Korea > Seoul – Feb 2024

A quick stop-over in a new city on another skiing trip to Japan.

The War Memorial of Korea (WMOK). Interesting museum covering wars on the Korean peninsula over the last two thousand years. The main focus is on the most recent conflict; the Korean war 1950-1955.

Large sections relating to Korean War 1950-55. Memorials for participating countries and roll of honor.

There are many tanks and planes, but also ships and canons from earlier conflicts on display.

Quite relaxing to walk along the canal Cheonggyecheon, which is an almost 11km long public place opened in 2005 along the former sewerage system.

Gyeongbokgung Palace 경복궁 is the largest of the 5 Grand Palaces. Build in 1395 and used until destroyed by fire in 1590’s. All 7,700 rooms in 500 buildings were restored in the 19th century. Systematically destroyed during the Japanese occupation of Korea, the palace is gradually restored again.

The National Folk Museum of Korea is situated in the center of Seoul next to the Gyeongbokgung Palace. It is an educational venue where visitors can learn how Koreans lived from the past to present. The National Folk Museum of Korea investigates, researches, and acquires artifacts and various resources about the daily lives of Koreans in the past and present. Interesting permanent and special exhibition with lots of interactive and video displays.

Bukchon Hanok Village is a residential neighborhood dating back to the 14th century. Many cafes and small shops in restored/renovated houses, called ‘hanok’. This has made it a popular tourist destination, which has caused some friction with the residents who live there.

Seoullo 7017, also known as the Seoul Skygarden or Skypark, is an elevated, linear park in Seoul, built atop a former highway overpass operating from 1970-2017. The path, which is about one kilometer in length and lined with 24,000 plants, is similar to New York City’s High Line.

Namsan Park is the largest park in Seoul and is home to many species of trees, plants, and animals. The park is well-known for its beautiful walking trails, which allow visitors to see the local wildlife, such as its squirrels. The park covers a large area and features a number of tourist attractions, including Baekbeom Square, the Namsan Cable Car and Namsan Seoul Tower, and statues of famous figures in Korean history. We were months too early for the Cherry Blossom Path in Namsan Park, which is the longest trail of cherry trees anywhere in the city and is said to be spectacular in full bloom.

Gwangjang Market – A huge market with a variety of goods sold retail and wholesale. The food street caters to a wide range of patrons due to the plethora of menus available. You can sit down by the stall on heated benches and watch your lunch being prepared for you.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) has a meaning of Dream, Design, and Play. It is a major urban development landmark in Seoul. Designed by Zaha Hadid and Samoo, with a distinctively neofuturistic design characterized by the “powerful, curving forms of elongated structures.” The landmark is the centerpiece of South Korea’s fashion hub and a popular tourist destination, Dongdaemun, featuring a walkable park on its roofs, large global exhibition spaces, futuristic retail stores, and restored parts of the Seoul fortress.

Deoksugung (Korean: 덕수궁) also known as Gyeongun-gung, Deoksugung Palace, or Deoksu Palace, is a walled compound of palaces in Seoul that was inhabited by members of Korea’s royal family during the Joseon monarchy until the annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910. It is one of the “Five Grand Palaces” built by the kings of the Joseon dynasty and designated as a Historic Site. The buildings are of varying styles, including some of natural cryptomeria wood, painted wood, and stucco. Some buildings were built of stone to replicate western palatial structures.

Bus ride to the river (Banjo (Jamsu) Bridge), visiting floating restaurants; Sevit Island.

Yongsan Art Hall

There are many more interesting things to do and visit.

A few more impressions of this mega-city;

India > Ladakh – May 2023

Ladakh is the most northernly, across the Himalayas, union territory (state) in India. The capital is Leh at an altitude of 3,500m. Some precautions may should be taken to prevent altitude sickness; take time to acclimatise, avoid alcohol etc. It seems younger, fit people seem more prone to it, probably as they push themselves too much.

Ladakh is most famous for adventure activities in breathtaking landscapes and super clear rivers, lakes and skies. Some of the world’s highest motorable mountain passes are also here. Being part of the Tibet plateau, there are also stunning Buddhist Monasteries and festivals.

The town center of Leh is laid back, catering for tourists and adventurers. There are many cafes and restaurants, bazars and souvenir shops. There are of course also some museums and temples to visit.

