I knew that the Olympics were coming to South Korea in 2018 and I would be actually pretty close so I decided to go! The Olympics were in Pyeongchang, Jeongseong, and in Gangneung and I went to all three. Here is how my Olympics went down.
First, I bought my airplane tickets and noticed that I would have an 18 hour layover in a city called Jeju which is an island off of South Korea. I tried finding airlines that would take me directly to the international airport but they all did that for some reason. Next I reserved my hotel in South Korea. I reserved in December and the Olympics were in February and it turned out all the "Olympic Friendly Hotels" were totally booked. I tried finding a hotel that was between all the cities I was to go and found a resort in Jeongseong. It advertised wifi, a restaurant, and a ski area! I thought it would be perfect (as you can see by the title of this blog, it was not perfect.)
For my US citizens out there, you don't need to apply for a visa if you will be there for less than 60 days so I was good on that front too.
I also had to convert my RMB to Korean Won. They take cash only in taxis or a taxi card, which I didn't have.
For my US citizens out there, you don't need to apply for a visa if you will be there for less than 60 days so I was good on that front too.
I also had to convert my RMB to Korean Won. They take cash only in taxis or a taxi card, which I didn't have.
From Shanghai I got on my flight, landed in Jeju, stayed at a hotel there on a beautiful beach side front, watched the Olympics on TV, then headed on my next flight to Weju the international airport. This is where I should have seen my first bad omen.
Weju was this tiny airport in quite literally, the middle of a field. A bus had to take the passengers to the "airport" which was one gate. Not an exaggeration, there was only one airplane gate. My plan was to eat at this airport and there was a coffee shop that didn't have much to offer. I figured I would eat at the train station!
Weju was this tiny airport in quite literally, the middle of a field. A bus had to take the passengers to the "airport" which was one gate. Not an exaggeration, there was only one airplane gate. My plan was to eat at this airport and there was a coffee shop that didn't have much to offer. I figured I would eat at the train station!
I got a taxi to the train station and tried to buy a ticket to my city. I was confused because my city is on the train map but the kiosk wouldn't let me get a ticket there. A super friendly woman, who called herself Rose, saw me struggle and actually helped me buy a train ticket from the ticket selling booth. When she found out I was headed to the Olympics she gave me about 5 pamphlets and maps and things to do. Rose worked for the tourist board and was excited to meet so many people from around the world. Rose and I exchanged numbers and I headed to my city.
The train let me off at a bus station/train station and I see a ton of buses which were meant to go to any of the Olympic events, however, I was headed to my hotel. I look for something to eat and it is all just vending machines. I go to the help desk and show them my hotel and they are perplexed. They tell me to get on the Jeongseon Bus. I do and they tell me to go to some other bus. That is when I go to that bus' help desk and they tell me my hotel is in the middle of nowhere, or more accuratly up a giant mountain. I suddenly remember that my hotel is known for skiing and feel like an idiot that I didn't think that it would be up a giant mountain. It turns out I am not the only one who booked a hotel up this dumb mountain and four others and myself get on a bus that the Olympic group got for just us dummies to get to our hotels.
Now keep in mind, I have not eaten all day. I left in the morning and it is now supper time. I get to the hotel, check in, and then wander the hotel looking for the restaurant. I can't find it and for the first time in my life I feel light headed from lack of food. I go to the lobby and ask about the restaurant to which they reply, "We shut that down. We do have breakfast though!"
I ask for the closest restaurant which is a 20 minute walk up a mountain on a highway with NO SIDEWALKS in WINTER. I started walking there but it was so cold and my phone kept getting confused to where I was that I gave up. I saw that there was a convienent store attached to the hotel and head in. They have boa zi, canned fruit, ramen noodles, and eggs. I bought bao zi, rice, eggs, and ice cream.
