The World of Lavender

One of the most interesting visits on my Korean holiday was to Sangsoo Herb Land. This was where we experienced the unusual cuisine known as 'Flower Rice'.

When we arrived, we were greeted personally by the owner and CEO of the place, Dr. Lee Sang Soo, himself. A very charismatic man who appeared to have found his life's purpose.





He was extremely enthusiastic in demonstrating to us the properties of the herbs that were being cultivated in the garden. They were actually marketing water with lavender and rosemary infused into them. We were quite amazed when he shook the bottles in such a way to create a little whirl in the water, which releases the fragrance when you open the bottle.

We were then taken on a tour of the premises, wandering through rows of flowers and herbs, "everything on the left you can touch but not the right..."

One of the most peculiar 'displays' was the 'Penis Dinosaur'. I seriously doubt that this is a natural formation. They spun a really nice myth around it that if couples wanted a boy, they should touch the front of the rock and the back if a girl should be their choice.

Dr. Lee asked if I was married. When told that I was single, he insisted on taking this picture for me. He was practically prone to the ground to get this angle. I certainly hope whatever he intended was worth the effort.

The tour culminated in the lunch of the flower rice. Flowers were arranged on the rice in the decorated bowl. They had to be removed and placed in a soup. Then shredded chicken and the paste was added to the rice and mixed. A flower accompanied every mouthful. Although the meal was extremely tasty, I am not sure if the flowers were really the reason. But the whole presentation and process made the meal a really worthwhile experience. Kudos indeed!

And of course no experience of a foreign culture would be complete without some retail therapy thrown in. Everyone loved the little cell phone attachments with little vials of aromatic oils... Won, won, won.

Korean Barbeque

One of the most amazing things about our Korean holiday was the amount of meat we got served. Anywhere else, one serving would only be a few thin slices. In Korea, the meat would always be in a heap or large bowls. The service here was also quite amazing. So that the meat doesn't char, they actually change the grill every five minutes or so. Excellent!

Donghwasa 桐華寺

The name means "temple of paulownia blossoms." Donghwasa, also Donghwa Temple, is a Buddhist temple of the Jogye Order in northern Daegu, South Korea. The temple is located on the slopes of Palgongsan, within the boundaries of Dohak-dong, Dong-gu, near Daegu's northern border.

The only way to get there was by foot. There were quite a few steps to be negotiated but the surroundings were peaceful and the shade provided by the old trees provided plenty of shade that took some of the heat away.

We then came to the side of a temple and was confronted with an imposing flight of steps. It is only when you get to the top that you first lay eyes on the 33m high statue of Buddha (the highest in Korea) that sits at the far end of what would appear to be a temple with no walls or roof. There were so few tourists around that made the first sight of the square even more breathtaking.

Winter Sonata

'Gyeoul Yeonga' (Winter Sonata) was first released in Korea in January of 2002 quickly becoming one the most popular shows on television. This hugely popular TV drama was produced by Ho Yunseok, the same man responsible for immensely popular TV drama, 'Gaeul Donghwa'(Autumn in my Heart). This director has begun a seasonal theme of TV dramas. The third in his series is 'Yeoreum Hyanggi'(The Scent of Summer), which aired in the summer of 2003 in Korea.

Namisum Island was where many scenes were shot, so it became a must-see sight for all the tour groups from Singapore. A 10 minute ferry ride takes ones to this tranquil island, when I suppose its not overrun with tourists.

The three tree-lined avenues must be what everyone female fan of the show go to the island for, to imagine themselves in the arms of Bae Yong-Joon, whom I dislike even though I have never seen him in anything. Walking around, you understand why they set the drama there.

They have even erected some statues in the likeness of the lead characters of the serial, milking all they could from the popularity of the show and the stars in the region. Posters of the series were also prominently displayed. It was quite fascinating to watch some Japanese tourists positioning themselves such that it appeared as if it was their faces right next to Bae's, living out their fantasy in plain sight of every passer-by.

Great credit has to be given to the Korean Tourism authorities for making so much out of a small island that was created from the construction of Cheongpyung Dam. Would have been nice to have a few more hours to stroll down these avenues and explore the edges of the lake...

Dae Jang Geum Rice?

With 'Jewel in the Palace' fever still burning all over Asia, quite a few things became associated with Dae Jang Geum. Our guide actually referred to this meal as 'Da Chang Jin fan', literally translated as 'Dae Jang Geum Rice or meal'.

It certainly is impressive when the two lads carry out table after table and line them up. First thing that came to our mind was that Korean dishwashers have a really hard life. It's no wonder that that's the job that lands up with most of the illegal immigrants from mainland China!

The number of appetiser dishes were impressive and the main dishes were good. Together with the traditional entertainment? A very enjoyable experience for the visitors to Korea. Full marks!

Everland

One of the problems with these package tours of Korea is that one is expected to hit the ground running. You take the flight at night, arrive early in the morning, get in a coach and head out straight on your tour.

Our first stop was a theme park. I guess the idea is that if you are doing something exciting, you will not have time to fall asleep.

As there was a shortage of time, we just got the big-5 ticket, more like the basic five since it did not include any of the more exciting (or as our guide put it, the 'bu-yao-ming') rides.

The weather was perfect for outdoor activites. Sun was shining and cool in the shade. We hurried through the park and went for attractions that children and old folks alike could enjoy. So it was basically a rush from one attraction to the next.

What I though was pretty cool was the little safari they had. There were essentially two large enclosures, one holding the cats and the other the bears. The park had actually successfully bred two ligers. The buses were able to drive right next to these potentially savage animals, which allowed us such close encounters with them. The bears were happy to perform for us for the simple reward of a few biscuits. I am only wondering now what kind of effect all this had on the animals. But then, how different are the zoos?

We had very little time at the park. Before we knew it, it was time for us to head out to the airport again to catch a domestic flight to Jieju.

The Colours of Korea