My Eyes Are Small, But They Have Seen...

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When we planned out our trip we knew that India, China and even Mongolia were going to be the major highlights of our 82 day journey around the world. Admittedly, South Korea was on the itinerary mainly because it was the most sensible choice as it was close to China, in the right direction towards home and was somewhere I haven't been yet. Neither of us knew a whole lot about Korea and really had no expectations at all of what we would encounter. After two weeks in this country we are both fantastically impressed in multiple ways and Korea definitely claims the status of unexpectedly brilliant. The differences between China and Korea we found to be staggering, in multiple ways. The Korean people are by far the friendliest we have encountered on our entire trip with smiles and warm greetings meeting us everywhere we go. A vast improvement over the manners in China and light years beyond what we found in India, Koreans are polite, caring and extremely helpful. I would even go so far as to say they are the most amiable and friendly that I have met anywhere on all of my travels. Other highlights in the country have been the natural sights, the food and ease of travel. I'll give a brief rundown of our last two weeks here.

Starting in the major port city of Busan on the south coast, we battled heavy rain (as it is rainy season), but still managed to see the city for a few days. We walked through the city's markets, with the main highlight being the enormous fish market on the coast. The variety of seafood available was enormous including things from eels to octopus and urchins to sting rays. The fish is sold fresh and living from large tanks and it was interesting to see so many species that to me only lived in zoos or in parts of the ocean I've never seen. I watched as one person picked out the 3 octopus that they wanted and the vendor swiftly reached a hand into the tank, pulled the octopus out and with one twist removed the head, all the while avoiding the spray of ink that octopus emit when threatened. The sights and smells of the market will stay with me for a long time as it truly was a highlight of the entire trip. In Busan we also managed to see the extremely well maintained aquarium which housed many more types of aquatic lifeforms (non-edible). The tanks were huge and offered amazing crystal clear views of piranhas, sharks, turtles, jellyfish, penguins and many other creatures. All in all, our time in Busan was pleasant and definitely fun.

From Busan we travelled north into the interior via bus to the small resort town of Danyang. It was unique for the fact that it offered a view of smaller town life and the pace was visibly a speed slower. We spent time walking the quiet streets along the river, climbing the main hill in the center of town and visiting a nearby cave called Gosu. It was also in Danyang that we had our first real and true food experience as we went to a very small restaurant (once again with no english spoken) and had a meal. With the mix of a very friendly owner who helped us decide what to order (and how to eat it) along with food that was good, it made for a warming Korea moment.

From Danyang we made our way to the northwest corner of the country to a city called Sokcho, which is located near Seoraksan National Park, which was our main destination. Once again we battled some rainy weather but we were able to walk around the city which is pleasant and quiet, and visit the port along with some of the small parks. We lucked out and picked the right day to visit the national park, as no rain fell, and we were able to stay dry while hiking. The big part of the day was spent climbing the large rocky peaks which tower above the city and surrounding countryside. The day we climbed was the only partially clear day, without rain, and the summit offered great views out over the city and ocean beyond. The entire hike took 4.5 hours and definitely tired out the legs, but was worth every step, much the same way that the sand dunes in Mongolia were. After descending from the peak we trekked for about an hour to visit and waterfall that was highly acclaimed, but was fairly underwhelming upon arrival. The smiles and greetings of annyeong haseyo (hello) from passing Koreans throughout the day made for an extremely pleasant experience.

