China: Beijing and Xi'an

We got into Beijing at 10:00am and had a busy day ahead of us. We took a bus to the train station and booked our tickets to Xi'an for later that week. They were more money than we had thought so we were a little bummed but were just happy we got them. Our next move was to take a bus out to a more remote location of the Great Wall. After an hour and a half we got to a 'bus station' where we were immediately hassled by 'taxi drivers' who were willing to drive us to the wall. I put quotations because for all intensive purposes the bus station was a shack and the taxis were bums with cars. Anyway, we negotiated a price and were off. We spent our first night at a cheap hotel and then got up at 4:00am to start our 5 hour hike on the wall. It was amazing and definitely worth it. There was no body else on the wall and the scenery was outstanding. It was the highlight of our trip for sure.




















At the end of the hike we headed back to Beijing and made our way to the hotel. We had gotten a good deal on a Marriott and were excited to kick back in luxury after a long day of hiking so we took it easy and planned the rest of our week. The next morning we were off to the Summer Palace, a huge palace whose grounds surround an entire lake. Of course, being an Adam and Heather adventure we entered the grounds at the furthest point from the palace and so we had to walk all the way around the lake. It was beautiful though and the view from the top of the palace was incredible. In our opinion, the best sight in Beijing.


Day three found us visiting the Temple of Heaven. It is in the heart of Beijing and was an interesting oasis within the unbelievably busy city. We have never been anywhere so crowded as Beijing so it was refreshing to step out of the crowd and into a location where people were doing everything from playing music and dancing to flying kites and playing chess. The temple itself was interesting but not too different from what we've seen in Korea. I think the biggest laugh we had was reading a sign about how this one building was a cornerstone in ancient Chinese architecture and that within the hall there was a giant pearl dragon. I convinced Heather it would be worth it to wait in a 20 minute line up (for the dragon of course) but when we got to look inside it was just an empty room. I mean they could have at least put in a dragon made out of cardboard or something.

That night we decided to take advantage of the pool in our hotel but when we went to put on our swimming suits Heather realized she forgot hers. So I made her go with me to a department store to buy a new one. They were all hideous and so I decided that if she were going to buy one she would have to make it worthwhile. We found a winner that only cost $5 Canadian and were even more ecstatic to have the lady in the shop stretch it over Heather's waist to show that see, it will even fit the white girl. It was a little offensive but we have learned to laugh as we headed to the pool where they looked at us strangely and told us that we couldn't swim without a bathing cap! I mean, what were we thinking. Luckily, they let us borrow a couple;)


Our last day in Beijing found us visiting the Forbidden Palace. It was the hottest day yet and since we had to check out of the hotel we had our backpack with us. The Forbidden Palace introduced us to a whole new level of 'cramped'. When we got to the entrance there was a huge line (likely over an hour) and the fee was more than we had planned so we decided that the view from outside was enough for us. We then took a cab to the 798 Art district where there are plenty of art galleries and interesting shops you can browse. It was a very relaxed way to finish out our time in Beijing.




Our train for Xi'an left at 9:30pm that night and so we had a bit of waiting to do at the train station. However, the time passed and we boarded the train with good spirits since it was Heather's first time on a train and she was really excited. It got even better when we realized that those pricey tickets we had paid for were 1st class. We got our own cabin with a bathroom, table and chair. It was pretty awesome.

When we got to Xi'an it was raining and so we made our way through the rain to see the Terra Cotta Army. It was the biggest reason for us to make the trip to Xi'an and it was worth it. It was really interesting and very unique. We enjoyed the rest of the day in Xi'an and got to see an amazing water fountain show at night. All in all, China was outstanding and we had a great time. It was a good week but, even I will admit, we were excited to get back to Popeye and finish out our remaining two weeks in Korea. HOME!

Ice Bar, Seoul

Adam and I are scramming to do awesome things before we leave Korea. "Surely," we thought, "there must still be untouched gems left in this country"....and yes, there was. The Seoul Ice Bar was exactly what it sounds like...a bar, made entirely of ice. It came complete with fur covered ice stools, winter capes and mitts, fuzzy booties, and a whole lotta vodka. It was 15,000 won to get in, which came with the attire as well as a choice of a vodka cocktail, in which Adam and I chose 'Sex on Ice' and 'Deep Blue Sea'. It was a nice clash to come outside from the humidity, into the opposite climate of frigid coldness (really, my hands even turned the reddish color after leaving the ice bar because I was so cold!).

