Do the GwangJu

Reporting live from GwangJu, South Korea.

Oh yes, it's the hot spot you've always dreamed about visiting.  Just the word GwangJu conjures up images of James Bond racing through the streets after the bad guy, having just enjoyed the company of the latest super-model/actress of today.  So hot, it's steaming.

Or, maybe not...

Having traveled half way around the world to bring Jen's light harp to lovely people of South Korea, we have to say: GwangJu is not as bad as you would think it is.

Yes it's an industrial working class city in the provinces of a country you wouldn't really think of visiting.  Yes, we're the only westerners in the city.  Seriously, we even invented a game: Spot the Westerner.  No winner yet.

And NO ONE speaks english.  It's like we're aliens.  They can't even read the tourist map.  We spent about 45 minutes in an insane, high speed taxi ride trying to explain where we wanted to go by pointing at the map the hotel gave us.  I think the map we got was a joke played on the only western tourists to hit GwangJu this year. The cab driver thought we were retarded.  We thought he was out to kill us.

One thing that keeps it interesting is the complete cultural void between the Koreans and the Americans.  I now understand why Asians walk around with cameras in the USA.  Today I felt like I should have had a video camera strapped to my head.  Just one wacky experience after the next.

We did have some great street food.  We found this little tent in an alley with a grill and a selection of tasty treats. From some of the best whole grilled fish we’ve ever tasted, to eel, clams and squid, we had one of the tastiest meals we’ve had in a long time.  Thankfully one of the other customers spoke broken English and could help us navigate the unprinted menu.

We’ll update again tomorrow.  Enjoy the photos.

Jen putting on a brave face in the cab ride from hell

What the hell does this sign supposed to mean?

In a high school cafe

Paying my respects to the Colonel

The streets of GwangJu

Our street-side restaurant

Mmm... nothing like grilled eel with sesame seeds (pulled from a tin bucket in a tent on the side of the street).  Ooh yeah! Bring on the dysentery.

Comments

[Jason]

Dysentery Rocks! :)

[Taewon Yun]

It is interesting that you didn't see any Westerners. I've been to Gwangju for a day couple months back(my first and last visit so far) and I was surprised to see quite a few Westerners.

I agree that it would be pretty hard to navigate Gwangju if you don't speak any Korean, though. :D

By the way, I found your blog through Feld Thoughts, of which I am a regular reader. It was a pleasant surprise to see the name of a city in Korea from his blog.

The sign in the middle is tagged as "restroom for children". I've never seen the sign in Korea or anywhere else, though. Maybe a new trend since I immigrated to California.

[Kimbal]

Hey Taewon Yun.

Thanks for explaining the sign. It baffled us. Korea and GwangJu especially has been really great.

[Sushi]

Nice to see photos of Downtown Gwangju. The city has the Gwangju International Center which hosts guest speakers every saturday. It's quite outstanding and also sponsors volunteer groups to third world countries.

I have heard Mokpo has boat tours to the outlying Islands. Wish you could have gone there and taken photos. Would love to see what the Islands really look like.