Good Views.

These days, the weather is hot and sticky, which leaves me feeling slightly stinky, even after a shower. The upside is when the rain greets us with a nice cool presence. On days when the rain has passed before the afternoon comes, the skies often fill up with white beauties. Reminds me a bit of home. Enjoy.

From the East.

To the South.

To the East.

Up high.

Down below.

In the sky.

Blacks, browns, and yellows.

Watermelon...yum.

My ladies.

Bikes

One of the most memorable moments I have with my coordinator (she's the person who takes care of anything I need, since I'm a helpless foreigner) is the first time we met. She picked me up and I had in tow; one large backpack, one large tote bag, and my over sized plastic bike box. We somehow crammed the bike box into the back seat of her car and headed out. After the introductory conversation dwindled, I asked, "Are you wondering what is in this large box?"

She replied, "Yes."

I answered, "It's a bicycle."

She commented, "Oh, I just thought you really liked clothes."

I wasn't sure I was making the right choice when I chose a bike over another suitcase of clothes. I had heard there might be trails to ride, but I didn't know if I could get to them, or if I'd have time. The only thing I did know was, I couldn't bare the thought of living 1+ year bike-less, so I took the chance. It was one of the best decisions I have made. Not only has my bike been a tool for me to explore areas of Seoul and fostered an understanding of the distances within this city, it has more importantly contributed to the improvement of my health. Believe it or not, I ride more in Korea for exercise than the total commuting and exercising I did over the last year I was living in Portland.

I thought I'd share a few tidbits I've collected thus far from my cycling adventures:

What a tool.

After gathering my wits and settling in a little, I cracked open the box and got her up and running. I lucked out because my school put me in an apartment 600 meters from the city's massive bike/ped trail network. Once I figured out where to get on it, I started exploring. I also met up with a group of foreigner mountain bikers who meet every Saturday. They've shown me a few spots I can ride to without an automobile. One of my most frequented places is Umyeonsan, it is a small mountain just south of the city. When I got to Korea, the weather was nice for riding and it stayed that way until almost December. And then the snow came...

Open for the winter.

Coming from the NW USA, I'm not particularly use to dry snow. I am use to the snow that falls and instantly starts to slush up, making transportation difficult, especially on a bike. The snow we had in Seoul this winter was very dry, so even at a good pace the bike can handle well and stop relatively quickly. It also helps that only the die hard Koreans go out for a walk in the snow, so there are less people to maneuver with.

No one else.

One thing I really like about the Korean recreational cycling culture is it's lack of competitiveness. Most of these people--albeit riding on really, really nice bikes--are not out to race anyone. It's more of a leisure activity for them, which makes the atmosphere very positive. There are a few spots around town where vendors bring a variety of goods to sell, bike stands, and pumps for everyone to use. I've heard about this catching on in Portland recently. I think it's not only convenient, but many of these places also serve as gathering areas for trail users to congregate.

Coming soon to Portland: part carts.

I've been told the current president of Korea has a reputation for creating a lot of public spaces. While mayor, he championed a project to remove a major artery in Seoul and restore (kind of) the stream previously covered by the highway. In my time here, I've noticed many improvement projects happening all throughout the existing trail networks, and a number of places where new trails are being added. I can understand the public's resistance to these costly projects, but the people are obviously turning out to make use of the infrastructure.

One of my favorite bridges to cross is the Jamsu bridge. Originally the lower deck was the only part of the bridge, but at some point the upper deck (Banpo) was added. As you can see, bikes and pedestrians have received a generous amount of space compared to the car lanes. Unfortunately, I'm told this bridge goes under water during heavy rains.

A novel separation.

One day, as I was walking to class, I noticed a bunch of students dressed up in helmets and pads on the field. I tried to learn all I could about what was going on, but I didn't get far. As much as I can tell, a group of bike enthusiasts came to our school with a pack of bikes in tow. They strapped helmets on some students and sent them around an obstacle course. Pretty cool P.E. activity to say the least.

Safe routes through the playground.

Cycle track.

Another addition I have noticed to Seoul's bike infrastructure, since I arrived, is to the subway system. They've begun connecting the bike cars on each end of some trains. The cars essentially have standing room only, and provide seatbelt straps to fasten bicycles. Currently these cars are only in use on Sunday, but during the rest of the week, bikes can be stored on each end of the regular trains. This is a major step forward, since I heard in the past bicycles were not allowed on the trains unless one or two wheels were detached and the bike was carried. In concert with the train upgrades, many stations have installed bike tracks along the side of station stairways.

700CMX.

An interesting community I stumbled across one chilly winter night ride is the 700CMX/trix gear/whatever you call it fashonistas. Any night of the week, they can be found on the south side of the Banpo/Jamsu Bridge pulling off their stunts. I must admit, they're quite impressive. They can hop onto a park bench and pop off with a bar spin, twirl around on their back wheel, do 180s, etc. Their tricks are almost as cool as their bikes.

Last but not least, it's hard to make a visit to the Han River Park or Seoul Forest without noticing the abundance of tandems for hire. We took it upon ourselves to spend a few hours one Saturday afternoon trying one out. It was quite amusing. Not to mention, we were riding a Lespo brand bike.

The new track bike.

What is contemporary art?

I'm on a roll now. Two in one week...

We recently paid a visit to the Seoul contemporary art museum which is south of the city. It's in a strange location; nestled just outside some mountains to the south of the city, next to a zoo, an amusement park, and who knows what else.

Me.

Once safely inside the museum grounds, there is plenty to see along the walk to the front doors. Many statues, some moving, are placed haphazardly throughout the grass, creating the classic contemporary art museum feel. Inside, the central entry room consists of a spiral walkway circling a permanent museum fixture. The installation (sponsored by Samsung) is a 20 or 25 meter high tower of Samsung TV's. The TV's play a series of clips in a loop which made me feel like I was seeing the 20th century in a museum.

Where's my skateboard?

Scaling the beast.

At the time of our visit (no longer, sorry) the guest exhibit featured Korea's artist of the year, Kiwon Park (박기원). He uses space as his medium and makes encompass the space. It's all kind of like glorified interior decoration.

There were three main installations from Kiwon Park, one consisting of large blow up squares, stacked and placed to create a large transparent wall among other things.

Pillows and wires.

Next door to the blow up wall, there was a room full of wire, unraveled to make miscellaneous piles throughout the room.

Art deco.

Third, and in my opinion the masterpiece of the exhibit, was a room covered wall to wall with blue vinyl squares. This was my favorite part of the museum. Sometimes for me art is difficult to embrace because I feel oblivious to the artist's train of thought. In this case, I didn't know what he was thinking, but I could still feel an emotional reaction.

One big pool.

Do I need a swimsuit?

I'm not much of an art museum goer. I have difficulty keeping my attention span longer than the length of most hallways in them. Fortunately this visit was quick enough for me to leave without feeling too drained. Before this visit, I only had a vague idea of what contemporary art is, that's still true. But at least I can now say I've been to a place where they keep it.

63 Building

All alone.

Lately I've been a bit tied up at work, thus pictures have been stuck in their folders waiting for attention. One of the monuments I regularly enjoy on my the bike route along the river is the 63 building. According to Wikipedia, the structure stands 249 meters (817 feet) off the ground and was completed in 1985 for the 1988 summer Olympics.

All hail...

The 63 building was the tallest in Asia for a while and it still sits as a major landmark in Seoul. The subway system tends to disorient one's sense of direction and altitude, but if you're lucky enough to see either the 63 building or Seoul Tower or both, it's easy to collect the proper bearing.

...the Mighty Creation.

On one particularly fine Saturday afternoon, in honor of a visitor, we decided to make the trip over to Yeouido and ride the elevator to the top. Since it turned out to be a sunny, yet hazy Saturday afternoon, the expensive elevator ride wasn't all that appealing. We decided to admire the building from the ground level instead.

One of my favorite things about this building is it's late 20th century facade. I think the most obvious characteristic is the color; it's practically gold. No one today would build a solid gold(ish) color building, Howard Roarke is dead. That style is definitely from the 80's. It also has very smooth lines, which I find different from today's architecture which is often an attempt for more complexity.

Man created nature.

Picnic Birthday Theme

Downtown.

Last year I lived in a different climate. Climate change is real.

Living near the North 45th parallel, the seasons are very defined. In that climate, I find myself asking, "Is this springtime?" If it is true, I can simply wait a few days and deduce, "Yes, this is springtime."

In Seoul--at least for this year--I recently found myself asking, "Was that springtime?" In reference to one Sunday where the sun was shining but I wasn't sweating.

Anyways, according to a brief look at wikipedia, springtime is the time between the three coldest months (winter) and the three warmest months (summer). Here, I think the average spring temperatures must resemble the average summer temperatures.