Upstairs I ate my long awaited supper and tried to log-in to the wifi and there isn't even a signal. I head back to the lobby and ask the front desk to which they reply, "The wifi is only offered downstairs." There isn't a computer room or a charging station, so I sat at one of the tables for the deserted restaurant and planned my next day. I needed more cash and saw an ATM. It doesn't work but guess what does? The ATM in the convienent store! (Not sure how convienent a store is when it is basically mandatory to go there.) I ask the front desk to reserve a taxi for me the next day to take me to the Gangneung Ice Arena.
Now keep in mind, I have not eaten all day. I left in the morning and it is now supper time. I get to the hotel, check in, and then wander the hotel looking for the restaurant. I can't find it and for the first time in my life I feel light headed from lack of food. I go to the lobby and ask about the restaurant to which they reply, "We shut that down. We do have breakfast though!"
I ask for the closest restaurant which is a 20 minute walk up a mountain on a highway with NO SIDEWALKS in WINTER. I started walking there but it was so cold and my phone kept getting confused to where I was that I gave up. I saw that there was a convienent store attached to the hotel and head in. They have boa zi, canned fruit, ramen noodles, and eggs. I bought bao zi, rice, eggs, and ice cream.
Upstairs I ate my long awaited supper and tried to log-in to the wifi and there isn't even a signal. I head back to the lobby and ask the front desk to which they reply, "The wifi is only offered downstairs." There isn't a computer room or a charging station, so I sat at one of the tables for the deserted restaurant and planned my next day. I needed more cash and saw an ATM. It doesn't work but guess what does? The ATM in the convienent store! (Not sure how convienent a store is when it is basically mandatory to go there.) I ask the front desk to reserve a taxi for me the next day to take me to the Gangneung Ice Arena.
I wake up the next morning and look for breakfast. I can't find it and when I ask, "Oh, breakfast is that coffee maker. You can get food at the convienent store."
I decide to wait for my taxi and they never come. I asked the front desk about it, they forgot. They reserved me another one. I got in the taxi and we drove for about an hour and we still aren`t at the arena. My taxi driver doesn`t speak English and I don't know a lick of Korean but I used YaoDao (God Bless that app) and asked him about it. He pulled over and called the Olympic Help Line (God Bless those people). On the Olympic help line, volunteers can translate, give directions, and listen to your problems. (This is now time two those people saved me). We find out that my evil no good hotel had given the driver the wrong city! We were driving for an hour IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. We had no idea how this happened because I showed them on a map where I wanted to go and why and the hotel staff just didn't listen. For the first time in my life I burst into tears in front of a stranger.
The Olympic Help Line talks to the driver and to me and I told them that I only brought enough money for a taxi to take me to and from the arena and there will be no way I have enough money to take me two hours in the right direction. The taxi driver (GOD BLESS HIM) decides to take me to the Gangneung Ice Arena for only the hour he took me in the wrong direction, which is how much I had planned for. We also discovered that the event I was headed to started at 10:00 am and will get done around 2:00 pm so I still could make it.
We get to the arena, I pay the man and thank him about 100 times, run to the ticket booth, get my tickets, get through security, run to the ice rink, discover my boot had ripped on the sole, and get to the Women's Free Skate event where, get this, I was able to see the last six contestants, THREE OF WHICH WON MEDALS. It was spectacular.
I decide to wait for my taxi and they never come. I asked the front desk about it, they forgot. They reserved me another one. I got in the taxi and we drove for about an hour and we still aren`t at the arena. My taxi driver doesn`t speak English and I don't know a lick of Korean but I used YaoDao (God Bless that app) and asked him about it. He pulled over and called the Olympic Help Line (God Bless those people). On the Olympic help line, volunteers can translate, give directions, and listen to your problems. (This is now time two those people saved me). We find out that my evil no good hotel had given the driver the wrong city! We were driving for an hour IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. We had no idea how this happened because I showed them on a map where I wanted to go and why and the hotel staff just didn't listen. For the first time in my life I burst into tears in front of a stranger.
