Mt. Seoraksan

This past weekend, Jenn and I got the chance to hike Mt. Seoraksan. We went with a couple of friends as well. We were very excited, because the Fall scenery at Mt. Seoraksan is supposed to be some of the best that you can see in South Korea. 

How we got there from Daegu:

- There are many options to get to Seoraksan. This is how we did it.

- We took a KTX to Seoul Friday night. 

- Saturday morning, we took a bus from the Seoul Express Bus Terminal (It's a subway stop) at 6:00 AM to Sokcho. We had already bought tickets in advance by asking one of our Korean co-workers to help us translate the website.

- The ride took 2 and half hours and once at Sokcho Express Bus terminal, we crossed the street outside, turned right, found the nearest bus stop, and took Bus 7 to Mt. Seoraksan. Get off at the last stop (or when all the other hikers do). This took about 20 minutes. 

- We got back the same way as well. Although this time, we took a taxi from Mt. Seoraksan back to Sokcho Express Bus terminal. (Cost about 12,000 Won). We had also bought our return tickets in advance as well. Note: Our bus back to Seoul left at 8 PM, but it's really easy to change the departure time to something earlier if you need to.

What we thought of Mt.Seoraksan:

- It rained on and off all day.

- This didn't ruin the experience for us at all. The rain actually made some parts of the mountain look really moody. With the fog peeking over the mountain tops, it definitely made for some cool pictures.

- I wouldn't say this was a tough hike. Of course, this depends on the route you take. We went to Bisondea rock, and then a cave. The hike to the rock was about 3 kilometers of which most of it was paved. There is a big Buddha statue on the way there, and a couple of bathrooms/restaurants along the way. In short, if you get hungry or have to use the bathroom, don't worry. 

- The hike to the cave was about 0.6 kilometers from Bisondae rock. This took about 35 minutes. This was more like the hiking that we are used to in S.Korea. It was all rocks, steep, slippery, and dangerous. Tiring, exciting, and frustrating at the same time.

- The Fall foliage was simply amazing. So many colors, and I felt that the rain emphasized the colors. It made them deeper and pop out more. If you were thinking about checking out Mt.Seoraksan because of this, I can say with confidence that you will not be disappointed. 

- Oh, and despite the rain, there were still a large number of people there. And they had Ponchos for 3 dollars. So we hardly got wet. Except for our shoes. That was terrible. Wet feet suck.

All credit for the awesome photos goes to our friend. Thank you!!!

Food Adventures in Daegu #2: Authentic Vietnamese Pho!

Vietnamese Pho. One of our all-time favorite foods. In California, it was easy to find a good Pho restaurant. Here in Daegu, there are quite a few Vietnamese restaurants that serve Pho. However, it just doesn't taste quite the same. It isn't quite as authentic. Not to say that it's bad. It's just clearly been given a Korean-ized taste/flavor.

So imagine Jenn and I's surprise when we heard that there was an authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Daegu! We had to check it out, despite it being almost an hour away from us.

Restaurant Name:

World Asia Market

How We got There:

We took the subway line 2 from our stop to Seongseo Industrial Complex (Toward Munyang). We took Exit 5 out, and then kept heading straight. If you see a big E-Mart on the opposite of the street, you're going the right way! As soon as you see your first bus stop, stop! It is toward to the right, tucked away behind a little street alley. Here is the bus stop name: (Igok 1-dong Community Center/이곡1동 주민센터)

The Food:

Truly authentic Pho. Beefy, soothing broth, and hot sauce to add to it that didn't taste like ketchup. We also had a serving of Vietnamese Iced coffee afterwards, which is amazing and highly recommended. They have other Vietnamese food options too, but the menu was entirely in Vietnamese so we didn't really know what else to get. Some food options do require a phone call made in advance. We found this out when we tried to order spring rolls. (Sorry, we don't have their number). We highly recommend this place, and have already made the hour long trip out there twice, with many more visits to come! Also, they have a lot of Vietnamese food for sale as well. Pho Noodle Packets, Candied Tamarinds, Fresh cilantro, and more are all available for sale.

Food Adventure's in Daegu #1: Philly Cheesesteak!

Jenn and I love food. We love eating new foods, discovering local restaurants, and, well, we're just your typical foodie. The thing is, in Daegu, it's a lot harder to find food. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great restaurants in Daegu. Great Korean restaurants. Finding Western food options is a bit trickier. And well, we often hear about places through word of mouth, and that usually involves going out of our way to find said places for these Western food options. We will often plan a day around finding a particular restaurant, and I thought it was about time that we started documenting it! 

Restaurant name:

South Street Grill

How we got there:

We took the subway to University of Education (two stops south of Banwoldang), got out at a random exit, and asked for the taxi to take us to Camp Walker, Gate 4 entrance. Once there, we walked up and down the street till we found the shop. It's a relatively small street, and you should be able to find it easily. It's very close to Hami Mami's if you know where that is.

The food:
Jenn and I both ordered a Philly cheesesteak w/a side of Smiley face fries. We also got an order of buffalo wings to share.

The Philly cheesesteak was very tasty. The beef was sliced thinly and chopped up, and we really enjoyed it. The buffalo wings were also pretty good, although they were a little sweet. We had no complaints about them, but we are still in search of the perfect buffalo wing in Daegu. Overall though, we really enjoyed this place, and definitely recommend it if you are looking for something different and authentic in Daegu.