Wednesday, October 26, 2011
RINJANI PHOTOS (DAY 2)
Drinking tea and warming up after swimming in the hot springs.
View of our goal for the following morning; Rinjani's summit.
The porters carrying all the tents, food and water. 20kg each on bamboo poles.
The porters navigated even the trickiest parts in simple cheap flip-flops.
Ascending further above sea level.
We begin our descent to the lake.
To the right you can see a new cone of the volcano formed from a recent eruption.
Taking a welcome break for a photo and catching our breath.
Very fashionable locals fishing/hanging out at the lake.
Ditto.
Argument because Ronan thinks I like him more than Karol and vice versa. Calm down lads! I like you both.
Sunset dinner. My hair's not really that ginger; it's just the light.
Sleeping in the tents was so cold even fully dressed and with two sleeping bags. But Ronan still wouldn't let me cuddle. Damn that stubbornness!
View of our goal for the following morning; Rinjani's summit.
The porters carrying all the tents, food and water. 20kg each on bamboo poles.
The porters navigated even the trickiest parts in simple cheap flip-flops.
Ascending further above sea level.
We begin our descent to the lake.
To the right you can see a new cone of the volcano formed from a recent eruption.
Taking a welcome break for a photo and catching our breath.
Very fashionable locals fishing/hanging out at the lake.
Ditto.
Argument because Ronan thinks I like him more than Karol and vice versa. Calm down lads! I like you both.
Sunset dinner. My hair's not really that ginger; it's just the light.
Sleeping in the tents was so cold even fully dressed and with two sleeping bags. But Ronan still wouldn't let me cuddle. Damn that stubbornness!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
RINJANI PHOTOS (DAY 1)
In the pickup truck on the way to the base of Rinjani. Happy and energetic.
Some porters cooking lunch. Food was always very good.
First part of the hike on Day 1 was through forest. Misty and lots of monkeys running around.
Little bro leading the way with a stick for ankle support and monkey defense.
My gaff.
Camping above the clouds.
Irish whisky nightcaps for everyone! Look at those German smiles.
Some porters cooking lunch. Food was always very good.
First part of the hike on Day 1 was through forest. Misty and lots of monkeys running around.
Little bro leading the way with a stick for ankle support and monkey defense.
My gaff.
Camping above the clouds.
Irish whisky nightcaps for everyone! Look at those German smiles.
RINJANI MOUNTAIN, LOMBOK
I just spent a month in Indonesia. Well, actually just the islands of Lombok, Gili and Bali. It was my first time properly backpacking in three years. Little brother Ronan flew over for a couple of weeks and my mate Karol came for three.
The highlight of our trip was a three day hike to the summit of Rinjani Mountain. Rinjani, on the island of Lombok, is Indonesia’s second largest mountain and said to be the most beautiful in the country. It also happens to be an active volcano. But the last eruption was over a year ago, so things were pretty safe. The hike is notoriously difficult with reports of lots of people crying, puking and quitting. So of course, this is just the kind of “holiday” that calls out to me. The summit is just over 3700 meters and the volcano has a crater-lake on top as well as natural hot-springs. It’s a three-day hike with the goal being to reach the summit for sunrise on day three (which requires a 2:30am start).
I felt pretty confident about the hike to be honest because I’ve done longer and higher hikes before. But my confidence quickly dissipated after receiving a link to a tripadvisor page from Ronan. Reading the experiences/complaints of the other hikers, I reassessed the situation. I spent August hiking every weekend to get in decent shape, even hiking up to three times a week when possible. Unfortunately, most of the mountains around me in Seoul are about 600 or 700 meters high, so it certainly wasn’t perfect preparation.
The holiday plan was for us to climb the mountain as early into the trip as possible before the hedonism took tole on our bodies. But it took a couple of days to get orientated and travel from Kuta Bali, our meeting point, to Rinjani by public transport. And by the time we were ready to go, there was already a considerable dent in our four litres of duty-free Jameson whisky.
We intentionally didn’t book in advance as I’d learned from past experience that we could get it much cheaper if we haggled on arrival. It worked out perfectly well. We paid only 700,000 Indonesian Rupiah each. Much cheaper than anyone we met and half of the 1,400,000 the guidebook cited as the going rate.
Our group consisted of us three, four Germans, our guide and five porters. Everyone was real cool. The Germans were all university students and surprisingly well-traveled and worldly. The porters were nice, hardworking and friendly. And the guide, seemingly a teenager, was a cool kid, but appeared to be in the worst shape of the whole group. Perhaps due to his incessant cigarette smoking. In fact, we felt so bad for him on the first leg of the trip, Karol offered to carry his backpack for him.
I brought my phone on the hike and made a couple of short videos. It was my first time to ever try this so I apologise for both the video and narration quality.
And here in this second video you can see Ronan and me at the top of Rinjani, tired, but elated to have achieved our goal.