During the off-season, up to 80% of the people are leaving and many shops are closed.

Leh Palace, also known as Lachen Palkar Palace is a 9 story former royal palace dating back to around 1600. A museum with artefacts dating back about 450 years can also be visited. On the same hill are also the Namgyal Tesmo Monastery and Castle.

Just outside of Leh is the Shanti Stupa. The Stupa offers panoramic views over Leh. It was built by a Japanese Buddhist named Bhikshu Gyomyo Nakamura in 1991. The stupa was to mark the completion of 2500 years of Buddhism and to promote world peace. This peace pagoda aims to spread peace, positivity, and the preaching of Buddha.

About 8km south of Leh, just below the southern end of the Leh airport runway, is the Spituk Monastery, also known as Spituk Gompa or Pethup Gompa. This monastery is dating back to the 11th century. The monastery is home to up to 100 monks, and a giant statue of Kali (unveiled during an annual festival).

About 20km south-east of Leh is Thiksey Monastery. It is situated on a hill overlooking the Indus Valley with a great view of the magnificent Stok range. This is a great place to go early and join the monks in their morning prayer chants. It has a very communal feel.

The youngest of the monks, sleep still in their eyes, chant loudly, if only to keep themselves from dozing off, while the older monks keep a watchful eye on them. Their chanting is interrupted to serving butter tea to everyone including visitors, no doubt they are grateful for the distraction and being able to stretch their legs.

Magnetic Hill is a place where the layout of the surrounding land produces an optical illusion, making a slight downhill slope appear to be an uphill slope. 

Magnetic Hill

Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, most revered place where Guru Nanak Dev ji, founder of the Sikh religion is believed to have conquered a demon. Legend has it that once Guru Nakak ji was meditating at this place and a demon had thrown a big rock to obstruct his prayers but the boulder turned into soft wax that failed to harm him, seeing this the demon asked for penance for his deed and Guru Nanak ji forgave him. The boulder with the imprint of the body of Guru Nanak Dev and the footprint of the demon is on display in Gurdwara Pathar Sahib.

The Hall of Fame near Leh is run by the Indian Army, this museum/war memorial houses weapons, history exhibits & a souvenir shop.

The Confluence of Indus & Zanskar rivers is a very pretty spot. The water is so clear and fresh. This is also a popular spot for river rafting.

We drove further up the Zanskar river to a beautiful swimming spot (although too cold for us to go into the crystal-clear water) with a fine sand beach.

We kept driving up the Zanskar river and then follow the Markha Tokpo up to the Tsarik campsite. From here we started an 11km hike to the Sara campsite where we spend the night camping. The hike was easy, more a walk along the dirt-road. It was easy to follow and had only a 200m altitude gain.

At the campsite, in the middle of nowhere, we got the best wi-fi connection anywhere in Ladakh. Here the food was prepared fresh from scratch. There was an option to sleep in the tents provided or indoors in a communal room. Although it was cold, we choose the tents. With the blankets provided, it was actually not that cold, and we had a good night’s sleep.

The next day, we had the option to walk back or go by car. Of course, we choose to walk back :).

Being well enough acclimaticed, it was time to head further up north and to higher altitude. To get there, we had first to cross one of the highest motorable passes in the world, the mighty Khardung La pass at 5,360m altitude. The pass is on the Ladakh range, 39km north of Leh, and connects the Indus river valley and the Shyok river valley. It also forms the gateway to the Nubra valley, beyond which lies the Siachen Glacier.  

Along the Shyok river valley we stopped at the Hunder Sand Dune, home of the Bactrian camels.

Diskit Monastery is dating back to the 14th century.

We then drove to Turtuk, a small village where we can witness Balti culture. This is as far as we as non-Indians were allowed to drive before the border to Pakistan.

The former Turtuk Palace, now a museum. The current Raja, Mohammad Khan Kacho of the Yabgo Dynasty is welcoming visitors.

Now along the Nubra valley, the two main stops were the Samstanling Monastery dating back to 1842, and the Panamik Hot Spring. The spring is one of the only hot springs in the country. The water is a high amount of Sulfur. Despite the water being quite hot, people (including us) take a dip in the water.

