SKI EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH KOREA!

It was an exciting day for all of us Korea-ASEAN Tourism Partnership Program delegates to experience ski and gondola ride. We live in tropical countries and we usually do not have snow nor gondolas. Nonetheless, KTO gave us this chance by bringing us to Jellabuk-do Muju, a well-known ski attraction in Korea composed of resorts and ski facilities.

We were all excited! Some even claimed it was a dream, lol! I mean, c'mon everyone who lives in a tropical country would want to experience it, see snow for the first time, feel it, much more lie on it and even roll on it! And we did!

It was quiet an experience for everyone experiencing the ceremonies involved in renting the ski gears, selecting your size and color and trying it on for the first time! Whew, we never knew it could feel so hot in spite of the very cold weather - the ski gears truly rocks! From the jacket, gloves, the ski boots, the pole and the ski! Whew!Wind-proof, wet proof and cold proof  I could say. We were even sweating while out in the snow! And it was minus 3 degrees at that time!

The facilities in Muju Dyeokyusan Resort was very good and systematic. There were lockers for rental (at 1,000 KRW) and too many choices for selection.


Skiing is not easy though yet quiet enjoyable. We all tried our best to ski and learn the basics from proper walking, how to stand up when you fall, how to brake and how to control the pole and the ski itself.  It was really a new experience for all of us! We really maximized the time and enjoyed it.

So what are you waiting for? Go come to Korea as well and experience ski for the first time!

MYEONGDONG, KOREA'S SHOPPING HAVEN!

 If you happen to visit South Korea, it is a must for you to experience shopping in the country's biggest shopping district called Myeongdong. It is the mecca of  shopping in South Korea with a daily influx of between 1.5 to 2 million visitors. It expands more than a few kilometers of shopping from mid priced to high-end brands both local and international. It is indeed a must for any tourist to experience Korea's shopping haven!

Located in the heart of Seoul Myeongdong Market is a stunning shopping district with countless shops, restaurants and even street foods! They say its wild popularity has given other Korean districts to come up with their own.

Two anchor department stores - Lotte and Shinsegae along with other large shopping malls offer unprecedented shopping experience one can only imagine possible in Korea.  Shops for clothing, cosmetics, electronics, restaurants of all kinds, cafe shops, street foods abound in all sections and corners of  Myeongdong. The area truly breathes with shopping in mind.

I have been there quiet a few times and I could say each visit is an experience. Due to stiff competition, each store offers varied promos and offerings. I could not get enough of Myeongdong. One thing, tourists also enjoy tax free shopping where you can get refund at the international airport thereby reducing the price of an already good buy.

At 5pm, slowly, the street is slowly filled up with various stalls from clothing,jewelries,  cellphone cases, street foods, etc. Name it, they sell it. New stores are also up for opening anytime so new attractions can be had the next time you may visit. Simply, Myeongdong is a living and changing shopping haven!

Come visit and for sure you will be amazed as I did!

KARAOKE IN KOREA! A MUST EXPERIENCE, TOO!

Korea's karaoke or what they call as nolaepang (spoken as doraebang) is another must try when in Korea!

There are various karaoke establishments in Seoul and I was able to enjoy it with my other co-participants from other countries and our songsaengnim (Korean teacher) who organized it for us! 
The karaoke Gogo! was right in the middle of the famous shopping mecca in Seoul - Myeong-dong! So easy to find and just a walk from subway stations and other means of transportation.

Korea's karaoke facilities are of the latest technologies, comfortable seats, with disco lights and you can even wear colorful wigs, performer inspired wigs aka Bob Marley, lol! and shiny costumes if you really want to feel like a professional performer. And Karaoke singing  here s not that expensive!

Feeling like Bob Marley - a friend from Indonesia!

Cheers!

Singing the Oppa Gangnam Style~

The remote control used in selecting songs!

This instrument helps elevate the singing party!

This karaoke room can fit at least 20 people with comfortable seats
and two TVs!

The said karaoke joint offers both Korean and English songs so it was no problem for us non-Korean speaking guys! We even tried some K-pop songs it felt good! Also, you can easily watch your remaining time on TV as it is constantly displayed so you can really maximize your time inside the  karaoke room!

Now, time for you to experience it!

KOREA's DRIED POLLACK SOUP, A MUST TRY!

Korea is indeed full of surprises! While on our 4th day of tour in this beautiful country, we were able to sample their famous dried pollack soup. Now, this is not just an ordinary soup.

The Dried Pollack Soup is a popular soup in Korea. It's commonly called HaeJangGuk (hang over soup), because its very soothing after drinking alcohol. This soup is extremely light on the stomach, and cleans all the alcohol toxins from the previous nights fever. It is cheap and healthy.   What makes it more special is the fish as its main ingredient. The fish called pollock or pollack is a common dish in most Korean's household. They say, since it is dried for many months, it turns really dry and hard. When eaten as a soup though, one can instantly feel it fights on the bite as it a chicken. And indeed, it was! Love its light taste and chicken-like feel when eaten. No wonder it is ever available in most Korean restos here!      According to Agra Food website who produces dried pollack, the very soup that is most popular among Korean drinkers is also one of the easiest to cook by housewives on a hectic morning. The hero is “bugeo-guk” (dried pollack soup). These days, the soup is getting even more popular as many women in foreign countries, including Japan, learn that bugeo-guk helps make porcelain-like skin. In Korea, there is no fish like the pollack that has so many various names. The freshly-caught pollack is called “saeng-tae,” frozen pollack - “dong-tae,” the salted one - “yeom-tae,” the one that is frozen and thawed more than 20 times through midwinter is called “hwang-tae.” Dried pollack has several names as well: the fully-grown one (when dried for about 60 days) is referred to as “bugeo,” while the young dried pollack is called “nogari,” and the half-dried one - “kodari.” Finally, the one that becomes swollen with yellowish flesh due to the temperature difference is also known as “hwang-tae.” Koreans traditionally have haejang-guk (a soup eaten to relieve hangovers) the day after drinking. Among various hangover soups, bugeo-guk is the most popular, along with kongnamul-guk (bean sprout soup). Koreans believe that the clear stock and soothing taste of bugeo-guk can relieve their upset stomach. With the addition of soft tofu or eggs, it can be all the better hangover soup. Those suffering from a hangover can consume protein and thus detoxify the alcoholic substances remaining in the body. The most important stage in the cooking process is the very first: beating a whole pollack with a bat to make the dried fish soft. After thrashing, a cook must peel the fish scales, bone the fish, rip the flesh roughly, macerate it for a moment, and then boil it. In Korean TV dramas, it is quite common to see scenes in which a wife makes bugeo-guk early in the morning for her drunken husband. This scene connotes some of the contradicting feelings the wife has: she seems to vent her anger at her husband for drinking heavily and coming home late onto the fish by pounding it up with a bat but, deep in her heart, she wants to help relieve the hangover her husband suffers from with the elaborately made soup.   Now, do not ever forget to try this simple soup when in Korea!

MOUNTAIN VILLAGE EXPERIENCE IN KOREA!

Have you ever experienced staying in a mountain village in Korea? I did!  There are many villages of this kind but I was lucky enough to experience it in Cheongungol Ecovillage. Here are the pics:



Beautiful mushrooms I found in the mountain!



Wrapped myself in a blanket as it was chilly cold in the mountain village!



Have you ever stayed in a house where the roof is made up of tree barks?

RAIL BIKING IN KOREA!

I Love rail biking in Korea!

It is the only one ever in the whole world where you also get to experience a scenic view of the mountain peaking its autumn look and the countryside view is fantastic!

 

 

Want to experience it again!

DMZ! A MUST-VISIT IN KOREA!

A historic spot in South Korea is the DMZ! Lucky enough to experience this tourist destination which is a must-see when in Korea!

Envy my pictures!


A memorable pose in DMZ!

 



The KATPP Group in Dorasan Station, DMZ!




Who would not want a view of North Korea from the DMZ, South Korea?

NAMI ISLAND - A PARADISE!

Who would not want a trip to the world-famous Namiseom Island? That island which was the ideal location for the very popular Winter Sonata! I conquered it! Whew!

Upon arrival!



Breathtaking!

A picture such as this is only possible in Nami Island!

A picture with Winter Sonata actors!



Autumn in action!

 

A TOUR OF KOREA IN 5 DAYS PART 6

This blog is a continuation of our 5-day tour organized by Korea Tourism Organization as part of the Korea-ASEAN Tourism Partnership Program). It happened last October 29- November 2, 2012).


DAY 3

The 3rd day schedule covered two major destinations - The Four Rivers Restoration Project or what they call as Ipobo Weir in Hangang River as well as an Eco-tour at Dumulmeori (Two Water Area) Bicycle Riding.

