We called a cab to pick us from the chocolate museum (post coming soon) after learning that the next bus wouldn’t come for four hours. Island time… Our destination was Sanbangsan (산방산), and we each had wildly different ideas about what would happen there. I was absolutely set on hiking it, while Alisha was more …
hike
Four Things to Do in Sokcho
Sokcho; the last major city on South Korea’s east coast before the DMZ. It is an international port, the gateway to Seoraksan National Park, and home to a small community of North Korean refugees. Spending a full two days exploring Sokcho and the attractions around it was an awesome experience. Here is a list of …
The Sleeping Mountain at Seoraksan
My friend Cody and I arrived in Sokcho around 2 p.m. on Saturday. Both of us were tired from the long bus ride, but we set our fatigue aside to venture into the stunning Seoraksan National Park (설악산국립공원); Korea’s first national park. After dropping our bags off at our hostel, we caught a bus and …
Tsumago: a Walk through the Past
The rain started as we walked along the final stretch of the Nakasendo–the ancient Japanese postal road–between the restored Edo-era towns of Magome and Tsumago. Clouds gathered overhead and the air grew thick with the smell of petrichor (thanks for the word, Bijoy!) as the earth prepared to be inundated by the sky.
Five Things to Do in Kyoto
Beautiful Kyoto is the city most people familiar with Japan will recommend to the first time visitor. Having been the former capital of Japan for a span of over 1000 years and being spared the devastation of bombing raids in WWII, Kyoto is one of the cities in Japan where a wealth of historical architecture …
Rambling the Nakasendo
“If one walks, a road is made.” So reads the cover of the walking map for the Nakasendo I brought back with me from Japan–a sentiment which perfectly encapsulates the origins and spirit of the Nakasendo. An ancient postal road connecting Kyoto (Kyo) and Tokyo (Edo), the Nakasendo was built over 400 years ago in the Edo period. …
Seoul: the City of Mountains (Part 2 of 2)
I recently posted an entry about one of many mountains in and around Seoul: Namsan. Today’s entry is about the second mountain Brandon and I hiked that weekend: a mountain by the name of Bugaksan (북악산). The area around Bugaksan was only recently opened for the the public’s enjoyment. Until 2006, it had been a military …
Seoul: the City of Mountains (Part 1 of 2)
When I mention Seoul, what is it you think of? The city with the largest population in the world? A sprawl of skyscrapers, high-rises, and other buildings stretching as far as the eye can see? A place of neon lights, dimly lit soju-bangs, and bustling markets? It is all of these things, but there is …
The Beauty of Being Still
Sometimes, the best thing to do is to be still–even if only for a moment. The first flakes of snow fell yesterday, as I soaked in an outdoor spa in Gyeongju. Cries of delight rose with the cloud of steam and we all enjoyed the stinging chill of snowflakes on our skin. The snow continued …
Two Temples and a View
The last several weeks have been busy ones; a hectic work schedule combined with numerous personal projects–such as creating this new site–have left me with very little time to get out and enjoy myself. Last week, I bailed on an engagement with friends and spent a few hours alone exploring a new corner of the …