Yeongdo Night Hike

The night after a full moon, April 26th, I went on a night hike with Busan Daytrippers. I was supposed to go on two before when I lived in Ireland, but they got rained or snowed out. It was tons of fun and I hope that we do another one here!

We went to Yeongdo (do meaning island) which is where I went before for the taejongdae. We didn’t go that far out, as there are mountains in the middle, called Grandma, Son, and Grandson and those are the ones we hiked.

We took bus to the lion temple.

We then walked along the beach to a mini Buddhist shrine and went up from there.

Never sit on Grandma! It’s a curse!

Son has a little building at the top.

Grandson is where we saw the sunrise, but I think any would be fine for it.

When the sun did come up we got a good view of oryuk islands, or four or five islands.

Lantern Making

I’ve been to this temple once before for kite making. I wanted to go back for percussion which was last month, but it was on St Patricks Day and I knew I would not make it.  Next month is the weekend I plan on going to Seoul, the 19th, so I won’t be able to make it to the flower pancake.

Once you go to Nopo you go out the exit between the subway and the bus and walk to the right (its quite a walk, but you could see other foreigners–or I’m told that that there are also little kids dressed in the Buddhism clothing looking for us). After that a bus takes you for about 10 minutes to the Temple.

The head of the temple told us this:

Lanterns mean taking away the darkness. It means light. We make them every April to represent winter ending and spring starting.

Which I thought was really well put.

Again, they gave us everything we needed to make the two lanterns: paper, glue, metal cage, paper cup and brush.

We made two lanterns: octagon and lotus.

The octagon lanterns were a lot easier to make as we just glued the paper directly onto the metal frame.

The lotus lantern was a bit harder, as we start with the little cup with string (first photo) and take the little papers that are kind-of-triangles and put glue on the bottom and stick them on a cup where they overlap but not too much and don’t go too far down but have 5 rows.

The whole temple was decorated with lanterns.

I also went up to the very top, and inside of the Buddhas belly was this:

There is no Buddha inside the belly because the bones and spirit are inside the pagoda (above). It was brought by either the Dali Lama or another famous Buddhist from Nepal.

India Overview

All my posts about India:

Driving around India

Pushkar Overview

• Cooking Class
• Camel Ride
• Sunset in Pushkar

Jaipur Overview

• Amber Fort
• City Palace
• Jaipurs Holi Festival
• Holi
• Elefantastic

Agra Overview

• Agra Fort
• Taj Mahal

Delhi Overview

• Humayun’s Tomb
• Qutab Minar
• Delhi Airport

Shanghai in 20 hours

I rode on the back of a bike without a helmet! It doesn’t sound that scary when compared to what other people do when traveling but it was pretty scary to me–the rules of the road are nonexistent in China.

We then went to the market I mentioned before and I bought a Tom Brady jersey for $20, Ray Ban sunglasses for $5 and a few other things. These later disappeared and we think we know where they went but the person claims to not have them….

Next we went to old Shanghai where things got really ‘Chinese-e’ and walked around a bit. I ate the greasy-ist  scallion pancake in the world.

After a break from the busy world we went to dinner at Bali Laguna, an Indonesian Restaurant. The non-alcoholic drinks are just as expensive as the food! The food was amazing though, maybe I should have gotten a drink just to see how good those would have been. Oh well, I have plans to go to Indonesia so hopefully I’ll be able to have just as nice food and drinks for cheaper.

We then went for a walk and looked at some DVDs. I really didn’t understand the ordering…

When I’m looking for Motorcycle Diaries, I might as well get The Game Plan too.

This I like. If I’m going to buy one De Niro movie, why not buy more?

Or buy some Kubrick with my Tarantino

After that was home to drink Chinese wine and leave at 5am with the worst hangover ever.

Delhi

Got into Delhi just after noon and even though it’s a holiday (Good Friday) it’s very busy.