Samstanling Monastery

Panamik Hot Spring

We took another long drive in this spectacular landscape, across mountains towards the Chinese border to the Pangong Tso lake at 4,250m altitude, where we spend the night. It is said to be the highest saltwater lake in the world. Despite being saline, the lake freezes in winter. About 40% of the lake is in India, the rest in China, although part of the lake is disputed territory.

Pangong Tso lake

The way back to Leh was once more over one of the highest motorable mountain passes in the world, the Chang La pass at 5,350m altitude.

Travelling in Ladakh entails a lot of time on the road. We had an excellent driver to took us safely across some dangerous stretches with deathly cliffs falling off the unsealed roads.

Dangerous, loose rocks were removed. The road was free again after a couple of hours.

A truck slipped off the road earlier that morning. Luckily it stuck and did not slide down into the valley. No one was injured.

A camp where the road workers stay. It is cold and windy up there, hard working and living conditions.

Not surprisingly given many of the borders in the region are disputed, there are many army bases along each of the valleys. Taking pictures is of course prohibited… The army is an important provider of jobs for the locals.

Collage of locally inspired sculptures in Leh.

India > Delhi/Agra/Udaipur – May 2023

Visit to Delhi with a day-trip to Agra and a few days at the end in Udaipur.

Delhi

Delhi is a huge metropolis with a rich history and culture. We only had a few days here, but with a car and driver at our disposal, we managed to visit some of the main sights. We stayed in the ‘Defence Colony’ area, which is pretty central and worked out fine.

The UNESCO Word Heritage listed Humayun’s Tomb was the first stop on the itinerary. It was built in 1565 A.D. nine years after the death of Humayun, by his senior widow Bega Begam. Inside the walled enclosure the most notable features are the garden squares (chaharbagh) with pathways water channels, centrally located well proportional mausoleum topped by double dome. There are several graves of Mughal rulers located inside the walled enclosure and from here in 1857 A.D; 

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib , one of the most prominent Sikh gurdwaras, or Sikh house of worship, in Delhi, is known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan, as well as the holy pond inside its complex, known as the “Sarovar.” The temple has also a large commercial kitchen providing thousands of meals daily to any visitors.

Centrally in New Delhi is the India Gate. There is a large park along the pedestrian path leading up to many of the government offices.

Lodhi Garden is a British-era public park featuring ancient tombs, rose & herb gardens, bonsai trees and a lake. The park is very spacious and an absence of crowds allows to relax around the historical buildings and ruins.

Qutb Minar is another UNESCO Word Heritage listed temple complex. The Qutb Minar, also spelled Qutub Minar and Qutab Minar, is a minaret and “victory tower” that forms part of the Qutb complex.

The Lotus Temple, is a Baháʼí House of Worship that was dedicated in December 1986. Notable for its lotus-like shape, it brings also immediately the Sydney Oper House to mind. The temple with its vast lawns has become a prominent attraction in Delhi. Like all Bahá’í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion or any other qualification.

Finally a few pics from wandering along one of the main markets. It was bustling with traders and shoppers in a mix of traffic. . .

Agra

We left Delhi at 2am and arrived in Agra by 6am to get early into the world-famous Taj Mahal. Some rain just started but stopped after a few minutes. Although early, there were already quite a lot of visitors queuing up. Most were local Indian tourists. Whilst locals pay 50 rupees to enter the complex, foreigner are charged 1,100 rupees. Dual pricing is pretty normal in India. The actual mausoleum is another 200 rupees for anyone.

Probably a bit over-hyped compared with all the other treasures India has to offer, but the Taj Mahal together with the love story behind it, it is a great place to visit.

Larger, but on the second rank is the Red Fort in Agra. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty till 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. Some 4,000 builders worked on it daily for eight years, completing it in 1573. Further changes were made in the times since. The fort was invaded and captured by the Maratha Empire in the early 18th century. Thereafter, it changed hands between the Marathas and their foes many times.

Udaipur

Udaipur’s City Palace is dominating the city skyline. The palace was started in 1553 and continued under numerous rules of the Mewar dynasty. The City Palace in Udaipur was built in a flamboyant style and is considered the largest of its type in the state of Rajasthan.

Jagdish Temple is a large Hindu temple in the middle of Udaipur in Rajasthan, just outside the royal palace. It has been in continuous worship since 1651.

