That’s Taiwan, not Thailand, and it’s “kinda near China, right?”. It’s not in Malaysia and its not on the African continent. And despite much of the western world (including travel agents) not knowing much about it, it IS where I’ll be in 5 days, woo~!
Travel Posts
The Beginnings of a Trip Across the Ditch
Australasia ~ New Zealand ~ Christchurch & Dunedin
Imagine three relative strangers, a campervan, two weeks in New Zealand and 2500 odd kilometers to cover. Thankfully we quickly vetoed the compact 2/3 berth campervan in favour of a “4 wheel drive” and small hotel rooms – and another dream holiday was born. Traveling with Miss Emma, a uni friend, and Shano, a uni mate of Emma’s, has proved interesting, as none of us really knew each other to begin with (Shano’s perfect activity – to spend the day hiking a mountain… My perfect activity? Jama day followed by a vodka bar… Miss Emma’s iPod = Bon Jovi, my iPod = Jacks Mannequin…) Despite our differences of opinion, or perhaps because of it, we came up with a pretty decent itineray.
Traveling through Boxing Day/New Years has meant that the majority of our hotels have had to be prebooked but thankfully us chicks were relatively organized, whilst our travel partner was happy to smile and nod, something he is likely to become very good at through the duration of our trip.
Arrival in New Zealand was fun – upon take off from Melbourne we were advised that Christchurch had been hit with more aftershocks from their 7.4 September earthquake. The flight was rather exhilarating, made all the more so when we downgrade to a tiny plane in Wellington to skip over to Christchurch. Had the normal issues picking up our rental car, but it all sorted itself out in the end (and we got a free upgrade – booya!)
Miss Emma with our JUCY rental car
Christchurch has been rocked pretty hard by all the earth movement. A walk around the centre of town proved that whilst it is a beautiful town, there has been plenty of damage, with shops an roads still closed from the September quake and a few closed from the boxing day shocks. Whilst on our trip around the South Island, we have run into a few people who had taken their families on holidays away from Christchurch to get away from the movements – before this, I wasn’t aware that there was still aftershocks etc occurring. Whilst based in Christchurch, we also took the time to explore Akaroa bay and the cheese factories and fudge shops in the area. Unfortunately drove right past the Birdlings Gem Museum – oh well, next time!
Our next steps? We’re to hit up Dunedin, apparently the Edinburgh of the South, which suits me just fine, as Edinburgh happens to be one of my favourite cities 🙂
Stay safe xoxo
Eating Korean Barbeque… IN KOREA!
Asia ~ South Korea ~ Busan
Last week I decided to swing by my travel agent in downtown Fukuoka to see if they had any deals for travel to South Korea, as it is so close to Fukuoka, and I’ve never been. When I found a deal that included the return trip on a boat, and a night in a hotel that was cheaper than just the boat trip, I decided to grab it. As a result, 24 hours later I was speeding across the Korea Straight towards Busan on the JR Kyushu ‘Beetle ‘ hydrofoil…
As per normal, I had the normal issues travelling… Got to my local bus stop to see the bus leaving, even though I was 5 minutes early… Raced to get the bus, but it wasn’t until halfway to town I realised I had left my alien registration card (my Japanese ID card) at my apartment. They made a big fuss of it when I left Japan last time, but I decided I didn’t have time to go back and get it… Then the bus, which was supposed to go to the bus terminal (so I could change to a bus headed for the port) stopped at the station, and said it was going no further! Turns out when I raced for the bus earlier, I had jumped on the earlier bus, not the right one that went all of the way, so I had to try and find the bus terminal on foot. Everyone I asked didn’t know where it was, cos I was ages away from it… Finally found the correct bus stop and got to the port terminal, where I went through emigration with no issues – the girl asked for my ID card, but when I said I’d left it behind, she was fine with it. I suspect that if I hadn’t of spoken Japanese, there would of been problems.
The JR Kyushu ‘Beetle’ hydrofoil is a very small ferry that takes 3 hours to make the crossing between Hakata (Fukuoka, Japan) and Busan (South Korea). We were warned to keep our seatbelts on because they often “have to swerve quickly to avoid whales and dolphins”. I kept my eyes peeled, but didn’t see any. Did see a very interesting lighthouse as we were leaving Japan that was bright red and decked out as Santa for Christmas (complete with white beard and all).
See the boat at the back (it says BEETLE)? That's the ferry that we crossed international waters in, only 3 hours, but still, it's tiny! The ferry at the front is the international overnight one from Shimonoseki (only 1 hour from Fukuoka).
When I mentioned to my Japanese friends that I would be heading to South Korea for a night, I asked them what there was to do in Korea – everyones response was “Shopping and food”, so I headed to Busan with a list of markets to find and foods to try. On arrival, I headed for the main train station, where I jumped on a double decker tour bus, which proceeded to take me around the city for only â‚©10,000 (approx $10 AUD). I jumped off at Haeundae Beach to get some lunch (time to start crossing of the “food list”!). Surprise, surprise, at one of the most touristy spots in town I ended up munching down on good ol’ Aussie burgers, not a Bimbimbap restaurant in sight. Wandered around the area for a while (saw the Fish Car – a small car near the aquarium that has been turned into a fish tank, with large colourful fish swimming through the steering wheel and gearstick).
