Flashback to South Korea 2013

I still can't believe all this time has gone by since my trip to South Korea.  I had the chance to spend time in Seoul and explore the city.  I navigated their super easy (and clean!) subway system with ease.  Since I stayed in (op, op, oppa) Gangnam (style) while in Seoul, taking the subway was absolutely necessary to cross the Han river into more lively tourist areas.

The stream in center city Seoul was part of an urban renewal project to rid the area of heavy highway use and turn it into something beautiful (read more).  The stream flows all the way to about where the Gyeongbokgung Palace is situated.  

There's also a shot of one of Zaha Hadid's creations in Dongdaemun.  The design plaza was supposed to be finished in 2012 and was still unfortunately blocked off and covered early Summer 2013.  Bummer!

Some other pictures are from the street food I ate and markets I walked through.  The more outdoorsy pictures were taken in Seoraksan on the North Eastern coast of S. Korea.  A very beautiful area if you can get out there.  The final picture was taken off of the S. Eastern edge of Jeju Island.  Some of you may have heard about the famous Jeju oranges?  Well, at least I've seen the dried variety at my local Trader Joe's.

Sort of a camera dump, but I thought to share something other than beer :)

Seorak Mountain in South Korea | Seoraksan

Going through nearly 800 pictures is a very arduous undertaking.  Here's my take on sharing some of my favorite snaps from a hike taken in S. Korea.  Seorak Mountain was a wonderful, once in a lifetime adventure that I knew I couldn't pass up.  My good friend made it possible to drive from Seoul to the mountain (apprx. 2.5 hours one way) and stay at Hanwa Resort.  I would have loved to camp, but it turns out, from what I encountered, that's not really an option.  Nonetheless the hike was amazing and the stops along the way unforgettable.

Vacation to South Korea | Part III: DMZ and Panmunjon Tour

Vacation to South Korea | Part II: Seoraksan & Jeju Island

Seoraksan: Top of Ulsanbawi

Jeju Island

Jeju Island: Women Divers

I knew when I hit the Korean peninsula that I wanted to do something different.  Sure, Seoul was an enormous city chalk full of culture, tradition and modernity, but my most vivid experiences are those off the beaten path--well at least for a Western tourist.  So to balance a short trip to the Republic, trips to Seoraksan or Seorak Mountain and a short flight to Jeju Island were in order.  I needed a nature fix in between days spent Seoul.

Seoraksan was a sight.  The precipice of Ulsanbawi, one of the trails we ended up hiking, jutted out into the hazy sky as our Korean 'Rexton' car made it's way to the hotel.  Day one was a hike to Biryong Falls, disappointing falls, but a fun time on the trail.  That evening we grilled beef and pork Korean BBQ-style under a black sky and the singer at the restaurant dedicated a song to the group. Gotta love Elton John dedications.  Day two we made our way up to Ulsanbawi and on wobbly legs made our way down the trail to hop into the cable car for one last look at what the locals call "Dragon's Ridge".  Before we left we hit the tiny sea village of Sokcho and tasted the local fare.  Raw octopus isn't that bad!

Jeju Island greeted us with three straight days of rain/mist/spittle.  Turns out that even fewer people know English on the little island and my Korean vocabulary and phrases were not getting any better. We pushed through it.  Hiked on the Eastern side of the island, ate some fried chicken and walked a lot!

Vacation to South Korea | Part I: Gyeongbokgung

Still not back to normal after 16+ hours of flying back from South Korea but willing to put up a few photos from the trip.  These were taken at Gyeongbokgung in Seoul.  The palace was first constructed in 1395, burned and abandoned for three centuries and reconstructed in 1867 during the Joseon Dynasty.  The details  on the eaves of the buildings were brilliant and vibrant.  The history rich, terrifying and impressive. You can read a little about it here.