Monthly Archives: April 2017

Echappées Belles / Changwon & Gyeongju

Annyeonghaseyo (Hello in Korean)!

Winter was not really over, but cherry blossoms in southern parts of Korea were almost 90 percent out and so was sunshine! The cherry blossom is usually associated with Japan, where it is known as Sakura. This in part because the cherry blossom is the national flower of Japan. In Korea, it is called beot-kkot (벗꽃) and here are some blossoms from the 2017 season in Changwon 창원시

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a good reason to travel!

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and more from Gyeongju 보문관광단지 Bomun Hilton lake Resort

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People and culture

 

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A country where all women are smiling and all men are not.
In some areas there are more trucks on the road than passenger cars.
The older generation are smaller in size.
Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the streets except in assigned locations.
It’s difficult to find any type of food that does not contain fish.
There are lots of cherry trees and cherry blossoms but no cherries.
When you ask for a coffee, they grind fresh coffee beans for you.
Most tourist attractions have no English signs.
The country has hundreds of mountain road tunnels.
Trash bins are rare which means you carry your trash for a long time.
The country’s technology is a bad copy of Japan.
The country’s culture is a bad copy of China.
There are more coffee shops per SQM that Al-Shaye’a has in Kuwait.
On the whole trip I only saw one cat outside the Hilton main restaurant.
People don’t shake hands, and they just bow.
Buses have fast lanes, and if you are in a hurry, take a bus.
The capital has 10 million people and 10 million registered cars.
Many people wear face masks and you’ll only find out why when you have a shower at the end of the day.

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Dinner options @ Myeong-Dong

 

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Myeong-Dong is a well known shopping destination in Seoul where each alley is packed with a variety of shops. The area is at the heart of the cultural, artistic, and economic center of the city. Myeong-Dong’s shops carry the latest fashion trends and it’s streets offer you various menus by street vendors. Here are your dinner options: