Climbing Mountains in Seoul

 The Korean Peninsula (North and South) is very mountainous. Most, if not all guidebooks, will tell you how popular hiking is as a past time over here. When I visited in January 2009 with Stuart we decided to give hiking a go and headed over to Seoraksan, the highest peak in South Korea. In January it's covered in snow and very difficult to climb. We had hiking boots but no spikes for our shoes and our ambitious plan of hiking up, staying overnight and coming back down the next day had to be abandoned once we reached the first smallest peak. Since I moved over to Seoul I've only been hiking once before, in Daedunsan. This month I've stepped up and been twice. Once to Bukhansan, the highest peak in Seoul and this weekend to Gwanaksan, which is the mountain right by where I live. (I live in Gwanak district). Both were a challenge, although I expected Bukhansan to be the harder of the two, I'm not sure it is. Parts of Gwanak had us pulling ourselves up the rocks with ropes and chains! Hiking in Seoul and Korea is good fun, and it's fascinating looking at Korean picnics. Pot noodles at the top of a mountain is a regular sight. But it really is a national past time and as such it's always busy, and Koreans are impatient. They don't like to wait for people to get off the train, and equally, they don't like to wait for people to pass through the small part of a trail on a mountain. This is irritating and at times dangerous. There's not much you can do about it except show how disgruntled you are. It won't make any difference but it might make you feel better... All the Bukhansan pictures were taken by Maya Nitzberg (on her fancy camera!)

Messing around before we left

At the beginning of the hike.

Energy twix

Taking a break

We're hiking up to that white flag. (what white flag? it's REALLY small!)

We must be nearly there by now??

The buildings look like hundreds of tiny grave stones.

It was really bloody cold at the peak

Hurry up and take this picture so we can make our way down!!

I ticked another thing off my list and climbed Gwanak!

Yeah that one chain is to stop you plummeting to your death.

We made it!

Inspiring Travels

I was tagged by Kate in her post for easyjet's Inspiration initiative. It's all about finding out what inspires people to travel. So I thought it's be fun to get involved and write about my inspiration for travelling.

I don't know when or where this photo was taken, but judging by the snazzy hats and matching shorts/t-shirt combo I don't think we're in England.

Who

I've made no secret that travelling seems to run in my blood. Firstly, my parents have always had travel as a big part of their lives. Before they had us fabulous children they regularly went away together or with friends (I've seen the photographic proof but be glad this was before the digital age and those dodgy snaps are safely gathering dust in the cupboard under the stairs!) I don't even remember the first time I went abroad. Now I think about it, I have no idea of the first country I ever visited outside of my own...(Mum care to fill this void?)  I do know that we had many a family holiday in the sun throughout my childhood. I think the most memorable for me being Turkey; wandering around Cappadocia, driving all the way out to Pamukkale (and being some of the last people able to bathe in the pools for free), jumping on the overflowing bus to the town centre with my brother and my mum haggling up instead of down on a market stall.

My mum and me at Versaille

As I've grown older, something that has definitely added fuel to the wanderlust fire is sibling rivalry. Both my brothers have lived abroad (one only returning home this week). Being the youngest, I've always been the last one to experience things. I was the one watching as they went out clubbing and away with scouts or when they left for gap years abroad and university. I was always the one being left behind, not the one trail-blazing and making my own way. So when it came my time to travel, I was able to finally do something first. Go somewhere no one in my family has been before. I don't avoid places my brothers or parents have been, but if I visit a place they never have, I can't lie, there is a definite underlying smugness involved!

What

Books on my shelf at the moment

I like travelling because I like seeing the history, people and architecture of different places. I enjoy experiencing new different cultures, and all diversity in the world. The beauty, food, and smells. Even if I'm only in a place for a short time, I love that feeling of being somewhere new, fresh, exciting, interesting. I'm also inspired to travel through reading. The travel writing section of whatthebook? in Itaewon is the place I linger the longest when I visit. I love reading about travel, and since I started this blog, I've got more inspired about places to go through reading other travel blogs. They usually have much better photography or travel stories than me and my must visit list is getting longer week by week!

Where

My first independent backpacking trip was after university. I went inter-railing around western Europe. It was fantastic. All the different cities, the overnight trains, the other adventure seeking travellers. Visiting places I fell in love with (Florence, Berlin, Switzerland) and others that ended up disappointing (Marseille, Rome). I'm glad for places I've loved and those I haven't. That's all part of the travel experience. The feeling of being able to go anywhere, change our direction or stay longer in one place or another. I've been to lots of places since then, but I think that trip was the catalyst for my future travels. If it hadn't been a success I don't think I would have had quite such a passion of backpacking around.

When

Perhaps the beginning of my love affair with trains..?

I was 13 when my eldest brother left home to spend a year in Zambia. Once he was gone; the wait for the bathroom before school was much shorter, I moved into his (larger) bedroom and we began writing to each other. I still have those letters in England. Letters replying to my questions about life abroad, this exotic place where adventures happen. My embarrassment at asking if he'd seen a Camel ("They're only in the north you idiot"). I remember a picture of him outside a small building with water literally flowing off the roof like a river. It all seemed so exciting! When he came back I heard stories of wading across rivers and bumping along dirt roads (I think I was shielded from stories of muggings and danger..) I'm pretty sure it was him leaving that has always made me want to live abroad too. In my final year of university, I had no idea what career I wanted, only that I wanted to live somewhere abroad. It wasn't too long afterwards that I packed up and moved to China. So my parents definitely ignited the spark of wanderlust but I think it's my brother who kept it burning as I got older. 

And here are my nominations:

Ellie at One day I'll fly away
Kristina at the Vagablond 
Brenna at This battered suitcase
Tom at Waegook Tom
Mary (who keeps putting off starting her blog, This can be your first post! ^.^)

Driving around Phuket Island

 One of the best things Nic and I did in Phuket was hire a jeep for the day and take ourselves off exploring. It was an old car, but I was really eager to drive again as I don't drive in Korea and I miss it. Thailand drives on the same side of the road as us in the UK so there wasn't much to get used to. We had a bit of trouble to begin with reading the map but that just meant we were able to explore and see more of the island than we probably would have otherwise. Our day took us across the island from Karon beach to Phuket old town. A lovely little town full of colonial buildings and an interesting tourist walking tour (and the Hostel used in the Beach film). We then took ourselves on a hair-raising drive up a mountain to watch the sunset from the big Buddha statue. It was incredibly steep and at one point forced us to use first gear to make it up. I was glad Nic was driving at this point as she handled it very well! Here are a couple of films of our adventures and a longer one coming soon from England! This was a great day for us, and I would recommend anyone who isn't comfortable or confident enough to whizz around on a scooter to hire a car instead. Great fun!

The closest either of us got to a scooter

Driving along in my automobile

First stop: Phuket Old Town

Milkshake and a cake.

It took a lot longer than 10 minutes, what a terrible estimation!

The big buddha: Phuket

Colonial buildings. It reminded me a lot of Georgetown in Penang, Malaysia.

Celebrations for lunar new year.

Feel the force Luke.

Can you see the Buddha at the top of the mountain?

After our scary journey up

Beautiful view of the bay where we were staying

then we watched the sun dissappear

Two little friends on the road

Driving in the dark

A glimpse of a sunset on our way down.

Just before we gave her back.