I am definitely on the edge of the city now. I am walking on a small dirt path on the forest clad mountain. The nearest civilisation can be seen some way below. I am forced to walk on the outside of the wall now, the reason being that some soldiers stopped me, apparently there is a base or something up here. The battlements look really impressive from below so I can sort of understand that they still use the wall for some purpose. So, I keep walking along as the wall as it winds further up in the mountains.… Read the rest
I am walking along the ancient city wall as it climbs a mountain ridge at the edge of down town Seoul. I am walking through a sort of residential park with a playground and some benches, to the right and behind me is the city sprawl with its busy streets and skyscrapers, to the left an area of small, dilapidated houses. If I stop to take a photo it gets cold quickly but since it’s up hill I warm up just as quickly. Standing here writing this is making me cold, got to keep walking.… Read the rest
I am on the top of the mountain, leaning on the wall of what must have been a fortress looking out over the city in the dwindling sunset. The darkening sky overhead shifts to a paler blue close to the horizon where it meets a band of yellow then one of orange. Below, the city lies in a sort of shadowy dusk. Some skeletal trees stretches their black fingers upwards, contrasting the colorful sky. The big group of women who were with me on the way up seem to have disappeared except for a few vainly trying to catch some … Read the rest
In front of me is a bowl of red-orange soup. I have only managed to finish about one-fourth of the fiery liquid. I’ve fished out enough noodles to fill up my belly but now I can eat no more, it is far too spicy. My lips are burning, my tongue is numb, there is sweat on my forehead and I feel slightly nauseated. All the while the staff is just standing there, each of them engrossed in his own mobile phone, not noticing the foreigner greatly needing something to alleviate the spiciness. That’s it! I’ve had enough, I need to … Read the rest
I am skirting a horseshoe shaped pond to the west of the main palace. Due to coming directly from Taiwan my clothing is insufficient for the Korean winter so I have to keep walking to keep warm. In the pond are two rectangular islands with some kind of pine trees growing on them and in the center of the horseshoe shape is a gigantic two story pavilion. Big wet flakes of snow fall slowly but the absolutely still surface of the pond is still unfrozen. The surroundings are rather barren, sand, yellow grass and a few pines, and the palaces … Read the rest
We are flying at the same height as the setting sun. It paints an orange strip on the shadowy surface of the sea beneath us and lights my face in a warm glow. The sky above is still a light blue and right in the center of the sun is a horizontal yellow line dividing the dusk below and the brightness above. It is perhaps the most beautiful landing I have ever experienced, I just wished they could turn off the jazzed up Christmas melody in the background. Except for that, it is almost nice. At least the beauty distracts … Read the rest
I am in the most incredible bathroom I have ever seen. The toilet is situated in the middle of a small platform of grey stone with an assortment of plants, bamboo rods and yellowish lights all around. Sitting on the toilet seat, my feet are only a few centimeters from the wooden edge of the platform and a small pond. In the pond rises three small pillars supporting slate stepping-stones leading to the sink and then the door. The pond is filled with small fish and plants and is lit from below with a turquoise luster. A hidden pump is … Read the rest
I’m sitting at a table in a garden drinking tea, it is dark, the ambient light from the nearby cafe building spilling out on the people sitting here combined with a small oil lamp is the only thing that illuminates us. The early december air is verging on cool and in the background I can hear the noise of the nearby motorway as the walls around the garden do not block it out completely. Three women are sitting around me having a lively discussion is Chinese and one of the women’s son sits in front of me fiddling with a … Read the rest
Ancient steel trusses pass by to the sides and overhead, flowing backward as I speed forwards on this narrow train bridge come bike bridge. The river landscape around me becomes faded as the sun sets and ahead of me looms the narrow, almost drop shaped opening of the tunnel. With its rough cement walls covered by a hundred years of grime from passing trains, the tunnel should be an unwelcoming place but a series of bulbous lights in the ceiling stretch out into the darkness like a band of glowing pearls, casting a light over the cyclists inside. Long, straight … Read the rest
In the upper left corner of my field of view is a tree lit up from below, high above a few lonely stars look down on me from a totally black sky and right in front of me a cloud of steam rises up from the next pool, swirling poetically skywards. There is a murmur of voices all around from people enjoying the relaxing warmth of the waters. Centered on me though, there seems to be a bubble of emptiness, I hear little of the murmur and see little of the swirling mists even though it is right in front … Read the rest
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