I leave New Zealand on Saturday and will be updating this blog regularly while away. I'll keep you posted on what is happening.
*I have been a journalist for 13 years and have been at the Northern Advocate for nearly seven years as the police and emergency services reporter.
Kristin's photo gallery from Korea:
Kristin's Blog:
May 19
Seoul
This place is awesome. I am not a big city person but I have to say Seoul is easy to get around - even if it is a megacity and there are over 10 million people living in the central city.
Situated on the Han River, Seoul's history stretches back more than 2,000 years when it was founded in 18 BC by Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
It continued as the capital of Korea under the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire.
The Seoul metropolitan area contains four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeok Palace, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.
Seoul is surrounded by mountains, the tallest being Mt. Bukhan, the world's most visited national park.
I decided to get a better look at this megacity and went up the tower.
Wow from the observation deck I can certainly see where all those 10 million people are.
There are plenty of mountains but in every valley the are buildings as far as the eye can see.
Seoul is noted for its population density, which is almost twice that of New York and eight times greater than Rome!
Went and saw the changing of the guards too. Plenty of pomp and ceremony. It was a real contrast between the traditionally dressed guards against the backdrop of towering glass buildings of the modern era.
Also took in a show called Jump about a comedy about a Korean family and their taekwando exploits.
And then there are the markets in Seoul. They are everywhere.
If you are a shopper this place would be heaven.
And the best part is they go through the night some are 24 hours.
While it might be a big city the subway makes getting around a breeze.
There are nine major subway lines stretching for more than 250 kilometers.
With more than 8 million passengers per day, Seoul has the second busiest subway system in the world.
The Seoul Metropolitan Subway has 18 total lines which serve Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi province, western Gangwon province, and northern Chungnam province.
Thanks for all the good times Seoul.
May 15
Seoul fish market
I love fish markets.
There is so much colour - the fish, the people, the atmosphere.
So a visit to Seouls Noryangjin Fish Market, one of Korea'sbiggest and oldest, was a must see for me.
And I wasn't disappointed.
Fish were crammed into tanks and bins, baskets were filled to the brim with clams, crabs and sea snails.
Large octopi were spread out on tables, their rubbery skin gleaming.
Then there were the orange coloured sea squirts that are very strange looking a long with a whole lot more unidentified seafood delights.
Long hoses piped oxygen into many of the containers, keeping the contents alive.
Then there were the stall holders, about 800, wearing pink aprons and yellow gloves.
There was some friendly banter amongst them and then not so friendly, with raised voices and waving of hands.
With its narrow walkways, hurried streams of trolleys whisking inventory in and out, and master sashimi chefs drumming up orders on cutting boards, Noryangjin is a muscle of activity.
I'm wearing jandals but gumboots would have been a better option for dodging the blasts of cold water the merchants sluice through the aisles to wash away the fishy extras.
As the country's largest wholesale fish market there are about 4,000 people who work there on a regular basis and about 30,000 customers who filter in and out throughout the day.
It is also a wholesale auction market, and the bulk of seafood into Seoul and the surrounding regions is sold through here.
The auction is conducted between 1am and 6.30am-0630. The retail market takes off where the auction ends and business is conducted 24hrs a day.
It's spring so there are plenty of flounder, Spanish mackerel, black sea bream, snapper, parrot fish, hakkkongchi, chammuneo, and prawns which are in season.
I slowly walk the rows under the sprawling structure.
A piece of salmon catches my eye and I think sashimi for breakfast sounds good.
The fish is expertly cut into slithers and arranged on a plastic plate by a young man.
Normally the tourists would then move on to eat their fish or take it to a restaurant on the second level of the market to have it cooked.
I see these vendors are about to have their breakfast too. I ask if I can eat with them.
I speak no Koreran and they no English but after a lot of pointing they clear a space for me at the small red plastic topped table and they find me a chair.
The salmon melts in my mouth. They eat a traditional breakfast of soup rice and kimchi.
