Zero to Hot in 5 Seconds

It takes a brave person to drive in Seoul. And it turns out, I am that brave. Sort of. Well, not really. Last weekend we donned helmets, took the wheel and raced the track at Kart Racing go-karts in Seoul.

It was a particularly hot and hungover Saturday. Seriously hot. And seriously hungover. So I was beginning to wonder why I'd agreed to go go-karting, when instead I could be in my fully-aircon apartment sipping cold coke, with an ice-cream on the side and my head in the freezer. Maybe my over-heated self was starting to get delirious.

One thing was certain though - in the heat and the hang, I was starting to get really scared about driving. I don't drive at home, but that's not stopped me driving scooters all over India, Asia and Europe....so why should I care about a go-kart in Korea? God knows. All I know is that there were free Krispy Kreme donuts and I couldn't eat one of them. I must be feeling rough.

Two hours of waiting later, I was starting to wonder how I'd ever get through it without being seriously sick. In a helmet. Eurgh. So when our names were finally called, and we were able to burst forth through the start line, I found myself going as fast as I could possibly manage without sending myself over the edge - which turned out to be a little less than walking speed. After the first lap, and having been lapped by everyone esle at least twice, I went past the karting technicians who were all frantically waving at me. 'I don't know what you're saving!' I attempted shouting inside the helmet. But I knew what they were saying. It didn't matter. I wasn't going to speed up for them, I was feeling ropey enough as it was.

This is the first time I've ever felt simultaneously bored and terrified. By the time we finished, I was so unbelievably happy that it was over I almost managed to convince myself that I'd enjoyed it. Or....Did I? It did help that the owners greeted us off the track with free cold beers. That's more like it. And seeing as the track is conveniently situated on the bank of Seoul's Han River, we decided to get a few drinks and enjoy the view.

 Actually, the view wasn't enough for everyone. The water was just too tempting. One of our friends stripped off and went for a good old swim in the huge city river. The Korean's were delighted to watch and waved from the sidelines.

But is it clean? Well, I hope so. Not just for my friend, but for the 700 elementary school students who are required to swim the river every year. Either way, it's a nice change from England where last time I saw someone go for a dip, everyone shouted 'speedo' at him until he was out of hearing. Yes, it felt good to be in Korea today.

Going for the Go-Karting?

If you like Go-Karts, you're not hungover, and you don't go midday in mid-June.....you would probably really enjoy the go-karting. So here's a little info:

Place:      Kart Racing (Korean only website). 
Where:    A 10 minute walk from Jamsil Sports Complex subway station exit 5/6. 
Cost:       15,000 won per 15 min session. Or you can take Pro Karts (super speedy ones) for 35,000 won per session.

Korea Au Naturale

Wow, Korea is hot. Really hot. The annual parade of stepping outside to be hit by a wall of heat, only to step inside to be hit by a wall of aircon has begun. And what do you wear? It's a balance between baring your skin to stay cool versus covering it up to avoid getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. And I'm losing - eighteen bites and counting.

But I promise you, I'm not moaning. It's amazing. There is nothing like the sticky, sweaty humidity of Asian summer to laze away your days. You just have to be in the right place. Somewhere outdoors, out of a city, out of the mainland, out in a sea breeze.....somewhere Au Naturale. With nature and wildlife and stars. Deokjeokdo Island was awaiting. And it had some surprises up it's sleeve.

The weekend was a national holiday, meaning we had four days to explore. Unfortunately, Korea Au Naturale wanted to greet us with a lot of rolling mist. It was warm...but the mist covered...well, everything. Very atmospheric. But the chances of spotting any nature or wildlife or stars were pretty minimal, and anyway, it seemed like every English teacher in South Korea had had the same idea on where to party this weekend. So we did what anyone else would do.... started drinking at 9:30am and dug an 8 foot hole. Actually, some dug the hole while others (cough) sat around drinking, but I'd like to say it was a team effort.

That night, a huge bonfire was set up on the beach for everyone to party around, but that's not where we wanted to be, oh no.... in the darkness and the mist was Korea Au Naturale's first surprise.

The seawater in Deokjeokdo is phosphorus. We walked out into the mist, to the water's edge, and even before reaching the sea could see our footsteps lighting up with each step. It was working! At the sea edge it was even more spectacular - the waves crashing caused the phosphorus algae to light up like a chemical reaction, and the whole wave would glow bright blue across the sea. Combine this with atmospheric mist and a whole day's drinking, and you have a truly euphoric moment. At least, that's how I justify the next two hours of gleefully frolicking on a misty beach while shouting 'It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen!' with two grown men.

