Seoul: City and Palace

A city as alive as Seoul really does something to its tourists. It feels like the air has more oxygen which is slightly surprising considering how many 8 lane streets I had to cross. There is a higher sense you acquire as a traveler as well which could be the reason, but for me I think it was just the energy that infects you. To balance this out it was important to find a place to stow away for a morning city walk and what better place to do that then a walking tour of the major palaces in Seoul's historic center.

Upon entering one of the several impressive palace centers you are met with a very different atmosphere. Outside (literally right out side) you are immersed in the world of the modern Seoul business world. Then though the gateway into the palace you quickly find the world change and become a green oasis where the walls seem to extend beyond keeping enemies of the Royal Family out, but the street noise as well.

Gyeongbok Palace

Taken 2009

The architecture in these historic buildings was unlike anything I had seen before in my travels. After all my only experience with architecture and travel had been the Western world and while viewing different churches is fascinating the use of color in Asia is simply unmatched. The brilliant use of different and vibrate colors makes each wall or even corner a work of art. The detail and delicate touch required matches that of a sculpture within Notre Dame.

With the buildings being a wonderful stop I made a point to also see the changing of the guard ceremony. See this ritual being done in different parts of the world is something I have come to do almost by accident. The way a culture treats its security can often mirror the state reacts to different parts of its life. Korea for example has been constantly plagued with invasion and occupations throughout its history. Therefor their changing of the guard is very loud and difficult. This history of occupation; however, has also allowed Korea's individualism to thrive and now even to this day the children are taught to respect and uphold their culture.

I wish you good health and happy travels. 

Colin S. & The Traveling Tiger

Separated from the pack

Getting lost in Seoul made me remember the first time I got lost on my own in a different country. It was during my second trip to Europe. After half a day on our bikes my friend Jordan and I had decided we could go a little faster than my mother and father. So after discussing where we would meet Jordan and I headed off on our own and soon enough we were well beyond eye sight of my parents. We reached the small city which had been chosen as our lunch break and meeting spot. At one point I found myself separated from Jordan and wandering along the small streets of the French city. Looking back I cannot believe how calm I was while biking around the downtown district of the city. I somehow ended up at the central tourist information building and was spotted by my godmother who had joined us for part of our trip. It was a lucky meeting and likely stopped a city wide search for me.

I know that if a few more hours had gone by I would have likely started to freak out. Still the fact that I kept myself together and reconnected with my family was a great feeling. Finding them having already eaten lunch and seemingly unfazed by my disappearance was not. Apparently they had “Complete faith in my abilities” To this day I still don’t know if they were joking or not. Thankfully their real (or fake) belief in me seemed to pay off. So maybe getting lost sometimes isn’t that bad. The next time it happens to you just sit back and let the road ahead of you lead you on.

I wish you good health and happy travels. 

Colin S. & The Traveling Tiger

Seoul S. Korea: The Seoul of Asia

Navigating airport is a simple skill that can be accomplished if you take a deep breath and remember to stay calm. English speaking assistances can be found at most airports and never start to rush yourself as you can quickly lose track of things. The worst thing you can do is suddenly rush towards a gate and leave one of your bags behind. Next thing you know a customs official is radioing for back up and your watching your plane leave while wearing handcuffs. Thankfully both Tokyo and Incheon International Airport was easy to navigate. As I was traveling during the swine flu scare there were a few extra checkpoints. Other than that; however, I was able to grab my bag and walk onto South Korean soil within 25 minutes upon arrival. 

My next task was getting to my hostel. As I had already reserved a room at Ann Guesthouse I wasn't in that much of a hurry. While many hostels are open 24/7 some are starting to have hours in which they don't take in new guests unless a reservation has been made. I took the bus from the airport just as the hostels website told me to. I then watched as the city came into view and quickly lost track of everything as the bus went into the belly of Seoul. Before I continue I think a little back ground of Seattle is needed to fully explain why Seoul 

I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. I love my hometown and wouldn’t trade it for any place on earth. The key to Seattle’s success is in its mix of small town communities and global economy downtown. I was raised in one house my whole childhood where my elementary, middle, and high school were within walking distance. The thing about the downtown is that after 9 or 10 the city basically shuts down. Sure a few spots where the bars gather and nightclubs dance are open, but Seattle become relatively dead after dark.

This is not true for Seoul. Where night markets are where families go to gather supplies for the coming days meals. The streets are packed with cars all hours of the night and the sidewalks alive with students, families, mothers, businessmen, and stall food stands. It was so vibrating with life I completely forgot about my stop and after finally realizing I had missed my stop and got off the bus I soon found myself lost. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way because Seoul was alive and I was a part of it.