It was a 3-hour journey from Gyeongju to Yeoju, Gyeonggi-do. Gyeonggi-do (Korean pronunciation: [kjʌŋ.ɡi.do]) is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special citysince 1946.

We first had a Buckwheat Noodles Lunch or what they call Makguksu or Cold Noodles, a local food in a restaurant  in Gyeonggi-do which name I could not recall:

The local cold noodles!

 

We left with a new experience that there can indeed be a cold noodle,lol! Korea really innovates!

In any manner, as quoted from Korea Net, the Korean government started the Four Rivers Restoration Project project in June 2009 aimed at developing water resources by securing a sufficient water supply, preventing floods, upgrading water quality and reviving ecosystems, as well as boosting regional economies. The government spent a total of 22.2 trillion won by 2012 on the "Rivers Restoration Project" designed to develop the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan Rivers, which flow through the country's major urban, industrial and farming areas. This project is a key part of the "Green New Deal," a set of policies the government announced earlier in 2009 and aimed at laying the groundwork for Korea's green growth. Green growth is defined as achieving sustainable economic growth by developing low-carbon, eco-friendly industries.  For a detailed description of this project, you may visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Major_Rivers_Project.

It is said that despite the annual heavy rain in summer, Korea can use only 25 percent of the total rainfall that flows to the sea, as the rest of it is evaporated. The assumption is that if Korea can put an additional five or ten percent of rainwater to use, this will change the climate on the Korean Peninsula and prevent floods in the country. For this reason, Korea planned to build more small-sized dams to store water in rivers in order to at least double the total volume of Korea's water resources. This four-river restoration project was expected to help both change the climate of the Korean Peninsula and create thousands of jobs, which will help the country achieve economic growth.

Indeed, I was amazed the first time I saw the beautiful Han River, the Pasa Sanseong (Mountain Fortress) and the Ipo Weir which is actually a small-scale hydropower plant with a capacity of 800 to 5,000kW producing eco-friendly, clean energy of an hourly 50,756kW. The power produced now supplies the demand of 58,000 households, replace crude oil imports resulting to foreign currency savings and reduce carbon dioxide effects of 183,000 tons per year from all the weirs built. Indeed, an amazing project for Korea showing its immense care in environmental management.

 

Here are some of the pics I have taken of the Ipo Weir:

 

From afar, the hydropower generators look like large eggs! It created quite a good impression and a tourist attraction at that to commuters and passersby. A walk in the said bridge was truly monumental as I know I was walking in one of Korea's greatest projects. A visit in the tower gave me a beautiful macro view of the whole Han River and the Ipo Weir.  I was also amazed that the bridge also serves as a bicycle lane!  Community events can also be held in strategic locations of the weir.  If we had the time I would have also requested that we visit the other weirs.Truly astounding! Combining technology, will-power and the vision of restoring the river and creating tourism attractions really gave me a wishful thinking that we could do it back in my country.

 

I could say it was really worth the long-hour drive! I could not help but exclaim to myself how lucky Koreans are! Truly, a visit to Korea would not be complete without seeing this Ipo Weir and The Four Rivers Restoration Project.

 

We then moved on to Yangpyeong for our Eco-tour in their famous Dumulmeori (Two Water Area) Bicycle Riding Lane.  It was indeed an exciting experience as we were able to ride in a bicycle while in Korea!

 

According to Gyeonggi-do Blog, the old railway between Yangpyeong and Namyangju, where public access has long been prohibited, was reinvented as a premium bike trail and was opened in October 2011. The significance of the Namhan River Bike Trail, opened in October 2011, is that a 27-km section of the old railway, which became neglected after the Central Line (Jungang Line) became the main line, was transformed into an eco-friendly and safe bike trail.

 

Some of the pics taken in our chilly yet memorable experience. Bike rental was available near the Yangsu Subway Station, thus, truly accessible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was so cold but we were all excited to bike!

The bicycle lane separate from the highway!

One of the bicycle stops!

A tunnel for biking. It is lighted and has a CCTV!

The Bukhangangcheolgyo (Bukhan River Railroad Bridge)’ is the highlight of the bike trail, where you can enjoy a beautiful scenic view of the river from both sides of the bridge. Situated near Dumulmeori, this railroad bridge offers Korea’s longest cycling trail spanning the width of a river with a distance of 560m.

Korean bikers must really feel proud they have their own lane!