20170703-Seongsan IIchubong Crater Peak & Udo Island

3/7/2017-Seongsan IIchubong Crater Peak

On route to Seongsan, we passed another Da Chang Jin filming area where all the small huts were built . Now become some agricultural area.  And guess what? We saw KIWI fruit! Thought only from NZ! LOL

Walked up from base to top of Seongsan - about 1/2 hour!

When we arrived and started walking up - the sky was clear.  However by noon time when we were back to base, clouds engulfed the peak!

 Awesome views from the top of Seongsan - imagine we were standing at the edge of this crater!

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After lunch, we drove over to Udo Island using the car ferry.

Above: Inside the ferry -no seats at all.  Passengers can sit or sleep on the floor 

 At Udo , people rented such tiny wheelers to ride around the island....One needs International driver's licence though. LOL

The FOG descends suddenly!  We were forced to turn back to take another route:(

20170702-D6 : Jeju! Da Chang Jin!

2/7/17 : Oedolgae, Jeju (Da Chang Jin serial shooting scene in 2003)

We flew from Busan to Jeju at about 9am. Rented a car from airport.  Headed to hotel and then to this scenic rock place! And the waterfalls and to the southern part of the island- Seogwipo area.

John's drone - aerial photo from on high!

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Cheongjiyeon Waterfalls

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Seogwipo - Saeseom Island

20170701- End of Busan / Centum- Busan Film Festival- Jagalchi Fish Market

Bottom up view to top - Centum City, Busan,  1/7/2017

Next to this humongous shopping centre is the BIFF complex

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Jagalachi Fish Market

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Hmm, you won't want to try their live octopus :(

The wet market (similar to Jagalchi Fish market) behind our IBIS Hotel, Busan - morning breaky with their gluey sticky beans stuff :(

20170630 Haeundae Beach / APEC!

Korea's largest beach - Haeundae.  Each summer 8000 + parasols fill this beach! Smart or silly beach? I don't know!

The sight of the beach brollies reminded me of Cliff Richard's " We are going on a summer holiday! & On the Beach!" Yeah, now June / July is summer in Busan- Hot!

This trip was one of  walking and trekking and climbing.  We walked from the beach to the other end using their boardwalk across to APEC Centre! And we met an interesting student from Vietnam studying in the Uni in Seoul!

Arrived at APEC House! Felt as if I was one of the delegates! LOL. APEC House where the 2005 APEC Summit was held.

And then we turned around from Dongbaek Island and walked walked walked back to Haeundae Beach again:)

And this was the best part of Haeundae experience!

Glorious Food for lunch! Yum Yum!

20170629-Oryukdo Skywalk & Gamcheong Colourful Village

Oryukdo - Or=5, yuk=6, do= island

(Looking at the 5 or 6 islands from different vantage points)

Unfortunately, when we arrived, the Oryukdo Skywalk was closed for maintenance. Only opened in 2013, it is a glass bridge where we can catch the glimpse of the waves crashing against the cliff.

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Gamcheong Cultural Village !

甘Geom = God  巛 Cheon = waters - known for its high quality of water!

Well, it is a very colourful village with lots of wall art.  Indeed a cross between Santorini and Macchu Picchu!

Reflections:
The name of this colourful village reminded me of the rivers of God in Revelation. Where the river flows, life begins.  And the world is actually a beautiful creative work of the mighty Creator God. And we man can be creative in the world of colourful arts and craft as depicted in this Gamcheong Cultural Village.

Still, all this is still man-made.  Nothing beats the natural sight in the sky above and sea below.

20170629 -Geumjeong sanseong largest Mountain fortress /Battleship Island -K History

Geumjeong sanseong- largest mountain fortress in SK 

After trekking for about 1/2 from the cable car station, arrived at the NSEW Gate Fortress.  Built in 1703 under King Sukjong.  Because of the Japanese invasion in 1592, Manchu in 1627 & 1937 - national defence was heightened.  But this fortress was destroyed during the Japanese occupation (1920-1945).  But began restoration only in 1972.

Around 1700s, famous missionaries like Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, Charles Wesley and George Whitefield were in the timeline as King Sukjong who built these fortress!

From 1910-1945 : Japanese colonial rule invaded Korea.  It was not surprising that when we tour Busan area, the buildings looked somewhat similiar to that in Japan.  Industrial development also took place during the 35 year period of colonial rule.  So by the time Japanese surrender in Aug 1945, Korea was the second most industrialised country after Japan in Asia.

How North and South Korea came about then?
On 25/6/1950 - NK forces invaded the South. This was the Korean War.
USA supported the South while Chinese supported the North.
After 3 years of bloody fighting, July 1953 - a truce came about.  By then 3mio Koreans, 1 mio Chinese and 54k Americans were killed.  NK & SK never reconciled till todate.  Separated by a heavily fortified DMZ ( De-militarized Zone) Note: USA has just started to impose a ban for their citizens travelling to NK from August 2017

Like Littel Red Dot, we were too invaded by the Japs in 1940s. My late parents would have the horror tales of the brutality of this Jap Occupation from 1942 to 1945. Some called it more than 3 years of darkness in the Light of the South. So much about the city set on the hill of light.

************************************************************* The coming Korean Movie " Battleship Island" (true story) will be aired on 26/7/2017 tomorrow!   This island is also known as Hashima Island - just 15km off Nagasaki Japan. It is a reminder of the dark history as a site of forced labour during the 2nd world war :(



Reflection : Candles and lights - they offer HOPE.....it is no wonder why Jesus declared Himself to be the Light of the World! PTL

20170627-D1 Train to Busan!

27th June 2017 - Left for South Korea for the 10 day trip to Busan and Jeju.

Boarded the KTX Train from Incheon Airport on arrival to Busan - about 3 hours journey for this $90 ride. Kind of curious having watched the movie "Train to Busan" not too long ago. Almost missed this KTX train because the airport terminal was so big and needed to use the train shuttle to collect our luggage in another terminal.  Customs queue was also long that day.  Thank God we 'cut queue' after showing the officer our KTX tight train schedule!

Busan :-

• 2nd most populous city after Seoul - about 4.6mio
• its port is 10th most busiest in the world
• only 190km from the Japanese islands of Honshu and Kyushu!

(Little Red dot is quite similiar to Busan!)

Matt 5:14 A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  How true when we view the night lights at nite from the higher ground.  Lights are pretty sight to behold.   It is no wonder that Jesus Himself declared that He is the light of the world. He is always beckoning us to come to Him.

And we who know Him ought to be the light to the world as well. V16 exhorts us to "let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father who is in Heaven"

LIGHT UP!