I left with the guide at 2:30 (supposed to be 2 but he was late…) and we went to Jama Masjid which is the biggest mosque in India. No pictures were allowed to be taken and I had to wear a wrap around my body (not over my hair though, like I thought). It’s beautiful with red walls and marble floor with outlines for where people can sit and pray towards Mecca. It’s closed to the public whenever prayer is going on.  The white floors are all covered  so the white does not provide glare like it does at Agra Fort.

We then went though a walk of the small market streets in Old Delhi. We did the gem streets, food street and gold and silver street.Between the food street and gold and silver street we walked down Chandni Chowk which is the main street where it didn’t actually seem like a lot was going on.

After that we went to Rajghat–which means for Royal Burial Grounds–which is where Gandhi was cremated, the ashes in Hindu culture are always thrown into the Ganges River. It’s a really beautiful area with tons of flowers. I didn’t go down to the spot because there were a lot of people but there is a great place to view from above. Other important people have locations there like the first Prime Minister.

Next we went to a lotus mosque that was built by Iranians in the 1980s. the marble was imported form Italy–and it’s all marble! we didn’t go in because the line was very very long.

Next I was taken to Kashmir Cashmere. I hate when someone takes you somewhere just to have you buy stuff. Normally in India I could just avoid it just by not following people. However when your driver and tour guide take you somewhere that is another story….you can’t get away. I could say that I don’t want to go in but they would just insist and insist and insist.

Anyway, I was told stories upon stores of how all the money goes back to Kashmir which is a warn torn area where I guess the Indian government doesn’t send any help. I wish I had been able to go there as photography is supposed to be amazing because it is so beautiful (worth fighting for…) but it was too far for my time in India. Also could be a bit kid-nappy, according to the US State Department website when I looked it up. They showed me how to make the rugs (hand knotted) which were too pricey for me ($435 for the 2nd size they had, smallest was like a bath mat). I said $150 as a super low-ball because I didn’t want one and they said they would call the family and ask if that was an okay price! Ended up buying a scarf for $60 when they said $80.

Next day I went past the government buildings like Parliament, Presidents house and Prime Ministers house.  I went out for a walk near the Presidents house and there were monkeys everywhere! They must be the first line of defense.

I went to India Gate which is not so much a gate as you cannot drive or walk though it but a war memorial. Tons of people offering to take pictures which did not even look that nice or sell pipes. Odd mix. Very bored looking security again. The flowers there were beautiful again, as were those around the canopy behind the gate. Actually, those were nicer.

Next was Humayun’s tomb.

Finally, I went to Qutab Minar.

On the way back I went past Red Fort again (had gone by it in the morning before the Delhi market but didn’t get good pictures). It’s kind of hard to take good pictures as there is a lot of traffic going past, no parking lot and all the street ‘parking’ (really just seems like a lane that should have cars being driven in it) was taken up by tuk tuks, rickshaws and stands selling food.

I went to Indian McDonald’s for lunch which was fantastic. I had the Spicy Paneer Burger and I don’t know why this is not offered everywhere! In the US they could use mozzarella or halloumi cheese, bread it, fry it and put it on a bun.

Then I went to the airport.

Delhi Airport

I thought I’d never like any airport less than JFK because JFK has no seats. Well, it has some, but never though for everyone, or even half of everyone.

When I got to the airport I had to go though some sort of security just to enter so the airport would not be packed. Only those flying may enter, I guess. The guy would not let me in with one page of my Orbitz updated confirmation because it didn’t have my name. I had to pull out the original which did and then he said I was too early. No, the flight time changed, that’s why I showed him updated….fair enough it didn’t have my name, but it had the wrong times.

When I checked in I asked about changing currency and they said I could after I went though immigration. Fair enough, I didn’t see any outside anyway. Oh, as I was checking in 2 employees were yelling a personal conversation over the guy who was checking me in. I couldn’t understand, but by the looks on their faces and my agents face, it seemed like something upsetting to them, and something he didn’t want yelled at him from both sides when he’s not involved.

