The Price of Peace

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Before the war, Hiroshima was a sizable city known for its castle town were on par with Himeji or Osaka Castle. During the war, it became a focal point of military activity with large depots of military supplies. Not too far away was the location for where the Akatsuki Corps, a special cadet system set up by the Army as the war situation grew more severe. These young men were trained daily in preparation for suicide attacks against the Allied Forces.

Everything changed, however, on 6th August 1945 when the United States of America dropped the ‘Little Boy’ atomic bomb and killed approximately a hundred thousand people in the blast, and upending thousands more in the intervening years.

With this one mighty blow, the death knell of World War II was rung with the Allied Forces anointed the winners.

But what was the price for this victory?

As the film Oppenheimer opined, perhaps the creation of the atomic bomb had ignited the world into a downward spiral to destruction. Humanity was so beholden with the idea of if they ‘could’ create such a bomb there was too little consideration on whether we ‘should.’ War is tribalism at its best, where we paint those like us as the ‘good guys’ and demonise the opposing side.

We might all be humans struggling to live on this planet we call home but should someone come to disrupt the equilibrium we live in, humans are very quick to lash out and attack those they feel are too ‘different.’ In societies of old, blame was laid on ‘outsiders’ for all manners of ills. The witch hunts are one such example.

In any case, the creation of the atomic bomb led to several more weapons of mass destruction being constructed as a means to threaten and deter others despite attempts from the survivors to prevent their proliferation. A macrocosm of a race to have the bigger weapon or to ‘protect’ one’s interest because you see the neighbour across the street has bought a gun.

As an aside, America’s gun laws are a mess and if the world ever needs to see what stocking weapons of mass destruction could lead to, look no further than the mass shootings in America that happen almost every day.

It only takes one imbecile (or, in the case of nuclear weapons, a nation of imbeciles) to plunge the world into disrepair.

Anyways, what I wanted to say was that listening to the testimonies and reading the stories of those who lived through the endless days of Hell after the atomic bomb, it became very hard for me to reconcile why anyone would want to keep nuclear weapons on hand. The pain and death it caused. The aftereffects due to radiation. And the shattering effect it had on families as they grappled with their loss.

No dispute, be it over bruised pride or resources, should ever need the use of nuclear weapons for the victory attained would be Pyrrhic at best. Even the Akatsuki Corps members, boys who were trained to give up their lives in service to their nation, could not equate the destruction of HIroshima with ‘glorious’ war.

This was all laid bare to me at the Atomic Bomb Museum and the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims.

Now, I’m not sure how telling it is but while Hiroshima had a large number of peace tourists visiting the cenotaph and the Atomic Bomb museum, there hadn’t been as many visitors to Nagasaki. Rather, Nagasaki had more local tourists flocking to the region wishing to try out specialty dishes such as champon noodles and castella.

After appreciating the gravity of the events that shaped modern Japan, including the Atomic Bomb Dome, bleachpanda and I enjoyed a very noodle-heavy okonomiyaki at a nearby restaurant before we headed to Hiroshima Castle.

Hiroshima Castle was established by Mori Terumoto in 1589 at the delta of the Otagawa River. In 1600, following the battle of Sekigahara, Terumoto was forced to retreat and Fukushima Masanori from Kiyosu took control of the castle. However, after restoring the castle following the flood of 1619 without permission from the Tokugawa shogunate, Masanori was dismissed. Asano Nagaakira then became lord of Aki and the Asano family continued to hold this position up until the Meiji restoration.

Inside Hiroshima Castle, we climbed, reading about its history from the exhibits until we managed to reach the top and looked out on the city. After seeing the tragedy of the atomic bomb, it was nice to learn some of Hiroshima’s early history as a bustling city and its ties to the Tokugawa Shogunate before its abolition.

Despite the cloudy day, Hiroshima glimmered before us int he afternoon light.

Our key tourist sites finished, bleachpanda dragged me to Animate – a weeb store filled with gacha capsules on the ground floor with figurines (including Ichiban Kuji prizes), mang, doujinshi and other merchandise from popular anime available for purchase.

While I picked out some tasteful Detective Conan acrylic stands, bleachpanda ended up buying a Demonslayer shirt that cost more than half of my purchase! Truly, she is a fiend who cannot be stopped. And will then turn around the next moment to blame an innocent, such as myself, for her extravagant spending!

As the day drew to a close, bleachpanda and I ended the day at Sensui, a restaurant at the Hilton. The two of us got the Onomichi set (a place I would have liked to visit because Yakuza 6: The Song of Life had its early story beat set here. And it is where we get the mascot Ono Michio! With his charming hassaku face, steamy Onomichi ramen hat, cute fish pouch and cool boots, vital for any fisherman, and his cool and trendy Ono shirt!) and which cost us approximately 100,000 yen each!

Given half our holiday was over anyways, i thought it a nice touch to splurge a little and treat ourselves. Tomorrow, after all, was another day of transit as we headed further east to Osaka. And while I wouldn’t be able to see the sights of Miyajima or Onomichi, I did have one thing I was excited for.

Universal Studios Japan, here we come!

Three Trains and a Bus!

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

After eating breakfast at the hotel buffet (they actually changed up what was available!), bleachpanda and I grabbed our bags from the room, checked out, and headed to the JR station at Nagasaki to continue our journey across Japan. Our next stop? Hiroshima. The site of the very first atomic bomb against a civilian population.

However, as this was primarily a day of transit, bleachpanda and I spent most of our day traversing the hyper efficient high speed rail network Japan had on offer. Granted, we had to take three trains to get to our destination but Nagasaki, unfortunately, is one of those cities that requires the use of a relay station in order to head further east.

Still, we arrived at Hiroshima Station at 2:30 PM. Without dropping a beat, bleachpanda and I booked our reserved tickets for our trip to Osaka – mostly for ease of mind. Tickets in hand, we lugged our suitcases towards the nearest bus stop in order to reach our hotel: Hilton Hiroshima! Yes, you read that right. We stayed at the Hilton!

