February 24
For my last leg of the freedom tour, I had saved Korea for the end simply because of my recent fascination with all things Korean...the food, culture, the pop, the drama, etc. Amelia joined me for this trip and it all seemed fitting since she had been such a big part of my adventures from Vietnam to Malaysia. The flight to Incheon took about 6 hours. Not much to see during the touchdown.
After going through immigration, we caught the subway to Hongik University station off line 2.
Then came some wandering to finally locate the guesthouse. For our first meal in Korea, we decided on BBQ...the one where you grill your own meat at the table. It was quite nice!
After dinner came some strolling through the area where I encountered what I thought was a mob protest but then I realized that I was in Korea and the mob was for a k-pop boy band called NOM! I figured when in Rome so I got my picture taken with these flower boys too...don't judge. It's crazy how Korean girls of all ages are so obsessed with k-pop stars...they bring with them signs and chant their names in unison.
Afterwards at the guesthouse, I met some other folks from Taiwan, the US, Japan and Busan. Our fearless leader was this 19 year old pink hair girl from Oakland names Arlyss. The irony was that in a group of all Asians, it was the american girl who can speak Korean. Overall, a great first night in Korea exploring the nightlife.
February 25
We woke up a bit later than usual. I suspect its the fact that Korea is 1 hour ahead of the region that I was previously in before. Headed to the subway and explored the City Hall area and Myeong-dong-Euljiro. At the City Hall stop we had some yummy kimbap and mochi balls from a vendor.
From there, it was a visit to Deoksugung Palace which was a residence for the Emperor at one point. The cool thing about the palace is that its guarded by guys in traditional korean warrior outfits armed with swords.
The rest of the day was spent exploring the rest of City Hall and Myeong by foot. A couple of observations thus far are 1) Seoul is a real clean city that's almost at the Tokyo level, 2) the two most popular vendor items are women shoes and fashion glasses, 3) men and women stroll with their besties, and 4) there's no shortage of 7/11s, family marts and other convenience stores to get your caffeine and ramen fix.
After a long day of walking, we ended up doing BBQ again only this time we opted for the all you can eat buffet option. Pretty yummy but the sides could of been better. Off to bed.
February 26
Woke up a bit late this morning, again lol. The room at Four Seasons House is super comfy and the staff is top notched. After breakfast, we ventured out to cover the Gangnam, Samseong and Jamsil districts. In Gangnam there's U Street or Ubiquitous Street which brings together Korea's IT technology and fashion design. Of course there's also a landmark for Psy and Oppa Gangnam Style and we did the obligatory dance.
The other nice spot in Gangnam is Kukkiwon, the heartland of Taekwondo.
In Samseong I wanted to checkout the kimchi museum but unfortunately it was closed. I did go up to the Korea World Trade Center and caught a spectacular aerial view of Samseong at Marco Polo.
In Jamsil the big attraction is the Sports Complex that houses Jamsil Baseball Stadium and the main area for the 1988 Olympic games.
Oh and I did finally get vending machine coffee which was on my short to do list...not bad not great.
In the evening we went for Korean chicken and beer at The Cafe BBQ which is owned by a member of boyband Infinite. Pretty much all girls the
re.
February 27
Today was all about Suwon, a city of filial duty and fortresses, where many historical and cultural relics can be found.
Suwon is a water city that is bound by Gwanggyo Mountain from the north and Chilbo Mountain on the west. The famous Suwon Hwaseong Fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage site. You can go around the perimeter in about 3 hours. I found Suwon to be very historical yet quirky at the same time. There are plenty of street art everywhere that give off an inviting and I'm different vibe. I really wanted to try my hand at archery but they were closed by the time I got there.
The other unique artwork were the tiles in the city square with warrior figures and other tribal arts.
Overall, I would definitely visit Suwon again and explore all the interesting spots like the toilet museum!