I pull my iPad out of my back pack and show them photos of New Zealand-one of which is a diver at the Poor Knight Islands surrounded by blue maomao.
It generates a lot of talk, none of which I understand.
We part and I continue my three hour tour of the market.
I come across a vendor who speaks English. I tell him we have nothing like this market in New Zealand.
He asks why and says New Zealand is surrounded by sea.
I get yelled at by other vendors not happy about having their photo taken, one if which I talk round and leave with a smile in his face.
It was an awesome experience and if you make it to Seoul it's definitely worth a visit.
Fish pedicure
I enjoy a good pedicure. I enjoy fish. So why not combine the two?
On the third floor of a shopping market in central Seoul I got my opportunity!
Pedicures I've had in the past either involved a lot of scrubbing with a pumice like tool and even a razor that scrapes off dead skin.
Well the exfoliating agent used in this tootsie clean-up were hundreds of hungry little fish!
Yeap as soon as I dipped my feet in the water they immediately got to work.
Now, before I get too far into this, don't think of this as piranha swarms or sharks reducing swimmers to a murky red patches in the water.
It's not an indoor version of Jaws.
This treatment operates under a very simple idea.
You put body parts into water that is filled with tiny toothless Garra rufa, commonly known as "doctor fish."
They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries.
These little guys feed on dead skin cells, but they have no interest in living skin cells.
So you just sit back and let them work their magic, they chomp off all of the dead skin cells and leave your skin feeling smooth, vibrant, and healthy.
It may seem gross but its five-star, healthy dining for the fish.
It feels like very fine vibrations all over your feet, like a micro-massage.
It's kind the same sensation when you get pins and needles in your feet.
Once you're passed the 30 second mark, it's very relaxing.
My spa buddy Karen Stimson, a PE teacher from Albany Senior High School, said the nibbling took a bit of getting used to.
"When you think about what they are doing it's gross," she said after a short squeal.
"As soon as I put my feet in they came charging at me.
"I found it gross thinking of them I between my toes."
After 15 minutes their work is done and phase two the more conventional part of this beauty treatment can begin.
Another 40 minutes later and my toenails are sparkling red.
My feet feel clean and I'm ready to face the streets again!
May 13:
Lotus Lantern Festival
It's been quite a few years since Buddha walked the earth, but his life and example are still celebrated across the world.
Although each country honors the icon a bit differently, nowhere can you get a more thrilling crash course in all things Buddha than at Seoul's annual Lotus Lantern Festival.
For three glorious days in May, when the big guy's turns a year older, Korea pulls out all the stops and throws the best birthday party ever.
And wow it's pretty impressive. While I might have missed the big parade the mini lantern parade to finish the three-day celebrations in central Soeul was amazing.
A street was blocked off and tents lined the sides offering a variety of activities from traditional face painting to making lotus lanterns. But hen as those were packed up the parade began with a giant dragon leading the way!
There are many more lanterns that follow and there are lantern displays on the side of the road.
It's so colourful.
But the paper and silk lotus lanterns don't just make for great photo ops; they are an important reminder of Buddha's life and mission - symbolizing wishes for health, long life and abundance.
After the parade traditional dance groups performed. Absolutely stunning. The dancers were so energetic and the crowd was really cheering them on. What an awesome introduction to Korea's capital city of Seoul.
Housing in Korea
Towering concrete apartment blocks dominate most Korean towns and cities.
For some one raised on a 320 hectare farm, a house on level 19 accessed only by lifts or hundreds of stairs, with no lawn- seems a tough way to live!
But South Korea is a crowded country, with about 50 million people living in an area about the size of the North Island.
Approximately 90% of the land is mountainous, so Koreans have to use space ingeniously to make room for everybody.
This means mostly building up instead of out.
The most popular type of housing in South Korea is the apartment, and Koreans see the "apatu" much like Westerners see the single-family house with white picket fence and private lawn.