And this third video is kind of pointless I guess, but I hoped to show the view a little better from a different angle.
The highlight of our trip was a three day hike to the summit of Rinjani Mountain. Rinjani, on the island of Lombok, is Indonesia’s second largest mountain and said to be the most beautiful in the country. It also happens to be an active volcano. But the last eruption was over a year ago, so things were pretty safe. The hike is notoriously difficult with reports of lots of people crying, puking and quitting. So of course, this is just the kind of “holiday” that calls out to me. The summit is just over 3700 meters and the volcano has a crater-lake on top as well as natural hot-springs. It’s a three-day hike with the goal being to reach the summit for sunrise on day three (which requires a 2:30am start).
I felt pretty confident about the hike to be honest because I’ve done longer and higher hikes before. But my confidence quickly dissipated after receiving a link to a tripadvisor page from Ronan. Reading the experiences/complaints of the other hikers, I reassessed the situation. I spent August hiking every weekend to get in decent shape, even hiking up to three times a week when possible. Unfortunately, most of the mountains around me in Seoul are about 600 or 700 meters high, so it certainly wasn’t perfect preparation.
The holiday plan was for us to climb the mountain as early into the trip as possible before the hedonism took tole on our bodies. But it took a couple of days to get orientated and travel from Kuta Bali, our meeting point, to Rinjani by public transport. And by the time we were ready to go, there was already a considerable dent in our four litres of duty-free Jameson whisky.
We intentionally didn’t book in advance as I’d learned from past experience that we could get it much cheaper if we haggled on arrival. It worked out perfectly well. We paid only 700,000 Indonesian Rupiah each. Much cheaper than anyone we met and half of the 1,400,000 the guidebook cited as the going rate.
Our group consisted of us three, four Germans, our guide and five porters. Everyone was real cool. The Germans were all university students and surprisingly well-traveled and worldly. The porters were nice, hardworking and friendly. And the guide, seemingly a teenager, was a cool kid, but appeared to be in the worst shape of the whole group. Perhaps due to his incessant cigarette smoking. In fact, we felt so bad for him on the first leg of the trip, Karol offered to carry his backpack for him.
I brought my phone on the hike and made a couple of short videos. It was my first time to ever try this so I apologise for both the video and narration quality.
And here in this second video you can see Ronan and me at the top of Rinjani, tired, but elated to have achieved our goal.
And this third video is kind of pointless I guess, but I hoped to show the view a little better from a different angle.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
CULTURE SHOCK
1. Koreans sometimes drink an energy drink made from human placenta. I have met one Korean who self-injects this concoction twice aweek for energy.
2. I know one Korean lady who, although living in this dynamic capital city, had a 9pm cufew until she turned twenty (which was just a few years ago.)
3. I've met one person who has been a teacher in Korea and described her experiences using corporal punishment on students. And this lady is a very nice lady.
4. During the economic crisis of 1997 many men in Korea lost their jobs. Some were to embarrassed to tell their families, so instead, put on their suits every day and "went to work". Actually they had nowhere to go, so went hiking in some of the many mountains in and around Seoul (in their business suits.) Apparanty this still goes on somewhat today and can be seen if you hike during weekdays.
2. I know one Korean lady who, although living in this dynamic capital city, had a 9pm cufew until she turned twenty (which was just a few years ago.)
3. I've met one person who has been a teacher in Korea and described her experiences using corporal punishment on students. And this lady is a very nice lady.
4. During the economic crisis of 1997 many men in Korea lost their jobs. Some were to embarrassed to tell their families, so instead, put on their suits every day and "went to work". Actually they had nowhere to go, so went hiking in some of the many mountains in and around Seoul (in their business suits.) Apparanty this still goes on somewhat today and can be seen if you hike during weekdays.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
NORTH ANTRIM COAST
I took my Korean girlfriend to the North Antrim coast when she visited in May. Only two hours drive from my home, I've been there several times. But amazingly, I'd never taken the breathtaking coastal road there. We had wonderful weather and it was a great reminder of just how fantastically beautiful Ireland is.
Giant's Causeway; cool shaped rocks jutting out into the sea.
Beautiful blue water covering all of Ireland; spectacular on a sunny day.
My mysterious girlfriend checking out the view from the beach.
Me surrounded by the green, fertile farms in Antrim.
The quaint town of Cushendall; a lovely place to recharge the batteries.
The Burn Bed and Breakfast; own by my mom's cousin Nuala, I highly recommend it.
The view from our window at The Burn; doesn't get much better than this.
HIKING AT HOME
Every time I go home, I like to climb the Slieve Donard, our town's highest mountain. This trip home was no different and we had the best weather ever for the hike giving beautiful, clear views from the top.
In the photos below; little brother Ronan and his Polish girlfriend Beata and there's also some tired, weak Korean girl being carried up the hardest part of the hike ;-)
In the photos below; little brother Ronan and his Polish girlfriend Beata and there's also some tired, weak Korean girl being carried up the hardest part of the hike ;-)
Monday, May 31, 2010
REFRESHED
The sun is shining, the park is green, the birds are chirping and I feel great.
Hello patient blog-readers. Apologies for the long absence. Nineteen months living in the financial district of one of the worlds mega-cities without a single noteworthy holiday sapped the life out of me. But I'm back! After a month-long holiday in the Emerald Isle (Ireland) I feel refreshed, rested, happy and ready for the next stage of my life.
I returned to Korea yesterday and awoke at 4am this morning. Since I'll be starting work on Thursday and must return to my 5am rises anyway, I decided to get up and make the most of this spectacular weather. A bit of planning, a cup of tea and phone-call home from the park. And then a run around my area as the sun rose.
It probably sounds terrible, but I've never really been excited to be in Korea. I arrived here in October, which is the start of a long cold winter. I was pretty broke when I arrived so didn't really explore much or do many fun things. And as good as my job is, there are usually no periods of holiday time. So I just got into a routine of working and saving and having a few beers now and again. And after a year and a half, the longest period I've stayed in one country BY FAR without a big trip abroad, I realised I really needed a holiday.
A month ago if you asked me my favorite place in Korea, or what there is to do here, I would've struggled to give you an answer. But now, returning in the blossoming spring, I feel much more positive about this place and my time here. In fact, I actually feel kind of excited to be back here. It was about this time seven years ago when I flew out to Thailand for my first experience living in Asia, and the air here right now is reminding me a lot of that and bringing back some of the nostalgic excitement.
So, the main focus for the next few months will be saving money. But I've a holiday to Taiwan already booked for September, which is great since I've a new country to look forward too. And I'll also take a few weekend trips and stay in touch with the great outdoors.
And I'll try to make a better effort with the blog too :-)
Hello patient blog-readers. Apologies for the long absence. Nineteen months living in the financial district of one of the worlds mega-cities without a single noteworthy holiday sapped the life out of me. But I'm back! After a month-long holiday in the Emerald Isle (Ireland) I feel refreshed, rested, happy and ready for the next stage of my life.
I returned to Korea yesterday and awoke at 4am this morning. Since I'll be starting work on Thursday and must return to my 5am rises anyway, I decided to get up and make the most of this spectacular weather. A bit of planning, a cup of tea and phone-call home from the park. And then a run around my area as the sun rose.
It probably sounds terrible, but I've never really been excited to be in Korea. I arrived here in October, which is the start of a long cold winter. I was pretty broke when I arrived so didn't really explore much or do many fun things. And as good as my job is, there are usually no periods of holiday time. So I just got into a routine of working and saving and having a few beers now and again. And after a year and a half, the longest period I've stayed in one country BY FAR without a big trip abroad, I realised I really needed a holiday.
A month ago if you asked me my favorite place in Korea, or what there is to do here, I would've struggled to give you an answer. But now, returning in the blossoming spring, I feel much more positive about this place and my time here. In fact, I actually feel kind of excited to be back here. It was about this time seven years ago when I flew out to Thailand for my first experience living in Asia, and the air here right now is reminding me a lot of that and bringing back some of the nostalgic excitement.
So, the main focus for the next few months will be saving money. But I've a holiday to Taiwan already booked for September, which is great since I've a new country to look forward too. And I'll also take a few weekend trips and stay in touch with the great outdoors.
And I'll try to make a better effort with the blog too :-)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
BEAUTIFUL BALLOONS IN THE BEAUTIFUL SKY ON THE BEAUTIFUL GROUND IN THE BEAUTIFUL SEA
I went to the season opening game of the Korean baseball league last week. Exciting as always with the full stadium chanting and striking their thundersticks in unison. The home team, Doosan Bears, whose colour is white, released about a thousand white helium-filled balloons during the ceremony. Of course it looked very pretty against the overcast, yellow-dust* filled sky. But as they drifted away, I wondered what next? The balloons sink and land in the mountains or sea somewhere. And then? Just sit there for a thousand years? Or get eaten by a tortoise? Or what? On reflection it seems like a pretty horrible thing to do to the earth and nature for a couple of seconds of mild pleasure on our part, doesn't it? Or am I just thinking too much? And I was also wondering, if we have laws against littering and other types of pollution, and the Doosan Bears (as well as lots of other people like the organizers of the St Patricks Day parade recently) 'litter' live on national TV, shouldn't they be fined?
*yellow-dust (황사-hwangsa) is toxic sand that blows over from China and covers the sky and everything under it here in Korea at this time of year.
*yellow-dust (황사-hwangsa) is toxic sand that blows over from China and covers the sky and everything under it here in Korea at this time of year.
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