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!

Celebrations.

As years, months, and seasons pass, we go through a kaleidoscope of crazy and wonderful experiences. These experiences shift and shape us, opening new avenues to help deal with the curve balls that life throws us from time to time.

To commemorate the end of a spectacular summer, and the beginning of yet another colorful season, we embarked on a journey towards the East where the air is perpetually cool, and the sky is at it's clearest, most beautiful shade of blue. This is where the province of Kangwon-do lies. We chose to visit this place for it's unsurpassed beauty and incomparable wonders of nature.

Autumn is our favorite season, and to celebrate the most beautiful time of the year, we wouldn't want to settle for anything less than spectacular.



Join me in yet another travelogue celebrating life, love, and beauty of early Autumn.

Highway Rest Stops in Korea.

We love traveling to distant places, and see the most alluring cities and provinces laced with romance, history, and extraordinary culture. We love seeing ancient historical sites, walk around in museums and parks, or simply explore a small country-side village with picturesque mountains and valleys as backdrop.

But the long drive and tortuous heavy traffic could sometimes be hard to endure, and it's necessary that we visit a rest stop to recharge. In Korea, there are plenty of rest stops along the highway. It has everything from gas station, to supermarket, restaurants, souvenir shops, even tourist information center where you could use the Internet for free!

I enjoy going to rest stops, and one of the things I look forward to whenever we go there is the food. They sell plenty of delicious snacks there. My favorite is the stone roasted squid. I think you could get this for less than 4,000 won.

Rest stops are also a great place to walk around in. Sometimes they have lakes and gardens which at sundown, can turn into a wonderful setting for a romantic stroll.

Rest stops are meant not only for lavatory breaks, getting snacks, and merely taking a few minutes off the road to stretch your tired legs. For some it could mean the beginning of the adventure as it could be entertaining and enjoyable like that of tourist spots. It's definitely worth a visit. Here's Chris getting cozy with two little kittens at some random rest stop we visited on our way to Kangwon province. He had a blast petting and feeding them the squid I bought.^^

Suwon's Finest: The World Cup Stadium.

Suwon is synonymous to two things; Hwaseong Fortress and Suwon World Cup Stadium. I live near both, but the distance of the latter is much closer.

During daytime, the Stadium turns into one busy arena, holding multitude of soccer fanatics. It's the home of Suwon Samsung Bluewings, a popular team in the K-League - Korea's top professional football league. Chris could get free tickets at work if the team has a match, however, both of us couldn't endure sitting and watching a soccer match for long hours (for some reason, it bores us to death ;p). At night it looks even better, so whenever Chris and I feel like going for a late night walk, we head to World Cup Stadium. It looks really cute when the purplish and pink lights are turned on. A lot of people go there to jog and exercise, some people choose to spend time in a random cozy spot and drink coffee. This is how the World Cup Stadium looks like up close.

The Stadium also has park-like amenities and there are tons of things you could do while your there. There are exercise equipments you could use for free, cozy-grassy areas where you could have picnics, and a huge space to jog and do in-line skating. On our most recent visit, we had a picnic there. We ordered chicken (and YES, they deliver EVERYWHERE!), and bought a six-pack beer. We've had one of our most meaningful conversations there. Stars were unusually plenty that night, and I could barely tolerate the crisp autumn air. It was a magical evening, and it's hard to believe that a night as perfect as that, we could get for free. Now I stand by the famous and overused adage "The best things in life are FREE."

If you happen to be in our City, head to the East. Visit the World Cup Stadium, and experience what over a million inhabitants get to enjoy for FREE.

The new 50,000 bill.

The new 50,000 bill began circulating since June of this year. It's currently the highest denomination in Korean money. "Oh-man-won" is predominantly yellow in color, and is slightly bigger than 10,000 won. The figure on the bill is Shin Saim Dang - the first woman to appear on a Korean bank note. Shin Saim Dang is a renowned writer, artist, and a calligrapher. She is also the mother of the famous Confucian scholar Yulgok whose face appears on 5,000 won. Koreans have divided opinion whether she is an excellent choice to be the face of the bill. Some said she is a perfect representation of a dutiful daughter, a devoted wife, and a caring mother, but her traditional ideals are not appropriate for the modern Korean society. But more than the figure on the bill, a bigger controversy lies on the creation of the bill itself (people who think it's disadvantageous comprise the bigger margin). Critics mentioned the negative impact outweighs the good as it can spiral the cost of goods, increase corruption, and encourage excessive spending amongst people.