Apartments tend to be two- or three-bedroom units, and are built largely for families.
Since many Koreans live with their parents until they marry, and married couples tend to have children shortly after tying the knot, there is less demand for smaller apartments for couples in the country.
Apparently a one-bedroom apatu is a rare breed.
Apartment complexes consist of several massive concrete buildings that are identical to each other and facing one another in a small community. There is usually a small shop and maybe a restaurant or two on site.
Korean Sauna and bath
Beads of sweat form across my fore head. They join together to form streams flowing down my face and neck.
My arms are sweating, my legs are sweating and I'm sure even my toes are sweating.
A I sit crossed legged on an old sack in the semi-darkness I breathe through my mouth -I initially tried through my nose and it seemed like my nostrils were sucking in fire.
I relax and let the heat seep through my body.
I am experiencing a traditional Korean sauna and it's awesome. Later ill experience a bath the second part of this cleansing experience.
Our guides have brought us to the Well-being Sauna in the city of Wonju. The sauna is open 24hours.
Koreans enjoy hot sauce, spicy food, hot tubs and hot saunas. Sauna and bathhouses are something that is an integral part of Korean culture.
A Jjimjilbangis a large, gender-segregated public bathhouse in Korea, furnished with hot tubs, showers, and a variety of sauna.
The experienced begins when we check in and are handed a shirt and shorts at the front desk -pink for women and a mustard colour for men.
We are issued with a key and proceed to he lockers where we change. Then it's up stairs to a large open space where people lie on mats on the heard floor. Some a sleeping some are watching a large Samsung television.
There are kids watching tv and eating ice creams.
Apparently families come to these sauna and just hang out for he day relaxing.
There are even sleeping rooms and you can stay overnight.
The first sauna I venture into is the mud room. It's about 69 degrees.
There is a mat on he floor and wooden head rests. I lie down and look at the ceiling which is made from mud hence the name.
I eventually drip with sweat and venture into the ice room.
My breathe steams like on a cold winter morning.
Next it's into the rock salt sauna.
Huge pieces of pink rock salt cover he floor and are so hot they scorch the bottom of my feet like running across hot sand on a Northland beach in he middle of summer.
Eventually I position myself in the rock salt with my feet resting on two head rests.
After ten minutes I'm dripping again and it's another trip to the ice box.
Then comes the big one!
It's a bit spooky entering the hottest sauna. You enter through a door that reminds me of an oven door. I have to stoop to get inside and walk through a 2 metre tunnel that opens up into a large conned shaped cavern.
The heat is suffocating and burns my nostrils.
People sit motionless on the woven mat. Oh and you have to bring an old sack to sit on the floor in this one as it is so hot. And I have a towel over my head, twisted into a traditional hat that makes me look like Princess Laya in Starwars - it's to protect my hair from the heat.
Inside the sauna a person has covered themselves with a blanket and is curled up on the floor.
I just sit and feel the heat and start to sweat!
Apparently they load up the big burner with wood at night so the sauna can generate such heat. There is no temperature gauge on this one but its got to be over 100 degrees.
I last about 20 minutes on my first go but the second and third times a significantly decreased.
All these sauna areas are mixed with men and women but when it comes to he second phase of bathing they are separate.
The bath area is amazing. The are showers, big pools of varying temperatures, a section for massage and facials and low stools and mirrors with shower heads next to them.
First I shower then it's another sauna. It's getting harder to stay in the saunas but I press on. Then it's into he cold plunge pool.
My bath is taken away initially then it's back into the sauna.
Then it's into a warm pool for a few minutes relaxation.
Then I have another shower scrubbing away.
Women scrub each others backs and hose each other off.
When i finish I'm on the verge of being squeaky clean.
I feel very clean and rejuvenated.
It's been an awesome experience.
