All Around Seoul

Most of Kristine’s and my days were spent relaxing at home and just chatting with each other. I saw a lot of things, but I think you could spend 2-3 months in Seoul going to a museum a day and not run out of things to do. I highly recommend going, but you might want to go with a guide, as it was extremely difficult to figure my way around (mostly when I wanted to eat) without someone who spoke/understood Korean. As my first time in Asia, (check that off bucket list!) it was a good introduction. I, of course, still want to explore more!

a view from the top of a hill.

IPark Mall

Ginormous mall, complete with cinema. We spent our first day out here exploring and going to a movie. And trying not to drown in the down pour. We ate at California Pizza kitchen and starbucks (they are as prevalent here are they are in America). It was fun to wander around and try to figure out how to get to places, the movie theater opens before the rest of the mall, but here not every shop has their own door, so we kept wandering in different stores to be kicked out trying to find the movie theater. We watched Magic in the Moonlight, it was cute and fun.

National War Museum (Aug 24^th)

This place was amazing. It is three floors of exhibits and free to go to. There are also outside planes and tanks and things to go in/climb on.

Inside it had royal history/time of fighting between the different dynasties, the Korean War, UN peacekeeping missions, and futuristic war.

My Pap-Paw fought in the Korean War, so it was special to see the way they represented the war. What came across the most was how thankful they were for the UN’s support against the North/Communists. I didn’t know a lot about the war, but it was tastefully done. However, someone was happy to play with the special effects and they had a lot of different video/animated things to watch. They had a whole room dedicated to uniforms and information about the UN countries that helped.

The Drop- dogtags of everyone who died in the war.

However, they did like to proselytize/propagandize the history and make the North out to be devils that had no consciousness. An example: the north tried to unscrupulously gain a better position for negotiations, while the UN troops honorably held unto their positions.” We were supposed to be able to go to two museums this day, but I was so entranced that kept us to just visiting this one!

In case you wanted to know what would happen if a nuke was dropped on Seoul (as big as the one that hit Hiroshima. Hint: it's not pretty. 

Gyeongbokgung (August 26^th)

 This was the 1^st palace to be built in the Joseon Period (one of the ruling families). It is almost entirely rebuilt since the Japanese and the North Koreans destroyed it during their occupations, but it has been beautifully rebuilt as a tourist destination. To call it a palace requires a re-thinking of our western ideas. It is one one building, but rather a series of smaller building spread throughout. They also had the Korean Folk Museum here (I think you can get to it without going through the palace, but I’m not sure). It was interesting to see the stuff they had, and free to get into. According to Lonely Planet “It has three main exhibition halls covering the history of the Korean people, the agricultural way of life and the life of yangban (upper class) during the Joseon era.”

 They had a “pantry” of sauces that was outside, and back in the day, they had special servants whose sole job was to make sauce. That was it. We also got to see the changing of the guards, which was interesting. I feel sorry for them though, they wear period dress, and it was HOT!

National Museum of Korea (August 27^th)

Shows of Korea’s national treasures from ancient prehistory to ceramics to donated goods. It took me almost 2 hours to walk it all, including a snack break at one of the not overpriced cafes! It was interesting, and some of the things were beautiful, but not knowing the history of Korea, it was a little difficult to follow. About ½ way through I figured out you could get an audio guide…

Itaewon (almost every day we went out)

Shopping and food district. They had lots of American food places as well as other ethnic food. We just wandered around here a few times/on our way home.

Namsang Tower (August 28^th)

This is a great place to get panoramas of Seoul, if you can see past the smog from China. (thanks environmental externatilities!) There is a Coldstone and a few not over priced restaurants. If you spend $20 to go up to the observatory deck, it rotates as do three overpriced restaurants.

We saw a “flash mob” proposal to that “I’m bored so lets get married” song. It was cute, the girl was crying when she figured it out. He gave her a bunch of shoes, which none of us understood. But if you find a random Korean youtube video (cuz they were taping it) where the girl is in a blue dress with a white top, I’ll be in the background!

Shopping Street (unknown name)

Kristine and I went to a shopping street once to just go shopping and ended up finding a Cat Café. Where there are about 20 cats just wandering around the place and you drink coffee. It was interesting and I got my cat fill (hopefully enough to last until I get my kitty in December). All of us also went here on 8/20 for dinner (street food) and wandering.

Eating and Drinking

After the war museum Kristine and I met up with Hyun and a few of his friends from work to drink magkoli, or Korean Rice Wine. It was yummy! We only had the flavored ones there, I had a wine flavored one! It was in a gigantic goblet, totally full.

A few times we went to Mister Pizza, a pizza chain, that has REAL pizza!

Once we went to a Korean drinking place, where you mostly drink and eat anju or side dishes for drinking. I’m not sure what exactly they ate, because Korean food is not conducive to being a vegetarian. But I had a yummy salad and soju cocktail. I know this might be sacrilegious, but soju tasted like quality vodka to me. Loved the cocktail though- it was kiwi flavored.  

Another time, we ate street food and I had bimbop (sp?) which was fried veggies and egg and rice. It was yummy! I’m not exactly sure what I was eating, but the waitress assured Hyun it was vegetarian so I ate it. Trust I say. Trust. (Aug 20^th)

I even got to go to the 4^th best restaurant in Seoul- Gusto’s Tacos (but I went to the one on base). They had tofu tacos and are run by a couple from NY. They are a bit spicy. (I say a bit because my mouth was on fire, but normal people have a better spice tolerance than I do.)

Hyun hosted 2 North Korean high school students as part of an Embassy program for the night, and we went and got Baskin Robbins. Pretty sure they didn’t have 31 flavors there, but they had a lot!

Amigos Tacos- they made mushrooms taste yummy! Hard to believe. This was the 2^nd day I was in town- and needed Mexican food after dropping my passport off at the Visa Center for Russia.

I even got falafels one day! And they spoiled me with American food that they can get on base. J J

See you around the globe!

Getting to South Korea from Siberia

Getting to the airport in Irkutsk gets special mention, because I was able to arrange it myself, because the lady who works at the uni was on vacation w/o notification. But I did it!!

Also, they tell you to arrive 2 hours early, but the desks didn’t open until under 2 hours. However, the airport has free wifi! Just so you know, you check in on the first floor, go up to the second, enter a door, behind what looks like a desk, go through security (where as long as you drink from the water you forgot to dump, you can pass with your own bottle full), and wait for the bus to take you to your plane.

The 3 hour flight to Kharborvosk was fine, they even fed us! I got a salad, cabbage rolls, and bread. Because you know, vegan is apparently easier than vegetarian food for Aeroflot. It was yummy, and I got some sleep, but not much.

Now, Kharborvosk, that was …interesting. I was able to exit and get my luggage just fine (because apparently checking your bags through to your final destination when you only have one ticket is a foreign concept). But then to find the departure hall?

Oh you want to go from a domestic to foreign flight? That’s a half a mile walk around construction pulling your bags and then when you get there it is basically closed. But the nice security people let you in. (Oh I forgot to mention- you now have to scan all of your bags to get into the airport, assuming it is because of the airport bombing in Moscow a few years back).

Then they opened the door up, you went through a mini customs/where they scanned your bag and passport, then got to check in and get your tickets, then through customs, then through the traditional airport security. But then there was wifi and seating while you waited for your plane. Or in this case went into duty free to buy your hosts in SoKo a gift.

The plane ride to Seoul was uneventful, in its 3 hour glory or continued little sleep. I actually feel asleep just waiting for the food to come. But the flight attendant was nice enough to wake me up to get the food (the EXACT same thing as earlier in the day).

Seoul’s airport is MASSIVE. There is a train connecting the two parts of it. And customs was fun. Beucae they wanted a bunch of info (like where are you staying) that I didn’t have memorized…but they did have wifi! Note to readers…get a buggy cart to walk to the metro. It is a long walk.

But after asking a bunch of people I was able to find the metro/buy a ticket/find the train (thanks old woman who knew I looked lost!).

Kristine even met me at the transfer station so that I didn’t get totally lost trying to find their house/get on to base. We just relaxed and chatted until Hyun got home and ate dinner. Since SoKo doesn’t follow daylight savings time, we were on the same time zone as Irkutsk. Made “adjusting” easier, although it does get dark sooner there than in Irkutsk.

See you around the globe!

Excursions in Irkutsk

Kazan Catherdral

Hayley and I decided to go find this beautiful Orthodox Church that we had seen a picture of and drove by on our way to Olkhon Island. It was worth the walk, and if you like looking at beautiful paintings of a church motif, I recommend you to go here. Plus, you get your exercise.

Art Museum

This surprisingly well done museum (it looks run down from the outside/first entry), hosts two floors of art. I didn’t recognize any of the names, but it was beautifully done. They had a lot of portraits of Tsars and Tsarinas, more than I was expecting of Siberia. Also some far eastern art and a few (very few) modern art pieces. I essentially had the museum to myself, which made it nice to walk around and just enjoy.

Random statue garden had these little monkeys

See you around the globe!

City History Museum

While others decided to go off to Ulan-Ude for the weekend, my pocketbook and I decided to stay here and explore. I went off to explore a museum I had wanted to see: the City History Museum. They created it/renovated it for the 350^th Anniversary Celebration and it was very tastefully done.

When you walk in you have to put these little bootie things on your shoes, but these ones are reusable and they wash them! However, they make your feet even hotter in the summer! Like many museums this one charges different prices for Russians and foreigners, but the foreign student price was only 100 RUB/ 3.10 USD.

The museum was totally in Russian, so I suggest a guide or an understanding to not understand. However, if you speak Russian, it was a good museum. It had 5 exhibit halls, dedicated to different time periods, plus a random hall I’ll tell you about later!

A layout of the original fortress at Irkutsk

It started off in the pre-Russian time, with Mongols and yurts, introducing the Irkutsk Archeology Club. What was cool in this room, was that they had spear tips and other random things, but they also had drawings next to them, showing you how they were actually used!

Slowly, you move through the years as you walk through the museum. Part of reminding myself that this is Asia and not Europe comes when you run into Buddhist stuff in museums. Or Japanese stuff. Apparently Russia was the first country you could study Japanese as a foreign language in. The next room was totally dedicated to the 25 or so churches around Irkutsk. Lots of beautiful churches, most of which survived the USSR.  

The final normal hall was dedicated to the Soviet time period. I wish I had understood Russian a bit better, because it described what happened in Irkutsk at the time of the 1917 revolutions. The more modern times often have early Aatari or tape players, and I want to know in 50 years, what will they pick from the early 2000s? A ipod? Jeggins? Uggs?

Then there was one last hall to see, off to the side of the others. I walk in and it is dedicated to Kim Il-sung, from North Korea. I almost laughed out loud. I mean it was like the were revering him and his works. It was a little odd to say the least!

After the museum I wanted towards a honey festival, because they have “women’s honey” here. No, it is literally called “Women Honey” and I wanted to get some. I didn’t find it, but I did find another one that was super delicious. Now if only I had a working oven to make some biscuits.

See you around the globe!

Olkhon Island (AKA 4th of July Party!)

We wanted to do something special for 4^th of July (my first ever outside of the US). So we decided to go to Olkholn Island, the largest (only?) island in Lake Baikal. It is considered onf of the 5 world poles of shamanic energy by the Buryat people.

This is the place to go if you are in Irkutsk for any length of time. However, it is an 8 hour bus ride there and back with limited amenities on the island. We went as a large group of 6 Americans and only got one day on the island.

We got there about 4 pm or so and wondered around the island, getting to see Shaman’s Rock. The destination on the island. It was a bit chillier than expected due to the wind, but oh so beautiful. We cooked our own dinner both nights we were there. The place we were staying wanted an arm and a leg for us to eat their prepared meals.

Shaman's Rock

Saturday dawned nice and lazy. No one told us that the tours all left at 10 am, so when we showed up at 11, there weren’t any still going. So we rented bikes. Which was an AWESOME idea and tons of fun! I definitely recommend it. Besides you have to admire the business model. Wait for all the tours to leave, stand outside with your bikes and a sign saying 400 RUB/day.