It’s where President of the United States, Joe Biden, stayed at during the G7 Summit. While we didn’t get his actual room, this fact was proudly displayed at the cafe downstairs with commemorative desserts to celebrate the occasion.

So, you know, bleachpanda and I were clearly very important people.

Once we finally got our room keycards (there was a slight delay to set up our rooms), bleachpanda and I dumped our bags inside our very spacious quarters before braving the rain (it almost always seems to rain on our transit days), to visit Hiroshima Pokemon Centre (and so I could also get in some steps because we’d be sitting for most of the day).

As we looked around the Pokemon Centre in Hiroshima, I pulled bleachpanda aside and told her she had better appreciate the lack of Pokemon fans flocking to the store as I’d heard that during the summer, it could be so packed with people a ticketing system is needed to limit numbers. Of course, given this was one of the very first stores that had my undivided attention, I couldn’t help but splurge just a little while we were there, purchasing several plushies and souvenirs for a ton of my friends.

Of course, bleachpanda herself also spent quite a bit there as well, as she picked up gifts for family and friends.

Suffice it to say, bleachpanda was not impressed I’d dragged her all the way there just to have her spend more money. To make up for it, we enjoyed some Italian food at a restaurant on Level 10 (and checked out a few other stores therein though bleachpanda didn’t end up buying anything there) before returning to the Hilton.

Foreign Influence

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Like many North East Asian countries, Japan was quite insular when it came to trade with western nations. During the Edo period, under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, though, nearly all foreign nationals were banned from entering Japan. At Dejima, an artificial island built off Nagasaki, I learned that despite these restrictions, Japan did occasionally trade with the Portuguese. This petered off and the Dutch stepped in. And, in fact, it was Japan’s relationship with the Dutch that saw the nation expand its knowledge and begin to incorporate more Western-style thinking to medicine, science and technology.

Later, as the history books tell us, Japan fully opened up in the Meiji era and beyond.

Waking up early, after enjoying a delicious hotel breakfast, bleachpanda and I headed to Dejima (which, thankfully, was very close to our hotel at Shinchi Chinatown). After paying the entry fee, we meandered through the reconstructed island, peeking into warehouses and exhibits showcasing the history of the place.

These were usually in the form of videos or placards on the side. Unfortunately, most of them were solely in Japanese, making it harder for me to appreciate the items on display – although most were very identifiable.

What stood out to me, as we were making our way through the recreated warehouses, was the focus made on the copper the Japanese traded with the Dutch, and how these were smelted into the form of bars, which were later weighed, before being sealed into their boxes. The sheer number of copper that went through Dejima was extensive.

Then, of course, there were the large number of pottery on display. Like many nations, the Dutch also favoured the iconic blue and white ceramics from China. And in Nagasaki, Japanese artisans were encouraged to imitate the style for the benefit of trade.

All in all, Dejima was a worthwhile place to visit as it served as Japan’s gateway to the wider world despite the restrictions imposed by the Tokugawa shogunate at the time. But it also spoke of how the Western world engaged with other nations in the latter half of the Age of Exploration. Plus, there’s a mini Dejima one can look out over! And there were even models of ships and one of the very first badminton racquets!

From Dejima, bleachpanda and I headed to Glover Garden. What we hadn’t expected when we got there was just how extensive the gardens were. Based on the map of Nagasaki I obtained while at the JR station, I had initially assumed Glover Garden would be a small place and within 10 minutes, I’d have snapped all the pictures I would need. But Glover Garden, to my dismay, was a sprawling complex dedicated to a Scottish merchant, known for bringing news of the Industrial Revolution to Japan.

Thomas Blake Glover, for whom the Gardens are named after, came to Japan in 1859 and founded Glover and Co. three years later. He engaged in trade with the locals and would contribute to the modernisation of Japan including the construction of Kosuge Slip Dock and cooperating with the Saga domain to establish Japan’s first modern coal mine.

More importantly, though, Glover Garden also hosted the oldest Western-style house in Dejima!

By the time we finished touring the gardens, it was nearly 2 PM (far later than I had initially anticipated). And so, wanting to enjoy a decent meal, bleachpanda and I headed to a family restaurant nearby: Bikkuri Donkey. which is known for its hamburger steaks and patties.

Once full, we then headed to Oura cathedral. Alas, it cost 1000 Yen for admittance. Given that bleachpanda and I live in Australia were there are many cathedrals open to the public – and which many might argue are more impressive in design (St Mary’s Cathedral and St Andrew’s) – I couldn’t justify the price for entry. Refusing to pay, bleachpanda and I spent the rest of the afternoon ducking into the local shops that lined the street leading up to the cathedral wherein quite a few purchases were made – although only for small things.

After pulling bleachpanda away from purchasing even more earrings she didn’t need, we retreated back to our hotel to count our spoils before heading out again to check out Amu Plaza, located next to Nagasaki JR station (and where I took a photo of the red dragon chasing the golden ball). As usual, bleachpanda spent more than expected on her small trinket accessories while I had a look at belts because I wanted to replace the one I was wearing as it was falling apart at the seams.

It should be noted that my purchases cost me less than what bleachpanda ended up spending. So, one more point to Kyndaris!

We then had a simple dinner at a restaurant adjacent to the station before heading back to Candeo Hotel for a good night’s rest. After all, we were headed to Hiroshima the next day! And our very first Pokemon Centre stop (I tried to convince bleachpanda to make a pitstop at Fukuoka again but she refused).

The Scars of War

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

On 9th August 1945 at 11:02 AM, an atom bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki, killing thousands of people upon impact. It laid the city low and caused a devastating fire. For years, the repercussions remained – from the increased risk of cancer for many generations of Japanese to the still-standing ruins of Urakami Cathedral. So, when I see nations blithely threaten to use nuclear weapons against their enemies, I cannot help but feel a deep-seated anger at the callous disregard of precious life.