* Korea's first modern-style public bathhouse opened in Pyeongyang in 1924, during the period of forced occupation by Japan. With the mass construction of modern apartments equipped with bathrooms from the 1970s onwards, bathhouses were made partially redundant. On the other hand, the bathhouse and sauna came to play a crucial role as social gathering points in an urban environment that lacked other public spaces. Today, jjimjilbang remain favorite places to relax and socialize for Korean friends and families.
Cupping in Korea
Traveling is all about new experiences and stepping outside your comfort zones.
Well today I had 20 needles dotted across my shoulders as part of an acuputure session which is outside my comfort zone!
I'm not afraid of needles but having a whole series of them poked into your back took a bit of getting used to.
That was followed by a procedure known as "cupping" - something I had never heard of before.
Cupping is one of the oldest methods of traditional Chinese medicine and is a simple method of pulling "stuck," stagnant, and congealed blood and fluids out of an injured area.
Plastic or glass cups are placed on the skin and then applied using suction. Cups are kept on from three to fifteen minutes, according to the judgment of the acupuncturist.
Cupping releases tight, painful muscles and increases blood circulation.
Originally, practitioners would use hollowed-out animal horns for cups, and place them over particular points.
These days, most acupuncturists use cups made of thick glass or plastic, although bamboo, iron and pottery cups Three such glass cups were placed across the back of my shoulders.
But before they were the doctor showed me a plastic gun-like thing. I couldn't see but it felt like a needle shot out and in from the gun.
He did that a number of times in a concentrated area before the cups were placed over them and suctioned on with a pump device.
The cups were applied and the skin was drawn up, and a small amount of blood flowed from the puncture sites, which is believed to help remove harmful substances and toxins from the body.
There was a mild stinging sensation but nothing too painful.
I have to admit I woke up the next morning free from neck and shoulder pain and stiffness.
I'd give it another try.
May 10:
Sangjang Elementary School Sports Day
The cheers of the children could be heard the instant you walked in the school gate.
The kids all dressed in their yellow sports uniforms were all packed onto the field - sand and not a blade of grass in sight.
It was pretty cold with snow falling in the mountains not so far away but the enthusiasm and involvement shown by the kids kept them warm.
There were the usual relay races but there was a race that really caught my eye.
It was like something out of Top Town. The kids had to climb through a hoop then sit on a balloon and pop it and then run to the finish line.
One poor little girl put her fingers in her ears well before she even made it to the balloons. Hilarious.
There was plenty of cheering coming from the teams (blue and white) for support and motivation as well as the proud parents screaming away.
The sports day ended with all the parents, rotary hosts and GSE team members having a tug of war which ended up toppling many of the participants.
The blue team, which I was a member of, won 2-1 and for our efforts we were all given a gift - pine and mint flavoured toothpaste.
May 9:
Coal mining
On this trip I've seen plenty of museums but one that has really impressed is a coal museum in Taebaek - a remote town surrounded by the high rise rugged mountains.
Once a successful coal mining town, the mines are no longer in operation, but you can still see some evidence left behind, in the abandoned mines that litter the outskirts of town.
It is an excellent museum showing visitors the history of coal mining in Korea in its eight exhibition rooms.
It has an extensive display of geology from over the world as well as interesting photos of Taebaek from the times when it really was a coal-mining town.
A mine simulation modeled closely after real mine shows how the mining work was like, while being let through the realistic setting of mining work simulated with various types of mines and equipments.
Walking through the display leaves you in no doubt coal mining back in the day was a dirty, tough and dangerous job.
Even today the job is wrought with danger and New Zealand knows only to well after the Pike River disaster.
Favorite Korean Tipple
Well the Koreans certainly like to socialise and the main ingredient seems to come in a little green bottle known as Soju.
It is Korea's most famous distilled liquor. And in the supermarkets you can buy a bottle for less than $1.50.
Within the first couple of days I discovered it wasn't for me and the only way I could drink the clear liquid was to pour the shot glass full into a glass and top it up with beer. Apparently that is known as a "bomb" and is also a popular way to drink Soju.
