October 2016 – Upcoming Destination

Kansamida South Korea Part 1- Busan, Gyeongju, and Andong

October 23, 2016 Ngilee Comments 1 comment

It’s my first time to visit South Korea and it will not be my last. I think South Korea has done a fantastic job developing their tourism. While it is one of Asian people’s favorite holiday destinations (thanks to Song Jong Ki, k-pop,Korean drama, and cosmetics), South Korea remains a hidden gem to Westerners. Actually, it is super easy to travel around South Korea without knowing Korean. Most transportation systems and stations have directions in English, Chinese, and Japanese in addition to Korean. South Korea is very affordable, you can have a meal anywhere from 2USD to 10USD. A ride on the local subway is about 1-2 USD. I would say South Korea is a great place for solo female travelers as it is very safe and scam-free.

I flew into Seoul from Okinawa and took the KTX (express train) to Busan which is in the Southern part of Korea. My ride took about 2.5 hours only. My airbnb hosts were very friendly and we all hung out for the long weekend since it was S. Korea’s national holiday. We had a BBQ, went to the beach, and had a few drinking sessions. It was nice to have a few non-touristy days after running around so much.

Busan

Busan is a rather quiet place except around their beaches- Haeundae beach and Gwangali beach. Haeundae beach got destroyed during the tsunami caused by one of the super typhoons that hit Busan. I escaped the storm as I was on a short trip to Andong that day. But I did get to visit both beaches before the storm:

The place I liked the most in Busan was Gamcheong Village, the whole district was revitalized as an art district to combat poverty. After world war II, there was a huge influx of people to Busan. The demand for housing was so tight that poor people had to move up the hills. The Gamcheong village area was a slum to begin with, but the residents wanted to revitalize the district by adding in art installations. As you can see in the photos, the whole area is very colorful. You can feel the effort being put in as you walk along the crooked stairways and narrow alleys.

The little prince and the fox was my favorite art installation:

Colorful fish shape art boards everywhere:

Artist at work:

Art everywhere:

Besides Gamcheong village, I also enjoyed spending time in Jagalchi market and seeing Beomeosa Temple (>1,000 year old temple, mostly burned down during Japanese invasion, but rebuilt again).

Gyeongju and Andong

Just an hour and a half away from Busan is Gyeongju, the historical capital of South Korea. Walking in Gyeongju made me feel like walking in a historical amusement park with old buildings and huge gardens. Everywhere is walkable and you can stop any time to have snacks. A lot of visitors enjoy dressing up in traditional Korean attire taking pictures around Gyeongju. This is a picture of the Anapji pond:

My friend Eva told me that if I went to Gyeongju then I must go to Andong. Andong Hanok village is a world heritage site, it is also the place where spiritual masks are made. Andong is two bus rides away from Gyeongju, though it is a bit out of the way, it is totally worth visiting.

Hanok village means “the village that the river wraps around”, most residents of the village are farmers. They are very friendly people, an old man on a scooter asked me to help him carry a huge pumpkin to his house. He didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Korean, but he gave me a high five after I completed the task.

I took a boat over to the cliff to hike up the mountain:

Andong is a very peaceful place, next time I visit, I want to do a home stay in Andong 🙂 I also met another Chinese female solo traveler while I was in Andong, and we took pictures of each other posing in the medical museum with traditional Korean outfits.

This part of my solo trip turned out to be full of new friends!

Haisai Okinawa- Diving, Bitter Melon, and Wedding

October 12, 2016 Ngilee Comments 0 Comment

The Okinawa prefecture is made up of thousands of Ryukyu islands, with sandy beaches and clear blue water, Okinawa is a place where people unwind and relax. The reason I came to Okinawa was to attend Ruby and Chi’s wedding, not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of Okinawa. While its very chill, there’s also a lot of history behind this area from the Ryukyu kingdom era as well as world war II.

Diving

The first thing that excited me was diving in Okinawa, the clear blue water and 150 feet of visibility gave me the feeling that I was diving in an aquarium. The water was so warm that I didn’t need to wear a wet suit. The pictures were from Kerema Island with underwater valleys and coral reef mountains.

Beaches and Cape Maeda

There were many beaches and snorkeling areas in Okinawa, my airbnb host, Taka took me to Cape Maeda for snorkeling. On my second week here, Mishy joined me and we went to Zanpa beach near Yomitan. Getting to the beaches without a car was challenging, we managed none the less. On a good day, you could see many marine animals in the Cape Maeda snorkeling area, Michelle and I spent the whole morning watching them.

Foooooood

Okinawans are famous for their longevity, I think it has to do with their healthy diet, sunshine, and their relaxed attitude. Every meal I had while I was in Okinawa was very tasty, I tried almost all recommended local cuisines- bitter melon, purple yam, sea grapes, agu pork, soba and sea salt ice cream 🙂 Here’s a picture from a small restaurant on international street in Naha, it was so good that I went back with Mishy to enjoy their bitter melon stir fry and roast pork.

Another favorite meal of mine was from a Japanese restaurant with set lunches, look at the variety and presentation!

If you are in Okinawa, you must try their Awamori (rice wine). It is especially refreshing when you drink it on the rocks in a hot summer day.

Sightseeing

I think the best way to spend time in Okinawa is to relax by the beach and eat delicious food. But there are a few sightseeing spots that I think are must-sees.

Chumauri Aquarium (up north)- Whale sharks! Also an extremely dreamy green house near the aquarium.

International Street (Koukusai): One of the busiest streets in Naha, the street is packed with restaurants, shops, and entertainment. Mii-chan (picture below) is the shopkeeper of a towel shop, he was taking a nap when I visited.

Shuri-jo Castle: Probably the most traditional style building you’ll see in Okinawa, it’s strikingly red and situated on a hill. A Japanese grandpa flagged me down in Shurijo park, he spoke to me in Japanese for 20 mins and gave me a cold beer.

The wedding!

The most exciting part about my Okinawa trip was Ruby and Chi’s wedding, frankly speaking I had been anticipating this event for a few years since I knew Ruby and Chi for over ten years now. It was a gorgeous day at a gorgeous venue. Ruby was stunning in her wedding dress and I definitely cried a little during the ceremony 🙂 Congratulations Ruby and Chi!!

I was also very happy to have spent a couple of days in Okinawa with Vinci, Jeff, Katie and Lucus. Katie, the two year old darling, was quite the adventurer! I can’t wait till the day I can go surfing with her! I admire Vinci and Jeff for their parenting skills and stamina!