I Am Back!!!!

It's almost been an entire year since my last post.  So many different experiences in South Korea to share....I will try and condense to catch up and then keep up.

Most of my focus recently has been on my photography. I have always loved capturing moments with my camera but for the first time I'm learning more about my camera and its capabilities.  Wow! The photos I can capture now are so much better.  I'm still far from being a professional photographer but I can see my growth in just the year that I have been learning.

Current events here in Korea... Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)!  It is actually looking like we are on the downside of being in this crisis, thank goodness. 179 people diagnosed with the virus, over 13,000 were subject to quarantine and 27 people have died from this virus - mostly elderly with underlying medical conditions.  The numbers seem high but when you think about the actual population of South Korea the numbers are minimal. When it first came out in the media that this virus from Saudi Arabia was now in Korea, I had no fear and thought "no problem."  South Korea is a very health conscience country and will handle this with the upmost professionalism - unfortunately initially more emphasis was given to preventing panic and it was not handled properly.

(Yahoo News Photo)

I made minimal change to my daily life because of MERS - I still have not taken public transportation yet, I have not gone to the open markets and I am more aware of who is around me. The initial outbreak was in the area that I live in so that is why I have been more cautious. Other than that, I still travel here and even joined a photo/blogger tour group a couple of weekends ago of Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon. I will also be posting my experience and photos from that tour. When I went to Seoul with a friend after two weeks from the first diagnosis, it was strange not to see crowds of people or a lot of traffic. Many businesses, schools and other organizations were closed down and if they were not, it was advised to go straight home to avoid further spread of this virus.  People are still being cautious and life here has not returned back to normal yet. I believe the initial fear is done and I'm starting to see more and more people out, even some without masks but continuing to wash hands thoroughly and often just like I am.

Cameron's Visit - Jeju Island

I am so behind with my blogging - this is adventure is still part of Cameron's visit to Korea in March! Better late than never.

Our next stop on this crazy adventure was Jeju Island.  It was a last minute decision and yet all the travel arrangements went very smooth.  I didn't bring my passport because I had no intention of getting on a plane as we headed down to Busan.  Thankfully I didn't have an issues leaving or returning back to the mainland of South Korea because I had my military ID card.

Our first stop once we arrived to Jeju was the information booth at the airport.  Their English was pretty good and they were very helpful.  Renting a car in Jeju was really cheap!  Unfortunately we could not rent one because I didn't bring my International Driver's License with me.  I didn't think I would be renting a car on this trek. Lesson learned.

We hopped on the bus that traveled on the outskirts of the island and our first stop was Seongsan Illchulbong Peak, also called Sunrise Peak.  This volcano was highly suggested as one of the points of interest to see by the person at the information center.  From afar it didn't look that bad but as we continued to walk we realized that there were steps ahead and that was the only way to the top.  By now our legs and feet were screaming from all the stairs we had been climbing for the last few days.  I told Cameron if she was not up for this climb it would be no problem at all and her comment was that we made it this far we are going to do this.  Up we went.  

The trek up was not overly difficult, but we wanted to see as much of Jeju in one day as we could so hiked it up at a pretty fast pace.  The one thing that amazed us not only at this location but at many locations in Korea were the women that wore high heals everywhere!  Even to climb this volcano!  I really couldn't figure out if they just endured the pain because it looked good or if they were just as comfortable in high heals as I was in a comfortable walking shoe.

On our way up the volcano we could see a solar clock off in the distance.  I didn't get a chance to see it up close once we came down but I will be sure to check it out the next time I visit Jeju Island.

At random spots throughout the island were these little volcanic statues called Dol Hareubang.  They were really cool. Some historians believe that they were considered to be deities offering protection and fertility.  The mushroom shaped crown has been found on many Korean historical artifacts such as ancient crowns, funeral urns and ships.

After catching our breath and taking some awesome pictures from the top we started our journey back down.  

Our next stop was Minchon Cave.  We took the bus from the airport to Seongsan Illchulbong Peak and we weren't for sure how to get to our next destination so we decided to see how much it would be to take a taxi.  It turned out for a bargain we hired a taxi.  

The Minchon Cave had beautiful grounds with water fountains, statues, small botanical garden and even farm animals on display.  The lava caves was cool too.  I had been in a lava cave in Washington State but you had to bring your own lantern for light.  This one was well lit and was more like a cave museum.

Next stop, Cheonjiyeon Falls.  We had no idea what to expect but our wonderful taxi driver assisted us with showing us where to purchase our entry tickets and gave us a time frame of how long would should be there before leaving for our next destination.  Again, the grounds and scenery was amazing and the weather was perfect.  The best part about this destination....there were NO STAIRS!

As we were nearing the end of our day we had one more place that we wanted to visit before trying to find a hotel.  The taxi driver took us to the Jeongbang Falls.  This was a beautiful falls but it had many many stairs.  As much as our feet and legs hurt we knew that we had to make it down to the falls.  As we were heading down we could see a group of women with buckets and having a little bar-b-que. When I switched over to my zoom lens I could see that they were cooking seafood and baking potatoes.  How fun would that be?