Atomic weapons attack indiscriminately. Putting civilians in danger. Putting children in danger is never the right thing to do.

While I understand the fear of being attacked (because of my ethnicity, I have become highly sensitised to racial attacks), nothing justifies the slaughter of a people.

Humans, unfortunately, have repeatedly killed each other since time immemorial. And we will continue to kill each other if we are so motivated whether that be fear, greed or hatred.

Seeing the devastation, and the video testimonies of those who experienced the bombing, truly brought home to me how frightfully scary what such a future would bring. And while I don’t want to be too preachy on my blog posts, it’s not something you can forget when you read the harrowing stories of the survivors as they tried to locate family and friends in the aftermath.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The start of our second day in Nagasaki saw bleachpanda and I head out to Mount Inasa Observatory to take in a view of this vast port city and appreciate its grand size. After taking a streetcar to Takara-Machi, we walked to Fuchi shrine in order to take the cable-car up to the summit.

While bleachpanda had made it clear she wanted to minimise the number of shrines she visited on this trip to Japan, our visit here was out of my hands if we wanted a proper appreciation of the sprawling city. Up we went, climbing up the stairs to the very top of the tower there.

And in all honesty, it boggles the mind that a city could face such destruction and still be rebuilt. True, it’s been nearly 80 years or so, but it speaks as well to the human spirit to endure such tragedy. Much like how many Chinese suffered through mass starvation during the Great Famine and the Cultural Revolution. Or, for example, the Potato Famine in Ireland.

Somehow, though, humans have risen above.

Still, I can’t help but feel sorry for the Paelstinians. Their treatment, since the end of the Second World War, has been horrendous. And instead of allowing Israel to have its way, or giving it a light slap on the wrist, more nations need to step up. Actions do have consequences but continuing a cycle of hatred between multiple generations will only lead to further loss and grief.

As per the words of Gesicht, before he fell (yes, I recently finished off watching Pluto): “Nothing will be born from hatred.” And it is oft said that one should dig two graves if one seeks revenge. Even after vengeance has been enacted, no solace can be found.

Only by rising above and proving oneself capable of letting of man’s fragile ego can a people move on and reach for a better future. As in the case of Japan following the bombings.

From atop Mount Inasa, bleachpanda and I headed down to the Atomic Peace Park. It was a cold overcast day but it was an excellent walk to soak in the ambiance. Of note was the bronze statue. Sitting near to the hypocenter of the explosion, the statue has its right hand pointing above while the left hand extends to the left in a symbol of eternal peace. The placement of the legs also symbolise both meditation and the initiative to stand up to rescue the people of the world.

It’s a striking image and I’ve included it down below:

From the Peace Park, bleachpanda and I headed towards the hypocenter and then to the Atomic Museum. The entry here was a mere 200 Yen for each of us. Down we went, reading about the tragedy that was the bomb. What was interesting to me was how the aftereffects of radiation on the human body was little understood at the time. It was as people slowly sickened that many realised the extent of the horror that came from the atomic, be they keloid scars or the other pain and conditions that took away people’s livelihoods as they struggled to return to normalcy. A little bit like the aftermath of COVID-19, although nobody is keen to talk about it.

From the Atomic Museum, bleachpanda and I headed to a nearby restaurant: Horaiken for some Nagasaki champon! This noodle dish is a regional cuisine and it is covered in cabbage along with a mix of seafood atop thick noodles. It was so much, I didn’t even manage to finish it. Probably because we also ordered some prawn siumai.

By the time we finished our meal, it was nearly 3 PM. Bleachpanda, being the paranoid person that she is, wanted to prebook our JR reservations to Hiroshima. So, off we went to the ticket office at Nagasaki JR station. There, we managed to catch sight of a local performance involving a red dragon chasing after a golden ball. When it was over, we headed into the bowels of the station and after sorting our transit, we decided to try out the “local” Seattle Coffee featuring everyone’s favourite Cinnabon. Bleachpanda, by the way, had never tried Cinnabon before but I think she liked it.

Once we had stuffed our faces, it was quite late in the afternoon. Still, it didn’t deter me from ushering us to Kofukuji Temple. Kofukuji is a Zen Buddhist temple and its main hall was constructed in 1632. It was built in a purely Chinese architectural style with “cracked ice” carved lattices, one of the last of its design.

This was all fascinating to see and read about as we walked around. More importantly, it goes to show the influences on Japan that helped establish its primary religious beliefs.

From Kofukuji, we headed to Megane Bridge, or Spectacle Bridge if you go by the English translation. It is said to be one of the oldest stone arch bridges in Japan and it is so named because of the reflection of the bridge in the river essentially looks like a pair of spectacles. A picture is below:

Once we had taken our obligatory tourist photos, bleachpanda and I strolled down to Hamano-machi and the Don Quijote there. It was our very first Don Quijote on this trip in Japan and while I accompanied bleachpanda as she looked at what was on offer, I couldn’t help but get the theme song stuck in my head. It’s just so good!

To bleachpanda’s chagrin, I was began singing the song as we headed back to our hotel at Shinchi Chinatown, wherein she threatened to cause me bodily harm, and possible smothering. It didn’t happen, of course, since bleachpanda wouldn’t hurt a fly but I suppose it’s the done thing if you have an annoying friend who knows exactly which buttons to push.

I am a chaos gremlin, okay? I can’t help it! My sense of humour is like a six-year-old child. And if you say something innocuous annoys you, like booping you on the nose, I will do it!

NEVER reveal your weaknesses to me, internet. Never. I will only ever use it against you for my own amusement.

I suppose it’s the monkey in me.