The new bill looks slightly similar to 5,000 won (especially when you're inebriated), and it takes some time getting used to. Chris learned a valuable lesson in paying closer attention to details when we went to a small supermarket to buy ice cream. He gave the 50,000 bill thinking it was 5,000 won (which was also the total amount of our purchases). We were already inside the car when he realized he made a terrible mistake. But we were fortunate cause when we came back to the store, the owner gave the 45,000 won change without question. The new bill surely has some positive impact, but for many others, the negative exceeds whatever good it has to offer.

A Cute Cafe in Bucheon.

Three weeks ago, I visited Bucheon to meet friend "T". She just moved there from Seoul and was halfway thru arranging stuff in their new pad. We met at Bucheon Station, one of the biggest and busiest station I've ever been to in Korea.

We went looking for a place to eat near the station and we found this really cute Italian cafe. The interiors are amazing! Walls are painted white and the whole place is brimming with cute little plants. There are wooden structures there that serves as division for tables. I love that it's adorned with hanging plants and ferns.






Lights are subtle and easy on the eyes. Flowers are everywhere and cute little lamps provide a more pleasing effect.



The cafe is small and could only accomodate a few number of customers at a time. They also have limited choices in the menu. We ordered a basic Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce and Bolognese.

Food is anything but spectacular, needless to say, the lunch turned out to be disappointing. But we did enjoy the delightful ambiance, which is probably the only reason why people visit this place. Like others, I recommend this place not for the food, but because it gives visitors a visual treat.

Korea Subway System

The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is one of the biggest, most heavily used transit system in the world serving 8 million passengers daily. There are nine lines, symbolized by colors that connects Seoul to nearby cities in Incheon, Gyeonggi and provinces in northern Chuncheong. It's the cheapest, most convenient way to get around. Ticket starts at 1,000 won, and you don't need to pay again when you transfer. It's more convenient to use transportation card like T-money and U-pass when using the subway. It saves you time as you don't have to go thru the hassle of paying and getting the ticket at the ticket booth. You could also get a 100-won discount each time you use the subway if you use any of their transportation cards. Credit card also works fine, and I prefer to use this over U-pass or T-money because you don't have to load it again and again.

Here's how the subway in Korea looks like.

Uniquely Korean.

I find Korean's creative and competitive mindset inspiring, and I love how they always bring in their "A" game even to the simplest things.

When I was in Lafesta, a popular nightlife district in Ilsan, I saw this 7 foot dancing clown giving out fliers and discount coupons to promote a newly-opened nightclub. He gave everyone a show doing his funky moves and picture-friendly poses. He's really adorable, especially when he makes that peace sign and winks at you! It's such a treat seeing this in Korea. Competition is so stiff these days that they're doing the craziest, most creative things to keep their businesses bustling.

Kong Bi Ji Jigae

A rafting adventure inspired me to visit Cheorwon, a small county in the northernmost part of Korea. There is a small, quaint restaurant there, across the street from the gates of Goseokjeong. It's a dubu/tofu specialty restaurant that showcases healthy, traditional, and delicious dishes. The tofu they serve is very creamy, refreshing, and fresh (made daily in their own kitchen), and the taste is different from the ones we could get at supermarkets.

This dish is called "Kong Bi Ji Jigae", a sludge made from the byproduct of tofu. The taste is similar to that of normal tofu, but the texture is different. This one's a little chewier (not silky or pillowy soft) and has that granulated feel. It's incorporated in a very, very spicy broth with lots of different infused flavors from meat and other ingredients. It's a very interesting dish. If you happen to be dilly-dallying somewhere in Cheorwon, I recommend you try this dish.

A Different Side of Korea.

"Hongdae" is relatively a shorter term for "Hongik University" which is well known in Korea for it's Art Department. But more than the university itself that has thousands of students dying to get accepted, it is the dazzling nightlife that makes it worth a visit. They say the area near the campus is a living, breathing expression of art in motion, and I couldn't agree more. Flocked with hundreds of one-of-a-kind cafes, eclectic shops filled with products you couldn't find anywhere, restaurants sampling different world cuisines, and funky nightclubs all boasting state of the art equipments, Hongdae is the perfect hub for the thrill seeking, art enthusiast youngsters.

