Chuncheon's Dalk Galbi Street.

Whenever I think about Chuncheon, it's hard not to associate it with food. Sure we all know about Chuncheon's local specialty dish called Dalk Galbi, but who knew there's a street there named after it?

All the restaurants serve nothing but Dalk Galbi.

All the restaurants look promising, but this particular restaurant caught my eye.

What's great about this restaurant is that it was featured in a local and foreign TV show... It also appeared in newspapers saying it's the best...

This is how it looks when they serve it.

And this is how it looks right after cooking... It was absolutely delicious!



But their serving is a bit small so we ordered another dish.. This time it was Makguksu.. A spicy noodle dish that's also famous in the area.

The next time you visit Chuncheon, try visiting Dalk Galbi street. It sure as hell worth the travel.

Chasing Cherry Blossoms.

If you are to ask a Korean what is the most beautiful season, I bet the answer would be Spring. Here they call it "The Queen of all Seasons", and I could totally agree to that. What makes Spring so worth the wait are the cherry blossoms. I'm sure everyone knows how delightfully pretty these flowers are especially when they're in full bloom. I gotta say walking on a street filled with rows and rows of cherry blossom trees, and flowers draping above your head like a canopy is such a magical experience.

On my second day here, Chris took me to Yeouido where the Cherry Blossoms festival is happening. We went there after working hours hoping that it wouldn't be so crowded anymore, but we were wrong. The traffic was so bad and it was hard to find a parking space. Not even the freezing cold temperature could deter the wicked number of tourists from visiting. It was a little early to visit Yeouido. The flowers are still not in full bloom, but I'm sure next weekend, it's gonna be a hundred times more beautiful. Here's how the Sakura Festival looked like.

Other than the cherry blossoms, these are the things that caught my attention. I'm not sure what the ribbon thingies are for, but I'm guessing it's people's wishes that are written on it. It's quite common to see this in Korea, but what I can't understand is that how writing wishes in special ribbons and hanging it for everyone to see could help make it come true.

There were a lot of artists that night. They make beautiful portraits of people with cherry blossoms on the background for a very steep price.

Even though it was awfully cold that night, still I saw some people having picnics right beside Han river. I can't really blame them though... The river and Seoul's city lights look pretty spectacular at night.

Hope you all enjoyed the tour!

Scale New Heights, Defy Limits, and Chase the Stars.

We have such a big world out there to discover, and crossing seas and boundaries is life's vibrant interpretation of learning. I think it's every person's innocuous duty to see more of the world, and be fascinated by it's beauty and marvels. Not only does it excite your senses, gets your heart racing and your neurons sparking, but it also makes you appreciate life even more. This post marks the end of my Thailand travelogue, and here you'll see the things that impacted me the most, as well as the things that gave the lasting impression.

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With so many good places in Thailand, you'll never run out of things to see: from majestic mountains, to rolling hills, to cascading waterfalls, down to the fine beaches. But I do come from a country with a similar climate, and those are the things that I also get to enjoy back home. That's why I chose to experience temples, because nothing lets you travel back to time and give you that 'old-world' mystical feel than visiting a temple. Buddhism is the bare bones of Thai culture and it's principle lies in the teachings of Buddhism faith. There are over 30,000 temples in Thailand, some of which they consider as Royal temples and most are just common ones. Nonetheless, all are sacred and visitors are expected to be in their best behaviour. The most intriguing Buddha images I've seen from my travel are so sacred visitors are not allowed to touch or take pictures of it. Below are stunning centuries-old Buddha images I was able to see up close.

A temple is more than just a sacred place of worship. It also houses an ornament of remarkable murals, ancient artifacts, artworks, and statues. Below are the things that caught my attention. They are so intricate that even the most discriminating art enthusiasts will be bowled-over after seeing it.

There is also a preponderance of pagodas and conical towers. It's covered in highly-ornate mosaics and other intricate details.

There are no words to surmise how much I enjoyed this trip. I learned a decade-worth of history, feasted my eyes on amazing artworks, and marveled at spectacular sceneries that gave me a bigger appreciation for life. I hope you all enjoyed the tour!

At Sundown.

Bangkok proved to be a difficult feat. It involves a lot of agonizing long walks that felt more like running a marathon rather than walking. Although there are plenty of buses, taxis, and "tuk-tuk" (the ubiquitous tricycle taxi we all know of), you still need to walk for long hours, more so, if you're on a tight budget. On the days when I didn't have to strain my leg muscles, I'd say it was pure bliss as I got to appreciate the surroundings more.

Bangkok is known for it's canals and rivers - they sometimes call this place Venice of Asia. During my stay, I found out that taking a boat is the best way to discover many wonderful places, but it's not as easy as what it seems to be. As warped as it sounds, their boat system is as complicated as a subway's. There are color coded flags, complicated pricing, and many piers and different platforms. But once you get a grip of their labyrinth system, you'll see it's the most comfortable way to get around. I enjoyed the ride as it also showed a different side of Thailand - something you don't usually get see in travel books and catalogues.








And here's where it took me. They call this place "Wat Arun" - Temple of the Dawn. It's a Khmer-style tower surrounded by 4 smaller ones. It looks really good from across the river when you could see the magnificent structures in full view. The climb to get to the top is verrry steep, but it's a great way to get a bird's eye view of the city. It got dark as soon as I reached the top so I didn't get good pictures. Just to give you guys an idea, you could see the city's skyline, the villages, and the Grand Palace. But expect a throbbing leg pain after as a result.

As night time falls, the beauty and splendor of the place doesn't fall short. It is as equally beautiful as it is during daytime. Here's how I capped my 2nd day in Bangkok.