Me, Hayley, Adam, and Steve

Hayley, Steve, Adam, and I rode together (early starters) and rode out to a little point, through a tiny village (is there something smaller than village?) where we just relaxed and took in the beauty of Lake Baikal.

Upon our return to town, we had ice cream (and hot chocolate, cuz why not) at Hedgehog Icecream (it rhymes in Russian Ёженне Мороженне). Because why not?

Then Steve and I bailed because we wanted to still have feeling in our legs. Later we all joined up and ate dinner. Then we had a бання/banya for 2 hours. It was one of the most relaxing things ever. A banya is essentially a sauna. We spent time in and out of the sauna, and Hayley showed us how you were actually supposed to bathe in there and how to do it. It did get SUPER hot at some points.

A memorial to those locals who died in the war. 

The next day started early, when we had to catch the bus back into Irkutsk at 9 am. We had expected the ice cream place to be open (because the sign said it would be) but it was not.

It was fun to go visit Olkhon Island, but unless you can spend 2-3 days here, in my opinion it isn’t worth the hassle and cost to get here. Visit Listviyanka to see the lake and beauty.

See you around the globe!

One Month In

Usually I start these “blank months in/left” with a OMG I can’t believe that it has been this long, but not this time. This time I know it has been a month, and it has felt like it has been a month.

My professor says she sees me making progress, but I don’t feel like I am making progress. I need to spend more time doing homework and applying myself, but this whole roommate thing plus the whole “the other kids don’t find the need to study so they come bug me all the time” really detracts from my ability to study.

I miss home too.

The city I super interesting and I can’t wait to keep exploring it! The people are WAY more friendly than in Moscow or St. Pete. They smile on the street, they ask politely rather than yelling at you for different change.

The food however, is not as great as in other European countries I have been in. They have to hothouse or ship in most fresh veggies and the taste is affected (much like it is in the states!). You have wide access to rice and pasta (and pirogues style things), bread, and ice cream. Everything else is a little iffy. If you cook for yourself, it is as easy as it is in the states to eat healthy, but without the wide variety of  veggies to supplement.

Another thing I have to keep reminding myself is that while I am in Russia, I am also in Asia. I’m not in Europe, so my expectations are moot. However, I do get to check off another continent off of my bucket list! (If you are counting, this leaves Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.)

Did I mention that I have a tan in SIBERIA? I haven’t had a tan since before 2011…what is this?

See you around the globe!

Weekend of June 21st-22nd

On Saturday, we went to see the Angara Ice Breaker Museum. The Angra ice breaker ship is how people traversed Lake Baikal in the winter from the mid-1800s until the early 1900s. It’s also how they connected the Trans-Siberian Railway at first, you put the train on the ship and then shipped it across the lake (well, technically not the Angra, but the Baikal ship they had at the same time too).

A picture of it when it had sunk.

The ships were critical in the creation of the Trans-Siberian Railway. They were also used during the civil war in 1917-ealry 1920s between the Red and White armies in Russia. That war actually caused the sinking of the Baikal ship. When the railway was completed, the Angara was left to rot in a ship yard. In fact, it the 1960s, it even partially sank until the people donated money to save it and turn it into a semblance of a museum.

I say semblance because there wasn’t really any displays of information about the ship, unless you had a guide with you. And they didn’t keep it in “period dress.” However, it was definitely interesting! There was no barriers to climbing all over everything, and rusty metal pipes were just left out, mid repair.

The hold was kinda small, and I can’t imagine a bunch of people being stuck in there, but they say the ship could hold 1,000 people!

After the museum, we went to lunch at a nearby restaurant and then paddle boating, or as they say in Russian “driving on a katamaran” (we obviously have different definitions of what a catamaran is. However, Haley and I had a blast! We definitely want to do it again!

On Sunday, we relaxed and went to lay on the beach. I mean how often do you get to sunbathe in SIBERIA? (or get a sun burn.) It was a nice and relaxing day!

See you around the globe!