Well, as I always say, there’s always one leg of every trip that doesn’t go quite as planned. I’ve been a bit sick since about day three in Seoul. In retrospect, I think it was allergies, all the cherry blossoms and azaleas blooming all over the place. I also developed a shin splint that’s been slowing me down quite a bit. Anyway, I left Busan for Suncheon intending to do a big hike through Jogyesan Provincial Park, but between my…
A very quick one hour bus ride from Gyeongju and I’m now in the southeastern corner of South Korea in it’s second largest city, Busan. I was surprised to learn just a few days ago that South Korea had it’s own professional baseball league. There are ten teams scattered around the country, three of which are in Seoul, but one of them happens to be in Busan, so I decided to take in a game on my first night. I…
Only two buses after leaving Juwangsan National Park and I’m now back in a big city, Gyeongju. Before the Josean dynasty, Korea was in what was known as the three kingdoms period because the peninsula was divided between (any guesses?) three kingdoms, the Baekje, Silla and Goguryeo. The Silla was founded in 57BCE when six small towns decided to unite under one king and started violently taking over other towns until the kingdom spanned the entire southeastern part of the…
After leaving Seoul I began a rapid fire visitation of three major sites in beautiful, mountainous Gyeongsangbuk Province, so I’m devoting a whole post to the lot as I was moving too quickly to post at every stop. That and there was no wifi at any of these remote stops. Holy Crap… I’m at Jikji-sa Temple!!! I left Seoul on an 8am train to the town of Gimcheon. Easy. From there I was able to sort through the Korean signs…
Greetings again from the land of the thunder dragon! We made the looooong drive west from Wangdue Phodrang into Paro where the airport is. This is where they take you last in Bhutan so they can get rid of you quick. Haha! My hotel is even right next to the runway of the tiny airport. Anyway, Paro is a cool little town. It’s basically just two or three streets and the airport. It is home to the Paro Dzong (fort)…
From Thimphu, we drive through the beautiful Dochu La pass to the Punakha Valley. It seems that not too long ago, Bhutan took in hundreds of refugees from nearby Assam in India. When India demanded they be deported back, Bhutan reluctantly complied, but regretted it. Now Dochu La pass is covered in hundreds of small stupas that they built as a self imposed penance. It’s a really beautiful, if not somber place. After the pass we arrive at my hotel…
I first arrive in Paro, Bhutan, on the only airline allowed to fly into the country, Drukair, into what is not only the only airport in the country, but also considered one of the most dangerous airports in the entire world. The approach involves an almost 90º turn during the descent between the mountains as well as several turns through the narrow valley to the runway. Experiencing it wasn’t nearly as frightening as it sounds, but I imagine it can…
Tigray is a region of northern Ethiopia rather than a specific location and just happens to be the last area I’m exploring on this trip. So why explore this region aside from the vast and stunning mountainous landscape? Tigray is famous for its rock hewn churches, most of which are anywhere from 500 to 1500 years old. Ethiopians liked to build their churches in caves or carve them high up the mountains right out of the rock in order to…
Ever wondered what it’s like to walk around on another planet? The Danakil Depression in the Afar region of Ethiopia is probably as close as one can get. Endless sandy deserts, endless expanses of ancient and recent lava flows, endless salt flats, active volcanoes, and geysers filled with boiling, highly acidic water. It sits at 410ft below sea level and it’s the hottest place on earth when it comes to average year round temperatures in the 105-120°F range. It’s harsh,…
Continuing on my way north through Ethiopia, I made a long day trip into the Simien Mountains. Doing a three day trek is an option, but due to time constraints, I settled for the day trip and it turned out to be just right. Any excursion into the Simiens has to start in the little town of Debark, where the park headquarters are located and where you sign in and get an armed ranger. Why we need an armed ranger…