South Korea: A country seeking unification

We came to Seoul four years ago and, to be honest, I did not love it then. We were very jet-lagged that time and the country was pretty much a blur.  This time... we had an extra day here and I really enjoyed the leg.  We worked super hard and did a ton of stuff.

Views: The scavenge was to eat at this fancy restaurant “Top Cloud.”  Of course we didn’t know it was posh so we arrived in our zip-off travel pants and sweaty T-Shirts.  They seated us next to the kitchen behind a huge pole (as hidden as any table of diners could be).  But the restaurant actually was lovely and had amazing views of Seoul.  Even the bathroom –which had a large communal, circular sink – was floor to ceiling windows with panoramic views. It made you just want to hang out in the restroom and watch the world below.

Spaceships:  A wow scavenge … sometimes the A+++ challenges just sneak up on you unexpectedly…. And this was one of those surprises.  We had to visit the Dongdaenum Design Plaza and describe the building there.  But there are no words.  It’s like two space ships just landed in the middle of downtown Seoul. Incredible engineering.  

In fact so overwhelming I had to just sit on a bench and gaze at the architecture for a bit.   And the locals are just walking on by, head down on their Iphones, not even awed by the wonder above them.  I actually said out loud .. to myself… “So impressive”  and a young man walking by stopped to chat, looked up from his tablet and we marveled at the place together for a moment.  Even the stairs are cool… lighted and heading from the space ship bowels to the sky.

Bug popcorn:  The challenge was to taste “bundaegi.”  And yes, it is bugs.  Bugs cooked up in huge pots and sold by street vendors in the cup-load.  Small cockroach-like bugs.  Koreans eat them like popcorn.  

Jordan, Bettina and I tried them.  They taste buggy.  There is buggy juice-ness in the middle.  They crunch in your mouth like a bug.  Yuck is too nice a word.

Busan fish market:  It’s a long train ride to Busan but the trip was worth a lot of bonus points, so off we went.  The fish market in Busan showcases some creatures from the sea that I've never seen or heard of or ever thought about putting near my mouth. 

There was a stunning selection of sea slugs, sea cucumbers, squids, octopus, crabs of every description and some deep sea fish that I have no name for.  Basically, if it lives in salt water, it’s for sale in Busan... and they buy it and chow down!!!

Suwon: Then to Suwon to climb up a hill to visit the fortress. Let me just say something about that scavenge:  Rainey got back from climbing to Everest base camp last month. He now thinks he’s a mountain goat. He hopped and skipped up the hill. I, on the other hand, trudged up it – having to rest periodically. Old age is a bitch.  

Great view of the whole of Suwon from the top of the hill

Jordan and I rang the giant bell at the top of the hill for luck.  When a youngster rings it, it’s for “peace with his elders” … maybe it will work on Jordan!!!

Scary moment.  The scavenge was to get to the roof of the Shinsegae department store flagship.  We got to the 14^th floor easy.  Then we found some back corridors.  One door led on to another few flights of stairs.  We climbed to the 17^th floor.  Then another set of corridors.  Another door. A new set of stairs.  We climbed to the roof.  By this time we had not seen a person in 6 or 7 floors.  We busted out of the stairwell onto the roof and took photos with the huge air conditioner systems and pipes.  

Then We turned to leave.  Urghhhh !!!! The steel door that we came through had shut behind us AND LOCKED.  We were officially trapped 20 floors up on a deserted roof in the middle of Seoul.  We banged and banged.  Nothing.  We yelled. Nothing.  Quick moment of panic.  First thought was to start dropping “Help. We are stranded on the roof” notes down on people’s heads. But for that plan to be successful the person hit with the note (attached to a rock – of course) would have to know English.  Breaking out seemed a better option. So we put Rainey and Johnathan on the task of beating and pulling on the steel door.  Adrenaline kicked in and they literally broke down the door.  We escaped.  Close call!!!

Spent sunset eating at a restaurant at the Seoul Tower. Great views at dusk.

DMZ:  Yesterday we went to the DMZ.  I know… how weird?  You can actually visit the DeMilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea (4 KM wide swath of land with 1 million land mines) and stand on a watch tower and look with high powered binoculars at the North Korean town right over the DMZ line.  The whole time I was wondering … are they looking back?