One thing that I did not enjoy about the ice bar, which seemed like a smart idea at first, was the straight vodka shot I took from a penis sculpture. I was under the illusion that the ice penis would forcefully push out the vodka into my mouth, but alas, I had to slowly suck a shot and a half of putrid vodka. At least I wrangled a friend in to do it with me so that I did not have to go through the embarrassment of gagging on my own :(

All in all it was an interesting place to visit. I thought it was hilarious that they posted records of how long people have stayed there (including other visitors urine in bottles) all around the bar. The longest amount of time that 3 men were in there was 13.5 hours. We were in there for a total of 30 minutes.....yeah us! Enjoy the pictures.

DMZ: North Korean, South Korea Border

The DMZ is not what I expected at all. My Korean co-workers, and others alike made it out to be this place of complete terror and tension. I thought I would go and be witnessed to South Korean and North Korean soldiers staring down each other on their prospective borders, but alas, I was not. When we arrived at the DMZ we were required to put on a guest badge. We had a US army tour guide the entire time, who took us to the border, and into a few buildings. When we arrived at the border there were several South Korean soldiers lined up, but no North Korean soldiers. Instead, we saw two North Korean soldiers looking at us from binoculars in a building on the other side. I was also interested in the fact that many of the South Korean soldiers faced a wall (about two inches from it). They did not move or make verbal/ physical contact with anybody, just stared. We were told that it was for safety (but the US tour guide had a bit of a smirk on his face).

We also got an opportunity to see one of the 4 tunnels North Korea had dug in order to get into South Korea. It was a long walk down to the actual tunnel, and I got beat by several old ladies. Once we got there it was about a 250 metre walk to a large metal door (which led into North Korea). The tunnel walls were covered in a black substance, which I later found out was coal. The North Koreans had put the coal on the walls so that if they were caught digging a tunnel, they could say they were merely coal mining (on South Korea's side).

I was unaware of how much tension there was, until I watched the videos that were shown about the various incidents between North and South Korea. One incident occurred while South Korean soldiers (American included) were trying to cut down a large tree that disallowed them from having full view of North Korea. Several soldiers were brutally murdered with the axe' they were using by North Korean soldiers. It was surprising to hear how savage their relationship seems.

Mr. Parks Shelter (Cheosan)

Adam and I had an enlightening, but enjoyable time at this newly established dog shelter in South Korea. I have been concerned about animal rights in Korea ever since looking into fostering a dog from the Cheong-ju shelter. What began as a process to foster turned into the adopted 'Popeye' that Adam and I fell in love with at the Cheong-ju shelter. I have made several observations about how animals (primarily dogs and cats) are treated in Korea, and I wanted to discuss this on our blog.

When we went to the Cheong-ju shelter, we found the workers friendly to us, but not exactly 'animal activists'. When we entered the building Popeye was in a small cage with about 7 other small dogs. It was extremly crowded, and it smelled like feces. I expected this to be the case because the dogs who are brought to the Cheong-ju shelter as a 'last resort'. They are euthanized in 10 days if nobody comes to claim them or adopted them. I pointed to Popeye in amongst the other dogs, and the worker opened the cage and lifted her by her front paw. She winced a bit, and so I quickly took her from him. I was slightly shocked, but remained calm because I wanted to keep her and did not want to give them a reason not to give her to me. He questioned me about why I would want a one eyed dog, and I didn't know how to answer that question. The vet came in after 30 minutes and asked for my ID card, and my phone number. He did not ask any other questions, and looked disinterested in me and the dogs in that area. The impression I have received, and was confirmed by other people is that his only job as a vet is to euthanize the dogs. I am not talking down on him about this, because someone has to do it, but what I am upset about is the fact that all of these dogs are placed there in the first place. I was later told by a girl who went to this shelter that she was witness to the same vet kicking and hitting the dogs, as well as putting a partially live dog into a garbage bag. He also had a litter of Jindo's outside who had been fighting and biting eachother. He remarked that they are very "strong".

This leads me to my impression of Korean dog owners (and some Canadian dog owners as well). It seems that dogs are like an accessory. They are carried everywhere, alongside your purse or shopping bag. I rarely see Korean people putting their dogs on the ground to burn energy, and I often see dogs who are stressed, barking, growling, and biting their owners. I have seen dogs who are better dressed than I am, including dogs who have dyed fur (neon tails and ears included). The more shelters I go to in Korea, the more I have noticed that a large amount of the dogs seem to be at one time groomed, fed, domesticated, but the owner no longer felt a need to have them. I don't want to insinuate that there are not special cases upon which the owner can no longer take care of their dog. I also know for a fact that many of these dogs are simply discarded because they no longer serve a purpose. Once the puppy grows up, it is no longer cute to them, or as the dog's frustration begins to build (from lack of exercise and challenge) and the first bite comes, the dog is considered 'broken'. I have asked several Koreans about what their impression of dogs are, and most of them highly dislike dogs or are scared of them. One of my co-teachers mentioned that he believes dogs are dirty, and carry many diseases, while some of my other co-teachers remark how 'delicious' they are.

The following was taken from an animal activist site in Korea:
http://www.koreananimals.org/index.htm

Many Koreans claim that the right to eat dog is a matter of cultural pride stemming from tradition. The habit of eating dogs may have gained prevalence after the Korean war due to widespread starvation. It grew in popularity because dog dealers and restaurants began to fabricate health benefits derived from eating dog meat. In reality, the trade in dog meat has more to do with greed and profits.

It is estimated that more than 2 million dogs are killed and consumed in South Korea every year, and with each dog fetching the equivalent of US $250, it is a lucrative industry protected by powerful corporations. Though killing and eating dogs is illegal in South Korea, enforcing the laws are difficult due to the influences of powerful dog meat lobbyists as well as government officials who are themselves dog eaters. Though it is still a minority of Koreans who eat dogs, it is nevertheless practiced by some of the most powerful people in society.

10Here is further evidence of pets being sold as food. There appears to be a pug in this cage (to the right) and it is still wearing its collar. It was coaxed out of the cage, its skull was crushed and then its fur torched off. This is standard procedure, though Korean officials will adamantly deny that pedigree animals are ever eaten.

05Since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, word has spread that international animal welfare groups are campaigning against this industry, and dog meat dealers have become hostile to those who disapprove. In fact, you will now find plain-clothed guards posted at the markets to prevent foreigners from approaching.

Once the dog is selected, it is dragged reluctantly away to its death. These animals are not stupid. They can sense danger and live with death all around them. Koreans believe that dogs that die painfully will release more adrenaline into their flesh, creating a more potent and flavorful meat. This accounts for the savagely cruel methods of slaughtering.

Dogs are not entirely domesticated in Korea, so to many Korean people they are viewed the same as a Canadian person would view a raccoon, rat, or any other type of pesky animal. Often when I walk Popeye I have girls screaming (young and old). Some people are so scared that they will close their eyes and walk as far away from Popeye, shaking the whole way. I have also had several people try to kick and step on her. They get angry at me for having her out in the open, and speak a bunch of nonsense in Korean. I rarely see Korean people bringing their dogs outside, and like I said, if they are outside they are being carried. Recently I saw a Korean woman pushing her poodle in a baby carriage, which I admit, made me laugh. I have also seen the most beautiful dogs chained on a two foot leash (including a large Golden Retriever, and two Jindo's that we pass every morning on Popeye's walk).

What it all comes down to, as always, is lack of education. It is interesting when a very narrow minded way of thinking can be elaborated into truth, and furthered into a traditional belief system. My heart goes out to those who are currently working in Korea to make a better life for animals. They have a tough job ahead of them.

Mr. Park's shelter was an encouraging experience. The dogs were taken care of to the best of his, and the volunteers ability. They seemed happy, considering the circumstances. Several volunteers go every weekend to walk, groom, love, and provide health care for the dogs. There are over 300 dogs in this no kill shelter, and many of them have ample room to move around (aside from some of the larger breed dogs who stay in cages for safety). Adam and I tried to walk as many of the dogs as we could. The dogs were so desperate for attention, wanting affection more than food. The following is a video of where some of the smaller dogs are kept. Excuse the baby talk on my part, I was a little overwhelmed :)

Busan!

Adam, Cheryl, and I were really excited about going to Busan. We had one main mission SHARK DIVING, but we later found out that Busan has a lot of fun things to do. We took the bus from Cheongju and arrived in Busan in the morning. The first day we wanted to go to the Fish Market, as well as check out the Hyundae beach (one of the most famous in South Korea). We assumed that nobody would be swimming on account that it was april, but, alas, we were witness to a man in a white thong speedo. He thought he was hot shit, walking around, kiggling his butt cheeks. We were impressed, or not. I enjoyed being able to sit in the sand, listen to the water, and watch as sea doos went by. The beach itself was not the biggest I have seen, but it was really clean (no cigarette butts like are normally found everywhere in Korea). I think Cheryl had fun pretending she could get a tan at the beach (which seemed to be a mission of hers while in Korea).

