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Published: October 1st 2005
Is this legal?
A local card game, just before it got violent.....Sick of Seoul we took a trip down south to the ancient city of Gyeongju, it was Korea's first capital under the old Silla empire and a welcome change from the hustle of the modern day capital.
I'm glad we did as we have now seen the other side of South Korea, and it's beautiful.
We also used the bus for the first time on our trip this year, well versed in flying and jaunting about on a train this was a little bit different. The buses were total luxury, there were only 3 seats in each row, a 2 and a single seater, and they were like first-class airline seats, big padded leather numbers with a total recline and leg-rest capacity, sweet as bro.
It took about 5 hours to get there so the novelty of the bus soon wore off but it was cheap all the same so the best option getting towards the end of the year, only 3 months 'till Christmas huh, that means we've been away for 9 months, we can hardly believe that we're nearly home, the time hasn't flown in like we thought it might but it hasn't dragged either, it
Maid Fiona
Robbed from me, kept for herself... Takes aim, I think she hit numer 9, although she was aiming for 3. actually feels like 9 months if that makes any sense, we've seen and done so much that we know we've been away for ages and at the same time can still remember everything about home and what we were doing before we left, it's a very bizarre feeling this.
Anyway on to Gyeongju, it was a great couple of days, loads of parks and monuments to wander around, it was very peaceful and serene compared to Seoul and we really wish we'd spent the bulk of our time here, hindsight and that of course, it was a lot cheaper than the capital too.
Our hostel was lovely, free breakfast too, you cannae beat that, all you can eat, as long as it's toast and eggs, you'll no hear me complaining. It was an old temple complex thing with loads of outer halls transformed into rooms, a nice touch and totally different from the usual concrete paradise of Asian hostels.
We had a go at archery in the park, wandered round the tombs and generally just loafed about on the town speaking to the locals, we found out some bizarre differences between our cultures and theirs, like their
Robbin' Hood(lum)
takes aim, I'm aiming for number 7.... age. When they're born they are 1 year old and when they're 3 (really 2 in our money) they gain another year and become 4, so if we're born on the same day as them when it's our 2nd birthday it'll be their 4th!! They couldn't explain it, something to do with the moon I think.....
The food in Korea was murder spicey, now I like hot food, I'm partial to the odd vindaloo from the Indian on Leith Walk and eat my peppers like a real man, Jalapeno style but nothing had prepared us for the red pepper paste and spices that accompany every meal in Korea.
And a meal is exactly that, a huge chobendockoff feast for a king, none of your meat and two veg here, you have at least 8 bowls and normally up to 12 different bowls of spiced veg to go with your soup, meat and rice. As you know I'm up for eating as much as anyone can put down to me, it's a skill in my book and it's such a waste to leave food on your, or anyone else in the building's, plate. But I was beat here. Not
Spot the arrow?
it landed somewhere behind number 8, look at the pose though, perfect. by size I must say, by the sheer spicyness of the food, and if I'm honest it was all rather poor.
Kimchi, the worst food I have ever eaten. It's like pickled-chillied sauerkraut and that's not ideal in anyone's language. They serve it by the bucketfull here, they dry the chilli's out on the street then bury them in order to preserve them until winter, no thanks, we'll skip on that in future. We tried everything and not much took our fancy, the pork was nice but real fatty and had these horrible translucent noodles through it that tasted of nothing but looked really devious.
Now you know I wasn't keen on the old cyclists using the pavements in Tokyo but Seoul took the biscuit, the ride mopeds, scooters, 250CC dirt-bikes on the pavement here, and they have the cheek to 'peep' at you if you dare to get in their way, not a happy bunny I tell thee.
All said and done and South Korea was interesting, I don't think we'll be back but there were definately some interesting spots to explore. We spoke to a lot of Yankies that teach English there and they love
it, however they do say that they wouldn't recomend anyone coming here on holiday. Once you get under the surface and spend say 6 months here then you're welcomed into the family and it's meant to be a nice place to live, but for a holiday, no thanks.
I'll pay the wee bit more and visit Japan, or even better, pay less and visit China, and with that in mind, next stop Beijing. Cannae wait.............................
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Kan Sheem
non-member comment
Cmon man
Hey,hey,hey.I was reading and you siad sheer spiceness.Come on.Jalapenos in India are much spicer than kimchi.And kimchi is good.Ive know families that like kimchi.(its lettuce by the way not sauerkraut.)And people that weren't happy bunnies,ill tell you why. If your not part of our family,clan,or friends.BOOm we are cold to you.Befriend us and we're cool.I think it has something to do with overpride.