Muuido... Part 2 Arrival!!

So after a disastrous Friday night we woke up early and caught the bus out to the airport. We were meeting up with everyone at the McDonalds in the airport... We got there and lo and behold there were about 30 people travelling with us!! So after waiting around for an hour we start to head out. The first step is to find the correct bus to take us to the Muuido ferry. We must have looked pretty odd! We were a group of 30 foreigners following each other around up and down the escalators since we kept getting on the wrong floor. After about 15 minutes we finally find the right bus stop and wait for the bus. This is a picture of the group we went with. Tina and I are way in the back. I am the one with the sunglasses on.

So after awhile the bus came and we all piled in! It was standing room only!

The bus took us to the ferry and then that was our next method of transportation.

This is me on the ferry. It was such a beautiful day!!! This was also thanksgiving weekend

So after the 5 minute ferry ride (ya it was really short... if you didn't mind getting wet you could easily swim over) we had to wait for yet another bus to take us to the beach. The ride on this bus was crazy!! The driver went really fast on a winding road where people were walking. I thought for sure we were going to kill someone! The road was really bumpy as well. We make it to the beach and arrive safetly. Now part of the reason why I wanted to go on Friday was because of a catching fish with your bare hands competition that was happening in the morning.

Unfortunately as we arrived all the Koreans were packing up their fish and leaving. I was sad to miss it but it was hillarious watching people carrying huge bags of freshly caught fish.

The next step upon arrival was to rent out a little shack on the beach. Tina and I shared one with two other girls. It was 40 000 won for the shack so about 8 CAD each for the night. Not to shabby! The floors of the huts were heated which was totally necessary at night as it got quite cold. This is what the shacks looked like.

The tide was out so we walked through the muck. It felt soooo neat on your feet and there were little crabs everywhere burrowing into the mud. We all had some beers and decided to play volleyball with our makeshift net and soccer ball we found.

There was such a beautiful sunset that night!

We all got dinner on the beach. I was actually kind of disappointed with the seafood we had. It was okay but I have had better. The shrimp looked really cool while we were cooking them.

So that night we started several bonfires and this man kept telling us to put them out and eventually he called the police and they said we could have the fire but to not get anymore wood... but the really funny thing is the old man's reason for us to not have a fire... He was afraid that North Korea would find us because of our fire... a plane would fly over and bomb us because of the fire... now a barbecue was totally fine. The light from that would not attract the North Koreans because people were cooking over it.... and all the blaring lights set up on the beach... well that would not attract them either... the only thing that would attract them was a small campfire! Oh Koreans....

The next morning Tina and I went sea shell hunting. It was nice to walk in the muck again and we found some pretty cool shells. It was once again a beautiful day! It was soooo warm I could not believe it.

The only sad thing that we both felt was that we were missing thanksgiving with our families that day.

This is me squishing my toes in the muck. We left shortly after this and made the trek from bus to ferry to bus to airport bus to subway home! It was a long trek but definitely worth it and I plan to go back many times next summer!

Operation Muuido Part 1... Friday.

So a friend invited me to go toMuuido. It is a little Island off of Incheon (that is where the airport is). She and her friends were not going until the Saturday so my coworker Veena and I decided to go Friday. Veena's sister Sanjini came, as well as Tina who was visiting before leaving me for Canada (which she did this morning) :( So we get all packed up Tina and I have a backpack each but Veena has adopted two pets... So she can't leave them all alone especially since they are so young. So they had a dog, a cat, a backpack, a rolling suitcase and a purse to deal with!

So we have tons of luggage and we begin our trek. I had found directions on an official Korean Tourism site. We had to subway to Incheon which was successful... The tricky part came when we got off the subway in Incheon. We had to get to the ferry so we looked for a cab. We finally found one and hopped in. Sanj was trying to get her luggage in the trunk and the cabbie started to take off without her in it! We yelled at him and he stopped. Her suitcase would just not fit in the trunk! He would not come out and help us. So I sat in the front seat and we tried to put the suitcase on top of me but when we shut the door it did not fit and was possibly hitting electronic devices and the cabbie freaks out and yells at us to get out... so that didn't work.