Lesson Learned

                If you ever find yourself lost the key is, and I know everyone says this, to not lose hope. Most times people are able to plan on getting lost to some degree (I tend to add about five minutes to every 30 minutes estimated time given by a travel guild book. This gives you a couple extra wrong turns before you start really getting pressed for time) As a last resort it is always an option to spend a little extra money to get you out of the hole and back on the right path. A taxi 
is usually the best option, so long as you can successfully and correctly explain where you need to go to the driver.

I wish you good health and happy travels. 

Colin S. & The Traveling Tiger

Off to Korea!

Several years later with two trips to Europe under my belt and dozens of national trips to fill the notches I found myself with a very special opportunity. While attending school I was lucky enough to make friends with a student from South Korea. It was during spring quarter and as the academic year came to an end my friend extended an invitation for me to visit him in South Korea. With only two weeks before the quarter ended I was lucky enough to get a green light and after some very quick planning I found myself on my way to Asia for the first time.

One interesting thing about this first completely solo adventure into the unknown was that the very first friend I made was in Seatac International Airport. I was sitting at the gate waiting for the boarding call when I began talking with a fellow traveler to my left. His name was Joey and his summer included a study abroad program in Japan which he was very excited about. He had wanted to travel to Japan for many years and with the two of us completely high on travel excitement we quickly became friends. So fast in fact that while waiting for the boarding call we talked to the attendant at the gates and were able to switch seats so that we sat together for the long flight across the pacific.

After the flight we both said our farewells and wished each other the best of luck in each other’s trips. Though out the summer we stayed in touch and shared daily stories. I am also proud to say that we have not trickled into old acquaintances. I am still in contact with him and he was even able to make it to my last birthday party. 

Joey (on the left) and myself (on the right)

Picture taken at Narita International Airport

This short story has a lesson and that would be as soon as you start your trip the people you met will just seem warmer and friendlier. Most people love to travel and are likely to be just ask excited to board the plane as you are. Take the time to introduce yourself to those sitting next to you and you could be surprised at how much more enjoyable it can make the flight. My advice, always pack a deck of cards on your carry on. During the flight to Japan I was lucky enough to play several highly competitive games of Go Fish with Joey, myself, and a young boy flying to go and visit his father stationed in Okinawa. 

I wish you good health and happy travels. 

Colin S. & The Traveling Tiger

My second trip to Europe

After my family returned from our first full European trip abroad our summers quickly became time spent within the United States. There were dozens of road trips to the East and South (all trips started in Seattle) In fact during this time I went to just about every state west of Texas including the Dakotas, Nevada, a trip to Louisiana as well, and of course all across Oregon, and California. Most of these trips were done by way of massive truck or suburban. Each held its own charm and grew as a traveler in my own right. I was 13 when I rode a play for the first time by myself when I flew back from New Orleans. I learned that even if your parents don't believe you are getting car sick as long as you have a large pot next to you there will be a lot less cleaning and a lot more of 'told you dad'.

During these several years of national trips I not only grew as a traveler, but also grew as a person. My family became more reliant on me to figure things out for myself and this helped me learn to become self reliant. This meant creating entertainment where there was little to be entertained (you know that they have go-cart racing in South Dakota!) I was also fortunate enough to have some of my friends join me on some of these trips making now a perfect time to talk about my second trip to Europe. It was the summer of my freshmen year in High School and it had been decided that my long time friend would be joining my family on our bike trip to France and Spain.

With bikes under us my friend and I toured France in a way that can't be done with any other type of locomotion. While buses and trains shuttled tourists from one hot spot to the next we were able to take the slow roads and feel the culture with each peddle. There is something about traveling by bike that needs to be explored by even the heaviest of tourists. While the sweat and heat can be a big turn off there is nothing like earning your entrance to a historic castle after having to go up a steep road full of switch backs. After all, the only place to build a defensible castle is at the top of a hill. With that energy spent you look up at these magnificent structures and can't help but wonder what it would be like for a foot solider who charged up the same path as you to meet these fortresses. 

Just in picking a different way of travel the world around you will change dramatically. During this trip both my friend and I were able to rent a canoe and took a breath taking afternoon trip down a river near our camp site. This place is famous in my family for it was the place where my father attempted to order the canoe in French and was quickly asked if he spoke English. Since that time my father has however returned to studying the French language. For my friend and I the most auspicious moment of the trip was along the Spanish Riviera where we quickly discovered that my mother was incorrect in saying that topless beaches were full of nothing but old ladies. "There were NO old ladies on that beach!" My friend is famously quoted for saying.

