Lee Oh Ji, a haeneyo of Seongsang ri on Jeju Island
What do the Lockness Monster, the Yeti and the Korean Mermaids of Jeju Island have in common? Well they’re all legends, with one exception- the Korean Mermaids aren’t myths, but real life people.
In visiting Jeju Island, mermaid spotting was one of my curiosities. Being an island girl myself, my connection to the sea as one giant maternal seductress is unconsciously strong; as a little girl I’d have many mermaid dreams (more…)
Boesang, South Korea
Raining. I waited the summer to see Boseong Tea Fields’ tea-inspired glory, rode 5+ hours by bus (and 3 transfers) and what happened when I finally got there?… It rained. Not saying this didn’t lend to magical moments but it did put a damper on my plans to spend an entire afternoon exploring the fields or at a tea cafe with some prime grade nokcha (aka Korean green tea). Still, I’m glad I got to see it and I didn’t walk away completely empty-handed. I rattled off some quick shots before the (more…)
Korea is a pretty safe country to travel if you’re a woman. But being a solo traveler – difficult and delightful can share the same coin. While I thoroughly enjoy relaxing into bonding with fellow EPIKers on group day trips as we weather the inevitable culture shock together; excursions alone while initially dreaded, gives me valuable time to explore, grow and reflect upon my new cultural surroundings at a relaxed pace. Plus, I get to take out the DSLR!
But… I don’t always gave ample time to research my cities. If I’m doing a weekend or day trip, researching accommodations and train times are my only afforded concerns. Why? Take my recent 2-day weekend trip to Busan. I (more…)
Waiting at the airport for my plane... I still feeling a bit numb. Last night, I got all of 1 hour of incomplete sleep -I was freezing because my radiator decided that it only wanted to work at 10A and of course, my upcoming trip had some last minute To-Do’s with it .But in that incomplete hour that my subconscious grasped for time, it gave me a dream reminder of two important things I needed for my trip. Rather than deconstructing lengthy Freudian and Jungian narratives, let me summarize it as this-
Sometimes, the best survival tool for dissolving anticipatory travel fears and worry is to carry humor and re-connect to inspiration. In all my itinerary planning and nerves, I forgot about this. Humor (more…)
*REvised version*
by Christine Ka’aloa
Boo! It’s Halloween and the perfect time to talk about the SCARY of planning my itinerary for my entirely solo trip to Thailand.
My Pre-flight Jitters
I leave for Thailand in a day and my solo fears are now starting to sink in! I’m filled with all sorts mixed emotions and self-doubts that aim to sabotage my confidence. When friends ask me whether I’m excited about my trip, I feel numb. Frankly, I wish I did not have so much time to think about it, but I do.
Planning Woes for the Soloist
When I said earlier that my friend, Regina, does not use guidebooks when she travels, I’ll let you in on a little secret… I haven’t really either. I buy them for the “in case” I want to open them. But only until last year when I was (more…)
How to become a solo traveler and hurdle your first time fears
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.
8 ways I stay warm during winter in Korea
My narrow escape from Bangkok's Ping-pong sex show scams
GRRRL Goes Whimpery in Her New Korean Location
Getting my hair done at the Korean beauty salon
10 funny quirks you didn't know about Koreans
8 Places to Make you Fall in Love with Seoul
Naked in a Korean Bathhouse!
Atrocities of Tourism: 6 annoying habits of tourists
Long-term solo travel and three mistakes I wish I avoided
Is Korea a state-of-the-art country?
My Top 3 Travel Secrets for Travel (and Korea)
Fear Factor Korea! Foods Which May Make You Cringe (Pt I)
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