You are not allowed to photograph what you can see from the tower. And if you do, soldiers take away your phone and delete all of the pictures. They take this stuff very seriously. But, it looks remarkably like South Korea… except with a different flag flying on their flagpole.

Plus 4 KM is not a very big separation in terms of lobbing bombs or explosive devices at the other side.  I kept thinking we’d end up having to hit the deck and duck and cover from incoming. 

Equally odd… they let you go into one of the 5 “Infiltration Tunnels” discovered on the border where N. Korea dug 100+ feet down and burrowed under the DMZ and into S. Korea.  One is big enough to move 30,000 troops across the DMZ (cleverly avoiding the land mines) within hours. (Mexican drug cartels should come over here for digging-under-a-border lessons). The first tunnel – the one we visited – was discovered because the engineer who designed it defected to South Korea and spilled the beans.  The second tunnel was found when a soldier was urinating in the woods and noticed that his pee did not soak into the soil in a typical way (I have no idea what typical pee-soakage is, but something was apparently amiss in his experience).  The South Koreans have no idea how many tunnels are actually out there.  The tunnel we went into was small (you had to crouch over to fit) and North Korea had smeared the walls with coal dust so they could claim to the UN that they were just exploring for coal and - mistakenly - went in the wrong direction.  Naturally– even though it was against the rules – Jordan had to touch the walls and came away with coal black hands for the rest of the day.

We also visited the Peace Bell (which they claim will ring when unification of the country happens)

And the Freedom Bridge (a bridge spanning the DMZ). 12,700 South Korean and American prisoners of war walked across that bridge into South Korea when the Korean war ended and the POWs were released.  And the new train station (completely built and decked out in 2002) when there was a fleeting hope that N. Korea would let the southern country use its railroad lines to move goods and people over its land to Europe.  The promise never panned out. The train station – a huge, beautiful, modern facility - sits completely empty. 

Either the Koreans are true believers in “The Secret” (i.e. if you say out loud to the universe – enough times - what you want to happen, the universe will deliver it) or they are downright delusional. Because every other word out of their mouths is “WHEN” unification happens. They really want the two countries re-united as one.  Seems like time for a reality check.  From the outside world’s perspective unification is never going to happen and would probably be a terrible idea anyway. 

Coolest piece of art at the DMZ …. A world broken open with Korea split into two parts on either side of the broken globe with people straining to push it back together.

Changing of the guards at the palace: with all the pomp, circumstance, drum beating and hats with silly feathers that you would expect.

Plus we of course had to eat Korean Bar-B-Q… in Korea.  The difference is - here - it comes with some really odd side dishes.

Observation:  In Korean public restrooms there is often “family toilet” cubicle where there is a regular size toilet and a miniature size toilet – side by side - for little girls who are with their moms.  And there is also a pint-sized urinal in the corner of every women’s restroom.  Clever idea.

We spent a lot of time this leg with Bettina and Jonathan (and Jordan).  Emily and Ugs went off on their own and scavenged hard so we did not see them for almost all of the time we were in Korea. Johnathan got a  lot of looks from the giggly Asian girls with his cool American Gangsta look.

We are off to Delhi, India next for a long 5 day leg.  It will be a traveling leg where we have to pack up our backpacks and travel on our own through a part of India.  I'll probably not update the blog until the leg is over... so see you all in a few days.

Cherry Blossoms, Peace Memorials and Geisha Girls: Our two days in Japan

Yes, we are here in Japan during cherry blossom season.  The trees are AMAZING.  And everywhere.  And gorgeous.  Even in the concrete jungle cities, every park is awash with color. 

First day we started with a train ride to Nara: not an easy achievement because no-one (and I mean no-one) speaks English.  The language barrier is a little overwhelming.

Nara is pretty special as the city is full of “sacred” deer which roam everywhere.  They are incredibly tame and you can pet them or hug on them but beware ... they are also very cheeky and will steal whatever snacks you have in your hand or open bag. 

Nara has an amazing wooden temple (allegedly the oldest wooden structure in the world... not sure if anyone has actually tested that fact) with giant statues.

