We were saying goodbye to the people who had mattered most to us in Korea – our friends. Somehow the term ‘friends’ doesn’t seem to do justice to how we truly feel about them. They’re our family away from home, our support, laughter, inspiration, and comfort. Some people reading this may think I’m over exaggerating. In fact, if I’d read this 2 years I would have been one of those people.

The truth is, travelling doesn’t change people, it’s the people you meet who have the biggest impact on you. I realise that more and more as I get older.

We’ve been with our friends from the start, through good times and bad – we had the EPIK orientation to thank for that. Despite living in different cities we made sure to see each other regularly. It was the one thing Rachel and I would stretch our budget for.

Now we’re going our separate ways, each on our own exciting adventure. Yet, no matter how far we are from each other, we know the door will always be open to us.

The last three weeks we’ve spent the weekends together. This weekend we headed to Seoul. The drinking was heavy, the conversation light (most of the time) but it was never far from my mind that we would soon be saying goodbye. When the time came, it was my most unpleasant experience to date in Korea.

On the bus home I asked Rachel what the hell was going on with me. I don’t get upset over this stuff. She said this time was different. She was right.

Ruth, Andy, Dave, Gi Ro, Luke, Holly, Matt, and more recently Rich, Brian, Bryan, Andy, Mike, Linda, Damien and Juhyang, thanks for making these two years the best they could have been.

Christmas with friends

Friends chilling in our little home

What a good looking group of mates

]]> http://strange-lands.com/2012/02/the-most-difficult-thing-about-leaving-korea.html/feed 1 http://strange-lands.com/2012/02/our-week-in-pictures-week-sixteen-seoul.html http://strange-lands.com/2012/02/our-week-in-pictures-week-sixteen-seoul.html#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:53:41 +0000 Jimmy http://strange-lands.com/?p=4781

It seems fitting that my favourite set of photos in Korea have come in probably the most sentimentally important week.

This weekend we headed to Seoul for one last big shebang before we went our separate ways. I’ll write a little more about it tomorrow. Needless to say, the goodbyes were emotional. The weekend was fantastic. The view up on Namsan tower was stunning at sunset.

Earlier in the week I broke my laptop and had to buy a new one. I say ‘I broke’ because I quite literally broke it trying to fix a lesser problem. Never mind. My new one is great, thanks for asking.

School is now finished. It was a pretty straightforward affair. I gave my keys in and said adios. Hopefully I can have lunch with my co-teachers before we leave on Friday night.

I wish I had more to say about this week but it was a very relaxed affair – the calm before the storm.

I hope you like this week’s pictures, my last in Korea.

The locks have wishes on them from visitors

Seongsandegyo bridge

]]> http://strange-lands.com/2012/02/our-week-in-pictures-week-sixteen-seoul.html/feed 3 http://strange-lands.com/2012/02/abandoned-or-burnt-out-buildings.html http://strange-lands.com/2012/02/abandoned-or-burnt-out-buildings.html#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:36:54 +0000 Jimmy http://strange-lands.com/?p=4770

Carrying on my interest in burnt out or abandoned buildings, Mike, a friend of mine in Iksan, offered to take me to an abandoned church in an extremely rural place just outside of the city. On the way back the plan was to stop off at a bar in town that had recently burned down. [...]]]>

Carrying on my interest in burnt out or abandoned buildings, Mike, a friend of mine in Iksan, offered to take me to an abandoned church in an extremely rural place just outside of the city. On the way back the plan was to stop off at a bar in town that had recently burned down. I realise that neither of these scenes are what the average travel blog reader generally reads, but I can’t help myself.

The bike ride would have been easier had I not drank so much the night before. We spotted the church perched on top of a hill about half a mile away. Grey, ragged, windowless – even from here we could see it had never been finished.  We parked our bikes at the foot of a windy path leading to the church.

The dry grass,, dead trees, absence of other people, and clear sky gave the feel of a classic Wild West movie. We strolled up to the church. The front and back doors were locked. This wasn’t a particularly useful deterrent since there were gaping holes in the walls where the windows were supposed to go. I climbed in.

The place was nothing more than a storage room. Old sofas, wardrobes, and boxes were spread across the floor. Then I saw it. At first I wasn’t sure if my mind was playing tricks on me. It didn’t take long to realise that I was looking at a genuine dead body. It was hidden behind an old chest of draws. That last bit didn’t happen.

Satisfied with my selection of church pictures, we moved on. Eventually we hit the burnt out bar. I had to climb over a load of junk and bags before I could reach the metal shell of the steps. I walked up slowly, half expecting the thing to collapse.