A Thousand Mile Journey

Travelling is gratifying - there's no doubt about that. You let yourself loose and be surrounded by all these beautiful sights that make your heart flutter and your eyes light up like a 100-megawatt bulb. But what makes a country worth the thousand mile journey? Is it the killer scenery, the famous post-card pretty landmark, or the amiable people? If you desire all of that and more, Thailand will not disappoint. If I were to describe it I'd say it's a living, breathing expression of art, religion, history, and culture in motion. The savory cuisine and the unspoiled nature are just an added bonus to the magical journey.

I relish having to discover all the marvels and thrills of this trip. Every minute of it is a fantasy came true. It's such a rewarding experience that it would be a sin not to share it with everyone.

In this travelogue, I'm gonna take you all for a spin. You'll get to see some of Thailand's amazing sights that'll put you at the edge of your seat and get your thoughts racing. See if you can resist the urge to start your own thousand mile journey!

Of One Childish Rendezvous.

I know I haven't been writing posts about Korea lately (might as well change my blog description for that matter^^). But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Korea at all, and for sure, I'm gonna be posting more about it later. For now, expect to read a couple of entries about the places I visited around here. Well, they are all pretty interesting and deserve to have a space here in my blog.

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Imagine a whole year of looming deadlines, cram-jam time, sudden mishaps, and being around stress-inducing obnoxious people. All the negative vibe that comes with it could really take a toll on any baby-faced and wrinkle-free soul. That's why holidays were created, and it's there for a reason. It's not supposed to just come and go, I say we should all make the most out of it (I'm still very much in the holiday spirit, expect it to sizzle down right after the 'Three Kings' is over ^^;). It would be utterly nice if we could take a mini-break from reality and sort of immerse in the positivity it brings. I know a place to go where you could do just that.

I treated my whole family for a day at Manila Ocean Park. Ok I know it's cheesy and childish, and a trip to an Oceanarium isn't really an ideal thing to do. But my family enjoy doing this sort of thing you know, like visiting a place where we could all feel like a child again.

I've been to an Oceanarium thrice before. My first time was in Hong Kong Ocean Park a few years back and it was the most memorable. Manila Ocean Park was my fourth visit to a place with the same theme so I thought I've seen it all. But it also feels different this time because I was with my family. I felt their excitement as they ogle at different marine creatures they haven't seen before. What amused me the most were the mermaids who swam ever so gracefully, in sync with the 'Disney-ish' kind of music.

And she's my favorite.. She's the prettiest of them all. Look how she gamely poses for the camera, and how photogenic she is even underwater.

Here are some of the things you could see at the Park; amazing multi-colored corals that seem to glow.

Some giant clams..

And odd-looking fishes worthy to be featured on National Geographic.

Giant turtles lurking in every corner...

And huge stingrays that swam with the mermaids. Something tells me they shouldn't do so, it's stupid I know but it reminds me of Steve Irwin's death.. It's probably a different kind of stingray that killed him. Nobody wants to put those pretty mermaids in danger right?

Here's how the rest of the Ocean Park looks like at night.

We ended the night with an all-you-can-eat feast at our favorite buffet restaurant. It's amazing how the night stretches on. There were just too many things to talk about, too many jokes to laugh at, and too many fond memories to look back. We only realized it's time to go when the staff started turning off the lights!

Autumn Travelogue: Samyang Ranch, Sweeter the Second Time Around.

Three seasons ago, we were at the same ranch, enjoying the most beautiful winter scenery we've ever seen. This time around, without the snow and the sub-zero temperature, we got a clearer picture of how truly marvelous this place is. Samyang Ranch is Asia's largest green pasture on a plateau. This vast meadow is where milking cows feed. It's located high above Daegwallyeong, one of the highest and coldest places in South Korea.


The journey to get there is already an adventure itself. The roads are long and tortuously covered in bumps and small rocks, however, the view along the way makes up for the uncomfortable ride. Pine trees perfectly line the road, with rows of beautiful mountains, valleys, and rivers as backdrop. We passed by a small village where houses are built mostly of wood in traditional fashion. There were several farmers, busy tending their rice field that looks sparklingly golden from afar.


We arrived mid-afternoon, and the heat from the sun made the cold temperature bearable. We parked at a gravel-covered ground, next to a bridge. I stopped and took a picture of the stream, the first of the many beautiful sights in Samyang.

We spent a few, good minutes traversing the gravel-covered ground till we saw the entrance marked by some Chinese letters.





While Chris was at the men's room, I was busy exploring the area. I saw this really nice gazebo hidden amongst thick trees.

The ranch stands at 1,470 meters above sea level, and it overlooks the East Sea and the green fields from the West. To get there, we need to take a bus. The bus ride is for free, but some people chose to climb the very steep road to the top on foot!

At the top, vast green fields and gigantic wind turbines await us. The sky is at it's bluest state there, and the wind is chilly and strong. I've never seen a place so wide, so vast, and so beautiful.

From where I sat, I could literally smell the fresh green grass! It's such an awesome treat to see the vast green field that covers the entire area like a thick carpet.

It's understandable why this place is frequented by couples and 'honeymooners'. The air is definitely laced with romance!

They raise plenty of animals inside the ranch but to see them, we had to follow a walking course that lasts for a couple of hours. The walk is awfully long, especially under the intense heat of the mid-afternoon sun, but it's the best way to enjoy the beauty of the grand ranch.




The view from the plateau peaked by giant turbines we saw along the way is spectacular. We didn't mind our aching feet, our sunburnt skin, or the fact that I was so thirsty I could literally drink from the stream where the cows, sheep, and squirrels drink! Chris had to stop me saying there might be a vendo machine hidden somewhere. Like a 3 year old, I believed him, but like most of you could guess, there was really no vendo machine.

A bigger adventure lies on the next part, so stay tune for more!