There’s only one word for my first visit to Seoul: Romance! Passion and devotion come in various forms; the best ones are those which lift us high, touching us with friendship and love. Perched atop Namsan Seoul Tower is an observation deck overlooking a breathtaking view of Seoul. Upon it, flourishes what Seoulites call The Locks of Love. What is this? Just as it says. Locks. It’s a crazy tradition that Seoul youth have started there, in the act of bringing (more…)
Spending a night on the wooden floor of a jjimjilbang. Photo: Grrrltraveler.
.
Where can you sleep for cheap in Korea? For travelers and expats, here’s a cultural and budget tip for you…
A friend once mentioned staying overnight at a jjimjilbang as a way to hurdle hotel costs (which may run anywhere from a low $18-40). Those wishing a weekend getaway to visit friends in other cities or just to tour more regions in Korea, a jjimjilbang is a perfect way to do it, while getting an inside peek at Korean culture. Jjimjilbangs are popular with Koreans; it’s a 24-hour public bathhouse (read here) and board. Some jimjilbangs are enormous and grand, featuring many amenities to occupy your day; others may just offer a simple setting. A jjimjilbang isn’t elite but is like a gym or spa with an open membership. (more…)
A Popular Snack in Korea: Cooked Silkworm Larvae
I’m not sure how weight-loss works with Koreans, but let me shed light on how it works with foreigners. During my orientation, two girls I knew claimed to drop pants sizes within their first week of arriving. Not possible, right? Not without some major medical operation… but feeling my pants hang off of my body last week at work, the word “belt” comes to mind.
1. The Traveler’s Diet
As a traveler, I always feel like there’s something in the food of a different country, that despite how fried, oily or creamy something is… you lose weight. I take great groans in keeping fit or at least “looking it”. In Thailand, I lived on street food and almost everything I ate had a level of “deep-fried guilt” to it (even the bugs!) Yet upon my return, I was pounds lighter ! How’s that possible? Many who travel to Asia claim the same experiences. I understand the stress of navigating a foreign place or the constant movement to get your sightseeing in. Maybe all of that burns calories… (more…)
My “Mis”Adventures with the Squat toilet
So the fun just doesn’t stop… While I’m still sorting out my reaction to my new move, luck-draw number two just hit, when on my first day of school, I learned that every peeing portal in my school was a porcelain… hole in the ground. Yes my new workplace – Anil Elementary School in Dong-bu, Daegu- had seemingly no western toilets ! (see My First Day at a Korean Elementary School video) Expectations, hopes?… one ought never have them, even when it comes to assuming your work environments will have standard western conveniences; yet for me, there were obviously still some there…
Some of you already know of my mis-adventure with the squat toilet in Thailand… not good. I accidentally nailed my shoe and spent the rest of my trip spritzing it with hand sanitizer and paranoid, sniffing it to see if the smell was me or my shoe. It’s make me a bit of a timid (more…)
Back from my GRRRL TRAVELER beginner solo trip with lots of cool experiences to share from Thailand and what I’ve learned about being on the solo road! Everything from mastering squat toilets and cold showers while trekking in the mountains, eating bugs, drinking tiger penis soaked whiskey in Laos, smoking with Buddhist monks, practicing circle 8′s with a guesthouse owner’s motorbike so I could rent a scooter, getting lost virtually …everywhere and more. I have the promise of upcoming tips and advice for beginning GRRRL soloists like myself, the leak of a GRRRL TRAVELER contest and challenge#2, and much much more…
Firstly, a shout out of warm Mahalos to all the friends following my fun updates on Facebook (sorry Twitterverse- you got gyped some…). Special Mahalos to those who super-caring and supportive of my first solo-solo and who went of their way to make (more…)
When in a medieval city like Old Fez, one of my “must-dos” was to take a tour of a Moroccan tannery. Guide books will be-cry the relationship between the tanneries and “its smell” as a forewarning…
Full Story »Ocean Rower and Environmentalist, Roz Savage launches second stage of her solo row across the Pacific Ocean. The press launch event took place at the Waikiki Yacht Club, Hawaii. For more information or to follow her voyage and blogs go to www.rozsavage.com.
Full Story »Why get frazzled when things don’t meet your pre-planned expectations? Take for instance, having your baggage not arrive with you on the flight over to Morocco!
Full Story »An inside peek on what it’s like to be a Bollywood extra: My Bollywood addiction started about 3 years ago. For me, nothing can rival the beauty and grandeur of Bollywood films- upbeat song and dance numbers,…
Full Story »
Travel Bucket List 2012: Booking a role on Hawaii Five-O (Part II)
8 ways I stay warm during winter in Korea
My narrow escape from Bangkok's Ping-pong sex show scams
Getting my hair done at the Korean beauty salon
10 funny quirks you didn't know about Koreans
Cambodia: Which of these Fear Factor foods would you eat?
8 Places to Make you Fall in Love with Seoul
Long-term solo travel and three mistakes I wish I avoided
Are you a street-smart traveler or just travel-jaded?
Atrocities of Tourism: 6 annoying habits of tourists
Surviving a university job interview in Korea