The Olympic Help Line talks to the driver and to me and I told them that I only brought enough money for a taxi to take me to and from the arena and there will be no way I have enough money to take me two hours in the right direction. The taxi driver (GOD BLESS HIM) decides to take me to the Gangneung Ice Arena for only the hour he took me in the wrong direction, which is how much I had planned for. We also discovered that the event I was headed to started at 10:00 am and will get done around 2:00 pm so I still could make it.
We get to the arena, I pay the man and thank him about 100 times, run to the ticket booth, get my tickets, get through security, run to the ice rink, discover my boot had ripped on the sole, and get to the Women's Free Skate event where, get this, I was able to see the last six contestants, THREE OF WHICH WON MEDALS. It was spectacular.
The rest of the day I first eat lunch at the cafeteria (they offered Korean and Western Food), see some museums they have inside the Olympic Stadium, go to a few stores, and head back home this time by subway, bus, and taxi.
The second day I tell the hotel staff to get me a taxi. I get in the taxi and show him on the map in Korean that I want to go to the bus station. Zero problems occured. I get to the Alpensia Ski Jumping center and eat a second breakfast there. I was very early that day so I had about a hour to spare before the event started. The event is a new event, Men's Big Air. I find that my ticket is on the ground not on the seats. You don't really have a say on where you seat is, you just reserve for an area and then when you get your ticket at the booth is when you find where you sit. I ended up standing next to Chris Corning's grandmother. It was a fun event but quite cold. I was so close to getting on TV too, there was a kid on his dad's shoulders who was on air and I was about three feet from them. Oh well! I ate lunch and since there isn't anything else at the Alpensia Ski Center I headed to the big Olympic arena, Pyeongchang. I take a bus with a bunch of others and I walk around town.
My plan was to go inside the arena but unless you have tickets for an event that day in that arena, you can't go in. I find a restaurant to eat in and get a smoothie and honey bread. Honey bread is almost like french toast but they put icecream on top and it is a lot of food and OMG it is good. I go inside two musuems. One is about how cool the Olympics are but it is super small and the other is about the 2018 Olympic Theme-Peace.
As I think everyone knows, Korea was split into two countries when America was trying to stop the spread of communism. Families were split apart and, at least at this event, South Koreans are upset that the country's culture has been split up. North Koreans and South Koreans obviously share a history together. This musuem showed that the North and South united to uncover an ancient palace. People could write their names in Korean with stamps and hold up 3D models of objects found at the palace. There were two videos that talked about how if Korea reunited it would make the country stronger and how it could heal all the pain from the seperation.
Personally, I was surprised about this. All that I have heard is that South Korea is afraid to reunite because the debt from the North would tank the country. Not to mention that the North has prevented many technologies from coming in, so those citizens would have to be slowly introduced to modern inventions and have to be deprogrammed from their brain washing. North Koreans have been told that their great leader invented everything good, that Americans are evil for splitting their country apart (which we are let's not front), and they know that if they do anything wrong they will be sent to a concentration camp. It is easy to say, "Let's reunite!" But it is hard to actually do that, if they ever can. I headed back to my hotel after this.
As I think everyone knows, Korea was split into two countries when America was trying to stop the spread of communism. Families were split apart and, at least at this event, South Koreans are upset that the country's culture has been split up. North Koreans and South Koreans obviously share a history together. This musuem showed that the North and South united to uncover an ancient palace. People could write their names in Korean with stamps and hold up 3D models of objects found at the palace. There were two videos that talked about how if Korea reunited it would make the country stronger and how it could heal all the pain from the seperation.
Personally, I was surprised about this. All that I have heard is that South Korea is afraid to reunite because the debt from the North would tank the country. Not to mention that the North has prevented many technologies from coming in, so those citizens would have to be slowly introduced to modern inventions and have to be deprogrammed from their brain washing. North Koreans have been told that their great leader invented everything good, that Americans are evil for splitting their country apart (which we are let's not front), and they know that if they do anything wrong they will be sent to a concentration camp. It is easy to say, "Let's reunite!" But it is hard to actually do that, if they ever can. I headed back to my hotel after this.