At the hotel, I decided to try out the spa, even as bleachpanda was committed to getting in some laundry done. Though I tried to convince bleachpanda to join me, as waiting for the laundry would take an age and a half, she feared someone would walk in and catch her nude body.

Something to note if one ever travels to Japan: their spas and onsen don’t allow the wearing of swimwear. Everyone is to wear their birthday suit only. Oh, and if you have a large tattoo that you can’t cover, you also aren’t generally allowed inside.

Before going into the spa/ onsen, you’re also expected to thoroughly wash your body and hair.

But since I was in the spa at about 6 PM, and everyone was eating dinner, I was left on my lonesome. It was barely 5-10 minutes before I grew bored and jumped back out, unable to sit with my thoughts for an extended period without some form of stimulation.

Still, it was good to tick the experience off my list. And after all the endless walking we had done thus far, it was nice to recuperate my energies in the spa. Thus ended our second day in Nagasaki.

Return to the Land of the Weeb

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The second of March marked our return to Japan. Waking early, bleachpanda and I packed up our bags, made sure we hadn’t forgotten anything in our rooms, checked-out of the Asti Hotel in Busan and weaved through Busan station and head to the International Port Terminal not even a kilometre away. Today, we were to take the JR Queen Beetle back to Japan and continue our adventure.

Given it was departing at 9 AM sharp, bleachpanda and I had to hustle over, only stopping briefly to pick up breakfast at the local convenience stores at the terminal. Once we arrived at the terminal, we had little time to spare as we rushed through the check-in before going through immigration and security.

Unlike planes though, the security to get on a ferry was quite simple. Liquids weren’t limited to only 100ml with our luggage going through a cursory x-ray scan.

On the ferry, we had to stow our suitcases away near the back of the ferry before taking our seats as the JR Beetle left the port. As we unmoored, the trainee attendant came by and I encouraged bleachpanda to take a motion sickness tablet as the waves were a bit high. Unfortunately, she didn’t actually ingest the tablet because of an inability to swallow tablets without some food to help. As such, bleachpanda slept her way through the ferry ride while I snuck in some scenery shots and a few minutes of gaming before I, too, succumbed a little to the queasy sensation of being on a boat. So, instead of being on the lookout for Tsushima, which our ferry should have passed (and would have appeared to our right – we were sitting on the left), I also rested for an hour or so. When next I opened my eyes, we were out in the open sea with nothing but blue skies and white fluffy clouds.

Alas. Maybe one of these days, when I get the chance to revisit South Korea or Japan, I can try to go visit Tsushima and relive the feeling of what it was like to be Jin Sakai.

We docked at Hakata port in Fukuoka at 12:50 PM. After we had gone through customs, it was half past 1. Bleachpanda and I then hopped onto a BRT towards Hakata Station so we could pick up our JR passes and take a train down to Nagasaki.

Given bleachpanda had an over-sized suitcase, bleachpanda had to book two reserved tickets. Thankfully, there was plenty of seats available for us and we boarded our train with little hassle. Although, of course, bleachpanda was still a little queasy from the ferry ride.

As she rested, I took in the passing scenery and read a few more pages of I Am A Cat.

What I didn’t realise was that Hakata had a Pokemon Centre! And given we were in a rush to board the train to Nagasaki, I couldn’t walk the streets and soak in the Like a Dragon 5 ambiance when Kiryu Kazuma was working as a taxi-driver.

At Nagasaki, we took the streetcar down to our hotel in Shinchi Chinatown. After checking in at Candeo Hotel, we rested for an hour before venturing back out to grab some dinner. As we were staying in the Chinatown, we were able to snap a few shots of the Chinatown gate before we tried some delicious sushi at a nearby restaurant: Taichi before buying some castella at a place right next to our hotel.

After all, Nagasaki is known for their champon noodles, their meat buns and, of course, their castella. Heck, they even have souvenirs showcasing these foods!

As we strolled through Chinatown, bleachpanda and I spotted a Studio Ghibli store and stepped inside to take a gander at what was on sale. Inside, I was struck by the number of My Neighbour Totoro plushies. There were a few other cute plushies from other films like Princess Mononoke and Return of the Cat.

Bleachpanda and I didn’t buy anything while we looked around the store but we would return on orders from bleachpanda’s sister to buy a few things for their darling daughter. As the two of us were recovering from our exhausting day of transport, we decided to head back to the hotel to prepare for the day ahead.

There were numerous sights to see and we couldn’t waste a single moment. After all, that’s what one does when they go overseas, right? Have a strict schedule of which tourist attraction to go to! In any case, bleachpanda would be rewarded on the morrow with a visit to Don Quijote, her favourite multistorey variety store in Japan.

On an unrelated side note, our hotel has a spa and the two of us may try it out during our stay. I know I certainly will.

Before I forget, the safety instructions for the JR Beetle were also cute and adorable. They had two kid captains and everything was depicted in a school playground. All safety instructions should have such a video to showcase their requirements!

Behind the Scenes with The Little Prince

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On our second day in Busan, bleachpanda and I headed to Gamcheon Culture Village. It is a place known for its twisting alleys and colourful houses and painted murals. Built on a steep mountain-side slope, it’s often been called Korea’s ‘Santorini’ or the ‘Machu Picchu’ of Busan. But the creation of Gamcheon Culture Village was due to a project to contribuet to the social, cultural and economic regeneration of an underprivileged village through culture and arts while also preserving the village’s original features and historic value.

Consequently, it was a must-see location for bleachpanda and I on our trip while we were in Busan.

Of course, getting to it was a trek and a half as bleachpanda and I took a local bus towards a stop nearby and climbing up a fairly steep hill. While there was another bus we could have changed to, the internet had told me the walk wasn’t too long.

What it didn’t tell me about were the changes in elevation!

At the very least, we didn’t explore the labyrinthine alleys running in and out of Gamcheon and kept to the main road whilst we were there. I don’t think our knees would have liked us for climbing up and down a series of stairs.

Still, given the brisk morning we endured on the first day of March, the climb up to Gamcheon served to warm us up before we entered the village proper. Bleachpanda, as always, immediately zeroed in on the first souvenir shop that caught our eye, buying up almost all of their stock of earrings and other goods supposedly for her family and friends. I tried valiantly to stop bleachpanda from spending more than her means but she would not be denied.

Wait. She’s telling me that’s not quite the full story and to stop spreading lies lest she murder me in my sleep.

Fine! Bleachpanda did buy a copious amounts of pins and a few other souvenirs for her friends (none for me though despite the fact I’m her best friend in the world), but it was not so much that it would break open her suitcase. I, on the other hand, picked up three pairs of socks and even nabbed a crocheted dragon keyring. It was a bit expensive but it was also very cute and adorable.

What stood out to me as bleachpanda and I explored Gamcheon, I couldn’t help but notice a strange obsession with Le Petit Prince everywhere I looked. As most people know, Le Petit Prince is a story written and illustrated by a French writer, Antoine de Saint-Exupery. According to Wikipedia (because, as we all know, it is a fount of knowledge that is, in no way, inaccurate and should always be everyone’s go-to place when it comes to information), it is the second most translated work ever published.

The story itself revolves around an aircraft pilot’s chance encounter with the little prince and his journey across the stars after feeling the need to expand his horizons after falling in love with the rose. After seeing so many different thing, taming a fox, and befriending the aircraft pilot, the little prince desires to return home and see the rose again. He does so by allowing a snake to bite him. When the pilot awakes the next morning, the prince’s body cannot be found.

While I haven’t read the book, I have attended a live stage show of it when it was hosted in the Sydney Opera House and watched a movie.

In any case, Gamcheon had plenty of murals of the Little Prince. There was even a sculpture of him staring out over Gamcheon with his fox companion that many tourists lined up to take photos with. Heck, there was even Little Prince bread filled with either custard cream or red bean paste!

Besides The Little Prince, there was also much love for the Korean boyband, BTS (short for Bangtan Sonyeondan). Though I don’t have an undying love for the group, I did remember hearing that BTS went on hiatus from recording and performing to focus on solo projects, and to also complete their military service.

Having missed our chance to rent out a hanbok while in Seoul, bleachpanda and I stumbled upon a rental store in the heart of Gamcheon. While I have never revealed my face here on my blog, I think it appropriate that I do a ‘back-of-the-head’ reveal. More importantly, I just wanted to show off the hanbok we rented because we could only wear it for an hour and it cost bleachpanda and I 15,000 Won each.

Still, although it was only for an hour, we had plenty of time to prance around Gamcheon village and take several photos in and around the nearby streets.

Once we had explored Gamcheon to our satisfaction, we decided to head to the beach. Yes, it was a blistering cold day and we were never going to head down into the water, but I had heard good things about Haeundae Beach, and my work friend had also recommended it. So, after taking a bus down from where Gamcheon Culture Village was located, we took the 1003 bus all the way to the other side of Busan.

At Haeundae Beach, we strolled down the promenade and took in the sights of the locals and tourists gathered there. Haeundae, according to hte internet, is South Korea’s most famous beach and is often filled to the brim with umbrellas during the peak August travel season.

Of course, since bleachpanda and I were there in March, there was hardly an umbrella in sight. Nor was there anyone in the water.

It was, after all, only 4 degrees Celsius.

Now, while Haeundae Beach is a popular destination for many, my work friend had also told me there were sky capsules that would allow tourists to get in an excellent view of the coastline.

Unfortunately, by the time we arrived to book a sky capsule, a vast majority of the bookings had been taken. As bleachpanda and I had an early start tomorrow, we chose to forego the capsules and head back to Busan Station to grab an early dinner (as we had skipped lunch). This turned out to be Chinese dumplings at Maga Mandu. And what big dumplings they were – especially when bleachpanda ordered the steamed prawn dumblings!

Thus ended our second day in Busan!

And what a day it was! From a morning trek up to Gamcheon, putting on a hanbok and gallivanting around with The Little Prince, to taking in the sights and sounds of Haeundae Beach. All the while on a public holiday! The 1st of March is a national day to celebrate Korea’s independence from Japan.

But we also had an early start to the morning and so were quick to retire. After six days in Korea, we were returning back to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Train to Busan

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Unlike the movie of the same title as this post, my train ride down to Busan was uneventful. After a late night out in Myeongdong, bleachpanda and I arranged for a slightly later start to the day for our transit down to the famous port city. After enjoying a breakfast at Starbucks (there appear to be hundreds of them in the heart of Seoul, although there are also a ton of other coffee shops as well), we made our way towards Seoul Station and the KTX station within.

Let me tell you of the hassle it all was once we stepped out of the metro! Stairs everywhere the eye could see. And not a single escalator. Yes, there was a conveyor belt for luggage but it was limited to those who would be taking the airport line.

Thankfully, bleachpanda and I hadn’t bought too many souvenirs just yet and could still manage to lug our bags up and down the many flights of stairs taking us from the metro station to the KTX station.

As we waited for our designated train (bleachpanda and I had pre-purchased our Korail tickets online), we took a gander at the shops for those looking to take a high-speed cross-country train. Unlike Central Station in Sydney, there were numerous places to eat AND the entrance to a local department store. More importantly, there was a Kakao Friends store. It was here that bleachpanda went and bought Apeach (her constant companion for the rest of the trip and whom I said looked ugly). Given we couldn’t open up our luggage right there at the station with everyone watching, bleachpanda managed to cram her Apeach into her already bulging backpack.

On the train, bleachpanda slept through most of the ride, citing a headache which I doubted was authentic. I, on the other hand, eagerly looked out at the passing scenery before reading a few pages of I Am A Cat by Natsume Soseki.

While I would like to sing the praises of this Japanese author, the truth is…I found the writing tedious. In fact, by page ten, I could barely keep my eyes open. So, I fiddled with my phone and looked out and resumed looking at the scenery. I may have even fell asleep myself although the ride wasn’t too long.

We pulled into Busan at around 2 PM and went for a quick bite to eat as we hadn’t had lunch (we did buy a few snacks at a convenience store but I needed something heavier). Once we were functioning human beings again, we braved the rain and headed to our hotel nearby: Asti Hotel Busan to check-in. After we offloaded our luggage in our room, we decided to cross off a few key tourist attractions close by despite the weather.

So, off we trotted back towards Busan Station and Texas Street right opposite it. Then it was down into the Busan metro system as we headed to Busan Tower, which is also commonly known as Diamond Tower. Due to the poor weather, it felt like we were the only ones there as we bought a ticket up to the observation deck.

But while I would have loved just seeing the city from on high, Busan Tower also had a lot of interactive activities inside. They even had a QR game (our end prize turned out to be a couple of pens), one needed to locate within and outside the Tower. This made our time there much more worthwhile after trekking to Yongdusan Park.

And despite the overcast day, bleachpanda and I were still able to see quite a bit of the city and get in our required bird’s eye view. I even bought a fridge magnet and another postcard to send to my friend. However, unlike N Seoul Tower, Busan Tower didn’t have the facility to mail off my postcard.

After we had drunk our view of the aerial view, we descended down into the bowels of Diamond Tower, hunting down QR codes and engaging in the game that had been organised. Once we had claimed our prize, bleachpanda and I headed to to Gwangbok-ro Fashion Street, which was just on the other side of the Yongdusan Park and down into BIFF (Busan International Film Festival) Square where there was a ton of street food.

Google tells me there are apparently handprints of famous Korean actors lining the streets but I didn’t notice. Alas, perhaps another visit is in order.

We did, however, stop at a sushi restaurant called Manatsu for dinner. Bleachpanda even got to enjoy her share of tuna while I revelled in eating something that didn’t have kimchi served on the side (something which I can’t eat because it’s gosh darn spicy)! Our appetites sated, we returned to our hotel to prepare for a busy day on the morrow as we would be heading to several destinations given we were only staying in Busan for only two nights.

Looking back, I can honestly say we should have stayed in Busan longer but alas, Japan was calling.

The Pursuit of Materialism

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

After a day out at the DMZ, bleachpanda and I chose to start our last full day in Seoul with a gentle stroll through the National Museum of Korea. While I would have preferred to have done it on our first day, at the time, bleachpanda and I were still confused on the metro system. But by the third day, I’d taken a map at the confusing web of lines and had what many would describe as an epiphany.

With my guidance, for Google Maps would not plot out a route, bleachpanda and I managed to arrive at the National Museum unmolested. Better yet, admission was free!

So, off we trotted, coming to understand the history of Korea and how it came to be: from the Paleolithic period all the way to the Empire of Korea. Not an easy task, I assure you, but fascinating in how nation states come into being.

Fun fact: the first state ever to emerge on the Korean Peninsula was Gojoseon. It came to dominate the entire northwest region of the peninsula during the Bronze Age, even stretching as far as Laoning, China. When it fell around 108 BCE, several smaller states emerged including Buyeo, Goguryeo, Okjeo and Dongye.

But what proved most fascinating to me was how Korea’s history was intricately connected with that of China including they myths. Of note were the Four Guardian Deities, which I only ever happened to discover from reading Fushigi Yuugi and later Kylie Chan’s novels: the White Tiger, the Red Phoenix, the Black Tortoise and the Azure/ Blue Dragon.

These Guardian Deities are often believed to be related to the four cardinal directions and were said to ward off evil influences to ensure harmony between yin and yang energies. And in 5th century Goguryeo tombs, they were portrayed as symbols of the afterlife.

As time went on, several dynasties rose and fell including Korea’s own version of the Three Kingdoms (Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla). This came as a bit of a surprise to me considering every time the Three Kingdoms are ever mentions, they mean the tripartite divison among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han and Eastern Wu that occurred from 220 to 280 AD, and which became a historical novel: Romance of the Three Kingdoms were heroes such as Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu are known.

What became clear to me as bleachpanda and I wandered the halls of the museum was that Korea was steeped in a shared history with its neighbours, China and Japan. This was most evident in the realm of religion and the spread of Buddhism. At the National Museum, we saw many a scriptures and steles written in Chinese characters. I also noted the similarities between the attire worn by Korean nobility and traditional clothing for Chinese emperors. All of this, suffice it to say, was fascinating to see and read about.

Once we had travelled through the different eras of Korea, bleachpanda and I toured the third floor of the Museum and looked at the various artworks of other ancient cultures. These included Mesopotamia, China, Japan, Central Asia, Greece and Rome. As a student of ancient history back when I was in high school, I was disappointed to see no statue portraying Augustus. Marcus Aurelius, bless his heart, appeared twice!

And yet there was no love for Julius Caesar’s successor.

Unacceptable!

From the museum, bleachpanda and I took the metro to Hongdae Street and finally start on some much needed shopping – her words, not mine.

Our first stop after getting out of the metro station was Kakao Friends. It was here I that I swiftly learned the names of the cutesy characters on display and who were nearly everywhere in Seoul, if you simply knew where to look. After perusing the available merchandise, I quickly fell in love with Jordy while bleachpanda thought Apeach was the cutest character in the lineup.

As this was our first introduction to Kakao Friends, we didn’t purchase anything. Rather, bleachpanda had her sights on obtaining as much Korean skincare as possible and she quickly beelined for the closest Olive Young to hand over all her precious Korean won.