From Sokcho it was a bus ride across the country (only 2 hours) to the capital of Seoul. It's yet another big, big city much like Beijing or Shanghai, but yet again something is different about it. The differences are noticeable and mostly boil down to the extreme good nature and politeness of the people. It's easy to imagine chaos in a big city (because we've seen it), but in Seoul things seem organized, not so much by rules and regulations, but moreso by the mutual understanding of every person that they all play a part in keeping their city running smooth and swift. Seeing people standing neatly in a line over a hundred long down the sidewalk waiting for their bus makes the jumbled mess of India seem years behind in the basics of order. From Seoul we took a day trip to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to take a look at North Korea. As some of you may know, the Koreas have a vast difference, and to this day are polar opposites. The South is a democracy with strong institutions and relationships with major countries like the US, while North Korea lingers in communism. A city like Seoul goes about its business everyday like any other major world city, while only 65 kilometers north, another Korea wastes away with people starving not knowing a life of freedom that the south knows. Our tour headed north from Seoul and as we neared the border it was very evident. The border is marked by a river for part of the way, and as we travelled down the highway we looked beyond the high chain link and razor wire fences, across the water to North Korea. So close yet so far away is the best way to describe the feeling. As we neared Panmunjom (the truce village) we entered the first checkpoint. The DMZ is a 4 km "safe" zone, with 2 km lying north of the border and 2 km south. Unlike what the name portrays, the "demilitarized zone is heavily militarized, and is one of the most fortified in the world. At the second checkpoint our bus stopped and we waited as 6 buses of US Navy Marines entered the base. Much has been heard of the South Korean warship which was sunk in March, allegedly by the North although they deny it, and the US is showing their support by bringing in troops for naval exercises. After the navy buses went through security, a Korean soldier boarded our bus to do a passport inspection. It was shortly after that we learned that security was even tighter that day because Hilary Clinton had visited the same day and that the influx of US troops was for naval exercises which are to start on July 25. After the passport check, we had to change buses to a military one driven by a soldier, and then travel to the border. As we neared the border we were given rules to follow to ensure our safety, along with that of the soldiers (both US and South Korean) that we encountered. No photos in a lot of places, no hand gestures, don't carry anything and generally don't say much. We got off the bus entered through a new peace building, then returned outside where the border came in view. Three buildings lie on the border of North and South with the main one being the one used for peace talks between the coutries. South Korean soldiers stood on guard, with their bodies half hidden behind walls (so as to not make an easy target to the North), while North Korean soldiers stood opposite and stared back. I have to admit it was uneasy and given the circumstances in the previous months and with the nearing of naval exercises, the tension could be felt in the air. As we walked single file into the main building, which is locked on the North side so only one country will occupy it during the tour, the rawness of the moment was upon me. Like so many others, I have read about this border and about the disputes between these countries. I know what North Korea means to many on the world stage. In the small building there were 2 South Korean soldiers standing in the modified kung fu ready position. For tourists, it's all about getting a picture, but for them it's all business. Running down the middle of the main table is a line signalling the border between the two countries. With one step we were across it and technically in North Korea, which for the most part I was not able to comprehend. With security being so high we were only allowed 5 minutes inside and then had to be shuttled back outside to the South Korean side. As we waited outside to walk back to the bus a group of US soldiers were standing in line waiting to go inside the building. As I looked across the border to the North, I could see the same soldier who stared at us with binoculars the whole time, but then a troop of 10 soldiers marched out and down the stairs in an obvious show to try and match that of the large soldiers who were on their way to stand at the border. Watching the North Korean march down the stairs in unison with weapons present I suddenly felt like a very, very small tourist in a very, very large world issue. Thinking that only hours earlier some of the top US diplomats walked in the same doorway that I did, to announce things that are major news on the global scale, was truly awe-inspiring. We were then quickly shuffled away from the border and back to our bus and with one last drive by the border post we were gone. In all, about 15 minutes at the border, but a lifetime worth of memories and feelings were gained. We returned to Seoul and still 2 days later a lot of what I saw and felt is still fresh in my mind.

The main sport in Korea is baseball, so on one of our last days I decided to drag Audree to a game so that I could say I saw the Korean league live and in person. The league has 8 teams that play a 130 game schedule. 3 of the teams are based in Seoul, and I lucked out as 2 of the Seoul teams were playing each other. Asians (and Europeans from what I've seen) take sports more serious in the aspects of supporting their teams than North Americans generally and it was visibly evident in the game we saw. Luckily it was two Seoul teams playing, so both teams fanbases were able to attend and it was a very lively crowd. The building seats 35000 and by my estimation there were about 25000 fans in attendance. The battle lines were fairly cleary marked by a straight line running up from home plate that had white (Bears) fans on the first base side and red (Twins) fans on the third base side. Based on my random choice of seats on the third base side, we were supporting the Twins. The atmosphere was electric and almost all fans had inflatale balloon noise sticks to loudly support their team. Along with noise, the fans chant, cheer and sing almost nonstop for the entire game. It puts the 2 or 3 chants that hockey fans know to shame, as the baseball fans had different songs or chants for individual players and even for different moments of the game (like a strikeout or base hit). The game ended as a 5-1 win for the Bears, but the atmosphere and good nature of all the fans (even the losing team fans singing until the final out) made it memorable for all the right reasons.

With 81 days done of travel and a return flight home tomorrow, it would be easy to reflect yet hard to pick favorites. Travel is travel for a reason. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's fun and sometimes it's hard and sometimes it's not fun. But in the end it's never about how much was spent or even about how many things were seen. For me it's about how much I learned and how much I've grown as a person. Every single day that I spend travelling is an accomplishment for me and every day I'm able to travel is a blessing. It's a gift not so much that I give to myself, but that I am given. Every time I finish a trip I have more to be thankful for and I am more aware of the world around me. This time around is no different and I finish this trip, once again with a hunger to see more and to learn more. I don't know when that will be, if it will ever be, but I will keep hoping. The way I see it, God spent the time to create it, I might as well spend the time to explore it. Thanks to anyone and everyone who read any part of the blog this time around. You all inspire me in one way or another. Hopefully I can be writing again sooner rather than later.



"My eyes are small but they have seen the beauty of enormous things, which leads me to believe
there's light enough to see that... you make everything glorious"

David Crowder Band "Everything Glorious"

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