Pho Bay Vietnamese noodle soup in Gwangju

In the bus terminal in Gwangju there are many restaurants. Just like the rest of town, though, many of them specialize in menu items for two or more people. The Chinese restaurant didn’t seem to have anything for an individual. So I went with some Vietnamese noodle soup instead. This pho was surprisingly good. You can’t really see it in the photo, above, but the soup was loaded with rice noodles and two different kinds of beef. The broth was just right too. I went back a week later and was mildly disappointed with the beef Pad Thai I ordered. It didn’t look at all like the picture in the menu, and it didn’t taste anything like any Pad Thai I had ever eaten. I may go back, but if I do I’ll go with another pho. I also noticed a PhoBay (Pho Bay?) on the top story of the Lotte Department store in Gwangju. I think you can find PhoBays all over Korea.

Posted on July 28th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: food, gwangju, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600. Comments Off on PhoBay – Korean chain

Shimenawa on old Korean tree @ Naeso Temple

Shimenawa is common in Japan. The first, and only, time I have seen it (or at least I think that is what this rope was) was around the base of this ancient tree on the grounds of Naeso Temple.

Posted on July 27th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: Naeso Temple 내소사, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, shimenawa. Comments Off on Rope tree in Korea

200 degrees – Meeting of the Rivers – Gwangju, Korea

From my photos you’d think there were always blue skies in Gwangju this time of year. In reality, the skies are usually gray, but I get photo happy on the rare occasions when they are not. In the distance in the center of this photo you can see the new baseball stadium.

Posted on July 26th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: gwangju, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, panorama, photomerge. Comments Off on Gwangju panorama

Tea House @ Korea’s Naeso Temple with the peaks of Byeonsan-bando (변산반도국립공원) in the background

This weekend I’m heading to Busan for the first time. Last weekend I went on my first (and sadly only as the next one is after I am gone) GIC Culture Tour to Buan/Byeonsan-bando National Park. If you are ever in Gwangju, make sure to see if the GIC (Gwangju International Center) is doing a tour. They usually do one a month, and you probably have to book weeks in advance as they quickly fill up. I got on the waitlist and was let on the tour just a few days before it happened. The GIC tours are very affordable and well done. I’ve been on tours elsewhere (Italy, Hawaii, Portland, Japan, Thailand) that cost three to five times as much for a similar experience.

Today’s photo is from a building on the Naeso Temple grounds where we enjoyed cold mulberry leaf tea the region is famous for.

Posted on July 25th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: buddhist, Naeso Temple 내소사, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, temples. Comments Off on Naeso Temple (내소사) Tea House

Gwangju’s Shinsegae

I have shown you some of the action that takes place in the basement of this building, and now you can see what Shinsegae looks like from the outside during a rare (for this time of year) bit of blue sky. I was coming back from a bus trip, and the bus terminal is close to this location.

Posted on July 24th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: buildings, gwangju, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600. Comments Off on Shinsegae