It also impresses the locals and makes you instant friends at the table.
And seemed to appease my hosts.
Instead of "cheers" it is customary to shout "one shot" and then proceed to skull your Soju.
But I have discovered an alternative and have been sipping away at a popular fruit wine called bokbunjaju - black raspberry wine.
It's delicious!!
Another tipple making a very common appearance at the table is makgeolli. You say it like mocolli.
It's Korea's most popular traditional drink and is often referred to as 'the liquor of the common people'.
At first I wasn't so keen on the milk-coloured fermented product but I have to say its not bad.
Makgeolli is typically made from rice but can also be made from black beans, millet, corn, or sweet potato.
I'm sticking to the berry wine.
Visit to Winter Olympic Venue - Pyeongchang
The Winter Olympics might be five years away but the Korean's are well into building venues for the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in 2018.
I got to have a look at some of the venues that have been built and used already at the Alpensia Alpine centre at Pyeongchang.
As you approach what will be the hub of the games it's surrounded by farmland that leads into mountains.
The first stop is at the Ski Jump Stadium which is dam impressive.
When you watch these events on TV you know the slops are steep but you should see them first hand.
Standing at the bottom of the turfed slope that will eventually be covered in snow come competition day I reckon it would be pretty hard to actually climb up!
They are steep.
There are two heights the skiers leap from 90m and 120m both look pretty high to me.
I have a new appreciation for those skiers that's for sure!
Next is down to the village where the media are to be housed. It's like a ski lodge and they expect up to 20,000 media representatives to be there during the games. Construction is starting on a complete broadcasting centre.
Other candidates that applied to host the games were Annecy, France and Munich, Germany.
Pyeongchang won on its third consecutive bid, having lost previously to Vancouver, Canada and Sochi, Russia. It will be the first Winter Olympic Games and second Olympic Games in South Korea; the 1988 Summer Olympics were held in Seoul.
Pyeongchang launched its bid for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, which it finally won in the first round of voting.
Fifteen winter sport disciplines, organized as seven olympic sports, are scheduled in the 2018 Winter Olympics program.
The three skating sports disciplines are: figure skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. The six skiing sport disciplines are: alpine, cross-country skiing, freestyle, Nordic combined, ski jumping and snowboarding.
The two bobsleigh sports disciplines are: bobsleigh and skeleton. The other four sports are: biathlon, curling, ice hockey, and luge.
PyeongChang, about 180 kilometers east of Seoul, won the bid in July 2011, becoming the first South Korean host of the quadrennial winter sports competition.
Indoor events will be held in another cluster of facilities to be built in nearby Gangneung, a coastal city about 60km east.
A planned express rail line, to be completed in 2017, will travel the distance between Seoul and Pyeongchang in about 50 minutes.
Zip Wire experience
New Zealanders know how to create adrenaline sports but the Koreans are having a crack at it too.
Zip-wire is a new extreme sport of hurtling down a wire rope across a valley. This zip-wire connects the Byeongbanchi Sky Walk with the learning centre at the bottom of the ride.
It's about 1.1km long and takes less than 90 seconds to descend.
"Zippers" are harnessed into a fabric seat and told to hold on tight.
You dangle 326m above the ground while enjoying the ride down.
It all sounds fantastic and I have to admit the first few seconds when the gate opened and I was released my heart leapt into my throat.
However it was a pretty sedate ride after the first ten seconds.
They reckon you can reach speeds of up to 110 m but it was more like 70km at the peak.
Nice work Korea but check out a Kiwi bungy!
May 6:
Something you wouldn't expect to see in Korea!!!
Haesindang Park is perched on cliffs next to the sea and is a park with a difference.
It's in a small town called Sinnam, about 20 kilometres south of Samcheok on the east coast of the Gangwon-Do province.
Everywhere you look you are faced with giant statues of the male reproductive organ - yes the penis!
There are wooden ones, concrete ones, a massive gold one and a couple feature in a beautiful flower garden complete with a waterfall.
Oh and then there is the one made into a see-saw.
There are ones inspired by Africa and then there are the towering polished concrete specimens placed in a semi-circle on top of the hill that represent each of the Chinese New Year symbols.
Throughout the park the sound of laughing women can be heard. It's a deep belly laugh.
A quick glimpse at the men's faces and there is not so much amusement.
Most of them look at the sculptures and move on.
Some do stop to have their photos taken along side some of the pieces of art but it is the women who are getting the most out of this park.
The reason for the parks's existence does have serious roots.
A tragic legend known as the "Legend of Auebawi and Haesindang" shrouds the statues of the park in that a virgin was once swept out to sea and drowned, unable to be saved by her lover.
The townspeople were devastated and helpless, and a curse appeared to have been cast over them, ruining the local fishing industry.
People tried to calm the annoyed sea by throwing male symbols into it and miraculously the fishing industry revived. It was discovered that her restless spirit could be appeased so the townsfolk compensated for the woman's inability to consummate beyond the grave by placing sexually potent phallic statues in view of the shore.
The seaward end of the park has a small shrine dedicated to the spirit of the virgin girl, and the park has a bronze statue about the legend.
Each year there is a sculpture competition and the winner has their artwork erected in the park.
This is something I didn't expect to see on my travels in Korea.
Casino experience
There are casinos in Korea but the locals aren't permitted to gamble in them ! But there is one exception and that is the Kangwon Land Resort which I visited.
Of the country's 17 licensed casinos, one -- Kangwon Land Resort - is open to locals.
Its remote location in a mountainous area, several hundred kilometres and a three-hour express bus ride from Seoul, which was supposed to deter salarymen from nightly excursions during the working week.
But special "bullet taxis" offer a high-speed, white-knuckle service that promises to get punters there in half the time, and attendance and revenue figures seem to support the theories about Koreans' proclivity for gambling.
I happened to visit on a Friday afternoon about 2pm and there were plenty of people there. And what was amazing compared to other casinos I have been in there were digital clocks!
Kangwon Land pulls in an average 10,000 visitors a day - around five times the actual seating capacity - and boasted revenue of nearly 1.2 trillion won (1.1 billion dollars) in 2011, more than all the 16 foreigner-only casinos combined.
This despite rules that restrict any individual from gambling more than 15 days a month - ID cards must be shown - and impose a maximum house wager of 300,000 won ($280).
The overcrowding led to calls for other casinos to be opened to Koreans but the government has resisted, insisting that Kangwon Land was a one-off project with the sole aim of revitalising an economically depressed area.
It's a pretty flash outfit with marble floors and big vases of flowers every where.
At night there is a light show using fountains which is spectacular.
However the fun is not 24 hours - the casino closes at 6am and opens again four hours later.
Cow plough
The sun is warming the earth and farmers are in full swing preparing the earth and planting out plots.
Much of the area of Gangwon Do is covered in a thick blanket of snow in winter so when the window of opportunity opens in spring it is full steam ahead for the farmers.
I have seen tractors in use in the small intensively farmed plots but today there was a surprise - a cow plough.
As we hurtled along the road I yelled at the driver to stop after spotting the farmer and his bovine plough machine.
The farmer quietly trudged, slightly stooped, behind the orange-coloured cow which was hooked up to a single plough.
Two women worked on the neat furrows placing a strip of black polythene over the top and securing the sides by placing dirt on the edges.
The neatly mounded rows will be planted with sweet potatoes.
At the end of each row the farmer spoke to the cow, with it turning and readying itself for another pull.
Quietly and methodically the duo worked the soil.
The only stop comes when the plough hits a stone. The farmer picks up the rock and tosses it aside and continues.
A neighbour works his land with a cow too.
Apparently its not a common sight but some farmers in this mountainous area find it easier to use cattle to help turn the soil in the smaller fields.
I wish I could have stayed longer and watched this man and his well trained animal.