The bar was completely destroyed. The walls, what was left of them at least, were pitch black. Strangely enough there were a few full bottles of beer and soju left. I had to tread carefully. Nails were sticking up through the floor boards.  I was conscious if the fact that I was being watched. opposite the bar there was a pool hall. Two young Koreans were watching me through the bar’s non-existent windows. I decided to leave. I’d gotten every thing I wanted.

Path Leading up to the church

Inside the church

Burnt out bar

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Phuket

Maui, Hawaii
Maui is a maddeningly beautiful island. Its best beaches are located on its western coast, though visitors shouldn’t miss the breath-taking Hamoa Bay and Kaihalulu, which has impossibly red sand. It is, in fact, the only red sand volcanic beach in the Pacific and worth visiting just for the palm-fringed sight of it. Travellers should also visit Lahaina; once a whaling village that now takes whale watchers out by boat to commune with the local humpbacks. Once back to shore, visitors can wander through its streets and duck into the pretty Victorian shops, restaurants and art galleries. Connections to the many islands from Honolulu are also frequent.

Maui

Amanpulo, Pamalican Island, Philippines
Amanpulo is a piece of heaven on a tiny speck of an island in the Sulu Sea. The resort and beach are worth whatever it takes to get there. The sand on the beach is as fine as flour and the pure, sapphire waters offer windsurfing and sailing, fishing and scuba diving. Underwater wonders include the coral reef that surrounds the island and when the day is done, it’s back to the spacious hotel room, or maybe that hammock slung between two coconut palms on the beach. The Philippine islands offer a wide range of attractions, it can be worth having a look at their Department of Tourism site for ideas.

Cua Dai, Vietnam
Travellers should hurry to see the pristine stretch of beach at Cua Dai, because it’s what Phuket was 50 years ago: unsullied by too many tourists, resorts or people eager to sell things. The tourist simply strolls out of their modest hotel in nearby Hoi An with their beach blanket, unfurls it on the sand, stretches out and relaxes to the sound of the wind and the sea.

Ideally, you should plan your trip to these paradisiac places well in advance as to ensure to find cheap tickets to make the most of your holiday.

Photo Credits: weenie dog, wipeoutpdr

We’re a day late with this week’s installment. We spent the weekend out of town and the power cable for my laptop broke. I’m using Rachel’s little netbook. She must have the patience of a Buddhist monk to work on this thing- it’s so slow.

Last weekend we took a visit to Gangcheon san. It was lovely, despite the hangover. The frozen waterfalls were a real treat.

I’ve spent all week designing new websites and improving the ones we already have.

I created a small gallery website for my HDR pictures – many of them you may have seen already on this site. I plan to upload photos daily.

The other new site is for people learning Indonesian. We we are going to work with Indonesians to develop a set of podcasts for intermediate and advanced learners.

Midweek, the skies opened up. 30 minutes later the city was blanketed with snow. I managed to get some decent shots before my fingers fell off.

I watched my 3rd graders graduate on Friday. I’ll never see them again, I imagine. It was a strange sensation. I was especially pleased to hear that some of the kids I liked got into some of the most respectable schools in Gwangju.

This weekend we headed to Iksan for the last time. I’ll put some photos up later in the week.

Next week’s installment will be our last in Korea.

Graduation

Our favourite fruit seller

A picture for our new Indonesian site

A footbridge in Gangcheon San

A frozen waterfall

Migliore shopping centre

Cheerful Ajumas in Iksan

Try some of these ideas during your visit to Australia for a unique and unforgettable trip:

Australian Adventures

While you could spend your Australian vacation lounging on the beach or shopping in the cities, to truly experience Australia, get out there and have an adventure. Whether you want to explore the sea, the mountains or the desert, Australia has an adventure for you.

Bush Adventures

Want to get your Crocodile Dundee on? Spend some time exploring the Australian bush in the Megalong Valley in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. Hop on a horse for a short tour, or immerse yourself in the bush experience by attending Jackaroo School, a one-week camp where you’ll learn to rustle cattle, shear sheep and crack a whip. If you’re into more exotic animals, sign up for the Aboriginal Bush Tucker Tour in Kakadu National Park. You’ll experience Aboriginal culture and see stunning landscapes and thousands of species of insects, birds and animals.

Air Adventures

Admit it: you’ve always wanted to feel what it’s like to be a bird. Why not give flying a try with a hang gliding adventure in Canungra, along the Gold Coast Hinterland in Queensland? Several companies offer tandem hang gliding and paragliding adventures over the beaches, rainforest, mountains and city skyscrapers.  For a slightly more enclosed experience, take a dawn hot air balloon ride over Canberra, and see the city’s buildings and parklands from the air. If you visit in March, you can attend the Canberra Balloon Festival and see dozens of balloons take flight.

Camel and Driving Adventures

Have you ever wondered what is was like to be Lawrence of Arabia? You can find out if you take a camel tour through the Simpson Desert in central Australia. Most visitors take the one-week tour, in which they ride and walk with camels to explore the desert and camp under the stars. More adventurous trekkers can sign up for the six-week experience.

If you want to explore Australia via a more reliable –and less smelly—mode of transport, try out one of the driving adventures. Drive along the Explorer’s Highway between Adelaide and Darwin to see everything from wine country to the outback post of Alice Springs, as well as several national parks and heritage sites. Or explore the varied landscapes of the Flinders Ranges in an open-air 4WD vehicle.

Hiking Adventures

Australia offers thousands of miles of hiking trails, from the oceanside trails of the Great Ocean Walk to the rugged paths of the Alpine Track in New South Wales. Plan a trip of several days to explore a section of the longer trails; completing the entire Alpine Track, for example, requires nearly two months and is for the most experienced hikers only. Day treks are possible, though, and they give you the chance to see some of Australia’s beauty and diversity.

Music Festivals

Australia is a mecca for all types of music festivals. Whether you have a taste for rock, jazz, blues, classical, dance or just about any style of music, chances are there is a music festival in Australia for you. Many festivals take place during the summer months (the winter months in the northern hemisphere), particularly around the beginning of the year. On January 26th of each year, the entire nation celebrates Australia Day, which is marked by festivals, concerts and other events all over the country throughout the week. Most of the events are free and feature live acts from all over Australia, both traditional and contemporary.

Volunteer Opportunities

Want to explore Australia while learning and helping the community at the same time? Sign up for one of the many volunteer opportunities that will give you a chance to get up close and personal with the country and its people. Try rescuing endangered wildlife, or learn about organic farming through the Willing Workers on Organic Farms program. The best part of these volunteer projects is that your room and board are often covered, allowing you to experience Australia on a budget.

From exhilarating, once in a lifetime adventures to more laidback – and sometimes humorous – excursions, Australia has something for everyone. So get out of your hotel or dorm, and explore all that the diverse continent has to offer. You might find that you never want to leave!

This guest post article was written and provided by Erica Gustafson who is an avid Australia traveler, freelance writer and digital media consultant for Expedia.  She helps people book cheap hotel reservations at many locations around the world.

I’m a planner, you see. I plan for almost everything I consider important. Money famously doesn’t make you happy, but it’s bloody important. Since the only source of income we’ll have is our websites, we’re going to be as frugal as possible.
At the same time, I don’t want to be so cheap that I wake up to find cockroaches on my face.

Our biggest money-saving option is house sitting. On many occasions you live in someone’s home in their absence for various periods of time for absolutely free. I enjoy this notion of ‘free-ness’. We will most certainly be doing this in our European long stays.

Youth hostels are ideal for short stays but expensive to use in Europe. Not so expensive if you don’t mind sharing with a group of potential snorers, smelly feet, and thieves. That’s a slight exaggeration but I’m at a point in my life where I prefer my privacy – big dorms are a no-no for me.

Hotels and B&Bs are far too pricey for paupers like us most of the time. Obviously we’ll use them from time to time on short stays.

Camping was an option. I did it for 3 months in Australia. It turns out it’s mightily more expensive in Europe to camp than I had thought. I suppose it wouldn’t have been a sensible solution in the winter months.

I’ve even looked into timeshares. We weren’t looking to purchase, of course. We were looking to rent timeshares. It isn’t a bad option if there are a few of you to split the bill, and timeshare accommodations are much larger than hotels and B&B’s so they are worth looking into for those of you traveling with a large group.

All of this is aimed mainly at Europe. For Indonesia we plan on renting an apartment. We don’t know where, how, or how much. We’ll get to Yogyakarta and keep our senses open. We need to be aware of hiked foreigner prices, I’d imagine.
We’ve made a compromise for Indonesia. The country is unchartered territory. We have no idea what the attitude towards Westerners is like. I have also no clue about the crime rate over there, but I’d prefer not to compromise our personal security as well. We’re going to pay a little bit more to stay in a nicer, safer neighbourhood.

Hopefully the house sitting gig won't look like this

The ceiling supports felt weak. They would have supported my weight before the fire. Now, with burnt timber and ash covering the floor, I wasn’t confident. It was a strange feeling, standing in the loft of a roof-less house looking at a mountain. The residents were long-gone – possibly dead according to a Korean friend.

That morning, on the promise of finding an old unused amusement park somewhere in Mudeung mountain, I braved the cold weather with a couple of others, armed with my camera.

We soon realised that the amusement park was no more. There were, however, a row of old houses built into the hills that were completely abandoned years ago. Two of them had suffered some serious damage during a fire at some point.

