Christine Ka’aloa | GRRRL TRAVELER

About GRRRL TRAVELER

Christine is a Camera Operator & Producer for reality TV in North America. She enjoys photography, writing, creating art and traveling off-the-beaten path to remote countries and lifestyles she never thought she'd explore.
Website: http://www.grrrltraveler.com
GRRRL TRAVELER has written 359 articles so far, you can find them below.

Photo Essay: Hwacheon & Winter Festivals in Korea

Filed under Festivals by Christine Ka'aloa on February 5, 2012 at 7:41 pm {no comments}

: hwacheon winter festival

Work hard, play hard?… Maybe that is the Korean motto, because it seems when Korea throws a winter festival, it goes all out!

This January, I visited the Hwacheon Mountain Trout Festival. Initially, I thought the festival was purely about the spectacle of fishing for sancheoneo (or wild trout) through a hole in the ice like an eskimo or even fishing by bare hand. But when I got there, what I got was a surprising peek into how Koreans enjoy good old-fashioned winter fun.

I took the weekend bus from Seoul. Swishing past the Korean landscape for three hours at a mere 13,000 Won wasn’t a bad way to go. Hwacheon county is in the Gangwon province, which is north of Seoul, running parallel to the Korean Demilitarization Zone. (more…)

World’s Worst Toilet: Andong Bus station, Korea

Filed under Korea, World's Worst Toilets by Christine Ka'aloa on February 1, 2012 at 8:31 am {8 comments}

: Andong Bus Station toilet, Korea

I’m not a toilet connoisseur or nitpicker, but I do have varying degrees of tolerance. Smell, appearance, technology, leftovers, size, etc… whenever it pushes my standard into a level of discomfort, it makes my list.

Andong, why is your bus station toilet making my World’s Worst Toilet list?…

(more…)

Why Thai Buddhist temples never bore me (Sukhothai Historical Park)

Filed under Photo Essays, Religious by Christine Ka'aloa on January 26, 2012 at 12:09 am {9 comments}

: sukhothai buddha

How many times can I look at Buddhas and temples?

Ordinarily, my tolerance isn’t high for seeing the same things over and over.

Variation is key.

For instance, living in Korea if you’ve seen one buddhist temple, you’ve pretty near seen them all. The architecture doesn’t change much and the buddhas wear the look of staunch, Fu Man Chu looking Confucianist. Thailand is different. Whether it’s a hundred Buddhas lined up in a row, (more…)

World’s Worst Toilet: The mystery of Korean public school restrooms

Filed under Korea, World's Worst Toilets by Christine Ka'aloa on January 19, 2012 at 9:34 am {12 comments}

: My Korean Public School restroom

This post comes a bit belated, but in lieu of my recent visit to Korea, I have to do it for laughs. When I was teaching in Korea, there was something in my Korean public school johns. Take a look at the photos below and guess what it was…

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Fear and Diving: Overcoming Age and Solo Birthdays on the road.

Filed under Great Outdoors, SOLO TRAVEL by Christine Ka'aloa on January 13, 2012 at 12:07 pm {9 comments}

The water was flooding panic into my goggles and stinging my eyes. I blew out sharply to clear my mask.

We were pulling ourselves down by the anchor rope, descending to the ocean floor. I was at the head of the group and the second in line. Going back up was not an option.

Was there a leak in my mask?

(more…)

Written by Christine Ka'aloa Great Outdoors

Getting a PADI certification in Thailand

Word on the street is that you’ll get the best scuba diving deals in Southeast Asia.

January 6, 2012 13

Written by Christine Ka'aloa Morocco

What I learned about Fez and Moroccan culture

Thought I’d share some of the things I learned about Moroccan culture. They’re really some random facts I picked up from my guide at the time and it’s helped shape my appreciation for the culture and lifestyle.

January 4, 2012 4

Written by Christine Ka'aloa Morocco

Photo Essay: Travel Memoirs & the 10 Great Wonders of Fez

There’s a secret to Morocco and I’m convinced it speaks through its spices! From scented oils, city-wide prayer calls and intricate Arabic/Berber craft work designs to maze-like streets bustling with the traffic of crowded souks and taxi-ing donkeys,..

December 31, 2011 12