The next day the sun was shining. Now that's more like it! More friends had come across to the island, and the beach was definitely missing the more larey expats from the day before. Turns out that hangovers can be benefical afterall (heh heh heh). So we got the guitars and the drinks out, swam in the sea, found starfish and seahorses, and got nice and merry.

Well into the afternoon, and well in need of a breeze to cool down, we popped back to our guesthouse to find Mr Kim, the guesthouse owner. Mr Kim is a retired Seoul Man who's got Soul - he locks no doors, offers you everything he owns, calls you his family, and makes jokes the whole time he's around. So when we asked if we could take a couple of his bikes for a cycle up to a secret beach, there was no problem.

The secret beach has no signs and no path to lead you through the forest, so unless one of the locals is enjoying the tranquillity too, you have the beautiful beach to yourself. 'So quiet, you cannot hear footsteps', as our local source once described to us. The reason you can't hear footsteps, we found out, is because most of it's inhabitants don't have feet.

The next day, after another night of fires, frivolities and guitars, we decided to take our friends to the secret beach. At the part of the mountain where you leave the path and start the steep descent through the forest, you have no choice but to go slowly. Pretty damn lucky, seeing as the leader of the group suddenly swung round mid-step shouting 'Shit, I almost stepped on that thing!'. Right in front of us, blocking our only way, was a six-foot snake.

So...gulp....what do we do now? Step over it? No fookin way am I treading over that thing. Is it poisonous? I've got no bloomin idea. Find another way around? In the density of this forest, this path was the only route. After what seemed like a really long time of discussing snake psyche (as if any of us knew) it effortlessly glided up a tree, only to stay poised at head height, as if uncertain of whether it was retreating or just finding better ground to bite us from. (Those beady eyes said 'bite' to me).

Well, we couldn't stand there all day. It was either go back or risk it. Opinions were mixed. Finally, three of us edged past the snake, while the other five decided not to risk it. On to the beach!

On the beach was a Korean fisherman with his sons. He'd been there the day before, so we waved and then went rock climbing. On our way back, we thought we should warn him about the snake, just incase it was dangerous. After patiently watching my flamboyant mime of the snake escapade, he smiled and said in perfect English 'Oh yeah, you get big snakes here'. Oh. I asked him if it was poisonous. 'Oh sure. One bite and you die' he said cheerfully. Oh well. At least the beach was nice. And seeing as we now had to walk back up the mountain, I'm going to tell myself he was joking too.  

That afternoon, everyone left the island....except Lee and I. We wanted one last night on the beach before heading back to reality. Once the last bus had taken all the expats and the church groups back to the port, the island was quiet and still. The elderly fisherman came out to their sitting posts, the women started gardening, and the only noise were the dogs barking in the distance. It felt like this little island was nicer once the wave of westerners had departed. We took a blanket out to the  wooden pagoda by the sea edge and read our books in the sunset. Flying fish were jumping in the port. This was nice (contented sigh). An elderly man came across and jumped onto his fishing boat. He saw us and started waving. Ahhh, the people here are nicer too. And then we realised he wasn't waving...more like, flinging his arms around. What's that he's saying? 'Go Home'? Oh right, so he prefers the island without the westerners too. The old rascal.

Thankfully, the other islanders are actually nice (there's always one, isn't there?). The next morning, Mr Kim drove us to get our boat. I wondered how he had ever gone from 50 years of Seoul City to the silence and serenity of Deokjeokdo. 'Aaaah, that's easy.' he said. 'I just take my fishing boat out and watch the sea. Next time you come I will take you out on it. You will see.' Well, it looks like we are going to meet again Deokjeokdo. I can't refuse an offer like that.

Jungdo Island

Last week, six of us awoke on a bright Sunday morning in a Chuncheon love motel. The fake tash rash from the previous night's shenanigans had gone (thank god), and it turns out that Chuncheon has more to offer than Dak Galbi and a Mime Festival. Just a small boat ride away is the beautiful forested river island of Jungdo.....

We strolled up to the small ferry crossing and handed over the 5,300 won (£2.60) return ticket price. Blimey that's good, I hear you cry! Well yes, but the crossing takes all of about 15 minutes, and most of that is the boat turning around. Even so, it was enough for a few Koreans to get a full powered, mouth-open, head-jerking, deep sleep in.