At immigration the guy was annoyed my passport would not scan. That’s what the numbers are for. If it doesn’t scan, type the numbers. Don’t be lazy and give me a dirty look.

At security I was hasseled for a bag tag that the airline gave me at check in. I also had to switch lines because of sexist security. Why are certain machines for men and certain machines for woman? Does that matter? After I switched for 5 minutes I was told I could go back to my original line because they opened up the womens line there. As I started to walk though another woman ran though. You can’t run though the gate, nor can you go though at the same time as someone else. So confused by her. Didn’t say a word to me and when we reentered she got to go first.

Once past everything, I was told I had to change money before immigration. So I was left with about $50 in rupees. Good thing I was able to exchange in Shanghai.

A bit confusing to find your way around as well.

Qutab Minar

Finally, I went to Qutab Minar which was built in the 14th Century and is the oldest building in Delhi. I thought it would just be the tower, but there ware many other buildings around it, mostly to the right, including another tower that was not finished. Most of the other buildings were very decayed, however there was 1 more tomb. also lots of grassy area to relax and have a picnic which I wish I could have done if I had known. Have to pay 5 rupees to use the toilet there and there is no toilet paper, water to use instead or soap! If I pay I expect…something.

Humayun’s tomb

Next was Humayun’s tomb (and Isa Khan’s tomb but that is under construction–I got a few pictures). Another set of amazing buildings and gardens which have been well restored. I feel like sandstone shouldn’t restore well but I guess it does. Most of the tourists here were Indian or German (how do they get everywhere??)–but there were some Americans who said ‘this mosque is so different from the rest–it’s almost classy!”Is she saying the rest are tacky?

I liked Afsarwala mosque and Tomb more as it was not overly big like Humayun’s tomb.

Tons of eagles flying around the top like at the Taj Mahal. There were lots of signs talking about how it was a very big deal to do the reconstruction as it will create a better neighborhood and more religious understanding as at the time this tomb was built India was mostly Muslim and is now mostly Hindu, thus most workers are Hindu. A Muslim man lifted the curtain of construction for me to be able to take better pictures of Isa Khans tomb.

And, like I said, Isa Khan’s tomb.

Agra

Agra didn’t seem like a nice town. Everywhere seems devoted to tourists; even outside my window were people hanging laundry–not other hotels like there had been in other areas. I guess it wasn’t too different form parts of Dublin or Korea.

I went to Agra Fort and Taj Mahal.

 

Taj Mahal

I headed for the Taj Mahal around 4:30 and got back to the hotel around 7:30. Main takeaways:

• the security has AK47s which look fake
• the security office is covered with monkeys
• more pictures were taken of me than i took for the Taj Mahal itself (not really, but close)
• it IS amazing and beautiful

I expected it to be overrated but it 100% is not. Very overwhelming in it’s size and beauty.

I almost did not go in because the line was so long and I thought nothing could beat the outside but I found out that I had an express ticket and I got in quick. It did not seem like an express ticket but more of just cutting the line as there are not two separate areas, just an area with a guard to let you in past everyone else with a general ticket. With the express ticket you also get shoe covers and a bottle of water.

Inside did not live up to the outside but it was very intricately carved. There are many police with whistles and signs saying ‘no photos’ but everyone was taking them (with the flash on) which kind of ruins the moment. So do the pigeons inside flying above your head.

The sunset was beautiful.

When going there one rickshaw man would NOT leave me alone. I said no about 7 times, was standing in the free shuttle area and he kept asking so I yelled at him. Worked better than I thought because I never saw him again. I ended up walking back because the shuttle was taking ages and kept filling up with people from the hotel nearby and not taking anyone else. Of course, right after I started walking I saw the people I had been standing next to go past in a shuttle.

Oh, and this happened: