The link above is for my album on Facebook that has pictures of the two trips I took down to Gyeongju, waaaay down south in Korea. What great adventures!

The first was with Mom and Audrey, to get some extra bang for their Korean buck in terms of Korean culture. What a perfect place to go, as Gyeongju is the original site of the Silla dynasty, the kingdom that ruled the southern part of the Korean peninsula for over one thousand years. Of course the wooden structures have long disappeared due to wars and time, but the sense of history is profound. My camera skills were simple unable to capture the early morning mist draped over the tops of the mountains, with ancient temples dotting the landscape...it was the things dreams are made of.

The second trip was to explore the same area using a different means of transportation--bikes! While the entire country is mountainous, we were able to challenge the steep slopes and come out victorious. The main point was to see the first cherry blossoms of South Korea, as the city is so far south in the country. And what a site they were! All of the streets and hillsides were covered with white and pink flowers, making for spectacular sights and even better memories.

written by  Rachel in Korea! on April 15, 2009 from Seoul, South Korea
from the travel blog: South Korea, 2008-2009
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Jeonju, a city in the south of South Korea known primarily for its traditional cuisine, hosted its 10th annual film festival over the same time that I had no school. So the Friday before my long weekend, I decided why not, and packed my bags for a weekend of films and food.

Without knowing much about films myself, it seemed to me that there was a large sampling of films offered, spanning multiple continents, genres, and time periods. The first one that I saw was part of a special section highlighting the films from Sri Lanka. It was titled Ponmani, and initially roused my curiosity due to its description as a new version of Romeo and Juliet. The director was also there, and within the first minute of his introduction, I realized that I was in for a treat. He kept talking about the political climate of Sri Lanka in the 1970s, and how it contributed to his artistic sway while making the movie. Once it started, it became so clear what exactly he was referring to--the film was in black and white, from the '70s, and apparently the first one created in Sri Lanka in the Tamil language. So while a landmark for its newness, it wasn't enough to keep me awake. Without realizing it, right in front of the director, oops.

There were a few other hiccups, most notably a Korean film titled The Origin of Water. I think my ability to recognize art in film must be extremely off, because I didn't particularly enjoy this one either. Oh well! In between films we allowed ourselves to feel extremely cultural by enjoying delicious coffee drinks at various shops around the area--some of the best coffee I've been able to find in Korea! What a treat!

If you want to take a look at what the film festival was like, its site is below.

http://eng.jiff.or.kr/

written by  Rachel in Korea! on May 17, 2009 from Seoul, South Korea
from the travel blog: South Korea, 2008-2009
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Let me explain myself...please! The reason that I've been so MIA on this site is because most weekends currently find me trekking around South Korea, exploring big cities, little town, and lost rice fields. Look for updates beginning now--

This past weekend was most certainly one of my favorites in Korea. A group of nine people hopped onto the KTX, the extremely fast train of Korea, for a three hour train ride to the opposite end of the country, home to the second-largest city of Korea, Busan. Boy, were my expectations shattered! Everything that I had read about the city told me to prepare for grey, cement-clad streets with nothing else to show for themselves than an 'x' on a tourist map. Instead, I found a city bursting with energy and a level of friendliness unmatched by anywhere else that I've been to in the country, so much so that even the fish vendors wanted to give us slighty sticky hugs of welcome!

The first group of us didn't arrive in Busan until midnight, but still found the city in a state that ensured us of our wise choice. We had a pension reserved for us near one of Busan's many beaches, so hopped into a cab and zoomed off into the night, cruising past mega-luxury apartment complexes, side alleys one step away from an explosion of neon lights, and semi-deserted beaches where the parties and bonfires were only getting started. Upon entering our pension, we knew were were in for an adventure when we were greeted by six blankets, a hard floor, and no bathroom sink. But, where's the fun in a standard hotel room, anyway? Bring it!!

The rest of Saturday found us taking in the sights of Busan on a tour bus, before ending up on its most famous beach to catch the last rays of sun.

You can check out a handful of the pictures from the weekend at the following link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2581640&id=8605141&l=1000b786ff

written by  Rachel in Korea! on June 28, 2009 from Seoul, South Korea
from the travel blog: South Korea, 2008-2009
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