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Ulsan is an industrial city located next to the city of Busan. There is not much to do in Ulsan in terms of tourism. There are all of 12 sites, mostly nature trails, beaches, temples, river beds and waterfalls in Busan. The gay scene is non existent and the night life centres on gentlemen’s clubs and bars. Public transportation is restricted to taxis and buses. There is no subway in Busan, making getting around slightly more challenging. I didn’t have the nerve to board any of the buses as destinations are written entirely in Korean. Taking a cab can be rather trying too, as English is widely unspoken in Korea, except in the bigger hotels. Language is one of the biggest barriers faced while visiting Korea, and after a while it can prove to be very frustrating and exasperating. The younger generation is currently being taught English at school, but many are very reluctant to speak it, citing lack of confidence and fear of embarrassment as reasons. Technically, Korean is one of the easiest languages to learn as it was scientifically created and doesn’t possess the incongruity of grammar rules like most other languages. It is a homogenous language spoken throughout both Koreas. Korea has one of the highest, if not the highest, literacy rates in the world.

If you are a nature lover, the bamboo forests, lush terraced rice fields, pebbled beaches, mountains, waterfalls and pools would hold great appeal. Provided, you a good map reader and excellent trekker of course. My foray into this pursuit, failed somewhat miserably. My intent to visit a waterfall led me to a completely different site altogether! Petroglyphs - prehistoric carvings on a cliff face. The trek was long, hot and arduous. It was an activity that certainly did not suit someone as delicate and fragile as I! After half an hour’s walk (in my Camper shoes!!) into the bowels of the Korean wilderness, accompanied by the sweet songs of the cicadas and my chorus of endless whining, I arrived at the banks of a therapeutically calm river. Hallelujah! Managed to find the elusive carvings! It truly was on a cliff face, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DAMN RIVER! If the light hit the cliff at the exact angle and eyes were squinted just so, you can almost make out the carvings! I was peeved to say the least; it felt like a cruel joke!

Next destination, a stone river bed with smooth craters, dimples and boulders carved out by the gentle meanderings of the river over thousands of years. It is said that, a few hundred years ago, a famous Korean scholar/poet sat on that very river bed to meditate or reflect on something or the other, during one of the dynasties which escapes me as I wasn’t paying much attention! It seemed terribly picturesque in the brochures. Upon arrival, I was greeted with a cacophony of squeals and shouts from excited children playing in the water. Much to my dismay, the entire river bed was overwhelmed with people of all ages and tents, in a multitude of colours, were erected everywhere! So much for peace and contemplation! To make matters worse, while trying to park, the car ran over and rested on top of a tree stump, thereby immobilising the vehicle! After several futile attempts with primitive technology borrowed from stones and branches, the trapped car was finally freed by pushing it with sheer brute force! Sadly, none of the fun seekers offered any help! Exhausted, drenched in sweat, hot and bothered, I abandoned sightseeing for the day.

Going to the beach seems to be a popular pastime is Ulsan too. The clean pebbled beaches were dotted with innumerable tents and the pleasant aroma of barbequed meats mixed with the sweet sea air. I am again reminded of Korean conservatism by the sight of fully clothed revelers playing in the sand, swimming in the sea and exploring the tide pools. Not a single bikini or one piece suit in sight. But I did spot no less than 4 men in swimming trunks in a sea of a few hundred people! How progressive! In a modern country like Korea with all its electrical gadgetry and razzmatazz, I was, disappointingly sickened when I stepped into a portable toilet. It was essentially, a cubicle over an open sewer!! The miasma that enveloped me was nauseating and the sight of so much human effluvium was gut-wrenching! I must mention that en route to the beach, I chanced upon the Hyundai car factory. It was situated near the harbour to facilitate shipping throughout the far reaches of the world. There was, veritably acres and acres of spanking new cars, glinting in the sun! It was a spectacular sight to behold!