Going down under!
Delving underground again - this time it's inside the Hwanseongul Cave.
This is the largest limestone cave in Asia and is famous for it's majestic chambers and fascinating formations.
First it's a short walk up the mountain followed by a very steep cable car ride to get to the entrance.
A boardwalk about 1.8km takes you on an underground adventure that leaves you with a bit of a crook in your neck from looking up all the time.
The natural beauty for me was spoilt half way round with neon lights which made it more like a theme ride at Disneyland. Overall pretty amazing place.
May 1:
Traditional dress
The traditional dresses of the Koreans are very elaborate. This week I got a chance to try one on.
First there are the under garments and a small jacket followed by the dress that ties on over he top.
The whole out fit is topped off with a crown.
Beautiful!
Korean food!
A word of warning- Koreans love their food and plenty of it!
Since arriving it has been a continuous feast of food. But I'm not complaining.
Just when you think you are done another course comes out and you start again. The side dishes are continually filled and never run out.
Eating with metal chopsticks has proved slightly harder than using the wooden ones we get in NZ.
There is a noticable lack of dairy foods. Rice is common at every meal including breakfast.
There are always lots of vegetables, especially Kimchi which is spicy cabbage.
On the coast raw fish is very common and I have been treated to raw paua - or abolone. There have been surprises like stingray, sea squirts and raw octopus I have preferred some seafoods more than others!!
Korean National Parks
The area of Dangwon-do in the north east of Korea is beautiful. There are rugged mountains which run down to beautiful beaches - just like we have in Northland. To the striking difference is the high fences topped with razor wire that seem to run the length of this province.
It's a stark reminder the threat of invasion by North Korea I'd still very much a possibility.
I have been lucky enough to experience two different parks.
The first was Seoraksan Natinal Park. It was on the weekend and I think most of Korea must have decided to take advantage of the beautiful spring weather and go trekking.
The walk takes us to a temple carved into a rock. It's pretty spectacular with stone cliffs towering above.
It seems Koreans love there colourful outdoor clothing. A the hundreds of walkers wend there way along the track it looks like multi-coloured confetti has been thrown into the air and settled in the forest!
But I guess if they stray from the track and they need rescuing they will be easy to see by rescuers.
The second hike was into the Mureung Valley - and it was on a week day so hardly any others there.
Wow! Spectacular towering rock formations line this track. A river with stunning waterfalls runs along side the path.
The trees have quickly lost their blossoms and fresh green leaves are appearing.
(Blog continues below photo gallery)
The Seaweed Lady
Sometimes you don't need to speak the same language to help someone and share an unforgettable experience.
Usually those moments are not planned either.
It happened to me on a South Korean beach when I was taking an early morning walk.
I ventured down to the white sandy beach that was only about 900 m long in front of the palatial Solbeach Resort, near Yangyang on the east coast.
There were a few others making the most of the spring morning as well.
Then I saw her - well her pink gloves got my attention then her gumboots.
I would later dub her "the seaweed lady".
She was a Korean woman in her 70s.
She wandered through the brightly clad beach goers all wearing their Nike or some brightly branded footwear.
It was a stark contrast - a woman carrying out a task with centuries of history against a backdrop of a modern palatial beach resort.
Her peaked sun visor was secured with a scarf knotted under her chin.
Her green waterproof overalls were tucked into her gumboots.
We passed each other.I smiled she smiled and waved.
My interest was piqued by a long stick with three wooden prongs attached
I watched her walk away and then I followed.
At the southern end of the beach she nimbly climbs across the rocky out crop and settles into her work. I leave my jandals on the beach and feel my way across the rocks.
Less that 50m away a tall fence topped with razor wire ran along the edge of the rocks and was completed with a camouflaged observation hut and armed soldier.
It's a common sight on South Korean beaches - but a hard one to get used to for me who grew up at Whananaki beaches where the only fences there were designed to keep cattle off the beach.