February 28
Checked out of Four Seasons
and went to Seoul Hostel Center in Insa-dong, which has a famous street lined with antique art, bookshops and food vendors. Tried some fish cakes, chicken skewers, custard desserts and a horn shaped ice cream cone. Afterwards, ventured over to Bukchon to visit Hanok Village, which is packed with over 900 Korean traditional houses.
Hanok also serves as the backdrop for many Korean movies and dramas.
In fact I saw the filming of a bus scene there. Like a fool I chased the bus and stumbled over a rock and fell on my ass.
In the evening it was another round of all you can eat Korean BBQ.
This time the variety and meat selection were much better than the last place I went to. After stuffing myself with meat and banchan, I had to walk it off so to the Seoul Tower we went. Its an impressive sight but quite a hike up the hill.
Really worn out now. Good night.
March 1
Headed to Busan today from Seoul via the Express Bus Terminal. You can get a 1 way bus tix for about 23,000 wan and the journey takes about 4.5 hours with a 15 minute rest stop in the middle. The rest stop is quite nice because you can get your Korean snack fix such as the fish cake sticks that are sunk in tasty broth.
Busan was rainy and gloomy today so not much to do but check into this jjimjilbang called Haeundae Spa Center.
Korean spas are popular all over and families would stay overnight too. The concept is pretty straightforward with check in first, then follow by showering in gender segregated areas or floors. In the shower room, you will find lockers for your possessions, saunas and hot spring baths for relaxation...all in the nude of course. Once you are ready, you change into a standard uniform which is typically pink for women and gray or blue for men. After slipping into your uniform, you head up to a common area where one will find various sauna rooms, DVD/TV rooms, food, and sleeping areas. The sleeping areas are pretty neat and consists of you grabbing a couple of blankets and a curved slab of wood that acts as a pillow. You sleep on heated floors and you will see families with mom, dad and the kids sleeping side by side like you see in the k-dramas. My favorite part is actually the shower are where you can get this coarse towel that can wrap around a bar of soap to scrub yourself thoroughly from head to toe. Very very clean and relaxing experience. I've done Korean spas pretty often in Dallas but it's something else to do it in Korea.
March 2
Checked out of the jjimjilbang and explored the Haeundae Beach area.
Great seaside view from Haeundae and from there went to Nampo-dong, Gwangbok-dong area. Dropped by the Sindonga Fish Market and saw a mass of people buying fresh seafood.
Ate oysters, clams and octopus at Jagalchi Market. Saw the guy pick up an octopus from the tank and sever its tentacles...which still wiggles in your mouth.
Then I walked to BIFF Square, Jokbal Alley, Bupyeong Market, Gukje Market and the Busan Tower. The Busan Tower had a pretty spectacular view of the city from high above...about 107 meter
s. Afterwards checked into another jjimjilban named Song Do Haesoopia. More saunas and amenities than the prior night, but not as clean. Not bad really.
March 3
Left Busan and headed to Gyeongju, which is only 40 minutes away. Gyeongju is a very ancient city known for its royal tombs and seafood. First headed to Gampo Port for fresh raw fish. Had an excellent spread of sashimi and banchan.
Afterwards checked out Anapji Pond which was built during the reign of King Munmu. Really spectacular at night when its lit up. Later on the evening I felt sick from the sashimi. The flatfish was very chewy and indigestible so it kept me up all night. Now I have back pains and cramps...err sashimi.
March 4
Eh spent all day feeling sick as I traveled back to Seoul. Nothing terribly exciting. I did manage to get Netflix to work in Korea using HOLA VPN so minor win.
March 5
Checked out of Four Seasons House. Going to miss that place...by far one of the best guesthouses that I have ever stayed at. The place has a very comfortable home vibe and the staff is super friendly. I went to the SBS studio but was not allowed in...pretty disappointing. Checked into another jjimjilbang called Dragon Hill. Apparently one of the best in Seoul.
March 6
Found another place to stay called KW owned by a Korean man and his Malaysian wife. They have 5 other properties and a resort. The place was quite nice and comfortable. Had another Korean BBQ meal at Hong Bar...this time I knew my limits. Pretty much a quiet day of unwinding before I fly out tomorrow. Coming to an end of my adventures with Amelia...will really miss her.
March 7
Departure day! Such bittersweet memories from my near 6 months in Asia. I met so many great people during my travels and experienced so many things that I probably never would have in the US. All my senses have been heightened and yes, even my heart has awoken. Thank you Amelia! Def the highlight of my travels :)
Flight to Honolulu with a 5 hour stopover, then a layover in LAX overnight before heading to SF early morning. Its a bit bittersweet to know that my trip is concluding and that I would be returning home soon. After 5 and 1/4 months on the road, bouncing from country to country, city to city, sleeping in foreign beds every night, and attempting the best I can to immerse myself into local cultures, I still do not have a summary of my travels. I think it will take some time for things to sit and marinade before I can fully digest all that I have consumed. I leave this blog with the perhaps copt-out, but yet seemingly appropriate TBD.
Busan was rainy and gloomy today so not much to do but check into this jjimjilbang called Haeundae Spa Center. 
Great seaside view from Haeundae and from there went to Nampo-dong, Gwangbok-dong area. Dropped by the Sindonga Fish Market and saw a mass of people buying fresh seafood.
Feb 1
Adventures finding dim sum...settled for some roast goose instead lol. Walked towards shamian island, huge church and this shopping district called shurn, ha, gow. An old lady also commented on my knowledge of Cantonese dishes... Made me happy lol. Oh also had some homemade Chinese sausage from Chongqing with the famous Sichuan flower peppers that numbs your tongue! It's such a trippy experience to not feel your tongue and yet u know its salivating on its own!
Feb 2
Went to an area called seck gei to meet CK for dim sum...still no luck finding low sa bow...need to find it. We went to this temple on Lotus Hill after lunch to do some traditional cny offering. That place was jammed pack with people carrying incense. Everyone makes their pilgrimage to the top of the hill where a huge statue of "goon yum lern lern" sits. Inside this park there is a pond with stepping stones you can use to cross. On one of the jumps to a stone, my Buddhist bracelet from Vietnam flew off into the middle of the pond. I was very disappointed since that was my souvenir from Vietnam! Later when we were headed to the exit, I told CK that if we go back to the pond and the bracelet is washed up near the shore then it means good luck for me because goon yum lern lern offered it back to me. Sure enough it was closer to the shore and I was able to fish it out with a broom. Yay!!! In the evening I walked to Costco and bought some bitter gourd to cook for my dinner at the hostel. Oh and I'm the only one in my dorm room so hopefully it stays that way tonight.
Feb 3
I woke up pretty early to go buy my bus ticket. After getting inaccurate information that led me to the wrong bus station, I had to renavigate myself. Then I went back to the Gaga and had dim sum with this new friend I met named Winsome from Hong Kong...I know 3 days in a row of dim sum with someone from Hong Kong. My Cantonese is slightly better...apparently its more impressive with Malaysians than it is with Hong Kong folks. I did however learn the meaning behind the finger tap when someone pours you tea and I learned what 'but pa yut mun, yee pa mun yut'. The former is related to an emperor who was in disguise while out drinking tea and the other means to be careful.
Later, I found out that this new guy who works at the Gaga is from the same village as my ancestors... Fa yuen which is flower garden in Guangzhou! Small world indeed. Then later I met this other guest who has the same Chinese last name as me and lived in Quincy, MA...a place I'm very familiar with since my great aunt is a from there and I would visit often when I was in Malden. The dude even bought my dinner and Winsome jokingly told him to call me wooso gar gar or bearded brother lol. Apparently Asians are impresses by my beard here.
The bus ticket that I have to Yangshuo is an overnighter and should take 6 hours.
Feb 4
Hmm bad information again. I was told earlier that the bus stops for 3 hours of rest and arrives around 6 in Yangshou. Instead there were no stops and arrived at 2 am which made it quite difficult to find lodging. Luckily I was able to use the wifi at this fully booked place called Vienna to search for places. I rested there till 7 am because it was too cold and too dark outside to find anything. I ended up staying at this place called 89 inn off Guihua road. Big big mistake. The guy would not honor the hostel.com price claiming rates would be higher because of the lunar holiday. At that point I was tired and a bit worried that most places would be fully booked so I agreed. Lesson learn is to walk away and be patient...there are always options. The room was tiny and the bathroom had no lights. Additionally I'm next to the heater that makes a loud noise every time someone uses the water. I can hear every conversation in the reception area because I'm that close! There's more...
I looked at the weather forecast for Xingping, which is a nearby quiet town, and it predicted rain for the rest of the week so I decided today would be the day I bike there. Its a 25 km trek each way and I greatly misjudged my abilities. Let's just say I'm aching all over from the bike ride. It took me about 2 hours each way to cover 25 km because there are tons of hills. At one point there was a tunnel and no bike lane and I had this bus behind me. I kept on cursing and praying that I would make it out of that dark tunnel. Other than that, it is a scenic ride through the hills where you get to see a lot of rural villages.
In Xingping, I rode past a wedding at the restaurant and was offered a treat from this plate that the best man holds out. It's a traditional gesture to offer treats to all. I rode some more until I found the place that's on the back of the 20 rmb note. Afterwards I rode back to Yangshuo...was not really looking forward to it. I figured there would be other cyclists but nope I guess I was the only one dumb enough to do it.
February 8
I ended up camping out at a 24 hr McDonalds till 6am...not bad, could of been worse I guess. I checked back in at the Lazy Gaga but not before stopping off at the neighborhood street dim sum joint. Apparently their prices jumped so much in a couple of months. Last time I was able to get about 4 sieu mi, 3 lar bok go and some dessert and soy milk for 10 rmb...oh well. The rest of the day was spent looking for tennis shoes since the one I bought in Vietnam around November already has holes. I managed to get a pair of fake red addidas for only 25 rmb because the colors weren't an exact match. The lady gave me a sizable discount. Later, I got a much needed massage! Ive been feeling sickly the past few days due to the lack of sleep and the cold wet weather. Runny nose and nagging cough. The weather in Guangzhou was just as bad as Yangshuo. For dinner, I ended up just buying some goose and bitter melon from Costco.
February 9
Woke up early because I slept so early the night before. I decided that today would be the day I get that elusive lo sa bao. I was at the dim sum place before 8 am and damn there were already a crowd there. Apparently people in Guangzhou eat dim sum at midnight and early morning too! So I finally got a chance to try it but something was off....no salted egg. So I asked and the people told me that it does not come with salted egg... Hmm makes me feel like I still have not had real authentic traditional lo sa bao. The quest continues. The rest of the day was spent buying underwear, socks and gloves to replenish the stuff that I lost. The tricky part about currency is that I hate having leftover change so ive done a real good job of always using up all my money. The challenge today was that the Chinese ATM machine requires you to withdraw at 100 rmb denominations. After everything, I had exactly 32 rmb left. Reserving 7 for my subway ride to the airport, that left me 25 for either dinner or a foot massage. I couls pull another 100 but then I would have change leftover. So I opted for the foot massage since my feet were killing me. The sign said 25...which is pretty cheap. I was chatting away with this older Cantonese couple when I found out that the massage was bumped up to 30 cuz of the new year....crap...I had budgeted enough just a 25 massage. Luckily the couple bailed me out and paid 5 for me...I felt so bad and they said no worries and thanked me for the chat. They were real surprised that I was from America because they said my Cantonese was good lol. After the massage, I went back to the Gaga and found Winsome and she bailed me out too by making me some noodle soup....woohoo saved! Off to the airport now to fly back to Kuala Lumpur for some much needed warm weather! Can't wait to see Amelia again. Really missing her.