The Fish Market was really cool to look at. We felt slightly bad knowing that we had no intentions of buying anything (including the sloppy octopus, or little pointy red things that we knew nothing about). The people seemed to be aware the foreigners never buy anything, so they ignored us tastefully, as we were witness to some grotesque sea creatures. I have never smelled or seen so much fish in all of my life. Some of them were wriggling around on the ground, while others were pre-killed (thank goodness). It was nothing like a clean Pike's Fish Market in Seattle, but instead, overstocked, dirty, and very very VERY stinky. Nonetheless we had a lot of fun wandering the market, taking pictures of the fishies.

After the amazing things we did in Busan, we were ready for the ultimate feat.....SHARK DIVING! I have to admit, one of my greatest fears is sharks, and this is exactly why I thought this would be a good idea. I wanted to see if it was all that I was concerned it would be. We arrived the following morning at the Busan Aquarium, where we met our instructor who would be teaching us about scuba diving, and swimming with sharks. After a series of questions about whether or not we would be hurt or eaten, he mentioned that the most dangerous animals in tank were not the sharks, but the large turtles. Apparently they liked to push up against people and bite at their faces. Luckily, they were locked away so that they would not bother us. After the training, and suiting up in very VERY tight wetsuits, we were led to a lock (small wading pool) where we learned how to submerge without freaking out. Breathing under water was really strange at first, and it was fun to see Adam and Cheryl get a little scared...and to see Adam in spandax. We got to practice with a large stingray, which kept fluttering against us. I avoided his tail of course :)
We slowly made our way into the large aquarium. We had to shimmy down the wall with a rope in order to get to the bottom. We had to equalize our air and it was a very slow process. I was absolutely amazed when we hit the bottom. The sharks were everywhere (20 large sharks) and they would swim right up to you. For some reason I wasn't scared at all. I was totally amazed with the whole process. We got to collect shark teeth from the bottom of the aquarium. I tried to pet several sharks (even though we were told not to) but they swam away quickly. I guess the rack of lamb I hid in my wetsuit didn't tempt them...maybe they were vegetarians? Anyways, the whole experience taught me that I A) love scuba diving, and B) sharks are cool.

Cheryl's Visit

Once Adam and I hit the 6 month mark, we felt a heightened need to be home. I don't know if it is a familiarity with Korea that makes you want to move on to something else, or just the reality that you have not seen your family for so long. That is why I appreciated when my sister Cheryl (traveling sensation) came to visit me in Korea for 2 1/2 weeks. She came to Korea en route to Africa, and it could not have been better timing for me (and Adam too, even though it is harder for him to admit :)

I knew that I needed to make Cheryl's time here worth while, which meant the following: Songnisan, food galore, shark diving, and her favorite SHOPPING. We had bulgogi and samgyeopsal (Korean barbecue), shabu shabu, sushi, Indian, and all of the other great foods you can have in Korea. Cheryl could not stop taking pictures, and I appreciated that on the fact that I am not the best photographer. I was sad to see her go. I knew that she was moving on to her own adventure, but having a family member near was important to me. I really need to focus on not wishing my time away, and just enjoying what is right in front of me.

Popeye: The Pirate Dog!!!

So we may have done something highly silly...but I like to think it was meant to be. I knew that the canine situation in Korea was in a bad situation. Yes, they still eat dogs in Korea, so because of this (among other things), dogs are treated as vermin. If they are not vermin, they are brought into the other extreme where people put loads of jewelery on them, and even dye their fur ridiculous colors. I knew I wanted to help in some way, so I decided to look into fostering a dog (aka: give it away to a good home). I did have intentions of fostering Popeye at first, but then Adam and I absolutely fell in love with her and could not imagine giving her away.

The story behind her is that she was abused (the vet said kicked) and that is why her eye is missing. She was brought to Cheong-ju animal shelter where she was supposed to be euthanized the day I picked her up. Sadly, she was in poor conditions at the shelter (in a cage with 7 other dogs, covered in feces, and very very VERY scared). When they gave me to her, the man picked her up by only her front leg, and handed her to me like she was a piece of meat. I immediately fell in love with her. It was like she was thankful to be in my arms. She looked up at me and wagged her tail slightly. It took about 3 months to get her to the point where she wasn't scared of people. She still doesn't like Korean people, especially men, but I don't really blame her on consideration that every time I take her for a walk drunk men think it is funny to chase and try to kick her. Two potential adopters fell through, and I did not want to have to go through the pain of losing her, and then regaining her all over again. it ultimately fell on Adam who has become putty in her paws. He is always kissing her to the point where I have to tell him to stop because she needs to sleep. The following are some pictures of and videos of Popeye, which I am sure will allow you to appreciate her as much as I do. We have recently found out that she is a chorgi (chigi) which is a mix between a chihuahua and a corgi. Enjoy!