The island is extremely small, and designed for relaxing, sunbathing, cycling and picnicing. There aren't many cars on the island (probably because they wouldn't fit), so the best thing to do is hire one of the many bicycles and zip around taking in all the scenery. So that's what we did.

You can stay overnight in wooden cabins by the waterside if you want to make a weekend of it, but even a few hours on the island gives you time to soak it all in and spend enough time risking your life trying to manoeuvre a novelty tandem bike.

We headed back to the ferry, but not before visiting a dusty shop that seemed to sell very few things, yet had a lot of pickled animals in jars. Maybe they were for sale too. Pickled snake, anyone?

The Whats and The Hows

How do I get there?     Take a taxi from Chuncheon Bus Terminal for about 3,000 won. Ferries leave every half hour, 09:00-17:00, and cost 5,300 won return.

What is there to do?    There is an outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, football pitches, and rentable bikes and mini-quad bikes.

More info?                    look at this visit korea page.

Tash-Tastic in Chuncheon

Seeing as the Festival Season has officially hit Korea, it would feel rude not to get involved. Especially as  'the festivals of Korea are as vibrant and passionate as it's people!' (ooo la la). At least, that's what the board of tourism says. So the last month has been one big mix of music and arts festivals. Wonderful!

But it's not as easy as you might think. Korea goes a little festival crazy. There are festivals for everything...and I mean, everything. Kimchi festivals, butterfly festivals, herb festivals, green tea festivals, traditional tea bowl festivals, mud festivals, mime festivals, music festivals...the list goes on. Oh my! How can you tell which ones to go to? How can you tell which ones will be amazing and which ones will just be....well, a bit rubbish? It's a festival mine field out there.

Well, you do a fair amount of research into the festival events. You consider whether the place would actually be better without a shed loads of tourists, and look at the events lined up to see if any of it actually appeals. And just in case... have a back-up to save the day. A good fake moustache or bottle of tequila will do.

So last month saw in Seoul World DJ Festival, Ansan Street Arts Festival and the HBC Music Festival, and they were all amazing. This weekend was time for Chuncheon International Mime Festival. OK, a mime festival might sound a little random, but the festival holds all types of performance - dance, theatre, music, fire. Wowza. How can I refuse that? So we hopped on the bus, snoozed for four hours, and woke up in Chuncheon. Bring on the frivolities!

The place was a creative heaven. Loads of stalls were open for festival-goers to make their own decorations, and these were used to adorn the festival site. Masks, flags, paintings, signs. And lots of condoms. Condoms everywhere. Infact, it was probably more condom heaven than creative heaven.

There was even an outdoor Condom Gallery, placed between the family picnic area and the Womb Experience Programme. Bit weird? Yes. Especially when you realise that what these toddlers are holding are not balloons. And no, that’s not a balloon in the little girl's mouth. What the devil's going on here? According to the festival, it was 'to give youth a chance to experience a natural and healthy value for sex.... Through the making process, we will let youth feel the dignity and responsibility of life.' Unfortunately, I don't think dignity is what happened.

Soon enough we were distracted by the group of suit-wearing business men who started doing the sperm dance. Despite the weirdness, I liked these guys. It must take a lot of guts to get up and pretend to be sperm.

And so the festival continued. A lot of different acts, all quite strange. But soon enough we had exhausted all the stalls, seen enough weirdness to fill a lifetime, and were twiddling our thumbs a little when there they were.......THE TASH'S. I never knew it before, but donning a fake moustache gives you power. It gives you confidence. It gives you authority. And er, a lot of people laughing at you.

We finally left the festival to go eat dinner. Seeing as Chuncheon is the home of Dak Galbi, we settled for a nice family restaurant and strolled in nonchalantly with our tash's. The Koreans gawped until we realised that moustaches are really hard to eat with (how do men do it?) and so took them off. And underneath was a tash-shaped red line. Great, a tash rash. The best way to end a festival.

Festival Fan?

'Visit Korea' has an interactive map to show all the festivals in Korea, according to month and location. It's easy to use, and shows all the info you need on each festival. Woo! Take a look here

Escape to Deokjeokdo

"Oh man!" said Kim, the Korean guest house owner, when we started haggling him down on the cost of his rooms. "But today is the weekend". He doesn't put up much of a fight though, instead he looks happy to have customers to chat some English with. He takes us to our room, two minutes from the sandy Seopori Beach, and shows us the bikes and BBQs we can use without charge. "Take my number and call me if you need anything, OK man?" (He likes to say 'man' alot).

