or so we thought. We watched the 1402 drive off and the 422 pass by, then 102, the 1401, and so on. After about 30 minutes we see the 807 across the street stop and then hit the gas again. Humm. It was headed away from where we wanted to go. We thought it might spin around and swing back to get us. No luck. So we decided to make a go of it on foot. I didn't want to take a cab, much to Sarah's shagrin. So we took off and weaved our way through city streets, covering what probably equated to about two miles.

As we got further and further away from the city center things began to change a bit. The luxury hotels and department stores faded into the back drop of the skyline and another layer of Korea began to unfold. Streets seemed to narrow and buildings shrink. The amount of debris collected between buildings rose and the number of delapidated structures, sheet metal roofs, and bold aromas increased. I began to gain a sense of exiting all things remotely familar and as though I was walking back in time about 40 years. For some reason, I live for moments like this. When you have no idea what you might see and everything suddenly isn't as I've always know it to be. Iget a sense of amazement at the ways in which other people go about living and how there are these cultural pockets that are trapped in time.

Sarah was a real sport. She wasn't feeling it today...she simply wanted to see the beauty of the bamboo forest and get lost in something just a bit more pleasing to the senses. As we approached a massive concrete wall that marked the end of the road, I spotted a stair case. We crossed the highway and went down the other side to the river. This was nicer. We walked for a while until coming to a bridge which took us over the river and then weaved us through a few more streets...until finding the greenway. This took us directly toward the Simnidaebat Bamboo Forest...and finally a bit of respite from from urbanism.

On the way into the forest I saw a huge congregation of crows. A bit of a Hitchcock scene.

And finally the the Bamboo Forest...

The forest was planted to help mitigate some of the flooding that takes place in the summers and provide the people of Ulsan a retreat from the noise and congestion of the city.

A Steel Caged Match-Kid Style

2007-12-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

Outside some restaurants you often find trampolines.

The kids go hay-wire, jumping and wrestling in them.

It's like a steel cage match battle royal lasting for hours.

A Traditional Burial Site

2007-12-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

A new city sprouts up before our eyes.

2007-12-22T21:31:00.000-08:00

I-Park is a brand new development visible from our balcony.

This complex is completely sold out and nearing completion.

Bye-Bye Mountian! Our place is over on the left of the photo.

The Local Hiking Trail

2007-12-22T21:24:00.000-08:00

A reforestation project.

Cow pies.

Stoic gaze.

Korean Fitness Centers

2007-12-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

The outdoor gym...interesting. We gave it a shot and enjoy it.

This was a very Flintstones moment for me. But it did the trick.

Hula-Hoop anyone???

Downtown Ulsan

2007-12-22T20:59:00.000-08:00

A good land mark for orientation downtown.

The downtown cinema. Lots of X-mas oraments too.

Standard downtown architecture.

Waiting for the bus.

2007-12-17T20:06:00.000-08:00

Notice the lack of walk ways on the scaffolding. These guys were over 100 feet off the ground. Koreans are pretty hardcore, but this was nutz.

House Warming Party

2007-12-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

We had a little house warming party with my boss, co-workers, and Jared. We had a nice night talking about all things from Korea's rapid progress since gaining democracy some 20 odd years ago, to teaching in SK, and Korean's love of hiking. We broke out some photos of home and everyone was very interested. They couldn't believe the mountains of Colorado and the desert landscapes of the southwest. The lady in front of the green chair, Melanie, well, her husband summitted Everest and is something of a celebrity around town.

2007-12-11T05:29:00.000-08:00

The pot of gold at the end of the road. I didn't know what was down this road when I started walking. And to my surprise, I stumbled across the first Buddist temple I had the chance to visit. There were several bells chimming as the wind blew and a nip of incense whafting in the air.

A walk just down the road from our place.

2007-12-11T05:09:00.000-08:00

These harvested fields continued for a while and were what I'd hoped to see. A very classic looking landscape for this part of the world.

A local resident's front door to the right.

2007-12-11T05:05:00.000-08:00

Anyone for a beer and a "Wing Wing"? Then a drive in a car we could flip with three or four guys. I think it runs on AA batteries.

2007-12-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

The local grocery store. Shopping here has been something of a chore. We've done a bit of trial and error experimenting with what things might actually and are slowly finding some things that are pretty good. Thankfully, there is a decent selection of imported foods; pasta, cereal, olives, cheese, and so forth.

A Short Stroll

2007-12-11T04:57:00.000-08:00

This place is huge. This is considered the boonies. Go figure.

Sunday afternoon

2007-12-08T22:21:00.000-08:00

Spent a late night out with some folks from Canada, Josh and Jackie, along with their friend, Moon. We ate at a tradional Korean BBQ joint for over an hour and then went back to Moons' for drinks. Josh, from Toronto, had a birthday, so we ate a bite of cake with chop sticks and discussed numerous topics. One in particular focused on the hybrid combinations that have formed between the Chinese, Korean, and sometimes Japanese languages. I thought Spanish and German were challenging, Forget about it! I have been picking up a bit and speaking another language for the first time feels like trying on a whole new skin. Quite fun really. The inflections are suttle in their pronunciation. And because Koreans, at least in Ulsan, are so homogenous as a culture, feel that exact and proper pronunication of their language is essential. We were told we will run into folks who will not cut us a break for slightly off pronuncation, but to just push through it and embrace as much as possible. We'll see!

After dinner we hit a grocery store and Sarah found an "I Love NY" hostess sort of dessert. Just another example of the popularity of all things American here.

Greetings from Cheongok Dong, Ulsan, South Korea

2007-12-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

We started driving around 2am from Cody, WY to Billings, MT, hopped a plane to Minnepolis, then we were off. Our course took us not over the Pacific Ocean, but rather, over British Columbia, Alaska, then down over Siberia and into Tokyo for a connector flight to Busan. All told, we were on the road, sleeping in airports or in the air for about 26 hours. We were met at the airport in Busan by our recruiter and quickly ushered to our school to met the director, Mr. Kim.

Mr. Kim, a mild mannered fellow, took us to our hotel for a couple nights stay before moving into our apartment. Our "Love Hotel" was quite comfortable and swanky, equipped with a TV, bottle of wine, tea, condoms, and other fun surprises.

Our next day we found the bank, cashed in some money for Korean Won, about 1 dollar to 925 won, and went hunting for food. We found the bakeries to incredibly posh, decked out with all sorts of treats.

Currently, we have been in our apartment for three weeks after arriving and settling in nicely. Our 3 bedroom pad it tucked up in the foothills on the north edge of town. We on the 15 floor with killer views looking our over a small hill with views of other highrise buildings in the distance. We have grocery stores, restaurants, and bars within walking distance.

The locals here have been incredibly friendly, curious, and patient with our pathetic attempts at communication. We always seem to work out our point. Like the other night, we went into a restaurant and asked if they accepted Visa. The didn't, but insisted on having us staying and eat anyway. The owners, Lim and Bok, an older couple in their 60's were very happy to feed us. We sat around with Lim and did our best to introduce ourselves. In the nicest of ways, Lim told us the food we were eating was a gift and not to come back and pay.