A boat trip on the Pichola lake, one of 5 man-made lakes, is a good way to see the city with a little distance, and provides a cool breeze…

…and a stop on the Jagmandir Island is a palace built on an island in the Lake Pichola. It is also called the “Lake Garden Palace”. Today it is a Grand Heritage Palace of the HRH Group of Hotels.

Located on the top of Moti Margi or Pearl Hill, Maharana Pratap Memorial overlooks the stunning beauty of Lake Fatheh Sagar. Also known as Pratap Smarak, Maharana Pratap Memorial is an essential site of great historical significance.

Sahelion Ki Bari Park, or Garden of the Maidens, famous for its many water features.

Gulab Bagh is an ancient sub-city level park, showcasing the lush green campus, with ponds, library, zoological park, temples, and many government offices. There are also a few water reservoirs within the park. The park has four entrance gates, out of which only two are open to the general public.

Finally, one of the best views over the city can be found atop the Karni Mata Ropeway. As the name suggests, there is a ropeway to toe top, but there is also a paved hiking path to the top. This spot is popular for sunrise and sunsets. A temple and mosque can be found at the top.

Finally a few random pictures of Udaipur.

Thailand > Yala / Pattani – Mar 2023

Yala and Pattani are 2 of the 4 most southernly provinces in Thailand, bordering Malaysia.

There are ongoing issues with armed Islamic separatists. Shootings and bombings occure and can flare up. It is important to consider official government advise in regard to your safety before travelling there.

We stayed with locals in Yala and got a car at our disposal. We were told where we could go and what areas to avoid. There are check points on major roads and in the city’s busier areas. It all looked very casual. Hardly anyone was stopped or searched. We did not feel unsafe or nervous at all.

A couple of weeks after our visit, a shooting occurred only meters away from a temple we visited. Luckily no one was insured on that occasion.

Yala

Yala is a pretty nice city. There are a few public sporting grounds open to the public. The locals take advantage of them and you see a lot walking, jogging or doing other exercises early in the morning. We joined them a few times at the Thailand National Sports University (Yala Campus) sports ground to keep at least a little fit.

The 2 main parks inside the city are the Suan Khwan Muang Park with a beautiful lake, and the smaller Sanam Chang Phueak Park, also with a small lake and Clock Tower. Both are nice for a stroll around or resting/relaxing in the shade under the trees.

Suan Khwan Muang Park

Sanam Chang Phueak Park

Almost in between the 2 parks is the Yala City Pillar Shirine. The Shrine is in the middle of a large roundabout, surrounded by a park and large pond with plenty of fish.

Yala – City Pillar Shrine

Just to the south of the Coliseum shopping centre is the area where the Bird City Street Art can be found. It is a nice neighborhood area. Some of the houses still have their birds in cages at the front. The street art is around different streets, so exploring along the streets by foot is the best way to discover them. Some cover the whole facade; others are a bit harder to discover.

Bird City Street Art

There is another, lesser know area for Street Art; Siroros Road. The art is basically along one section of a wall along the road. At the left end are staired down to the Pattani river.

Siroros Road Street Art

Here in the south with a Muslim majority, there are plenty of great mosques, but visiting for non-Muslims is often prohibited.

So we are contend visiting some Buddhist temples. One of the largest in the city centre is Wat Phuttaphoom. This temple is not very touristy. The temple and cremation place are set on 2 large blocks of land. There is also a large public school attached.

A short drive from Yala is the much more famous temple; Wat Na Tham, also known as Wat Tham, or Wat Khuha Pimuk.

Behind the temple are big caves in the rock. There are 3 points of interest. That is besides the many cheeky monkeys around the place. Although they seem friendly and cute, they are wild animals and it is best to keep your distance.

To the left along a short, somewhat overgrown path is a staircase up to a Buddha Footprint shrine. The overgrown path continues to the end of the main (middle) cave, but there is a locked gate, requiring us to return back the same way we came up, down.

In the middle is the main attraction. A staircase, passing a large mythological guardian leads to the main cave where amongst others a large reclining Buddha is located.

Walking to the right along the path shortly you come to a small souvenir shop. Here you can take a tour into the caves. There are options for 3 different length walks into the caves. The price is per small group regardless of how many people. Headlamps are provided and a guide will lead the walk.