Once bleachpanda had bought out the whole shop, we refuelled at a local Korean barbeque restaurant where 27,800 Won was enough for an All-You-Can-Eat Beef set. Astoundingly cheap considering it can cost upwards of $60 AUD.

Filled to the brim with beef, bleachpanda and I strolled down Hongdae Street, stopping in at multiple shops to check out earrings (spoiler alert: we stopped at many a jewellery shop for bleachpanda to buy earrings. These were mostly for herself but she also bought some for friends and family) or whatever else that had caught bleachpanda’s eye (she bought a Nezuko figurine – which would end up taking up far too much space in her luggage). We also stopped at the Pop Mart flagship store where I purchased a few Disney blind box figurines, as well as one featuring Lord of the Rings (I got a Balrog).

We made our way back to our hotel at ENA Suite Namdaemun by 5:30 PM to recover from our shopping trip and to offload all the gear bleachpanda bought (including copious amounts of skincare). At 6 PM, we ventured out again, this time heading to the nearby Myeongdong, which is known for being one of Seoul’s main shopping districts. It was also where bleachpanda essentially spent all her Korean won on additional skincare products and more goddamn earrings (she probably has enough to open up her own store).

After I directed us to Myeongdong Cathedral, we also tried some of the street food available to us. This included an octopus skewer and various sweets.

As we were heading to Busan the next day, I managed to corral the two of us back to our hotel by 8:30 PM. Then it was a quick flurry to repack our luggage over all the purchases bleachpanda bought as we prepared for the train journey down to the second largest city in South Korea, and which has an established reputation as the city of film.

Into the Breach

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

On 25 June 1950, after the creation of two separate governments in Korea following the end of World War II, North Korea (also known as the Democratic Republic of Korea) launched an attack on its neighbour in order to subsume it. After fighting the South Koreans (Republic of Korea) down to Busan, the South Korean army rallied with the help of the United States. Their counteroffensive nearly pushed North Korean troops into China. With the aid of weapons and artillery bequeathed by the Soviets, China entered the Korean War. Following intense fighting, the front was stablised close to the 38th parallel with the final two years of the war becoming a war of attrition. An armistice was later signed in 1953.

The signing of the armistice paused hostilities on the Korean peninsula and created the Korean Demilitarised Zone, or DMZ (pronounced Dee-Em-Zed) for short.

On our second proper day in Seoul, bleachpanda and I joined a Seoul City Bus tour (paid through Klook) to scope it out. Having prebooked the tour, we were contacted the day before by one of the organisers to arrange a hotel pick-up. By 9:30 AM, bleachpanda and I were in the hotel lobby, waiting for the bus to come pick us up. Except, instead of a bus, a nondescript black van showed up.

Into it we climbed until we arrived at another hotel before piling into the coach that pulled up, and which would take us to the DMZ.

Our first stop, after driving about an hour from Seoul, was the Peace Park. During the drive, our tour guide Yeoni, explained the history of Seoul – from the Joseon Dynasty to the modern reiteration we now know today. At Peace Park, Yeoni pointed out several important monuments including a bunker, a comfort women statue, the Iron Horse train engine, the Peace Bell and the infamous ‘Cow Bridge’. Cow bridge is so named because a defector, and founder of Hyundai Groups, Chung Ju-yung sent over 1001 ‘unification’ cows over the border as a gift.

After Peace Park, we headed back onto the coach and was taken to Dora Observatory. As we went through a security checkpoint, our passports were checked. My picture, of course, is horrendous as I didn’t wear any make-up and the post office didn’t retake my photo despite my fringe blocking a part of my face. After we had gone through the checkpoint, Yeoni told us of how visitors could take a train to visit the DMZ prior to COVID-19. This was run twice a day during the weekends with the train stopping at Dorasan station.

Once at Dora Observatory, Yeoni provided us some additional information about the relationship between North and South Korea. And as we peered through the binoculars, she was quick to point out key areas of interest. Bleachpanda and I even caught glimpses of a North Korean guard standing outside their outpost!

From Dora Observatory, we then headed to the 3rd tunnel. During the drive, Yeoni told us that there were about 1,000 defectors from North Korea annually. Often, defectors would flee first into China and find alternate means to enter South Korea. Once in South Korea, they would be assessed to see if they’re spies sent from the north. If legitimate defectors, they are given free housing for a few years as well as a mentor to help them adjust to life outside of the communist state.

What was most telling to me was how these two nations, despite their differences, stilled hoped for unification and to once again be one people. Time will tell if it will come to pass but their stories of families being split apart reminded me of several other countries that endured such trauma including Partition and the ongoing challenges between China and Taiwan.

As for the 3rd tunnel, though reviews made it sound as if it was a claustrophobic spelunking crawl, it honestly felt like exploring a low-ceiling granite cave with sufficient space for two people to walk abreast. It certainly wasn’t as impressive as investigating the twisting labyrinthine tunnels of Cappadocia last year.

The 3rd tunnel was simply a very long tunnel with a sharp incline at its entrance. Once in the tunnel proper, it was flat although there were patches of water here and there. While taller people might accidentally hit their hard hats on the ceiling, I was short enough to get through unscathed. At the end of the tunnel was a metal barricade and a monitor with four video feeds showing what lay beyond.

Bleachpanda, fearing the 3rd tunnel experience after reading reviews of it online, did not descend. Which, honestly, might have been a good idea as she would have needed copious breaks on the way out given how steep the incline was.

From the tunnel, our last stop on the DMZ tour was the Unification Village. It was here that bleachpanda treated me to a lemon tea. Something I desperately needed after the slog of a climb back up to the surface and running out of my pre-boiled water.

So ended our visit to the DMZ, with the Seoul City Bus dropping us all at City Hall. As bleachpanda and I wandered back to our hotel, we stopped to visit the now open Deoksugung Palace. What made it stand out to the two of us was its very modern western-style garden and fountain, known as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Pictures are as below:

And while the visit to the DMZ was an eye-opening experience (my grandparents on my father’s side actually met during the conflict although neither were on the frontlines), I couldn’t help but feel I had missed an opportunity to chat with a few fellow Australians on the trip.