Korean cuisine is fantastic, it can be very distinctly Korean and yet at times very reminiscent of Japanese cuisine. Kimchi and fermented bean paste make up the foundation of most Korean food. The Koreans are very proud of their Kimchi. It is not limited to just Chinese cabbages, all manner of vegetables are pickled and the presentation and taste is varied but exquisite! The Koreans reason that their diet of Kimchi left their country untouched by SARS. Kimchi is omnipresent and is served at every meal and everywhere, from little traditional eateries, to food courts, to BBQ restaurants. Every household and eatery has their own secret recipe which they guard jealously, hence the subtle but delightful nuances of the flavours of Kimchi. Korean BBQ is their definitive mainstay. These prolific restaurants dominate the gastronomic landscape. And they are absolutely delicious! I have NEVER been to one where I have been disappointed. In Korea, the region’s best BBQ is found in Ulsan! And I can see why, the exclusive use of charcoal fire here, creates a discernable difference in taste when compared to the gas fired BBQs found in Seoul and Busan. A typical Korean BBQ would include a myriad of side dishes, ranging from the ever present Kimchi, to pickled chillies, radishes, spinach, bean sprouts, tofu, crispy anchovies, mashed potato, pasta and even insect grub! The selection of meats is dependent on the type of restaurant you patronize. Beef, pork, chicken, duck and eel are the regular fare. So if you fancy beef, you visit a beef BBQ place. There you will be faced with the dilemma of having to choose from beef ribs, marbled beef, spicy beef, top cuts, side cuts etc. All of which are tender and divine! You are also served copious amounts of delectable scallion salad tossed in a tangy and distinctly Oriental soy sauce and sesame oil vinaigrette. There is also a generous accompaniment of assorted crisp vegetable leaves and fresh green chillies and garlic. After cooking the meat, it ought to be dipped in bean paste, wrapped in a leaf with a piece of garlic and eaten with a bite from the green chilli! Heavenly!

Other forms of food would include raw fish, sashimi style, Korean seaweed rolls, which the locals fiercely call their own. Noodles served dry with thick savoury black bean paste sauce or in miso broth or in chilli paste soup. There are rice dishes served in a super heated stone bowl topped with julienne meats and vegetables. I tried seafood in Korea twice and both times I left feeling very dissatisfied and unimpressed. There are meats of a more exotic nature catering to the more adventurous and unfeeling. The symbol of Ulsan is the grey whale. This is because, before the international treaty against whaling, Ulsan was a whaling community. During my stay, I encountered 2 restaurants that served whale meat and one that served dolphin! I am presuming that their supply is derived from Japan. I was outraged and disgusted! Thankfully, these restaurants were conspicuously lacking in patrons when I saw them. Hopefully in time, the Koreans will lose their desire for these delicacies entirely. There are many other different types of foods and cuisines found in Korea. To comprehensively document it all would be a daunting task.

There are a couple of customs to take note of while in Korea. It is vital to remember that you should NEVER ever pour your own drinks. You would have committed a huge faux pas if you did so, it is considered very rude and terribly offensive. Being very hospitable, Koreans will automatically top up your empty glass and you should undoubtedly reciprocate. When giving or receiving, especially cash, it is prudent to do so with your right hand. Meanwhile, your left hand with palm facing upwards should be touching your right elbow or mid forearm.

Each time you visit a supermarket or mall; there will be ushers, usually female, at the parking lot to direct you. Their ensemble de rigueur would include matching bold coloured jackets and skirts, white cotton or lace gloves, a wide brimmed hat and the all important wireless headset which they employ to amplify their sing song greeting. Their greetings are synchronised with very cutesy and immensely entertaining arm gesticulations and flourishes, very much akin to the Japanese para para! And this routine invariably ends with a small curtsy and a bow. Very adorable and fascinating! It doesn’t end here. When you enter the premises, doormen will greet you and bow to you. It is only polite to acknowledge this gesture with a nod at the very least. And when you leave, they will thank you for patronising the shop and bow yet again.

I met with an extremely interesting incident at Ulsan Airport on the day of my departure to Seoul. It is necessary to point out that Ulsan Airport is a tiny domestic airport with merely 2 gates. Hence it is expected that the ground crew are a little more, shall we say, provincial than their big city counterparts. The passport that I’ve been traveling with had a photo of me during my more androgynous days. I had very long hair and meticulously shaped eye brows. I grew my eyebrows out and lopped off my locks only last year. Admittedly, I look very different from my passport photo now. That being said, I had little trouble clearing immigration when I traveled to Manchester, Bintan, Seoul and Busan this year. Most of the immigration officers did not even bat an eyelid; although some did do a double take. At Ulsan Airport, when I presented my passport to the immigration officer, he did a double take and a look of absolute confusion crossed his face. He started muttering in Korean and gave me the palm out sign to wait. He conferred with his colleague sitting next to him. Now it was his English speaking colleague’s turn to repeatedly look from me to the photo on my passport. Then he leaned over with a look of utter embarrassment on his face and whispered if I was transgendered and whether I was a girl or a boy? I was floored! Not so much by the nature of the question, but in a country where the command of English is weak, here was this man who used the word “transgendered”. I was amazed! I told him that I was a boy and pointed at the M on my passport. He apologized profusely and let me through. I was neither angered nor offended, because I knew there was no malice involved; in fact I was tickled pink! Post analysis, I concluded that they actually thought that I was a girl trying to be a boy! It was hilarious!

Koreans are very friendly, polite and ever ready with a smile. During my stay, not once did I encounter anyone who was rude. The staff at eating establishments and shops are very nice and try their best to help and make themselves understood despite our linguistic differences. They are a very inquisitive people and are especially intrigued by foreigners. Their speech is forceful, animated and quite loud, at times making it hard to distinguish if they are angry or happy. However, this should not be misconstrued as uncouthness or boorishness; on the contrary, they are a lovely and civilised people. We can establish that they are a vocal people by the frequent, usually peaceful, confrontations between student demonstrations and riot police. During both my visits to Seoul, I was very considerately informed by the hotel of the exact logistics of the demonstrations. In the letter, I was never warned to keep away from the venues, just gently reminded that these demonstrations would cause inconvenience and delays rather than any danger. Also, unions wield considerable power. Korea has a relatively low crime rate and is very safe. In all, Korea, for me, has been an enriching and wonderful experience.

Located in the south-east is Busan, the second largest city in Korea. With its impressive Gwangan Grand Bridge, the famous Haeundae beach, beautiful marinas, high rise apartment blocks with under floor heating, it is difficult to imagine Busan in tumultuous times, all those years ago. During the Korean War in the 1950s, Busan was where the South Koreans and her allies stood their ground before the start of daring offensive manoeuvres, via Incheon, which reclaimed the rest of South Korea from the invading North Koreans. Technically, the 2 Koreas are still at war as a peace treaty was never signed. Today Busan is as modern and efficient as Seoul. It too has a clean and reliable subway system, albeit not as extensive as the 10 lines network in Seoul. Comparatively, its modest 2 lines network is new and very simple to use.

Being situated on the coastline of Korea makes Busan a seafood haven. Jagalchi market, one of Korea’s largest open air and indoor seafood markets is found in Busan. A mind boggling array of live fish, squid, spider crabs, sea cucumbers, sea slugs, clams, the ubiquitous live octopus and all manner of seafood is found at this delightful and colourful market. The Korean obsession with live octopus stems from the belief that it makes them strong. You can find them in restaurants, eateries, street vendors and even right at your door step. Trucks have been modified and fitted with aquariums filled with baby octopuses, and they park themselves at the foot of apartments for your convenience. I didn’t have the heart to try this local delicacy despite news from a marine biologist stating that octopuses are constructed with simple central nervous systems thus the inability to feel much pain. Consuming live octopus has inherent risks and proved fatal for a few inebriated men! There have been reported cases where the suckers on the severed tentacles have latched themselves onto the throat, thereby suffocating the unfortunate diner!

Dogs are very popular in Korea too, not as food but as pets. The custom of eating dog meat is slowly fading. Only men eat it, and it is consumed only during summer time. Dogs meant for the table are specially bred in farms, and contrary to popular belief, pets are not eaten. Pet shops can take up an entire street! Korea is extremely dog-friendly; dogs can be seen in shopping malls and even domestic airports! The toy breeds tend to be the most popular.

There exists a gay scene in Busan, but on a much smaller scale compared to Seoul. I attempted a venture to a favourite gay hang out, the very straight Hur Shim Chung Hot Spring. It is claimed that straight boys from various sports teams converge at this establishment to reputedly rough house in the nude! Hence its popularity with the gay crowd! However, I will never know, as upon arrival, I found the place to be closed for renovations. Thwarted yet again, I finally conceded defeat and decided to give up completely on my exploration of the gay scene in Korea!

Recycling is huge in Korea. Yet again, another laudable and worthy exercise that not enough countries participate in! Thrash is comprehensively sorted by paper, glass, plastics, metals and organic waste. This green movement is far reaching and all encompassing; EVERYBODY young and old does it, from apartment blocks, to houses, to shops, to malls! At supermarkets and shops, customers are encouraged to either bring their own bags or to utilise the free recycled cardboard boxes to put their goods in. Plastic bags are sold to customers, not given free with purchases as expected. Television ads teach and inform viewers the importance of recycling thus instilling continued environmental consciousness. The country’s green efforts are genuine and not just a token measure! Admirable!

When I first arrived at Incheon International Airport, I was astounded by the gleaming futuristic glass and steel architecture. Suddenly, World’s #1, Changi Airport, did not seem at all deserving of its title. I don’t pretend to be a connoisseur of airports, but having been to the chaotic labyrinth they call Heathrow, the modest outfit at Campino, the death trap of the old Hong Kong Airport, the overcrowded airports in China and several others more, I believe that I am in a competent enough position to comment. Crest fallen and my national pride evaporated, I made my way to the hotel. However, all is not lost, its comforting to know that our beloved Changi Airport is not resting on its laurels, renovations to bring it up to speed are currently underway and its new look will be unveiled in the middle of next year! Sadly, the face lift seems confined to Terminal 2, I’m afraid the eyesore that is Terminal 1 will sadly remain that. Incheon International Airport like most of the other new airports is situated in the middle of nowhere, relatively far from civilisation. It’s a good 40 to 60 minutes ride to the city centre, dependent on your mode of travel. Seoul, like every other major city in the world, is hustling and bustling. The roads and highways are heaving with vehicles. Oddly, Seoul looks a lot like Japan, not that I’ve ever been to Japan, more rightly, it fits my mental description of Japan, derived from TV, magazines and photos. Seoul is modern, clean, efficient and colourful. Neon signs festoon and scale every possible space, screaming for your attention in a riot of colours. Huge LCD (if I’m not mistaken) billboards with moving pictures advertise the latest telephonic gadgetry, air conditioning units or cars. This is after all, the land of LG, Hyundai, Daewoo, Samsung et al. And they are giants on their home turf! Korean BBQ restaurants and eateries abound, and have signboards with cutesy cartoon drawings of the corresponding animals from which the meat is derived. So if a cartoon pig is winking and smiling at you, the place serves pork. A cow with a big grin and a thumb’s up, the place serves beef and so on and so forth. Childish? Not at all, it is an absolute life saver, especially when you are incapable of reading Korean and don’t want to inadvertently wander into an eatery that offers fare of a more exotic nature! Having pictures on the menu helps immensely too, there were a few occasions where culinary Russian roulette came into play. Randomly pointing at an item on the picture-less and English-less menu and hoping for the best! Sometimes, luck can be fickle!

After settling in, I wanted to sample the gay night life Seoul had to offer. I researched the internet and found valuable information on Utopia. Evidently, Korea is a conservative society founded on Confucianism. Great regard and emphasis is placed on scholastic achievements. It is a patriarchal and hierarchal society with claustrophobically defined roles. Hence, leaving very little room for the homosexual community. Koreans adopt a don’t ask, don’t tell approach concerning homosexual issues. In the minds of many Koreans, homosexuality does not exist in their beloved homeland. To them it’s a Western phenomenon. It is an extremely taboo subject, so much so that it is inconceivable to even document it in writing, let alone discuss it in civilised conversation. As such, there are no laws persecuting homosexuals. To date, no legal cases have ever cited homosexuality as a crime or cause for divorce. It is common practice for gay people to get married according to societal norms but still lead a dual life. They will usually continue their dalliances with their lovers, who may also be married. For men, as long as you fulfil your roles as a dutiful son, responsible husband and loving father, what you do outside the home is rarely questioned. I also discovered a fascinating titbit, although I will never know if it’s a fact or fallacy. Apparently, up to 98% of Korean men are circumcised. It is difficult to determine where this practise stemmed from; it has nothing to do with religion, culture nor medical reasons. They believe that it’s a rite of passage and a universal practise! This phenomenon only started about 50 years ago, so it does look suspiciously like the Americans had a hand in this!

The gay clubs are clustered close to on another and are situated in Itaewon, a location known for its night life and foreigners. However, pinpointing the clubs was an entirely different kettle of fish altogether! Apparently, only the main roads are named, and navigating in Korea revolves around reference points such as notable buildings and landmarks. I had only paid a cursory glance to the detailed directions provided by the website. Big mistake! I had overconfidently thought that the clubs would be easy to find, as I read that they were near the Hamilton hotel. How difficult could that be? After an hour of aimless roaming around and failing to get directions from some sisters outside a tranny club, I gave up my search. This was such a pity, as I would have really liked to see how gay Koreans interacted in their natural habitat.

Getting around in Seoul is relatively easy. All road and subway signs are bilingual. The subway trains are clean, efficient and very roomy. Taxis are aplenty and metered. They come in the black deluxe cabs and the regular silver cabs. Price difference is marginal, about 1500 Won. There are buses too, but I did not feel adventurous enough to give them a try. Now, it is important to note that senior citizens are treated with great respect in Korean society. For example, when an older person boards the subway, it is not uncommon to see people literally springing up from their seats to volunteer it. In fact, it would be considered terribly rude not to do so. This particular trait is truly commendable. It’s such a pity that more countries and societies don’t adopt and emulate this practise.

Invariably, I made my rounds at a few of the tourist spots like Namdaemun market, Gyeongbokgung Palace and Lotte World. Interestingly enough, Lotte World is one of the top 10 most visited theme parks in the world. Having never heard of this place prior to my visit to Seoul, I’m assuming that the sheer numbers that visit Lotte World annually are made up primarily of the Koreans themselves. And it certainly seemed to be the case when I made my trip there. Koreans thronged the park on my visit. Lotte World is a Korean created theme park moulded suspiciously like Disney Land. However, it is a poor imitation of the latter. The park is housed in a huge indoor complex and has another section outdoors. The rides are average at best and the daily parades and shows are cheesy and cringe worthy.