Fish Car at Haeundae Beach
Checkin to my hotel was quick and easy – upon discovering I spoke Japanese, communication went from haltering English to fluent Japanese. Helps of course that I was staying in the Japanese part of town, in a Japanese hotel, but still much better than attempting to communicate in my non existent Korean (but perhaps my next language to learn?). My day finished up with a Korean barbeque for dinner, recommended by my hotel as “cheap and delicious”. And they weren’t joking, at only â‚©12,000 (approx $12 AUD) for a huge amount of quality beef, kimchi and beer. They didn’t bat an eyelid when I came in on my own (despite Korean barbeque being a shared dish), and the owners mum helped me sort out the barbeque. I have never had real Korean barbeque before, it is eaten quite different in Korea compared to Japan – a long piece of beef on the barbeque was cut up into pieces (by the amused owners mum when she realised I had no idea what I was doing), and then dipped into sauce. Kimchi is added (all of the various bowls around the table are kimchi) on top, and then eaten. And, if you’re like me, and the owners mum is amused by you, she will put all of this together for you and basically spoon-feed (chopstick-feed) you!
Korean Barbeque
On my second/last day in Busan, I headed out to fulfill my shopping component of my list. Busan is famous for it’s Jagalchi Fish Market, but having been to the world’s largest fish market in Tokyo, I wasn’t particularly interested in seeking out this one. Despite my intentions, I ended up at the fish market whilst trying to find another market. The fish market was surprisingly clean and not too smelly, and I saw plenty of interesting sights, including tanks upon tanks of sea snakes, and octopus’s making a run for it in the street. I eventually found the Gukje market, but didn’t buy anything, as I’m going to China soon, and much of the stuff at the market was similar to the things I usually see in China. Had bimbimbap for lunch (another tick on the “food list”) at â‚©4,000 (approx $4 AUD), which was much spicier and tastier than other versions I have eaten in Japan and Australia. My day ended with me wandering back to the ferry terminal, where I caught my speedy boat back “home” to Japan.
I’ve just begun to start thinking about my Christmas shopping, how’s everyone else going?!
Toyoko Inn Busan Jungangdong (Busan, South Korea)
Staff were friendly and helpful, didn’t speak a lot of English, but spoke fluent Japanese. Rooms were clean and spacious (bed in the single room was actually a semi-double bed). Location was great, about 5 minutes walk from the ferry terminal, and a 10 minute walk to the main train station. Fantastic and cheap Korean Barbeque restaurant up the road (ask the staff). Free internet and breakfast were a great plus.
Just call me Travel Agent Bobbi!
Asia ~ Japan ~ Fukuoka & Beppu
Once again, blogs have been few and far between, whoops. It’s been a month of accomplishments with my Japanese – I can now do many things in Japanese that I never before had the ability or courage to do: order pizza delivery over the phone, direct a taxi driver to my apartment, make travel arrangements with a travel agent and more. Most of these things are activities I never even had the opportunity to do in English, in Australia – I live in the sticks, so getting a taxi home, or getting pizza delivered has never been an option. I’m finally beginning to really function over here!
Gyoza at the gyoza restaurant in Hakata
My friend Jen from home has been visiting me for the past two weeks, and it’s been a blast. I’ve taken her around to do plenty of things around Kyushu, including clubbing in Fukuoka (stumbling home at 7am after spending all night at “Happy Cock”, all you can drink for 2000 yen, who can go past that?!), horse races in Saga (where you go not to watch the races in Saga, but to bet on the races in Kyoto!), temples in Dazaifu (students are starting to cram, the temple was packed!), a home party drinking cocktails and eating oden in Kurume (and laughing the night away with crazy cousins!), bali style onsens in Chikushi (Jen’s first onsen!), sand onsens, hostels and “hell valley” in Beppu (natural bubbling colourful pits of sulphur water, reminiscent of what hell may look like), souvenir shopping at the many 100-yen shops in Fukuoka (and then finding a post office that will accept the 100-odd kg of souvenirs that Jen bought!) and shopping and watching movies at Canal City in Fukuoka (New Moon has FINALLY come out in Japan!).
Students tying their fortunes up at Dazaifu
Matt’s headed off on his next adventure – he is now in Taiwan looking for a job, leaving me in Japan all on my own… Never fear, with my newfound pizza (and sushi, curry, hotpot, Korean, Indian etc etc) ordering abilities, I think I should survive. Throw in the attention of my host sister and cousin (I have an accessible apartment in the city, a big bonus on a Saturday night when trains stop at 11:30pm! This Saturday night is the first I haven’t been out till 7am, and it was only because Jen was leaving early Sunday that I was excused!) and my other Japanese friends.
At the Moomin cafe in canal city. If you're lucky, Mr Moomin himself will come and sit at your table to help you drink your gingerbread hot chocolate (which is easily the best hot chocolate I've ever had, and so it should be at $8 a cup).
Now it’s back to work, sorting out my parents itinerary for when they rock up in two weeks time. We’ll be hiring a car (eek!) and traveling a bit of Kyushu before heading to Kyoto & Osaka for a couple a days, and then heading to China on the ferry. Just call me Travel Agent Bobbi!