The seaweed lady wastes no time and is maneuvering her long stick into the water. She thrusts it into a patch of seaweed then begins to turn the stick. The seaweed becomes tangled in the prongs.
Using her body weight she pulls the seaweed free from the rocks.
The waves break on the rocks and wash around her boots as she swings the stick from the water to the rocks above the outgoing tide.
She smashes it against the rocks to free the dark brown kelp.
She does this a couple of times before I intercept the flying seaweed and remove it for her making the process quicker.
We work as a team.
She moves round the rocks and I follow.
As she works it is against the backdrop of the sprawling resort where there are hundreds of people enjoying the luxurious resort with its marble floors and indoor heated pools. There are buffet tables lined with copious amounts of food for those at breakfast.
It's a stark contrast against a woman who is carrying out a traditional form of food gathering that has gone on for centuries.
In Korea large sheets of dried seaweed is sold at the fish markets. As you drive along the coast drying seaweed can regularly be seen.
Half an hour later and she has enough seaweed.
She crouches over the pile of slippery kelp and starts to load it into a pouch fashioned from a sheet of material and tied around her waist.
It's time for me to go.
The seaweed lady looks up and I catch her eye. She smiles and i note a few teeth missing.
I wave goodbye
And we part.
Not a word was spoken but an understanding and a common element bringing us together - the sea.
(Blog continues below video)
April 26:
Korean People
There are 50 million Koreans living in an area as big as the North Island so it seems there are people everywhere here. But they are so friendly and have welcomed us and treated us like royalty.
Due to the lack of space many Koreans live in high rise apartments. So everywhere you go you there are these towering buildings. And most of the bigger places we have visited in the Gangwon -do area have been built next to rivers.
It seems there is a real focus on making these cities really people friendly with plenty of walking and cycling paths and heap of excellent sporting facilities.
Farming
Driving around the Gangwon-do area you certainly notice farming is a bit different to New Zealand.because land is is so precious it seems that every little bit that can be used is.
It's spring her so preparation of land and planting of crops is in full swing.
The main crop here is rice. Farms are not very big and more intensive than extensive operations. There are all plenty of sweet potato - yeap they look and taste just like our Kumara - about to be planted out as well.
The are plenty of huge tunnel houses everywhere and are used for a variety of cops including capsicum for making paprika and growing flowers.
The cows are all eared inside sheds and I have only spotted one fresian dairy herd.
Temples
Wow the Buddhist temples are amazing.
They are built in traditional way and the roof is usually really impressive from outside as well as inside. In one temple I visited the whole ceiling was decorated and had gold leaf in it. It took 30 artists a month to complete.
Monks and nuns usually live in these places and open them up as tourist attractions in the hope of raising some money.
DMZ-Demilitarised Zone
One thing that has struck me when traveling here is the threat of war with neighbours North Korea.
There are military bases everywhere but as you get closer to the border it seems the compounds with razor wire around the outside increases.
As you pass by you get quick glimpses inside and can see rows of tanks and other army vehicles ready to go.
You also have to go through check points that are manned by baby faced soldiers with huge guns slung across their shoulders.
The DMZ is a strip of land four kilometers wide which is a no go area. On both sides it is fenced off with razor wire.
Lookouts are spaced along the fence line with guards continually on the look out for anyone trying to breech the line.
I have visited a tunnel discovered in 1973 by the South Koreans-about 10km north of Seoul the capital city.
It was made by North Korea in their bid to take over the South - although they continually deny they had anything to do with it.
They say 16,000 soldiers could be moved through the tunnel in an hour if needed!!
Fish markets
I love fish so when I visited a full on fishmarket I was in heaven.
Crabs, squid, octopus and hundreds of different fish could be found. Plus heaps of dried fish! And the were plenty of things I couldn't identify too. I sampled some BBQ fish that I paid $2 for but the man gave me back my money afteri told him it was delicious!
The most scary thing I saw was a dried stingray. Not so keen to try that one!
