9.00am and it was time to mount our trusty steeds and head off. Eight of us plus our guide JJ. A short cycle through city streets and we were on a dedicated bike path running alongside the Cheonggycheon Stream. Many years ago they built a freeway over the stream and finally someone realised what a waste that was. They tore down the freeway and returned the stream to its natural state. It runs for about 8kms through Seoul and is just a wonderful place to strol...

An almost midnight departure from Melbourne, a hiccup with our transfer in Hong Kong and we finally arrived in Seoul mid afternoon. A couple of cold beers with deep fried chicken and we called it a relatively early night. Next morning we jumped on the subway headed to N Seoul Tower for some city views. A cable car ride to the base of the tower and then a lift ride with a sound and light delivered us to the observation platform. Typical Seoul haze but the view w...

At 280kmh on the KTX train to Seoul meant that the trip from Busan lasted less than 3 hours. Seoul Station is a modern bustling place, with an atmosphere similar to an airport. At all hours it is a constant movement of people. My Airbnb is a short 5 minute walk from the station, and in the coming days this proves to be exceptionally convenient, as not only does the station handle the fast trains from throughout the country it also has 2 subway lines that pas...

Well I wouldn't normally do a blog based on 1 day, but a visit to probably the most contentious border area in the world is a worthy exception, particularly in the current political climate.. The Demilitarised Zone runs the length of the border between South & North Korea. It's 4 kilometres wide and the actual border, or Military Demarcation Line as it is officially known, runs along the centre. So 2km of the DMZ is in Nth Korea and 2kms is in Sth Korea. ...

Well my last week in Busan has been relatively quiet. I started the week with a visit to Gamcheon Cultural Village. This is a "traditional" village built in terrace style on the side of the mountain. It has now become something of an arts and crafts centre, as well as a very popular tourist attraction. It has what can only be described as a quirky feel about it but it was quite interesting to stroll the streets and alley ways that dart off in all directions. ...