Still, I want to end his blog post by thanking Seoul City Tour, and Yeoni in particular, for taking us around the DMZ and safely getting us back to Seoul in one piece! You may have thought I was bleachpanda and the start but you certainly warmed to Kyndaris as the day went by. Even acknowledged us when we nearly missed the coach at the Peace Park because I had to search for a bin in order to throw the remains of my soy fried chicken away because the bus driver wouldn’t let bleachpanda and I bring it along.

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Our first proper day in Seoul had us running through the city using my highly advanced map-reading skills because Google Maps could not show even simple routes in and around the city except via public transport. This was due to the censorship laws of South Korea preventing the storage of map data on foreign server devices. As a consequence, Google cannot legally provide any real time navigation. Or so Google and Reddit tell me. Instead, locals rely on Naver and Kakao, but which do not always have English translations and thus tourists such as bleachpanda and myself are left fending for ourselves.

Still, after enjoying a ham and cheese ‘Dagel’ for breakfast at a local cafe, bleachpanda and I set out to Namsam Seoul Tower (or N Seoul Tower for short). Along the way, we stopped at the Namdaemun Market. There, we inspected the stalls to see what was on offer. Although we were both tempted to purchase souvenirs at this very first stop on our journey, we both resisted the urge.

We had, after all, not even properly seen the city!

Instead, bleachpanda and I purchased some egg tarts and a warm drink to drive away the wintry chill. While bleachpanda guzzled down her mocha, I was left disappointed by my ‘choco latte,’ which turned out to essentially be chocolate milk.

From Namdaemun Markets, we hiked towards Namsan Mountain, visiting a local 7-Eleven along the way to see if they shared any similarities to their counterparts in Japan or Australia (spoiler alert: they shared much more with their Asian cousins in Taiwan and Japan than those found out in the West).

Once at the start of the hiking trail up to Namsan, bleachpanda blanched at the prospect of climbing up to the tower. But with some gentle coaxing from me, she acquiesced. And so, we clambered up the mountain.

Bleachpanda, being the less fit of the two of us, required numerous stops to catch her breath. But these rests were also opportunities for us to take pictures of the scenery – capturing the early moments of spring peaking through as the snow began to melt.

By the way, did I mention there were love locks all around N Seoul Tower? Because that was a thing. As well as at the base of the mountain having a statue dedicated to the Comfort Women from the Second World War.

Still, it was aggravating to wait for her but it was the cross I had to bear as her travelling companion. Especially as we were nearing the tower and she vanished for nigh on eighty-four years because she ducked into a store to buy a fridge magnet.

At the tower, I purchased our entry tickets up and away we soared to the observation deck with a group of American tourists. Once at the observation deck, the entirety of Seoul was spread out before us. I used this chance to take copious amounts of pictures from this bird’s eye view of the city:

Bleachpanda and I even bought a few souvenirs, including postcards. While I sent mine to a good friend (here known as redoubt on the internet), as he has a penchant of posting postcards to me when travelling overseas, bleachpanda sent one to her sister and another to her future self.

Once we had drunk our fill at the tower, we took the cable car back down to civilisation (bleachpanda’s request) before heading to Deoksugung Palace. As I navigated our party towards our destination we refuelled at a Dunkin’ Donuts before continuing onward.

Unfortunately, once we arrived at Deoksugung Palace, it was closed (this was due to the fact this palace is closed on Mondays. Why? I’m not sure. We would revisit it later). Disappointed, bleachpanda and I trekked instead to Gyeongbokgung Palace where we managed to catch a changing of the royal guard. During the performance, an explanation was provided regarding the process and of the outfits worn by the performers, which were based on 15th century Joseon dynasty clothing.

Fun fact, Gyeongbokgung was the main royal palace of the Joseon palace and was built in 1395. Additionally, everywhere we looked, there were people dressed in hanboks because they allowed free entry!

Alas, bleachpanda and I were dressed in our thick entry gear. And so, we had to buy tickets to visit Gyeongbokgung Palace. I also grabbed an audio gudie to provide some commentary of the historic site we were visiting, although I had to trade in my driver licence.

As we made our way through the Palace, I learned how the Palace served as the heart of the Joseon dynasty before it was razed to the ground when Japan invaded Korea back in 1592. This was later rebuilt in 1867. Within were several precincts and the living quarters for concubines and the royal family.

Of interest to me was how there were separate palaces for the King and the Queen.

I also learned how during the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century, Gyeongbokgung was used for their own headquarters, with the Government-General Building being built after the Palace was levelled. After the conclusion of the Second World War, however, much of Gyeongbokgung has been restored.

After we had wandered through to all the major sites, bleachpanda and I exited out near the National Folk Museum of Korea. Eager to have my driver licence returned, we headed back to the entrance and exchanged the audio guide for my Australian identity document.

From the palace, we then headed to Bukchon Hanok village and finally nabbed a late lunch of pork cutlet – elsewise I might have keeled over. After we were both full, we took a gander around Bukchon, stopping by Bukchon Yukgyeong to snap an iconic view of the city of the buildings there and the city of Seoul splayed out before us.

Once we had snagged the picture, bleachpanda and I headed back to our hotel after a long day out in the city of Seoul. We stopped briefly at Jogyesa Buddhist temple before purchasing a few souvenirs and snacks.

So ended our first proper day in Seoul! Join me for the next few weeks as I regale you, dear reader, of our further adventures! For tomorrow is when we head into the DMZ (the last letter pronounced as Zed for all you Americans out there).

Looking back on our journey though, I’m a little sad I couldn’t snag myself a hot CEO boyfriend after he hit me with his car. Still, there’s always next time!