Picnic time.

On that fine Sunday afternoon, to commemorate the beginning of another fine year for another fine person, we once again hiked to a spot with a nice view and had a little nosh. On a clear day, you can see many of the major Seoul landmarks from one spot. The 63rd Building, Namsan Tower, Myeong Dong, Dongdaemun, and the Blue House. All while avoiding the crowds at the usual hiking spots.

Huge hula hoop.

On the way down, we noticed a few extremely large hula hoops and gave them a twirl. Against my initial expectation, the larger hoops are easier to move continuously.

Huge-la.

It wasn't my first time up there, and I'm hoping it won't be the last.

Sokcho Springtime Retreat

I don't much fancy big birthday to-do's so over the span of that weekend, I hit the road with a few friends on Friday night for a quick jaunt to Sokcho. Sokcho is a small coastal metropolis in the Northeast corner of South Korea. It is famous for deep fried/battered shrimp and a squid version of the ever so popular soondae, among other coastal cuisines; the mountains within Seoraksan Park; the beautiful autumn scenery; and to some, the House Hostel.

Daddy's pants.

It's very tempting to explore the variety of regions Korea has to offer in our limited time here, but places like Sokcho are hard to enjoy just once. The city provides plenty without overwhelming the opportunity to escape the constant bustle of Seoul. While the mountains are beyond explanation to those unfamiliar with Korea.

Our (my) primary objective on this trip was to walk to the top of the highest peak in the park, Daechongbongsan. It ranks third on the list of high altitudes in Korea, at a whopping 1708m. Three out of the four of us had successfully conquered this one in the fall, but were disappointed to sit in the clouds at the top. (Un)fortunately if I want to see the view, I'm going to have to return once more because this time the trailhead was closed due to fire season. Therefore we settled for the next greatest attraction in the park, Ulsanbawi. As disappointed as we were (some of us at least) at missing the opportunity to satisfy the primary objective, Ulsanbawi was, not in the slightest, a disappointment in the end.

As you can see, Koreans (nor the trail designers) are not afraid to use all means necessary to reach the top. Even if it means utilizing an erector set of metal stairs strapped to the side of a shear rock face. Its amazing to think someone, at some time, hauled all that up there.

Korean hiking.

It's not only hard to believe (for an American) the park doesn't require some kind of training to prevent serious lawsuits, but observing the strong will of the toddler aged to grandmothers who casually cruise up these stairs is phenomenal. In the end, the view was particularly excellent on that day, and so was the discovery of the Gorp infused peanut butter and jelly sandwich. (note: I'm not saying anyone here invented it, it was only discovered, like electricity.)

You can see the mountain we were hoping to climb the back ground. We all agreed in the end that the view of the top (Daechongbonsan) could be just as pleasing as the view from the top.

PBJ & Gorp.

Seoraksan Park.

Although the mountainous appeal of Seoraksan Park is enough, there is also an enormous Buddha, a gondola (for the lazy bones), and a variety of sweet dipped corn dogs. I went for the chocolate covered with sprinkles.

Buddha.

I would've thought most people probably make the trip to Sokcho to visit the mountains, but that may be an incorrect assumption. On a sunny Sunday, we covered quite a bit of the city by foot. It seems as though there are droves of people coming to the area for the food and smell of the fresh air. I can't say I blame them.

One of my favorite parts of this place is the abundance of these Tsunami barricades. All of which are formed using massive cement jacks stacked in neat rows which make very appealing patterns. Though alone they are still quite nice.

Tsunami Jacks.

The tell tale sign that Sunday's are popular in Sokcho is a long line at each end of this human powered ferry. For the equivalent of less than 20 cents US, you can take the ferry one way. There is a cable anchored to each side of the channel, and passengers can volunteer to pull the cable from one end of the ferry to the other, propelling the flat boat towards the other side. The alternative to taking the ferry is a really long walk. A functional tourist attraction.

Pull boat.

I'm not really sure why this picture is relevant, other than illustrating the quite atmosphere a foreigner can enjoy in Sokcho. Even though this particular individual lives on the "Hawaii of Korea."

Old Man and the Sea.

Surprising enough I managed to miss any opportunity to take a picture of the Cherry Blossom pandemonium in Seoul, which lasts the course of about a week. Luckily this one was locked up before it shed it's springtime mess.

Cherry Blossom.