Apparently these houses were built illegally by residents who couldn’t afford to live in the city. Roughly 25 years ago, I’m told, not far from these empty houses, the police tore down a house built by a young man. He lived with his sister and mother. The man axed four government workers to death in revenge. He didn’t live very long after that.

This place was eerie – no doubt about that. I trawled each accessible room in every house trying to take it all in. My camera never stopped. Much like the Tyne tunnel pictures a few weeks back, I knew I shouldn’t be there. Yet once again I got the pictures I wanted and walked away feeling even more desire than last time to continue finding these dark, dank places.

The non-existent amusement park

Burned and Empty

Empty House

Dirty Passage

Empty Loft

With a broad range of interests that go from history to quite recently botanical gardens Neva would prefer to spend her days in the trendiest cafes reading and writing with pencil and paper, she blogs for living, takes pictures when inspired and travels whenever she can.

This certainly is the big event that warms up the cold winter here and covers Berlin with glamour, but is not the only one an event for which apartments in Berlin are fully booked. In early February the city hosts the Transmediale Festival, dedicated to the digital and media art culture, while the first two weeks are dedicated to dance with Tanztage.

And don’t think that with Berlinale it’s all over with movies. This city breaths cinema throughout the year: the German capital hosts around 50 smaller and not so small film festivals with movies from all over the world and of all genres. Not even two weeks after the closing of Berlinale the cinema addicts can have some more at Cinebrasil (02/03-2012).

Your boyfriend or girlfriend prefers football matches to cinema evenings and you instead can’t survive without watching at least one movie/week? You are not the only couple with such or similar polarized interests. Then try this one: Fussballfilmfestival (9-13.03), a film festival only about football!  No rest in April either.

If you have already missed the opportunity to go to Berlinale, then this month you can catch up and enjoy much warmer weather. 3 film festivals await you

The first one on the list is the Nordzone Nordic Film & Music Festival (18-25.04), also based in Babylon Mitte cinema, as well as the previous two. There are two more: Achtung Berlin (dedicated to fiction movies and documentary film produced in Berlin or in Brandenburg region) and Sehsüchte, the International Student Film Festival. As you can see the list of Berlin film festival is endless. No matter if you book Berlin apartments in March, May or September there will be one running for you.

Here are a few things to keep you throbbing while you’re in New York!

Must Sees: While all the buzz has always been about the famous Statue of Liberty, Times Square, The Empire State Building, The Museum of Modern Art etc., there are a few places prone to skipping our notice. Walking the Brooklyn Bridge, touring the Federal Hall where George Bush took his oath, checking out the Rockefeller Centre, strolling around in Madison Square Garden, browsing through the NY Public Library, are among those and the list can go on. If you are a film buff, the Film Forum is your pilgrim spot!

The Gourmet In You: If you are a foodie then being in New York without having tried a sumptuous authentic Italian meal at the Fino Ristorante Italiano on Wall Street is no less than crime! Or if you’re a connoisseur for Chinese food then China Town is worth a food tour. For a quick nibble, slip into a corner of the famous Grimaldi Pizzeria and pounce on your favourite pizza (the choices leave you hopping from one to the other till you’ve ordered for too many). Don’t worry no one raises an eye brow here for gluttony! And you must visit one of the many French bakeries strewn across the city to have a taste of authentic French pastry.

Striking The Right Chords: The Bowery Ballroom should be the first stop for every music lover. If you feel like a little jive and rock and roll, hop into the next in line, The Mercury Lounge or Terminal 5 or Webster Hall. Among other rocking options are, Joe’s pub, Madison Square Garden, Rockwood Music Hall, Beacon Theatre etc. These places are just perfect to let your hair down and enjoy mind blowing music along with your favourite sips!

Bitten By The Shopaholic Worm: Fifth Avenue is the place you must run to whenever the shopping worm tickles again! With Saks, Tiffany’s & Co., and Henri Bendel, not to mention virtually every other retailer in the world with shops lining this avenue, you surely can never return empty handed! Herald Square & The Garment District are a shopper’s paradise! Macy’s is just the beginning of this famous district, with every chain store from H&M to Victoria lining the streets of this popular shopping destination. The crème de la crème of NYC shopping is on the wonderful Madison Avenue with high end designers clamoring to occupy its popular storefronts, including Dior, Calvin Klein, and Chanel.

Experience 360 Degrees: If you are in New York, then, you must have an experience of the events that take place in and around the city. With busy days, New York is a city that works hard, and parties even harder! For a quick glimpse into a bit of everything, experience the various events hosted in the city. From buffets to ballets, film screenings to rock shows, helicopter tours to dinner cruises, you have an array of options to choose from.

So what are you waiting for? Give in to the glamour and show bizz of New York!

About the author:
Charles is the author of this article and he is a freelance writer who writes on travel destinations. To know more about things to do destinations, visit New York Things To Do