 We wave, walk out onto the beach and let out a big sigh......ahhhhh we've escaped to Deokjeokdo.

Deokjeokdo is a small West Sea Island, just an hour boat ride from Incheon Yeonan Pier. And despite being so close to the mainland, it feels a world away from the chaos of Korea. Only 2 ferries a day, at erratic times based on tides and who-knows-what, keeps the number of tourists low. Not a dunkin donuts or tower block in sight. Phew.

So now in the tranquillity of the isle, it was plan-making time. Which is easy on Deokjeokdo, because there is nothing to do. There are beaches, mountains, pine forests and farmland, all with the smiling, bowing, 'helloing' friendly locals who occasionally stroll by. Other than that - nothing. Even shops and restaurants are few and far between. So, the plan of action:

1) Buy booze to lie on beach with

2) Lie on beach

3) Make a BBQ

4) Collect wood from surrounding forrests

5) Make fire on the beach

Add some singing and paddling and.... voila! You have the perfect evening in the making. No-one to disturb, and no-one to disturb you. And once you're all done, you're just a stone's throw from the wonderful Mr.Kim's gueshouse.

The next day needed a lie in. In hindsight, ditching the paper cups for an empty noodle pot because it 'held more soju' seemed a little unwise. But once outside and in the sunshine the hangover gave way. Time to get cycling! We took the bikes Mr. Kim had offered to lend us (which I'm guessing where actually his children's, judging by their dirty looks as we peddled off in them) and cycled off to explore the area.

The area, it turns out, is almost completely mountainous. And by that I mean, dear-god-I'll-never-make-it-up-that, mountainous. Especially if you're riding borrowed kiddies bikes. But if you're willing to brave the steep ascents, there are amazing viewing spots of the island and a sprinkling of deserted hidden beaches...perfect for camping another time methinks.

So once we returned the bikes to Mr.Kim's kids, sunbathed some more and oohed and aahed at the scenery, it was time to leave. We made our way to the main port, on the other side of the island, and waited for our boat.

An elderly Korean man saw us, hollered, stumbled over and forced Makoli (rice wine) into my left hand, and a stick of cucumber into my right. He abruptly downed his drink, illustrating what I should do with mine, and then stumbled off again. Yes. That's how goodbye's should be - short, sharp, and with a drink. So Goodbye Deokjeokdo! Until next time! Which, if I have anything to do about it, will be very very soon.

Need to Know for Deokjeokdo....

How do I get there?  Take the subway to Dong Incheon. Then take no 12 or 22 bus....or be lazy and get a 6,000 won taxi...to Yeonan Pier.

And the ferry? You can see the ferry timetable, and make reservations at http://eng.kefship.com/  This month, May 2011, boats leave at 09:30 and 14:30 daily.

Where do I stay? You can camp pretty much anywhere for free. There are also quite a few motels and pensions to stay in too, which usually have their owners waiting at the port waiting to offer you free rides to their place. Keep an ear and an eye out for Mr Kim!

The Other Side of The Parallel

A few weeks ago I was shopping in Seoul and came across a campaign promoting justice in North Korea. I looked at the exhibition of photographs and case studies of people starving and imprisoned, and felt the familiar shock, anger and helplessness wave over me. The Parallel is just 40 miles away.

Before I moved to South Korea, I barely knew anything about the North. Infact, many people back home only hear about what new provocative act the North has done, or how likely it is that war will break out with the South. Sometimes, in the media hype, it's easy to imagine the North as the face of the dictator it is forced under. It's easy to forget the millions of people living there without freedom or human rights.

Inside North Korea, people live with a severe lack of freedom. There is almost no freedom of speech, religion, assembly, movement, and no-one may leave the country without permission. Education and healthcare are limited almost entirely to the elite.  Going against the government in any way, whether by accident or intention, leads to sentence within political prison camps, often with no hope of release. More than 150,000 prisoners are estimated to be living in such camps, and many do not know what 'crime' they committed. 'Guilt by Association' allows people to be sentenced for 'crimes' committed by family or aquaintances. The lack of legal protection in North Korea allows atrocoties to occur, such as using prisoners for medical experimentation, and allowing torture and starvation. Children are born into the camps and live under these conditions their entire lives.