There is of course a lot more in Yala…

Seven Wells Roundabout

Street Food

Yala Clock Tower

Colourful building opposite Yala main train station

Pattani

We did a few road trips and visited a few sites in the neighboring province Pattani. Pattani city, a seaport, is less prosperous than in the past and long surpassed by Yala.

We had a nice lunch in the Tin Factory restaurant, in a converted… tin factory. A very interesting place indeed. The restaurant has good food in a quirky decorated place. There are upstairs function/meeting rooms and part of the old tin factory is preserved.

There are many National Parks in the south, some with visitor’s centres, streams for bathing and waterfalls and hiking trails. We visited the popular Nam Tok Sai Khao National Park.

Wat Rat Burana (Wat Changhai) [Wat Chang Hai Rat Buranaram] is over 300 years old and dedicated to LuangPu Thuat, a former abbot. Legend has it he was able to turn sea water into fresh water. Besides the life-sized of LuangPu Thuat image, visitors will find a beautiful stupa, chedi, ordination hall, and bell tower. It is however all a bit over commercialised.

End of this visit to the Deep South.

Japan > Nagano – Feb 2023

First skiing trip back to Japan since 2020.

We stayed for the first week of skiing in AIZU at the same place as last time. In 2020, the snow as scarce, but we got some good runs, taking a number of lifts further into the valley. This time around, the snow was plentiful and perfect for us.

Hoshino Resorts Alts Bandai

Shiga Kogen

The second week on the slopes was in Shiga Kogen area in the Nagano prefecture. Joined together this is the largest ski area in Japan. It consists of 18 ski resorts with 48 lifts (but you can buy tickets for individual resorts if you know you want to ski just there). Some resorts can be skied between them. It needs a bit of planning to check where you want to stay as some resorts are rather small. There is a free shuttle bus, but we prefer to spend time on the snow, not waiting for transport. We stayed at the Yakebitaiyama area.

Nagano

We spend the break between to 2 weeks of skiing in Tokyo and mostly in the NAGANO area, where the 1998 Olympics were held.

The most famous attraction in Nagano is the Zenkoji Temple. It is one of the most important and popular temples in Japan. It was founded in the 7th century and stores the first Buddhist statue ever to be brought into Japan.

There are a number of special buildings; memorial pillars, bell tower, war memorial pagoda, below the Sutra Repository (Kyouzō). They also offer special activities like sutra coping.

From Nagano town center, the Zenkoji Street, filled with shops, cafes, art galleries, historic houses, statues etc. leads to the temple.

If you came from the Zenkoji street and passed straight through the temple there at hill is the Zenkoji burial ground; Unjouden Noukotsudou (cremains repository). It is a nice walk up the hill through local neighborhoods. There are a couple of temples on the way, but we are heading for the cemetery and cremains storage halls. This peaceful location allows a beautiful view over Nagano.

Anothr nice temple on the road from the town center is the Saiko-ji Temple.

There are of course a lot to see in Nagana just wandering along its streets…

Matsushiro

Just a short 12km drive by local bus is the old samurai town of MATSUSHIRO.  The town used to have its own castle – a reminder of the days when it was a notable domain of the Sanada Family. Today, only the ruins remain. Matsushiro retains the samurai houses, temples and gardens of its castle town days, has some interesting museums, and even a tunnel complex from World War II.

The Matsushiro Castle which is dating back to the 1460s, was demolished and later destroyed by fire in 1872, leaving only the stone walls which can be seen today. Some buildings, the moat, wooden bridge and the main gates were restored in 2004 to the atmosphere of times past.

From more recent times, towards the end of the WWII, is a network of underground tunnels known as Zozan Underground Imperial Headquarters (Matsushiro Daihonei). The complex of subterranean tunnels were dug by Korean forced-laborers in a bid to provide a sanctuary for the Emperor and the Imperial Japanese government at the end of World War II. The war ended with Japan’s capitulation well before the tunnel was anywhere near ready. About 500 meter long stretch of tunnel can be entered to visit. There is a memorial and a small museum adjacent to the main entrance detailing the brutality of the treatment during the construction workers on the site.

We only spend a few hours here before we took the bus back to Nagano. It is a beautiful town, easily explorable on foot.

Goodbye Nagano