South Korea

“Need advice, please. I'll be traveling to South Korea in September and wonder if anyone has any traveling and hiking advice. It will be my first time flying overseas so any travel tips will be appreciated. Also, if you have ever done any dayhikes aroung Taegu (Daegu) or Cheju Island will be appreciated.

I know, I know. But it's remotely possible someone has been there. Thanks.”

“Don't go bushwacking over there...a lot of landmines are still in the ground!!! Hell, a lot of landmines are all over the place due to soil movement over the decades.”

“Pack a loaded M-16.”

“Don't plan on any overnighters. They have a 10 p.m. curfew and shoot to kill if you are out at night.”

“This probably isn't what you want to hear, but in the Navy, Korea was famous for its shopping.”

“I hear the dog is delicious.
Happy eatin'!”

“Spock, I have answered your call! I was there in Seoul, Suwon and Inchon last year. If this is your first time there, you WILL need some advice. E-mail me at tundra18@yahoo.com and I can fill you in on culture, transportation and food. Poor dog..needed more salt though, lol.”

“I was in the Army stationed in South Korea in 1972. I had a lot of fun in that country, but you do want to look out for land mines and other military items that have not been detonated yet. Things left over from the Korean War will still blow if messed with. I was north of Seoul about 12 miles and we could see North Korea. There is a hill named "754", or that's what the military called it. It's the highest hill is South Korea . If you get a chance to hike it you can see N. Korea while the N. Koreans are watching you.

Something you won't see is big old trees as most of them were destroyed in the war.

I also visited Cheju Island.The only thing I can say about that is watch the tides, they go out fast, it's fun to watch the tied up boats go from upright to lying on their side in a matter of a few minutes. The island is very pretty.

I never felt like the Koreans were too fond of us, so be careful, but they do like our money.

- cow patty's husband -”

“Get yourself a lonely planet guide. Their website has alot of free info.”

“Better than that...go to lonelyplanet.com and download plenty of info for free that really helped me a lot.”

“Thanks tundra and cow patty's husband and everyone else. Fortunately, my fiancee is Buddhist and she assured me they don't eat dogs like the non-Buddhists do. (Did I hear a dog bark as you were belching?)”

“I was in Pusan/Taegu in 1975. I guess a lot has changed since then.”

“I heard there was a really well-marked coast-to-coast trail right across the middle of the Korean peninsula...and if you walk it at night, the cordial Koreans will turn on spotlights to help you see just where you are on the trail (no Tikka needed!).”

“Just returned from Cheju (Jeju) Island. It's a beautiful, tropical, volcanic island similar to a Hawaiian island. Unfortunately, we took a tour bus and didn't have time to do any serious hiking...the summit of the volcano would be a good long dayhike or overnighter. (We stopped at the trailhead) Dayhiking around Daegu is interesting...trails around the surrounding hills are unmarked, but the trail to the top of Palgong Mountain is busy. And in three weeks here I've seen thousands upon thousands of people..and not one of them fat and obese like the porkers who populate North America. The USA is fat and lazy.”

“Man I was really enjoying your trip report and thinking you aren't all that bad, but NNNOOO! Ya had to throw in the anti-fat-porker-American crack! LOL! The sad thing is you're right.

I know of no other country where we have people in handicapped scooters for no other reason than they love Krispy Kream donuts. And I freely admit this as one of the over weight Americans.”

“ohhhhhohhh! krispy kreme!

Spock, try the kegogi.”

“Nigal, the Canadians are getting there.
I once saw a documentary on obese kids in China, of all places!!!

Apparently over there anything associated with USA is the "in" thing ie. Coca Cola, Camels and McDonalds etc. Their one child policy has created some very very spoiled kids...all they eat is junk food. In one scene they showed these fat kids running to the lunchroom in a "fat farm". They were like juggling pieces of jello. Disgusting.”

“Oops...should be jiggling pieces of jello.”

“Do you mean jegogi...RAT?
No thanks.

