Cheongpungho Cherry Blossoms Festival

Ah, what an interesting day and event this turned out to be! Originally I had thought about going to the Yeouido Spring Flowers Festival 2011 but being Seoul, knew there would be a massive influx of visitors to contend with - battling it out with sweaty tourists does not make for an enjoyable way to admire cherry blossoms. A friend informed me about the local festival here in Cheongpungho (technically part of Jecheon - about 30 mins outside of the main city) and I figured it'd be perfect to go to this on Sunday after hiking on the Saturday ('Summit Time').




A little backstory: The custom originates from Japan (don't care - I happily admit I love Wikipedia). Every Spring South Korea breaks out in a stunning storm of cherry blossoms - etherally beautiful but sadly short lived. Hence they are regarded with reverence and EVERYONE is obessed with taking photographs of them. Their debut is tentative as they can be affected by changes in weather and they only have a life span of around 2 weeks so I can understand the rush to capture them in all their glory.

So there we were all to set to venture out on one of the most gorgeous day I've experienced in South Korea by far. Then my friend (who was already at the festival) rings and inforrms me that what should be a 30 minute bus ride will in fact take about an hour due to the heavy festival traffic. Understandable, yes. We take it into our stride. What I didn't quite anticipate though was the number of people that were already crammed onto the bus. Now you have to understand, I'm used to buses in the UK - large, spacious with a low suspension. Due to the location of my school I have to take the bus to and from so I knew what to expect. Buses in Korea are like large versions of mini-buses - thus the suspension is relatively high. Sometimes I end up having to stand if I get out of school at the wrong time (i.e. same time as the middle school kids!); I dread this as inevitably you'll end up hanging on for dear life as the driver stops, starts and swerves in and out of heavy traffic as he (yet to meet a female one) pleases. So it was with a heavy heart that I set foot on the bus and I certainly wasn't disappointed. We joked that at least it was a good workout - yet to surf but I would liken it to that. Couldn't help but think of Donkey in Shrek - "Are we there yet?" The entire journey ended up taking almost 2 hours by which point we were glowing with perspiration and struggling to breathe as a sly person was letting rip.  Therefore, when some of our friends got off to walk we quickly followed suit. No idea why we didn't think of doing it sooner! Needless to say the view was incredible and thankfully, worth the painful journey.

Dunkin Donuts: That's a BLUEBERRY bagel there..

The Wonders of Public Transport

Took a (long) detour to Cheongpung Land where the tallest Bungee Jump in South Korea is located! There were also 2 additional rides called 'The Big Swing' and 'The Ejection Chair' - self explanatory (see pictures). In the past I'd always scorned it (I'm an absolute wimp) but after witnessing some friends doing the Bungee Jump I couldn't help but want to as well. Luckily had a good excuse - was wearing a dress and and thus unable to participate. However, I now can't get the idea out of my head and am planning to do one in the near future....!

Cheongpung Land

The Ejection Chair

The Big Swing

Eventually made it up to the actual festival - to be honest, it wasn't as lively as I thought it was going to be. Perhaps this was due to the fact it was gone 5pm by that point! Almost all of the stands/tents sold food, a few sold clothing/accessories or knick knacks. We walked around and took some more pictures of the blossoms and surroundings. Looking at all of the food was making me hungry but I thought it would be nice to wait for some of our friends who were still making their way to the festival. Unfortunately for them, it ended up taking over 3 hours to get to Cheongpung (they got off much earlier to walk the rest of the way)! The food we eventually got was ok but expensive for what it was (I'd be warned). By crazy luck managed to get a lift back home - only took the suggested 30 minutes this time round! Felt bad as the others were still waiting for the bus but couldn't wait to wash the day's grime off.

Ddok

Dinner...