Rainey and I missed the train from Nara to Kyoto by 4 minutes (the dang Japanese are so efficient, their trains actually run on time) so the group - rightfully - left us behind and journeyed on without us.  We ended up on our own for most of the day until we ran back into everyone at the Nishiki market in Kyoto

But my favorite scavenge - by far - was our visit to the Gion district to see the Geisha girls.  We were supposed to be there at 6 PM so we'd see them leaving for work.  And it’s true.  The Geishas meet their customers at dusk, so at 6PM they come scurrying out of the two story wooden houses in that area, and hurry (with minced steps) to the nearby bars / restaurants to meet their evening’s escorts.  They are so beautiful – and artificial – and almost surreal.  The makeup, hair style, clothes….it’s like stepping back in time.  And they will not stop for you to photograph them. In fact, the sight of a camera makes them walk faster and duck into alleyways so getting a good photograph is very difficult.  My best was of a Geisha who got into a taxi and was trapped in repose until the red light changed. 

Day 2 

The next day - with some trepidation – we took a train to Hiroshima to see the Peace Memorial.  In Vietnam, when we visited the CuChi tunnels, we got hours of Anti-American propaganda and lots of tales about the “American pigs who bombed our children from the sky.”  I guess I expected the same from Hiroshima.  Not at all true.  Instead the peace memorial is exactly that:  a complex (including a very well-designed museum, peace arch and some actual buildings that survived the blast) dedicated to peace.   The message is clear and repetitive:  No country should have nuclear weapons because the world can never find peace until all nuclear weapons are destroyed.  There is one exhibit at the museum which shows a large replica of the town of Hiroshima on 8:14AM on August 6, 1945 and – two feet away- a similar sized replica showing the town at 8:16AM.  The first is a typical metropolis with houses and buildings stacked next to each other and a bustling scene.  The second is a wasteland of ash with only 3 or 4 buildings even partially standing… the rest of the city… is just gone. Disappeared. 

One of the actual buildings that survived the bomb. Or at least some of the building was left standing. 

Before we took the train back to Osaka, we visited the Hiroshima castle: Beautifully captured by Jordan in this Selfie (when he was supposed to be taking a photo of Rainey and I)

How about three young girls who – when we asked directions – went 20 minutes out of their way to lead us specifically to the store we were looking for?  Would I ever be so kind to strangers if they stopped me in the street in Houston? I hope so.

And yes, Rainey made ME do the singing with strangers at a Karaoke bar.  These old ladies belted out a rousing rendition of “Reflections” by Diana Ross.

A surprisingly awesome scavenger – to eat dinner in the Dotombori area - which turned out to a cross between the San Antonio river walk and Times Square.  Cafes and restaurants and shops on a riverfront… with lots of neon lights and excitement.

Last scavenge of the night before check-in:  “Go to Spa World and enjoy an ontsen” (otherwise known as a public bath).  And when they say “public bath,” that’s EXACTLY what they mean.  A huge heated pool with dozens and dozens of naked Japanese women undertaking various bathing rituals. Thank goodness I have no nudity issues… because apparently neither do any of the women at Spa World.

We are now on our way to Seoul, South Korea.  Rainey and I came in first place for the Japan leg so the pressure is now on to keep going hard.  I have to say, this was easier seven years ago.  The jet lag, long days and hard exercise is wearing my old body now. But it is fun, fun, fun. 

Vancouver for a day

After our check-in and Rules & Regulations meeting yesterday afternoon, we all gathered for the Bon Voyage dinner.  

Bettina and Johnathan

The Matzah Burrito Bunch

Sister Act II ( a sequel name from Sister Act - when Emily and Elizabeth came together)

Return of the Traveling Wandering Chicks (Kim and Maria)

Silver Surfers:  Natasha and David - Returning post-baby.  They are only going to be with us for 10 days (Thank God so Natasha can get back and mind the office)

Peter Wetherall and his wife Lucy (AKA Indiana Jones.. complete with travel vest)

Also learned that we are not heading out tonight but will be spending a full day scavenging in Vancouver.  Since I've never been here, that was great news.  The party was at a very nice seafood restaurant and there was course after course of amazing food.  I was so stuffed I came straight home and went to bed.  Coma induced by 9:30PM.

Today – Saturday – was a beautiful day:  bright blue skies and cool weather.  Apparently Vancouver is not known for its great weather so every person in the entire city was outside – all day.  Every place was filled with people excited to have a sunny day. Bill opened the leg at 9AM and - scavenger books in hand - we headed out to start the event by renting bikes and riding a 6 mile bike trail along the water front in Stanley Park.  

