Nov 19, 2017 - Brisbane to Fukuoka

Brisbane to Fukuoka(Tenjin) Sun 19th Brisbane 24.1°C, rainy. Fukuoka 7.8°C, cloudy. Planned to leave home at 5:00am for early check-in at 5:25, taxi created a panic by coming 15min early. Good timing though, breezed through check-in, we were the third group in line as KAL opened the counters. Flight to Seoul was good, Korean Air are efficient, comfortable, reliable. Good entertainment system on the A330. 10hr flight, brunch (choice of three), French wine, real cutlery. Dinner (choice of 3), snacks and drinks served between meals, all this...

Oct 15, 2017 - Scenes from Seoul

We spent a morning at Yonsei University on a wonderful tour given by Fred's cousins Peter. We learned a lot of the family's fascinating history since their great-grandfather came to Korea and founded the university. Since then their grandparents, uncles and aunts have served as missionaries, their great-aunt was the queen's physician and another aunt who founded an orphanage among many other things was murdered by a North Korean terrorist. We took the subway to visit several parts of Seoul, including the Night Market and were treated to the...

Oct 10, 2016 - Seoul, Korea stop...airport security line

In the line to go through security we met the Thailand Women's Ice Hockey team! See photo...I told them I'd recruit fans, so anyone out there who doesn't support a team I encourage you to follow these gals, ha! They were just returning from a tournament in MX city, of all places! They said the MX women were really good-practice in US and some are professionals...

Jun 27, 2016 - WOOFing No. 7, Ingilsen, Korea

Our final WOOFing venture in Korea has been on a chicken farm south east of Seoul. We travelled by Metro for an hour to reach Ungilsen station. Byung Su and Eun Ha have about 4,500 laying hens plus about 1,000 month old chicks. They are kept in greenhouses covered with black net which have been made into chicken houses. Apparently it is difficult to get a building permit to construct a chicken house, but permits are not required for greenhouses. Our main job was to collect the 2,000 - 3,000 eggs each day. We did a morning pick up and then...

Jun 23, 2016 - Trip to South Korea

For about a year, I had been planning this trip to South Korea to attend Rotary's annual international convention in Seoul when the earthquake struck in Ecuador last April 16. I really enjoy the conventions in a different great city each year joining with Rotarians from all over the world where we share ideas about projects across the spectrum of service to humanity and enjoy each other's company in a spirit of world brotherhood and sisterhood. One always makes new friends and renews ties with others in an atmosphere where several languages...

Jun 16, 2016 - DMZ visit

We did a day trip to the Demilitarized Zone only about an hour north of Seoul. If, like me, your history is a bit shakey, read on. Otherwise skip it! Japan had occupied Korea since 1910 and there are graphic accounts and photos that we saw in the Mokpo museum of the terrible life Koreans had under Japanese rule. When Japan surrendered in 1945 at the end of Pacific War, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel line when the US and the Soviet Union moved into the Korean Peninsula. The division line was intended to be a temporary political...

Jun 14, 2016 - WOOFing No. 6, Shimbuk, Korea

After an hour bus ride from Gwang Ju, we arrived at Shinbuk, a small country town. We waited for our promised pick-up but it didn't eventuate, nor did phoning get any answer. What next? Taxis were waiting near the bus drop off area so we showed a driver the name and address of where we wanted to go. "Yes, yes, I know them, no problem." - we THINK this is what he said in Korean! So in we jumped and a short taxi ride later we arrived at the farm. After calling out hello a few times, Mr Tieng appeared - I think he had been having an afternoon...

May 31, 2016 - WOOFing No. 5, Boryeong, Korea

Our first WOOFing venture in Korea has been at a fig and blueberry farm, at Boryeong, about a 2 hour bus ride south of Seoul. Our hosts, Man Soo and Soon Ja spoke very little English so we were lucky that a 37 year old Malaysian lady WOOFer who spoke quite a bit of Korean had arrived the day before us and could be our interpreter! And the day after she left, another young Malaysian girl arrived who could also speak Korean quite well. No need for Google Translate! Man Soo is 70 and Soon Ja 60 and she is a bundle of energy! They were a...

May 28, 2016 - South Korea

에 오신 것을 환영합니다 우리의 한국 일기. 당신이 볼 수 있던대로에 의해 이러한 문자하는 것이 조금 어렵습니다를 해결하기. 다행히 우리를 위해, 어떤 사람들은 영어를하거나 동정에 몇 가지의 "노인"찾고있다 혼동! Welcome to our Korea journal. As you can see by these characters, it is a little harder to get around. Luckily for us, some people speak English or take pity on a couple of "seniors" looking confused! Korea was a pleasant surprise after Indonesia and Philipines. Here everything is very clean, no rubbish lying around, buses depart precisely on time (don't wait until they are full!). Seoul has an amazing network of about 20...

Mar 25, 2016 - Good Friday : Pusan

Now in mainland South Korea, on the south-east corner. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. 108 is a significant number for Buddhists – ask when we get back. So a good idea for your Temple built on rocky promontary is to build several steep twisting narrow flights totalling 108 uneven steps as the only entrance and exit to the Temple complex for all visitors, most of whom decide randomly to stop and take a selfie of themselves with the view/a picture of the statues etc on the way down, causing huge congestion and dangerous pushing impatience from...

Jan 26, 2016 - Going to Seoul at last

The snowstorm continued thru the day on Sunday. At about 2:00, I decided to get a hotel. Found a place on Booking.com and ran out into the cold a snow to catch a taxi. What I found was a long line waiting for the drizzle of taxis arriving and departing the airport. I wrapped my scarf around my face and stood as close to the other travelers as I thought I could without being labeled a freak. The wind was bitter cold and unrelenting. I decided to guess how many taxis would come before I got one. Fifteen, I decided. Counting as the cabs pulled...

Jan 24, 2016 - Trip to Seoul?

I woke up at 4 am, an hour before my alarm. The could hear the wind blowing. Snow was still falling with a vengeance. I showered, dressed, and packed. I tried to call the airline, but couldn't figure out the phone. Went downstairs and asked the receptionist to help me find out the status of my flight. Neither her online search nor her unanswered calls helped my plight. She suggested, You go to airport. I asked her to call a taxi. She said no, bus 500. I wasn't sure if that meant taxis weren't running, they weren't safe, or they were...