Practical stuff: We took a No.953 bus from the inter-city bus terminal opposite Dunkin Donuts (strangest breakfast bagel ever, not recommended) but a No.982 or 961 also goes to Cheongpungho. Due to the festival (I assume) there was a slightly different schedule but there should be a bus every 20 minutes or so and it should in theory only take 30 minutes, but obviously that wasn't the case here. Be prepared take snap everything in sight, drink a ton of liquids (alcoholic or non) and, if you're anything like me, eat lots of ice cream! All in all it was a pretty amazing day - even with the tortuous bus journey!

Summit Time

1 day shy of my 2 month anniversary in South Korea I finally hiked up my first mountain! It almost didn't happen. Firstly, a couple from England (the guy is from my hometown!) were meant to come and visit, hence reason for said hike, but as usual plans didn't work out (this was the second time we had tried to arrange to meet). Secondly, despite my vow to not go out on Friday, (thus ending up too inebriated and consequently hungover the following day to do anything strenuous) I still somehow ended up in Western Village. However, I managed to escape unscathed and was tucked away by a decent time. Waking up to glorious blue skies on Saturday I was glad I'd chosen to stay in Jecheon and set out to do what many Koreans do during the weekends; go for a leisurely stroll up some mountains....

Attempting this for the first time by myself probably wasn't the best idea but armed with a hand drawn map (from a fellow native English teacher at my school), enough basic Hangul (e.g. how to ask where things are!) to survive, a fully loaded/charged iPod, and my trusty hiking boots I felt confident the day would be a success. Catching the bus and getting off just after passing Uirimji was a doddle. Supposedly the target, Mt Yongdusan, was about a 10 minute walk away, and seriously - how can you miss a mountain? Well obviously you can't but when you're surrounded by a horizon of looming mountains it does get sort of confusing! Luckily, after double checking with a few natives that I was heading in the right direction I ended up at the trailhead. Can't say accurately how long it took from getting off the bus as I took various detours to take pictures (I get distracted easily) but I would say it's about a 15 minute direct walk from the bus stop to Mt Yongdusan and the route is pretty much straight, as it turned out.

Second Uirimji

You can't really get lost!

Trailhead - which direction to go?

There are various ways to spell this mountain apparently!

You have a choice as to which trail to take (there are around 3 routes) but under recommendation I took the left trail up and began the journey I'd anticipated since before I came to South Korea. It started off well and was quite fun as there were various obstacle courses laid out across the trail. Yet about 10 mins in the number of stairs to climb increased as did the incline. I enjoy walking as much as the next person and can happily wander around for ages aimlessly. However, this was a totally different ball game and terrain altogether. My poor legs quickly grew tired of the endless stairs and screamed in agony and my lungs protested loudly. With the blood pumping double time around my body and sweat dripping from a face that matched my red hair, I had to stop to rest several times; each time I looked back I despaired at the lack of distance covered and wondererd just how long it would really take for the torture to be over. I have to admit - there were several occasions I seriously contemplated turning around and calling it a day. Somehow I found the strength and laboured on. I was grateful I went on a Saturday (apparently most Koreans go hiking on Sundays) as the trail was quiet and mostly undisturbed. Nothing is more disheartening than people catching up and passing you!

Almost there....

After about an hour I reached what I prayed to be the summit - but alas it was wishful thinking. There was still about 15 mins of steep mountain to climb. At one point I comtemplated feigning ignorance and taking the nearest downward trail. If it wasn't for a fellow hiker (Korean) pausing and encouraging me I probably wouldn't have been able to reach the summit. It also helped that this hiker was sweating so much he was using a towel to mop it off. This may not sound like much of a revelation but I've noticed in this country that many of the natives do not really sweat. Don't get me wrong, they still get that flushed look and slight glow but not the dripping perspiration I'm used to! Anyway, upon reaching the summit I stopped to take the obligatory photographs of the glorious view and to marvel at the fact I'd finally made it. This took a grand total of 5 minutes by which point I was itching to get off the damn mountain!

View from the summit

Contemplating life?

Korean Hikers

Looking at the sign posts I wondered which trail to take down as I couldn't quite face the thought of going back the way I'd come. I'd previously been warned there was a trail from the summit that led to another mountain so I knew to avoid the 10 km trail (not really rocket science). In the end I chose to sneakily follow a group of Korean hikers - according to the sign post this trail was of a greater distance but I figured this must be down to a gradual incline/decline as opposed to the steep one I'd just overcome. Thankfully, my assumption was right; the trail was much easier to hike and noticebly busier - there were even children (with their parents of course) on this trail. There were times though you had to be extra careful with your footing and I still wonder how some people could do this in just trainers - I would definitely recommend good hiking boots. The descent took much less time (I ran whenever the trail flattened out!) and I'm not ashamed to say it was definitely my favourite part of the hike!

2.1km trail on the way up and the 2.48km trail on the way down

Civilisation

On the way back I made another detour to Solbat Park (you can't miss it) and took some more pictures of various monuments and statues that I still need to get translated as I have no idea of their significance. Another detour around Uirimji took me to the local 7Eleven and I treated myself to a delicious sachet of 'Frozen Milkshake' - tasted like vanilla and coconut ice cream, yum! Sadly, I still miss the FanChocos I was addicated to in Ghana (a life saver on long tro tro journeys - luckily the Ghanaians sell them by the roadside which meant I would end up buying on average at least 3, in a single journey, via the window!).

Solbat Park

Slightly odd looking...

New found love!

Uirimji

Ok, practical stuff: Take the No.31 inter-city bus from the main road and get off the stop after Uirimji (the bus will take a slight left bend just before this). Then head in a general straight direction towards the horizon of mountains. Once you pass Solbat Park it's about 5 mins to the trailhead. Took a 550 ml bottle of juice/water and a small snack. Would recommend taking as much liquid as you can carry but you only really need it for the journey up. iPod and compact camera is not essential but much needed as distractions. Wear light but supportive clothing that ideally wicks away sweat. Hiking boots are a MUST unless you want to risk slipping/falling! Caught the same bus (opposite, just outside of Uirimji) back to the main city. You can of course just take a taxi to and from the mountain - much easier but not as scenic. Plenty of convenience and coffee stores on the way for refreshments. Entire journey took about 3 1/2 hours (incl transport) but I took various detours and made several stops. Not entirely sure I've been bitten by the 'hiking bug' yet but I will definitely try to hike as many different mountains in my time here....once my legs have recovered that is!

Catch the bus back here

All These Things That I've Done

Apologies for the potentially pretentious blog title - been recently listening to an old album by The Killers. It's brought back so many memories and created an onset of nostalgia. That's what I love about music; how it has this magical ability to transport you back to another moment in time instantly. So many different things have happened in these last few weeks that I'm going to have to default to being lazy and use bullet points! Blogging is surprisingly hard work! But in a way it's like writing a diary and to me it's important. I had wanted to write a diary while I was in Ghana but due to years of typing everything I've sadly lost the capability to put my thoughts down in pen to paper. We literally had internet twice in the time I was there, both occasions serving only to update Facebook. It's a shame now I think about it as I fear I will slowly lose those little memories that made the experience so unique. Having a terrible memory certainly doesn't help either! Anyhow - on with the story...

• Finally made that trip and found Uirimji. All thanks to a wonderful Irish lass called Una. We took the scenic route through the rice fields and I finally felt like I was living in the countryside! As stated before, Uirimji is the oldest resevoir in South Korea and it's pretty much Jecheon's only claim to fame. It was very pretty and I can see us going back there often, particularly during the summer. We also went to the fun fare I'd read about and made it onto a few rides. Surprisingly expensive but I guess they have to make money somehow. There was this crazy ride in particular where it spun like a tumbling coin - the operator is able to control the velocity, i.e. degree of incline, speed and direction. He certainly took full advantage of this knowing waygooks were onboard! There were two Korean guys on the ride as well and using the momentum they managed to perfom incredible stunts - one did a backflip so high I seriously thought he would misjudge it and either land on someone or fall off the edge! There were the typical Swan boats of course which we didn't get a chance to go on - cheesy but it's got to be done!

Uirimji - in case you hadn't guessed!

The mental ride!

• Went to Seoul for the second time and accomplished what I'd set out to do - shop! And boy did I shop! Spent far too much money that weekend, not only on clothes and shoes, but on partying and all that's involved. But it was definitely worth it. My new found loves are UniQlo and Forever 21. We don't have Forever 21 in the UK (yet) - it's like a combination of H&M and Topshop (with H&M prices!) but I can see it taking off big time here (there)! We took the Express bus again (cheaper to bus to Seoul but cheaper to take the train to Cheonju, the main city in Chungbuk) from Jecheon to the East terminal in Seoul. Then took a subway following Line 3 (orange), changed at Chungmuro for Line 4 (blue) heading to Myeong-dong. Here you will be able to shop to your hearts content - bog standard high street stores as well as upper-end branded stores. Also discovered ABC Mart, which I wouldn't have guessed, sold shoes! Very similar to Schuh in the UK. Stores in Korea generally only carry sizes up to 250 (UK 6) - I require either 255 or 260, depending on the style of the shoe. Bagged myself a bargain pair of slip on Vans - very important as I tend to walk everywhere (thus wearing down the limited number of flats I'd brought) and you'll inevitably end up needing to take your shoes off for various reasons (e.g. traditional restaurants, visiting friend's apartments, school, etc).

Went a little crazy!

Myeong-dong

• Wandered aimlessly around Namdaemun Market (right down the road from Myeong-dong station) sampling various street foods and picked up some treasures! Yes, this included shoes. Paid way more than they were worth but beggars can't be choosers! Haggling is allowed here though so I did manage to get it down quite a bit. Randomly came across a big bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, which I was told you wouldn't be able to find in South Korea! Therefore I bought them without a seconds hesitation. Burts Bees' and Carmex can also be found here. Look for a store that descends into a basement (if that makes sense) - all the others I'd seen were on the ground floor. You'll be able to find cheap souvenirs, western products (including foodstuff) - mainly things imported from North America and the States - even maple syrup. Prices were obviously higher but not crazily so. Have yet to find any postcards strangely enough - need to look harder!

Namdaemun Market

• Actually felt like a foreigner for the first time in South Korea! This was mainly whilst I was in Namdaemun Market - as it's frequented by many waygooks the shop keepers instinctively know who is native and who isn't. Before coming to South Korea I'd read about what to expect, i.e. stereotypical behaviour, and I can mostly say I haven't really experienced them. Now I'm starting to wonder if they mainly stem from experiences in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. All I can say is I really don't enjoy the attention and would rather be left alone. I know now for sure I made the right choice in opting for a 'rural' area. I believe it's very important to have a supportive community of waygooks - you need a degree of 'normality'; also I fear my English will regress to child's speak. However, I didn't come to Korea to seek home from home. How can you truly learn about and experience the culture of a different country if you do not immerse yourself fully in it? I came across various waygooks (noticeably in Songtan - US military base) that I found to be shockingly rude and arrogant. This was probably due to them being military men and thus their reasons for being in Korea are different. Nevertheless, I think many people forget that they're in a different country with language being a major barrier, never mind the culture and customs. Yet they seemingly make little to no effort to change or adapt their language/behaviour, instead expecting the natives to accommodate them.

Songtan - US Military base

• On that note I have to admit that yes, it still annoys me when Koreans think I'm Korean and can speak Hangul - if anything though, this annoyance is directed at myself. Despite going to a Korean class once a week I feel like my progress has been painfully slow and am ashamed to say, I've yet to learn how to read and write Hangul. I know the vowels and almost all the consonants but it's remembering the rules when it comes to blending them - with regards to speaking and writing. I'm not really a 'schedule' person but I think that needs to change if I'm going to be disciplined enough to achieve this goal! I am forcing myself to use all the Korean I do know as much as possible, especially in the classroom. It is quite pleasing also to listen to a conversation and be able to pick up key words - sometimes enough to understand what on earth is going on! 'Talk To Me In Korean' is a fantastic site - I like the laid back way Hyunwoo Sun presents the lessons and we actually met him in person at the EPIK Orientation (he was one of the lecturers)! However, as it's mainly audio based I have to load it all first as my internet speed isn't the best and as mentioned I'm very forgetful!