Lesson learned (At the end of each post I will on occasion have a short section dedicated to giving tips about traveling as well as short stories relating to something I learned. Comments regarding these are always welcomes and questions will be fielded once a week on Thursdays)

• Speaking the Language 

I want to state that in all my travels I have never learned a second language. This sometimes surprises people and makes them wonder how I have been able to enjoy some of my more exotic locations (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Korea being a few) The simple fact is that you do not need to learn how to speak a language to enjoy the local culture and populous. What you do need is to take the time to learn a few phrases. Some very important ones are 

1.     Hello: Make an attempt to learn a few of the more advanced forms such as Good Morning.

2.     Thank You: Always make sure to research the different ways to say this. In Asia especially using the incorrect form of gratitude can be worst than not saying anything at all. 

3.     Excuse Me: In reality I have found that the term 'Sorry' is actually universal; however, being able to say this in the local tongue will win you major points with locals. 

4.     Delicious: This is my personal favorite and in my opinion the most important. Waiters, mothers, and all those around you will beam with pride when you express your love for their food. 

5.     Local Traditions: Now for this I am not asking you to learn how to say these two words. Instead I want you to learn that every group of people holds different things in different esteem. At times this might not even require you to learn a word in the local dialect. Though out Asia when something is considered the best it is often referred to as "Number 1!" With a person holding up one finger. In other parts of the world family is especially important. For example if you plan on traveling in Italy the best little term you can have to win the hearts of the woman is to learn how to say "Beautiful Baby". 

That is all for now. Once again I wish you good health and happy travels. 

Colin S. & The Traveling Tiger

Opening Statement

Hello honored guest, 

I am proud to begin the journey of creating my own travel blog to share my experience in roaming the world to find all its wonders. I had been playing with the idea of starting a project like this for several years; however, it isn't until now that I feel I have accumulated enough personal experience to begin broadcasting my travels and having the words be interesting and engaging. I have three goals with this blog and they are

• Put my passion for travel in documented form and to share it with my friends and strangers of the world.
• Persuade people that traveling is one of the most liberating and wonderful things a human can do.
• Help people understand the places I am traveling to and entice them into learning more on their own. 

With these in mind I think it might be best to describe my personal history with traveling. The story of my travels starts in the summer of my fourth year in elementary or grade school when my mother and father took me to Europe for the first time. This trip became a very important point in my life as it was the trip that made me fall helplessly in love with exploring the world. I will forever curse and love my father for his gifted way of teaching me the history of Western Europe. He showed me that when you are knowledgeable about the place you are visiting it becomes more enjoyable by an uncalculating amount. While that was one lesson I took from this trip the single greatest memory I have of this trip was in Pisa, Italy. 

We had arrived in Pisa during the day and after being introduced to family I had never even heard of before I was welcomed into the family with what seemed to be an endless meal of three different types of pasta and all the cheese I could throw on it, Parmesan being my personal favorite. After the meal my family gathered round the TV to watch the World Cup. Did I forget to mention that I was in Europe when the World Cup was being hosted in France? The energy was addictive and quickly became fuel that helped launch me into the nearest bar or pub with a TV. But while the warm welcome and spirited sports were an excellent start Pisa had yet to share with me her most wonderful gift. 

The city at night is a remarkable thing. During these times there are those who love to meander along the ancient coble roads of Europe and they seem to enjoy their pace very much. In time I might also enjoy that, but for now I prefer the bicycle as my way to navigate. While being given a tour of Pisa at night on bike from a distant cousin I was able to see all her sights and sounds illuminated by floodlights. The tower seemed to be exploding from the ground and the different churches also held their charm with the moonlight bathing over there hundreds year old roofs. It was one of the first times I have ever found myself taken back by Humanity's ability to create beauty. 

The night ended with what any 11 year old would say is the perfect ending. Frozen gelato with a couple hundred university students celebrating the end to another set of finals next to a lazy flowing river called The Arno River. It was magical in every sense of the word. The people, the sights, smells, and spectacular taste everything was burned into my brain and continues to this day to be one of my most cherished memories from my childhood.  

For now I will leave you with that story and promise to continue my records of past travels soon. It is getting late and I hope to be well rested in the morning. Until I return I wish everyone good health and happy travels.