We went there on a Sunday afternoon, but the hordes of Koreans, mostly young and hip people wearing the most fashionable clothes there are that filled the streets made me check my calendar twice to see if it really is a Sunday afternoon.

Hongdae has an entirely different culture. It's far from the conservative, sometimes obnoxious Korean ways you're used to. I love how different and open this place is. Everything is cool (to a much, much higher degree), fun, vibrant, and quirky. You could never be too weird, too hip, or too out-of-this-world here!

Here's a plate number I saw that has 'attitude'.

Graffiti is something I'm not used to seeing in Korea. But in Hongdae, it's as normal as seeing a cigarette butt lying on the floor.

I'm not into the Korean music scene, but I heard Drunken Tiger is the best hip hop artist here in Korea.

This small sausage stall attracts so many customers. The average waiting time to taste that sausage is somewhere between 30 minutes to an hour.

Whatever it is that you're looking for, you could find it in these stores.

The 3rd floor is actually a restaurant. It's not really old and rusty, it's just their concept.

So if the things around you bore you to death, why not visit Hongdae and experience a totally different, somewhat outrageous side of Korea.

A Fountain Like No Other.

We saw this lovely singing fountain inside the Lake Park in Ilsan. This amazing piece of architecture plays music, jets the water into the air forming awesome shapes, and the flow changes according to the melody. Spotlights, colors, and smoke machine add a more dramatic effect to it.

The Singing Fountain operates only at night during a specific period of time. It's an awesome show, lots of people gather around to watch it. The best thing about it, it's for free! So if you happen to be in the area, don't miss the opportunity to watch it.

Fall is definitely in full throttle so be sure to bring a coat or jacket when you come to visit. I snuggled to Chris the whole time just to keep myself warm!

Discovering Ilsan

Last Saturday, we visited Ilsan in Gyeonggi province. Chris knows this place by heart as he served his military time here.

Ilsan is what they call a 'New City'. They developed this area to alleviate housing shortage in Seoul. Compared to the overpopulated city of Seoul, Ilsan is more organized and people are generally more affluent. Roads are clean and well kept, the air is not as polluted, and traffic is minimal.

You can find the largest man-made lake park in Korea here, and it's also the best tourist attraction in the area. Below are pictures taken at the famous Lake Park.

Lots of families visit here to enjoy different leisure activities such as in line skating and biking. Some people enjoy jogging and taking long walks in the pathways surrounded by manicured trees and plants. It's also a good place for couples who like picnics and relaxing ambiance. Walking here at sunset is one of the most romantic thing a couple could do.

The city is bustling even at night. It's filled with young, hip and trendy people enjoying the nightlife. 'Lafesta' is the most happening place to visit if you want to enjoy at night. There are so many bars, nightclubs, and restaurants that serves almost every menu imaginable.

We went to 'Lafe', one of the numerous restaurants that serves grilled dishes. We had 'Dwaeji-galbi' and 'Ggom Jang-oh'.

If you're in the mood for good music, booze, and live bands, Rosen Brau is the place to go. It's very spacious, lots of good people, and the bands are really good. The most popular bands there are the ones from the Philippines. They play all sorts of music from pop, rock, soul, RnB, and Hip-hop.

We left Ilsan around 10 pm. It was fun discovering Ilsan, it has so many things to offer from morning till night time. I'm sure a 3rd visit wouldn't be far behind!

Flowers For Me.

Thursday ended bad, I managed to stupidly injure my right foot with shards of broken glass that night, and I cried myself to sleep wallowing about my injury. Friday was no good either, I wasn't up for anything other than to mope the whole day. When Chris came back home from work, he was carrying a bouquet of pink flowers for me, and it smelled so fresh and sweet!



That night, we had dinner at Mr. Chok Galbi Restaurant. I love the succulent taste of their barbecued ribs!

I was a lot more cheerful after that, I forgot all about my injured foot and even allowed Chris to take this picture...^^ I still look like I'm in pain!

It's customary for Koreans to drink alcohol while eating meat. The ribs tasted so good that we just had to drink. Our liquor of choice that night is called "Dae po". It has a sweet smooth taste, it's milder than soju, and they serve it straight from the fridge.

Friday may have started bad, but it ended really well. I had a lot of fun, and I totally forgot about my injury, all thanks to thoughtful Chris.