• Never thought this would happen and my family are shocked, but I've taken up Taekwondo! In the past I'd avoided all martial arts - it annoyed me when I was younger that kids thought I knew Kung-fu just because I was Chinese, but really the main reason is due to my complete lack of coordination! However, I needed to do some form of exercise and with the class I go to you only have to pay 60,000 won for the gi (Dobok) and that's it! Classes are on 5 days a week, running for about 50 minutes. From what I've heard you generally pay at least 50,000 won (depends on how many classes you go to per week) and that's just for a month. So it's too good of a deal to not take advantage of. At the moment I'm going 3 times a week. Ideally I should go more (I need the practice) but I have other commitments and am conscious of the need to be realistic. Although my initial reasons for going was just for the exercise I actually really enjoy myself and want to make the most of it but do not want it to become a chore and end up resenting it. Progressing through the different belts is an incentive of course (I'm a sucker for things like that)!  Will post more information about the classes (e.g. structure, various forms, etiquette, etc) in the future once I know what I'm talking about.

• Finally gave into the urge and dyed my hair red again! I'd been red for close to 4 years (different shades - gradually getting lighter over time) but dyed it back to it's original colour when I went to Ghana. As my nearest and dearest know, I hate my roots showing with a vengence and didn't want the unnecessary hassle I knew it would bring. I'd always intented on going back to my roots anyway and thought it would be a good time to. Lasted almost 9 months (apart from having highlights put it). Yet coming here I seem to be surrounded by people with red hair and the envy got too much! It was a complete impulse buy (came across it and really liked the look of the colour) and I was worried it would be a bit unprofessional for school (in the past I'd always went a shade of brown for school placements). Luckily Wendy, my co-teacher, approved and reassured me it was fine for school - to be honest most people haven't really noticed, especially the kids (you try not feeling like a hyprocrite telling kids to be happy with what they are born with - not easy). More recently I'd taken full advantage of having a wonderful sister as a hairdresser (I have to be nice when she's wielding scissors near my hair) but prior to that I'd dyed my own hair for over 2 years so I know what I'm doing. As expected all the instructions were in Korean. However, the solutions were the same proportion as packet dyes I've used in the past in the UK. You end up with slightly more dye but I attribute this to the generalisation that the majority of Korean women have quite long hair (I used to use 2 packets when I had long hair). Thoughtful as always, the Korean dye came with a plastic gown to cover your shoulders (plus the bog standard gloves) and a fantastic comb/brush applicator. The only thing it didn't come with was the 'intensive conditioner' but to be honest, the ones you usually get aren't that great anyway. If like me, you have very dark hair, leave the dye on for at least 45-50 mins, but if you have quite light hair then I would recommend following the instructions verbatim (they do use numbers!). 

•  Skype has become an absolute god send - helps that my connection seems to have improved and I can generally chat with video. Facebook is great for keeping in touch on a basic level but lacks that personal involvement you get from interacting with family and friends face-to-face; when you're on the other side of the world video calling is the only alternative! Working around the time difference is irritating but unavoidable. Not being able to be present for certain events, like Mother's Day (which I somehow forgot but managed to make up for!) does suck though. It made me realise just how much I'll miss in terms of events (birthdays, holidays, friends giving birth!, etc) over the course of being away from home but it's a sacrifice I knew I'd be making. Therefore, Skype and Facebook has become indespendible and has helped ease the guilt! 

• Realise this is a ridiculously long blog post - really need to do this weekly in future. So I'm going to finish by sharing with you my experience of staying in a 'Love Motel'. Don't worry, it was just girls who stayed there (in our room that is). Surprisingly nice - will probably blog properly about it again. Main thing is - we somehow ended up watching 'Korean Playboy', cringeworthy to say the least.... 

Everything you need for a naughty stopover...