A Long Bike Ride...But a Beautiful Beach!

From the bridge on the way home

Driving home

At the beach

Our 5,000Won rented umbrella! (we gave in on day 2)

Dog!

Ana in charge!!!

Riding home

Our restaurant (meal 1, we went back later that night for meal 2!)

Mmmmmmmmm

Candle light beach game of ukere

Crowded beach 

(if you look back at the pictures from April when we went you will see the crazy difference)

Samjin!

Samjin's tent

Fellow beach goers

Mmmm more food please!

Driving there

Yay!

This weekend, as you know, we headed back to Sangju Beach.  To our amazement it was seriously packed, way more than the last time we were there about 1 month ago.  We packed some towels, some PB&Js, some water, a tent, a dog and ourselves, quite the tight squeeze for all of that on a motorcycle but we made it work (I can sometimes be an expert packer, thanks JUDE! I know I'll never be as good as you though!)  Although squeezed together the ride was absolutely beautiful beyond the city limits.  You cannot get on the highway with a motorcycle so we had to take some very windy streets that passed rice fields and then wound along the ocean.  Once on the island of Namhae, there are some more even windier roads, oh so very scenic.  At the beach we parked our bikes right outside the tourist center (I don't think it was a real parking spot but no one stopped us) and no one touched the helmet that we left on the seat of the bike, Korea can be great like that (we actually left the keys on the bike for the past two days and I just noticed today and the bike is obviously untouched, amazing!).  

Once on the beach we tried to set up on the edge of the great crowd.  I took out the tent and started to set it up and was almost complete when a man ran over and said, "No, tents! But you can rent a parasol for 5,000 Won!"  Gee thanks.  So instead we took our sheet and set up a mini tent for Samjin to be able to get out of the sun.  Swimming, sun and beer makes one quite hungry.  Just past the walkway on the beach amongst the trees are restaurants to eat at and tables to rent and sit on.  We picked a galbi restaurant and it was delicious.  Fortunately the restaurant owners were very dog friendly and we were able to bring Samjin with us.  

After dinner we walked around the beach, played some ukere(sp), then decided to go exploring a little further.  Just past the beach there is a huge concrete area where you can set up your tent for free.  People had clothes hanging and so much stuff it looked like they would be there all summer.  Just beyond that was a boardwalk type area.  There was a couple of carnival rides and your typical games like shooting things and popping balloons and a batting cage, where we spent most of our money (and somehow I'm still horrible)!  

Then we went in search of an archery type game but found none.  There was a convenience store with a table outside so we bought some drinks and sat down.  One thing turned into another and being surrounded by 3 very musical people we had a drum beat going on the table and some singing.  It was quite fun and we were getting quite a lot of stares (more than normal haha).  After some deep conversation it was time to head back to the beach for some much needed sleep.   I would now be able to set up the tent because no one would tell me no at 3am, ha!  

Sleeping on the beach is great except that by time I got to sleep it was probably 4am and the sun was so strong that I woke up before 8am.  That's no fun especially when everyone else you're with can somehow sleep later.  So, I took the tent down (it was too hot inside for Mike so he stumbled out found some shade and went back to sleep) lathered up with some sunscreen and took a nice morning dip before the beach got too crowded.  It was quite beautiful and relaxing in the morning with very few people.  Also, there are these amazing little crabs that dig holes in the sand.  When you wake up in the morning the entire area where the sand is still wet from the water is covered in these little balls that the crabs make.  It is extremely difficult to explain and impossible to capture on film.  I crouched down and watched the little critters for at least 10 minutes making their little balls.  As soon as they see someone approach they run back into their holes, but if you stay silent and still you can see the millions of them working. (I know it's hard to imagine me being quiet and still for 10 minutes)  

By this time Hannah had awoken, she took a morning dip and we decided to get some breakfast.  We looked for some bokum bap but found none and settled for bibimbap.  Mike awoke shortly after and joined us for breakfast and kept spilling his water on me!  

More beach, more sand, more fun.  Onto the bikes to look for a restaurant, which we found and smelled really delicious but then when we looked at the menu realized that we didn't have enough money.  So, we decided to head back home. 

Another long, beautiful, uncomfortable drive.  On the way back we had to stop in at work so that we could get our material to start teach at 8:30am the next morning.  Our manager looked at us like we were crazy and asked at least 5 times if we were ok, I guess being hot, sweaty and a bit sunburnt is not normal here.  Once we arrived home and showered we all (Mike, Samjin and I) passed out until 5am the next morning when we got up to prepare for the day.

After two days of summer camp I have already decided that it is going to stink.  So far I have 1 good class and 1 bad class.  It is a long intense day, our lunch break is spent in the cafeteria with our classes so it's really not a break at all.  We have 4 hours of teaching in the morning, lunch, 1 hour and 40 minutes of an extremely poorly planned out activity and then 45 minutes to work on a group project with little to no guidance (which can be good and bad).  Well hopefully it will get better, if not at least it's only 4 weeks and we get to see Eggin and crew in 4 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Riding there

Post drumming session, unfortunately I didn't think to get the camera out til it ended, but trust me it was lots of fun:)

Riding home!

1 Week

This was our last week before we start summer camps. Our lovely hours of 1:30-6:10/8 o'clock are over.  It's good though because I definitely feel that I have gotten into a rut with the teaching. Some of my classes I feel that I have no respect and I could stand up there and talk to the wall and no one would notice.  We went out with two coworkers yesterday for dinner, ice cream and then bowling, they told us what the students say about us.  Apparently I don't smile and I'm strict and Mike doesn't give out enough blue stickers(blue stickers are for when they're good, red stickers are for when they're bad).  

Onward. For the next 4 weeks we will be working 6 days a week from 9-4:30 or something like that.  We have no idea what our curriculum is going to be or our class sizes or anything, awesome, ha! 

Well lots of good news, we are going to Namhae again tomorrow.  This time we are going to drive our motorcycle and take the dog and sleep on the beach, it should be lots of fun.  After our first intense week of work we will go to Busan to meet Evan, Laura and Linda!!!!! Woohooo can't wait!!!!!

두방사 (Dubangsa)

Path at the top

Butterfly

Walking back down the mountain (this doesn't capture how steep it was)

The Temple

From the top

Why wouldn't you have at least 1 piece of gym equipment!

Contemplative

Ant

From the top

The towers that were also at the top

I think that very windy road on the left is what we drove

We weren't very photogenic

The trusty old lady that got us there!

Right....Now I know exactly where I am

About 1/2 way up

Forest monster!

Giant toad (that scared Mike because it came out of nowhere!)

Yesterday afternoon we hopped on the bike in search of the Jinju Arboretum well, we didn't find it but we found another really cool place.  We had looked at the map before we left and knew that it was somewhere along route 2.  Assuming there would be signs that we could just follow from route 2 we headed that direction.  After 20 minutes on the road and no sign of the arboretum we pulled off.  

The clutch on the bike was acting funny so we decided to call it a day and just head back home.  We couldn't find the entrance back onto the highway so we were on some side road.  Then Mikey spotted a Daelim shop.  So, we turned around and went back.  As we were sitting there I realized that between the two of us we only had 3000 Won (about $3).  I was hoping it wouldn't be more than 5000 Won (because I could have scrapped together some change) otherwise one of us would have to stay there and the other go to the bank, wherever that might be.  The guy was puttering about for quite awhile and then came back and changed a screw on the clutch.  When asked how much he refused payment and in fact gave us something, a frozen bottle of water, excellent for a hot muggy day!  

Now that our bike was better we decided to stop at a temple that we had seen a sign for.  Not knowing anything about the temple or where exactly it was we just followed the signs, and then the road because there were no more signs.  The road was extremely narrow at some points, only one car could fit, we had to pull up into someone's driveway at one point so that a truck could get past.  We came upon a group of older Korean's all sitting under a tree on a platform, Mike stopped because he wasn't sure if it was the road still or had turned into someone's property, so they all stared at us, very intimidating.  We continued on and now the road was winding and narrow.  We would honk the horn going around turns just in case someone was coming.  A couple of the turns were so sharp and steep that I actually had to get off the bike so that Mike could get around it.  

Finally, we reached the temple, we parked the bike and took to the trails behind the temple.  It was only about a half mile to the top but it was so steep and hot that it felt a lot further.  There were points when Mike wanted to turn back but I wouldn't let him and I'm glad.  Once at the top the view was spectacular and very relaxing, and of course there was one piece of gym equipment! The trip back was much easier because now we knew where we were going.  

Oh yea, the dog's name is 삼진 (Samjin).

It's a Rat....No It's a Dog!

So, we made an extremely impulsive decision yesterday and got a dog!  Our friend found a dog on the street and took it home cleaned it up bought it lots of things and then decided that she didn't want to keep it.  He looks like he could be a Yorkie, he probably only weighs about 3 pounds.  He is trained but only understands Korean.  He is also trained to do his business in the bathroom, I think I'd rather take him for a walk though, we'll see how that goes.  Well, it should be interesting.

Birthday Goodness!

I got fireworks (I set them off at 12am!)

Hehehehehehehehehe!

Mikey got some chairs and a fishing pole!

MuD FesTival

Mud/Sun block

Err Trusty boats?

A friendly woman

Birthday blisssss

That's fireworks over the water

Who's BAD?

This past weekend we hightailed it up country by bus to catch the Mud Festival in Boryeoung.

It was really hot and the beach was huge. I was expecting it to be a woodstock type field but was pleasantly surprised to find a nice open beach with Mud stands and inflatable mud filled jousting rings and huge slides. There was a main stage with some bands. The whole town was alive.

On the ocean, the town off the beach reminded me much of the Jersey shore isles. Little bungalow houses stacked near each other and plenty of outdoor food eateries. 

Ana, our friend John, and I took advantage of the sea food. Fresh fresh seafood. Cooking up live clams and eating our hearts out. Funny note, John being a buddhist was complaining about a mosquito in his room that he religiously couldn't kill, but enjoyed every bit of Clam that stirred and spit inside their shells as they boiled alive.

So our summer camps our coming up which means we will be working 6 days a week for 3 weeks, during which Evan , Laura, and Linda are coming to visit. And after that we are off to Vietnam for a week.