Driving the countryside in Korea is really special...no billboards cluttering the scenery like in the USA. Unfortunatley, Coca-Cola signs everywhere in town deface the local scenery. It's like you can't get away from the invasive commercialism of that corporation. Also, lots of McDonalds, KFC, and a few Pizza Huts to serve the few Koreans who like greasy food. And for some reason they have to eat pickles with greasy food.”

“Great, you're almost there. Now drive north of the 38th parallel and you will find the utopia that you seek. No fat people, no commercialism. You will like it very much.”

“North Korea, the low-cal alternative!”

“Why is it that "thinking" Americans have to aggrandize other cultures at the expense of ours? To hear Spock tell it, the ROK is nirvana. Spock, did you see any festering mounds of garbage out in the countryside during your drive? I saw plenty during my stay there. And I'm not talkin' municipal landfill, I'm talkin' let's dump the trash here 'cause we can and nobody gives a damn. You probably traveled on their main drag, MSR-1. Guess who built it? Trust me, there are plenty of lazy Koreans. Like those whose parents use positions of influence and power to ensure that little Kim does his conscript service in a U.S. Army outfit where he gets better food, better working conditions and greater freedoms than those enjouyed by his less fortunate countrymen. Then little Kim, after working side-by-side with Americans during the week, takes his weekend pass and heads down to Seoul each weekend during the Spring to protest the American presence.
And mediaman meant kegogi (pho.). It's barbecued dog. Matter of fact, there was a dog farm not that far from where I stayed. One of the most miserable things I ever saw. Simply, there are good and bad people from all nations; all nations have high and low points. And since when were Korean tour guides experts on world economics? It'll be one hell of a break for them if the GM acquisition of Daewoo goes through.”

“Why do I feel that this topic and A**HOLES W/DOGS should be combined into one topic?”

“Gear Slut: I agree. How about we rename it A**HOLES WHO EAT DOGS!

(TIC, just in case...)”

“Max, I'm not sure where you were in Korea, maybe stationed with the Army? I haven't seen in festering mounds of garbage in 3 weeks in Korea. What I've seen is VERY clean compared to the trash in Seattle. In Seattle, I can see abandoned cars litter the streets, junkyards existing in people's yards. Not to mention all the white trash. I can't walk in safety in America with all the dangerous people, but in Korea you can walk freely and in safety - even at night. And noboby has guns, imagine that... a society of hard-working, peaceable people...unlike the lazy fat slobs and rednecks in America who demand respect for their unclean, unhealthy, disgusting ways. My understanding is that the "dog" eaten in Korea is not the same kind of dog kept as a pet. Don't Hindus consider cow sacred. How disgusting that must be to them to see Americans eat cow. And wow disgusting it is that Americans eat squirrels, or Bambi. Not every Korean eats dog, just as not every American eats humans (Jeffrey Dahmer to name one).”

“For the curious, this is the last time I went hiking this season. It's a short season in the PNW for me.”

“Oh yeah, the fake trip to Korea. What day is it in Korea? LMFAO”

“Short season? I'm going hiking in the Olympics in December.”

“Headed out this weekend. The PNW season is never over.”

“12 months a year you can find something to hike up there. Wet never hurt anyone.”

“old men shouldn't be out in the cold.

actually, maybe that's just what spock needs! LOL!!!!”

“I'd think someone with the climbing resume that Spock has wouldn't be afraid of winter. Couple this fact with the lack of hiking posts in general and it's fairly easy to draw the conclusion he is a poser.”

“Bugger, I just stumbled on a Spock thread. Cant seem to get it off my shoes.”

“I believe if you can read, Spock says, "It's a short season in the PNW for me". His ideas may be a little different but I doubt he has lied about being in S. Korea.”

“Well he has trouble telling time in Korea.”

“Did you know that S. Korea (the DMZ) is the only place that the U.S. Military still uses anti-personnel mines?”

“I'm sure that's changed with Afghanistan.”

“Thanks GS. I use my financial resources to backpack/climb from March to late October. Between November to February it's not worth the time/money to waste on long nights in a cold wet tent. I prefer to use my vacation time and money during the summer. In the winter months I don't do anything more than short dayhikes like Tiger Mtn and Mt. Si, and urban hiking.”