Amy’s adventures in Ghana

It’s pouring with rain today.  I wanted to visit the main palace in Seoul where they have traditional displays of dancing etc but it has all been cancelled due to the rain, so I’ll go back tomorrow.

I had a bit of a fright earlier, I was trying to find the entrance of the palace - I could see it but couldn’t figure out how to get across the roads. So I was wandering and there were loads of police everywhere which seemed strange, the further I walked the more concentrated they got till I finally came across a wall of police in riot gear. There was some sort of protest happening and all the protesters were wearing full body plastic suits, so they all looked like robots and were chanting something. I was genuinely scared!  I couldn’t get past cos of all the police and there was no one else around apart from hundreds of police and the protesters. So I tried to make a hasty exit but it was pretty  hard.  Don’t know what the protest was about.  Hmm. 

I love Korea!

I’m in Seoul now after a fantastic couple of days in Busan - thanks Sarah!

My friend picked me up from the station and we drove to the place I’d booked over the net.  It was really horrible, I was so surprised.  The single room was just a tiny room with a bed and nothing else and to get to it I had to go through a room with 6 bunk beds which stunk of smelly boys and the toilet was outside.

So we both agreed it was shite, so I am staying with my friend which is much nicer - just near the World Cup Stadium.  Korea is so lively - the shops are open pretty much 24 hours and there are street vendors and stalls selling all sorts of food all the time.  I went to a tea shop today which had loads of birds flying around the room!  Apparently there are others with monkeys and wallabies wandering around to amuse you! 

Anyhow, best go…

I have been overwhelmed by kindness since I arrived in Korea and that was just yesterday evening!  The ferry was great, mainly other Korean people on the boat and I immediately noticed a difference from Japanese folk. I have to admit my first impression wasn’t great - much less shy and courteous (I thought), lots of spitting and hacking and other noises! - much louder, lots of shouting and singing etc, people pushing me out the way - in Japan everyone bows at you.  So anyway, clearly very different and I thought in a bit of a negative way cos I love the Japanese culture of respect. 

Anyway, I was clearly looking lost when I arrived at Busan port and this family helped me - the mum spoke great English.  I only had about 20 quids worth of won on me, so a bit worried about being caught short so wanted to get a train to my motel.  They shared a taxi with me as they were going same way. We got chatting in the taxi and Suim told me that she’d been in Europe about 12 years ago and an English man had been really kind to her and helped her, so she wanted to do the same. So they invited me to stay with them which I did. Her husband’s a doctor and they had a wee girl called Nangong. Their appartment was amazing - on top of a hill with panoramic views over Busan. They then took me out for a traditional Korean meal which was fantastic and wouldn’t let me pay.  They promise they are all going to come to Scotland soon so I can repay them. 

Today I have been approached countless times by kids talking English - but all really cute and really good. Very different from Japan, where although English is compulsary from age 10 or something, hardly anyone will speak it.  So I’m loving Korea so far… and it’s cheap. I want to stay longer.

Gamsan Hamneda means thank you by the way - I’ve been saying it a lot!

Today has been great. My first relaxing day since I`ve been here really - no one to visit, no deadlines. I`m back in Matsuyama and Bruce is at work. I`ve been happily wandering around the town looking at shops and drinking coffee.  I went to Dogo Onsen, as featured in Spirited Away.  It is a huge building but the baths are really small.  As it is a working day, the only other folk there were really old ladies who found me most amusing!  The bath was the hottest I`ve been in I think, and I took about 10 mins getting in and felt quite faint afterwards, but legend has it that it is healing water and since I`m feeling a bit ill, I hope it works. 

I managed to change my ferry ticket, so I now go to Korea on Monday.  So I`ve got a few more days to relax.  It`s going to be weird by myself, as I`ve been surrounded by loads of folk up till now. Also I speak no Korean and apparently English is spoken even less there than here - which is pretty little.  So that could be interesting.  I do have one friend in Seoul - shes booked me into a hotel in Busan called the Blue Motel. I`m slightly concerned as Busan has a bit of a reputation, being one of the world`s largest ports… 

Japan is one crazy country - I love it!

I`m in Osaka again after a hilarious weekend in Tokyo.  Somehow everything seems funny even though half the time I haven`t a clue what`s going on - perhaps that`s why it`s funny.   

We managed to stay up all night on Saturday after the awful game.  I really wasn`t feeling like it after Scotland lost and England won.  We were in a pub full of England fans being abusive about Scotland which wasn`t pleasant.  Me cheering when Beckham got sent off didn:t go down too well either. Anyway we went to a Karaoke bar and that was just soooo funny.  Every time it cracks me up.  Especially cos we were all so bad.

The weather has turned on us and it is pissing it down.  Planning on gonig to Kyoto today but not the weather for walking around in.  Last night we found this amazing place called Spa World.  It was like the Disney world of Onsens.  There were all these different areas with themes like Islam World, Bali World, Persian World etc.  There was an outside area, where you could bathe naked in a roasting hot communal bath looking out over Osaka from the 6th floor. 

They also have all these amazing massage appliances. For 100yen you can get practically any part of your body massaged by a machine.  My favourite is the foot and calf massager.

Right I’m in Tokyo now, staying in a hotel for 12 quid a night with free internet access not bad eh?  Just got the shinkansen up from Onomichi today, took 5 hours - they are amazing beasts.  We’re off to Akehabera now, to buy some electrical goods. I’m thinking of getting an ipod nano for 100quid.  Also thinking about getting a laptop, giong to see if we can find a compatable one.  Then we’re going to check out Ebisu before meeting a friend of Bruce’s in Shibuya and going to catch the England game. It starts at midnight here, so we’ll be doing an allnighter since the trains finish about 12.30 and it is far to far to get back here by taxi - Tokyo is massive! 

We were meant to go to watch the Japan youth team at the national stadium today with a friend of Bruce’s who is a coach, but our train arrived too late.  With our train passes we’re not allowed to get the fastest Shinkanse, the Nozumi cos it’s really expensive, but Bruce does it and reckons you never get checked, but me and Colin chickened out cos the fine is about  600sheets.  So we got the slightly slower one and missed the game. Oh well. Would have been good, meeting Yuji, the coach, later anyway. 

So the plan is food, then footy then all night karaoke!  Excellent. Actually think I’m going to have a power nap for half an  hour, cos we wont be back here till about 5am or so.

Oh, i’ve added a couple of photos in the gallery of the wedding.