We stopped to see the Totem Poles (which were waaay larger than you would expect)

And found the “lady in a wetsuit” statue (Scavenge clue:  Find a statue of a woman (Not Mary)

And rested up with hot chocolates at The Teahouse Restaurant (it was a little brisk in the wind on the ride so the hot drinks hit the spot).  

After that, it was on to the Inuksuk (Canadian for a pile of rocks making a cool person-like formation) for a photo op. 

Then we made a rookie move and got horribly lost.  By the time we sorted out of mistake, we were 30+ minutes in the wrong direction and the ride back was mostly uphill.  Bike riding is not my strongest athletic activity… so my legs are burning sore tonight.  By 1PM we had abandoned the bikes and were on foot exploring Chinatown, Gastown and finally the Olympic cauldron (left over from the 2010 Winter Games).  

Spring is here already with tulips and flowers of every description all over the city.  

Punch-line opinion:  Vancouver on a sunny day is awesome.

Tonight we learned that our next destination is Osaka, Japan.  But first… almost 23 hours of traveling.  We’re going through Hong Kong with a healthy lay-over so we’ll all be real “mash up” before we start the Asia leg.  This is the decidedly un-fun part of the trip. Best to hold our noses and get it out of the way now.  No-one in the group has been to Osaka so we're all excited.  Cherry Blossoms... here we come.

Great Escape 2014: Oh Canada

It’s that time of the year again…. Great Escape Scavenger Hunt 2014.  Hands down, this is my favorite trip (and that’s a high bar because we’re lucky enough to get to do so many great adventures). I’ve been counting down the minutes and we are finally here, ready to start.

We arrived in Vancouver, Canada at 1:30AM this morning.  Check in for the start of the event is 4PM this afternoon. At that time, we’ll meet the other teams and go through the rules and regulations in detail with the event coordinators.

When we got up this morning (actually it was more like early afternoon), we went down to the water and ate at a Dutch restaurant on the bay.  Great views of the mountains and the sea planes landing and taking off. It’s a beautiful day here.  Not even too cold. We are all wound up and excited to get going.

Quick update on the competition rules for those of you reading this blog for the first time:

(     (a)       Over the next 3 weeks we will travel west around the world: from Vancouver to Chicago.  We’ll visit 12-14 countries but we have no idea where we are going.  The next destination is kept secret from us until 4 hours before we depart.

      (b) In each country we will receive a booklet of instructions, clues, riddles, puzzles and adventures that we have to do in that destination.  You receive points for every scavenge you do… some are easy (5-10 points), some are very hard and take multiple days to accomplish (300-450 points).  The trick is using the limited time we have in each country to amass the most points. 

(     (c)   Teams are made up of two people but multiple teams can work / scavenge together for part of every day.

Here is what we know already about the teams for this year:

Lawyers without Borders – Zoe and Rainey – 7^th time doing the event

Sister Act II – Rainey’s daughter and son: Emily and Rainey Jr. (otherwise known as “Ugs”). This is Emily’s third time on the trip but Ugs is a novice.  However he just went to Everest base camp with Rainey so he’s gotten his feet wet on South East Asia already.

Matzah Burrito – Zoe’s 14 year old son, Jordan (Matzah) with Emily’s boyfriend Angel (Burrito).  Second time on the trip for both of them.

Silver Surfers – Natasha (a lawyer who works with Zoe) and her husband David.  This is their third time on the trip but - because they have a 15 month old back home - they are only staying for the first 10 days this time.

Bear Necessities – Bettina (Zoe’s long time friend) and her 18 year old son Johnathan.  This is their first time traveling extensively outside of the US so everything is going to be new and exciting for them.

There are also several other teams that we know: 

Peter Wetherall (a Nevada lawyer and colleague as well as friend of Rainey and Zoe’s) with his wife Lucy;

April and Travis (you won’t be able to miss the photos with Travis in them, he’s a former NBA basketball player so his height is towering);

Erik Walker and Casey (Texas lawyer and partner, second time on the trip);

Kim and Marie (they were competitors last year and a joy to have along.  We’re excited to see them again);

The Oggopoggos (A Canadian father-son team and the winners from last year who are back to defend their title)….

And some new people we’re looking forward to meeting.