Shin Dong-Hyuk was born in slavery into Camp No 14.

An interview with Shin Dong-Hyuk, Born And Raised In A Concentration Camp, gives a first hand impression of the life in a North Korean politcal camp. (The interview is 21 minutes into the clip.) Coming from a western society, it's hard to imagine not knowing the meaning of freedom.

So what can be done about this terrible situation? Well, promoting awareness is the start - the more people who know about it, the more people will campaign and lobby against it. Spread the word. Campaign. Sign petitions. Wherever in the world you are!
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And us here in South Korea? Over 20,000 North Koreans have defected into the South, often after months or years hiding in China, Burma, Thailand or Vietnam. The refugees are often poorly educated and malnourished, and struggle adapting to the commercialised culture of South Korea. There are several North Korean human rights groups based in Seoul who need volunteers. Click on the link to see how you can help out.

Justice For North Korea holds street campaigns every Saturday in Insadong, 3-5pm, to raise awareness of the plight of North Koreans. They also organise film screenings, events and fundraisers to assist North Korean defectors, or those wishing to defect.

PSCORE promotes a successful reunification with the Korean people, and co-ordinates a one-on-one English tutoring programme for refugees.

Helping Hands Korea helps refugees escape by providing secret foster homes in China to North Korean children, and sends food to orphans and schoolchildren in North Korea. They hold a weekly awareness-raising campaign every Tuesday evening from 7-9 pm, near Samgakji Station.

So now we can all get involved. Whether it's supporting a campaign every once in a while, becoming involved in the tutoring programme, or regularly hosting campaigns.....anything will be useful in helping to change the lives of those on the other side of the parallel.

Brrrng Brrrng.. COMING THROUGH

Oh Korea, how much nicer you are when it's warm and sunny! The cherry blossoms are starting their annual sweep across the country and Buddha's lotus lanterns are hanging from rooftop to rooftop. For the first time in almost five months, Korea is feeling colourful again. Hurrah! I feel the need to celebrate. Give me fresh air! Give me exercise! Give me....A BIKE!

Well that's easy. There are tons and tons of bicycle repair shops and second hand sellers in Korea, and you can buy anything from dirt-cheap rusty Lespo bikes to slightly-less-cheap-but-still-cheap shiny newer models. We left with a snazzy blue fold-up bike, a shiny red model.....and I went for the rusty Lespo. And for 40,000 won (20 quid) I think I win. So once we had test rided our new purchases, and spruced up some old wheels, we were off....five foreigners in bicycle convoy through Korea.

Seeing foreign faces in our area of Gyeongi-do is still quite a surprise, so seeing five foreign faces zipping by in bicycle convoy got some reactions. Like the little boy shouting 'WAYGOOKIN!' ('foreigner') at the top of his voice. Or the Korean man shriekng 'HA HA HE HE HO HO'...or even better, the rice cake seller who flagged me down to give me a handfull of ricecake for free. (Which I, er, somehow ate before catching up with everyone else...oops).

It's also pretty terrifying. Motorbikes driving on pavements, cars going anywhere, and pedestrians being somehow oblivious to my constant bike belling......you're constantly trying to avoid being mowed down or from mowing someone else down. It doesn't help that Korea is so overpopulated. We cycled to Incheon Grand Park and it was one of the busiest parks I've ever been in.Must...not....hit...anyone. But besides the craziness, the park was very pretty and it was amazing to feel the 'ole wind in your hair and the sun on your skin (and the burn in your thigh....some of those hills are bloomin tough).

So yes, I've officially given up walking, busing, training..or any form of transport except cycling. So where can one cycle without constant fear of death in Korea? Well, I hunted down the Seoul Bicycle Tour Map, which shows cycle paths in and around the Seoul area.....

slowalk.tistory.com/attachment/cfile2.uf@202A04234C8DEC73579B55.pdf

It also seems that our beloved little Siheung has some good cycle routes - such as the 7.5km Greenway in Siheung, which runs from Siheung Gategol Ecological Park through Lotus Flower Theme Park to Mulwang reservoir, which is apparently best done in April. Well, oooo la la what a coincidence! There are also trails to Wolgot Port, Okgu Park and Oido Island. So that's it, all I need now is some lycra shorts and a streamlined helmet and I'll be off. Well, maybe not. But some picnics and beer could be aranged.

Watch out England, I might just bike it back :-)