The last day for the Olympics I was going to the Closing Ceremonies. I got to Pyeongchang in the morning and walked into a few stores but didn't buy anything. I walked over to a taxi area and asked to go to a forest and hot spring park. They explained to me that it was closed that day but the Odaesan Seonjaegil National Park was open. I headed there instead. In Asia they believe in something called "forest bathing" the idea is that you walk in nature to feel cleansed. Psychologically speaking, there may be some truth to this as people usually practice mindfullness when they are in places of nature. There were some park rangers that stopped me at booth and talked to me about the trees and animals. The national park rangers gave me stickers and a bag of tree bark that I can hang in my house to make it smell nice. The national park had a few temples inside which was great! I felt my dad would have really liked it there because he loves hiking and religious things. I don't know if I will return but if I did and my dad came, I would go there again.
I headed back to the stadium on a bus and ate supper in the arena. They had a huge art musuem inside the stadium and it was very fun. The main artist was Nam June Paik who did modern art with TV screens and lasers. There was a turtle made out of TVs that was about 40 feet by 40 feet big in the middle of on of the rooms and you could go on catwalk to see it better. On the second floor they had a robot exhibition and a few VR simulators. Since the closing ceremonies were going to start soon, they weren't allowing for more people in line so I didn't get a chance to try them.
At the closing ceremony I get to my seat and find that everyone gets a goodie bag! Inside the bag were hand warmers, foot warmers, hat, poncho, seat cushion, and a blanket. It was relief for two reasons. One, it was cold and I needed these things. Two, I had no souveniors because I didn't truly love the $30 teddy bear or the $140 sweatshirt they were selling but now I had things to take home and they were free! The people that sat next to me was an Italian woman and Hawaiian woman. I am now facebook friends with the Hawaiian gal. I won't go into detail about the ceremony because you could just look it up on youtube but this is what I took away from it.
The fun thing about the Olympics is that there are people from all over the world next to you. I thought people would be competitive or trash talk other countries but it is the opposite. People just really love the sports and will talk to total strangers about how they love so-and-so from whatever country because they are a good athlete. There is a a real sense of community among Olympic spectators. They eventually talk about their own home countries and what they have in common. You make friends there! It is pretty awesome.
When I headed back to my hotel for the night I met a man whose wife was a New Zealander competing in the Olympics! We talked about the buses and how bad our hotels were and what we watched for the Olympics.
When I headed back to my hotel for the night I met a man whose wife was a New Zealander competing in the Olympics! We talked about the buses and how bad our hotels were and what we watched for the Olympics.
The next day I decided to go to Seoul and check it out. Here is the thing, I went on a Monday. Why does that matter? In Korea everything is CLOSED on Mondays and Tuesdays. They aren't like the West where the weekend is on a Saturday and a Sunday. It could have been because the Olympics were over so a bunch of places were shut down for a break, but seriously every musuem, restaurant, and temple were closed and the signs all said that they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. So what I ended up doing was walking around Seoul and talking pictures of things on the outside.
One unexpected thing about Seoul is that in my area I got off at (which was a big train station) there were tons of homeless people. There is an underground walk way and it was full of mattresses and there was a food line. My only knowledge of Seoul was from TV and movies and they make it look so clean and modern but just like any other city, there are homeless people. I shouldn't have so ignorant to think there wouldn't be but even in Shanghai, I don't see so many homeless people.
One unexpected thing about Seoul is that in my area I got off at (which was a big train station) there were tons of homeless people. There is an underground walk way and it was full of mattresses and there was a food line. My only knowledge of Seoul was from TV and movies and they make it look so clean and modern but just like any other city, there are homeless people. I shouldn't have so ignorant to think there wouldn't be but even in Shanghai, I don't see so many homeless people.
The next morning I got on my flight back to Shanghai and this time had no layover. However I got back late so I got a hotel in Shanghai and the next morning went to Jiaxing. My final stop for the New Year Break was Taiwan.
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