I also knew which bus to take. So we wander around and some nice lady gives us directions to the busses. We hop on and have gone a few stops when i go and ask the driver if we are going the right way. He makes hand gestures and says something in Korean and then won't continue driving. Through a couple of Koreans we finally understand we were going the opposite direction and we need to catch the same bus on the other side of the street. We see the bus coming so I (look both ways of course) and bolt across the street. Veena is close behind with the dog, Tina also running and Sanj loses a shoe while trying to wheel the luggage which stops wheeling and starts dragging! We all make it across without dying and hop on the bus and sweet!!! its going the right way. So we finally arrive at the ferry... to go to China!!! and it was closed anyway.

So now we have no idea where we are. It is dark and starting to get late. We try to ask a few people and finally between a man who speaks Korean and a guy translating we figure out the right ferry to go to and he gets us a cab and tells it where to go. We arrive at the ferry and we have to take this ferry... then take a bus to the other ferry to muuido but at this point the muuido ferry is now closed. So we hop on the ferry anyway and decide to find a hotel on the other side... even though there are hotels on the side we are on. Ferry ride was fun!! and pretty. We get to the other side and there is like nothing there! A guy tells us which bus to get on but when the one lone bus arrives and everyone gets on it we decide we better take it in case no other bus comes. At this point the ferry was closed and there was absolutely nothing around us. So we drive around these windy dirt roads and there is literally nothing around until we wind up at the airport. We head over to the best western but the rooms are expensive so we rush back to the airport and make it just in time to catch the last bus back to seoul national university of education.... that is where we live. In total all of this took 6 hours and we arrived home at 11:30pm and finally had dinner!

This is where we caught the ferry from.

This is how pretty it was on the ferry.

This is where we ended up when we got off the ferry... there was nothing.

and this is how I felt about the situation!

I did make it to Muuido the next day which is more to come!

Oh and Aunt Liz it is very safe in Korea. Crime is extremely low here and I am always in groups! I am being safe!

The week of frustration

So last week was kind of the most annoying week here. I hit a wall where I could no longer stand the language barrier. I was also really sick of the constant staring and how Koreans bump into you and do not apologize... so rude.. So I have been trying and trying to make my apartment nicer and well my bedspread really needed to go as did the funky matching pillowcases. So I looked everywhere for a new bedspread that would be thick enough for the winter and would look nice in my room.. I ended up with a white duvet well its white cause it has no cover... I gave up. I also wanted a set of western style sheets and pillowcases. I looked everywhere and finally gave up on regular pillowcases cause they don't exist here... so I just got some simple cream ones that zip up and are actually a size too small. Well I was excited though cause I found some sheets. They were silver and really cute... until I got home. When at home I realized that the lady sold me a fitted bed sheet only... for 34 000 won... so I paid approximately $30 for a fitted bed sheet. AHHHHHH I was soo freakin frustrated that I spent that much money on only a fitted bed sheet simply because I don't speak Korean and I did not know thats what the Korean lady was trying to explain to me. Basically I spent a week being bitter at the fact that I don't speak Korean. Well I gave up and asked my mummy to send me some nice sheets and pillowcases so I am excited for the day when those get sent!

So it was just a bad week but I feel much better now!

Just some random info

So last weekend on Saturday I decided that this should be the night where I actually take the subway home after going out. The subway stops running at 12 am so you must be thinking wow... thats lame! such an early night... Well I mean take the subway home in the am as in it starts running again at 5am. So I danced... met some military men... danced and sang some more until finally the bar owner asks us to leave as they are closing... this is around 6:30 am. This is what the sky looked like.

and this is what I looked like outside at 6:30 am!

So we wandered around and thought it would be a great idea to go and get some breakfast. There is this place called Butterfingers that is totally amazing but I was pretty sure its location is Gagnam and these people I was with were sure there was one where we were in Hongdae... Well turns out there is not one in Hongdae so we hop on the subway and head to Gagnam... We did not make it... the stop to my house comes before that and I went home and went to bed! I was so tired and when I walked in my door the time on the clock was 8am. Not bad!

Tina arrived this week!!! Woot woot. So we went to Butterfingers this evening and it was delicious! We had pancakes, french toast, bacon, sausage, ham, eggs and potatoes!!!!!! After we went for a round of batting! I totally was way better than Tina. Finally found some posters for my apartment tonight as well and Tina and I decorated with the posters and covering another wall in my photos of friends... Updated photos of my apartment are coming soon.