This picture I took of Cameron and her little son still in her belly was my favorite pic I took during her visit.  Her little man Dune is now 2 months old.

I had an absolutely amazing time checking out Korea with Cameron!

Cameron's Visit - Busan Cliffs & Temple

Did I emphasize how many steps Cam and I have climbed by this point?  Let's not forget how miles in total and inclines we have walked.  By this point our legs and feet were screaming!

Today we decided to take one of the routes on the Busan City Tour bus and then to take another tour bus that was going to the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple.  Before starting off on our day adventure, we were on the hunt for some breakfast.  As I "quickly" looked, the only way to cross the major street was going underground via lots of steps and coming up the other side via more steps.  Once we were up on the other side, Cameron notices there was an elevator that we could have used and indeed there was an above ground cross walk.  I thought she was going to flog me in public!!! My knees and feet were hating me too!

We didn't have much luck finding "breakfast" food.  We weren't even really for sure what we were looking for - maybe a fresh breakfast sandwich; simple bowl of breakfast style bibimbop; fruit bowls; etc.  We ended up with pre-made breakfast sandwiches that looked like they had been sitting for a while.  Not at all what we were hoping for but we had to find something to eat - "bug" was hungry and was sure to let Cameron know.

Onward towards our next adventure!

Our first stop was the Taejongdae Park.  When I went on the tour bus with my mom last fall, we just rode the bus to check things out but never got off.  I knew this was a place that I definitely wanted to see on my next visit to Busan.

One detail that I forgot last fall - this site requires walking uphill!  Thankfully, part of  the way up you were able to purchase a ticket and ride the rest of the way to the cliffs and lighthouse.  Riding on the bus with us was a group of school kids - they were all so CUTE!!

The wind up here was really cold but when it wasn't blowing it was perfect walking weather.  On the bus ride up we caught some amazing glimpses of the ocean with the fishing boats and other vessels. We were anxious to see what view awaited us.

This would be a great place to visit when you have more time and really enjoy the scenery.  The wind on this day was very strong and chilly so Cameron and I checked out what we could see in a short amount of time.

Once we were were down the cliffs, it was a perfect place to take some great pics.  We were goofing around and I was telling Cameron to pretend like she was Rose on the movie Titanic and to start posing.  Little did we know we were about to start a following!  A really cute young Asian couple asked Cameron to take a picture, of course she thought they wanted her to take a picture of the two of them together.  No!  The wife wanted to take a picture WITH Cameron doing the "Titanic" pose - it was hysterical.  As we left the area, we looked down and noticed that every person was now standing in the same spot doing the Titanic pose. 

Heading up, the wind felt like it was getting stronger.  We were leaving the next day to head to Jeju Island and almost considered taking the ferry because it traveled during the night and to have the experience.  We watched as the tour boats passed by the cliff areas and they were rocking back and forth so bad - thank goodness we decided to fly!

On our route up, the cute Asian couple were in the process of memorializing their visit there.  They were so darn cute!

On to our next adventure - Haedong Yonggungsa Temple!  But first we had to find some lunch - we were hungry by this point.

 When we arrived to the temple, these were the two statues that greeted us. They didn't look scary as others I have seen to protect the temple - they actually looked like they had been banished.  I will have to do some research to figure out who these two are.

The minute that I saw this pagoda I instantly thought - STEVE!  Who knew there was one for Traffic Safety?  

This to me was a very unique temple because it as on the cliffs by the ocean.  The entrance to the temple was very beautiful.  The best part about this, besides enjoying it with a wonderful friend, was that we were visiting on a weekday and not during tourist season.  The crowds were manageable and I didn't have to wait so long for crowds to move along so that I could capture a good picture.  Again, we were on a bit of time limit to check out this temple because of the tour bus schedule.  The next time that I come here I will be sure that Steve and I drive so that we can take our time to really enjoy this temple.

Even though the ultrasound confirmed that Cameron's baby was a boy, a little belly rub of the Buddha of Granting a Son was a must.

 The first picture is of the "Korean" style Cameron Mom and the second is of the "American" style Cameron Mom - she has such a killer smile.  Why many Koreans don't like to smile in pictures is beyond me.

Every nook you could at least find one Buddah statue if not more.  I'm not sure if travelers the visit this area are the ones that places these figurines here or if monks themselves place these statues here.  It was very interesting to see all the different kinds - everywhere!

In preparation of Buddha's birthday, stands were set up all around the temple and the statues so that colorful paper lanterns could be hung.  I had just returned from my visit to Hawaii when the celebration took place this year and so I missed the festivities.  I plan on attending many of them next year.  The pictures that I have seen on the tourist sites are incredible - day and night it was just beautiful.

Tomorrow - Jeju Island!