Photomerge of Dragon Lotus Pond (용지) @ CNU in Gwangju, Korea

My office on the Chonnam National University (전남대학교) campus is in the Yongji Building which is right across the road from this lovely lotus pond with the same name. The pond is actually larger than this photo makes it look. This is a photomerge of about six images so it includes about 180 degrees of view. During the current rainy season seeing the pond looking like this is rare as the more typical gray sky usually makes it look rather drab. I grabbed the chance to take this photo when a rare bit of sun and blue sky came poking through the clouds one day.

Posted on July 7th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: chonnam national university, clouds, gwangju, Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AF-D nikkor lens, Nikon D600, photomerge. Comments Off on Yongji Lotus Pond

Chungjangsa Shrine (충장사)

I had a day with no plans in Gwangju, and the weather forecast was for “clear” (for once). I wanted to check out the nearby national park. My guidebook said to get on Bus 1187 at the bus terminal. I had never been to the bus terminal before, and my map was pretty bad. I finally gave up trying to get there by bike, parked, and walked over the train tracks via a foot bridge. On the other side I realized I wasn’t going to find the bus terminal easily, it was hot, and I was frustrated so I caught a cab. I told the cab driver I wanted to go to Mt. Mudeung. He made it sound like that wasn’t possible. I’m not sure if he thought I meant I wanted him to actually take me to top or if he just didn’t want to go there because it was morning and he would have to come back down with an empty cab. In any event, I assumed the former and tried to explain that I wanted him to take me to where the buses drop people off. He understood bus, and proceeded to take me to a bus stop. Oh well. At least I could now take a bus into the park.

Bus 1187 (fare only 1200 Won or about $1), it turns out, stops all over the place including the Gwangju Train Station, a place I could have easily found had I known it stopped there.

The park was incredible–like entering another world. I hiked around for four hours or so before ending up at Chungjansa, pictured here. This isn’t one of the more famous shrines or temples in the park, but it was pretty darn cool since the weather was fantastic and I had the place to myself.

Next time I’ll take a different route. You can easily head into Mt. Mudeung National Park (무등산국립공원) numerous times and never hike the same trail twice.

Posted on July 6th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: gwangju, Mount Mudeung National Park, Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AF-D nikkor lens, Nikon D600. Comments Off on Chungjangsa Shrine (충장사) in Mount Mudeung National Park

Honkki Japanese Restaurant menu (near back gate of Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea)

Most Korean restaurants aren’t set up for single, foreign travelers. The menus are only in Korean, the portion sizes (and prices) are for two to four people ordering one thing, and the tables are set up for parties of four (or less frequently parties of two). Some places even turn you away if you come in by yourself. One workaround if you can read Japanese is to patronize Japanese restaurants in Korea. Although the employees won’t likely be able to speak English or Japanese, the two that I have been to have menus in both Korean and Japanese so at least I know what I’m ordering.

On this day I went with the Miso Ramen (みそら～めん).

It was good, one of the better bowls of ramen I’ve had outside Japan. The half a hard-boiled egg was a little different than how eggs are usually served in Japanese Ramen, but other than that it seemed pretty authentic.

Posted on July 5th, 2013 under Japan, Korea. Tags: food, gwangju, Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AF-D nikkor lens, Nikon D600, ramen. Comments Off on Ramen in Korea

Koba in Hiroshima, Japan

While cruising through Fukuoka and Hiroshima a couple weeks back, I tried to find a club with some live acts playing some kind of heavy metal. I couldn’t find anything so then I looked for a bar similar to Godz or Rock Bar Mother in Tokyo. No luck. The night I was in Hiroshima I planned to go to a Carp baseball game, but it got rained out. I then remembered that I had a Facebook friend from Hiroshima who is into hard rock and heavy metal so I sent him a quick message before heading out. He responded immediately that I should check out a place called Koba. I googled it, got an address, marked it on my map, and got on a nearby streetcar.

When I got to the spot on my map I couldn’t find Koba. I started walking in circles around the spot on my map, asking anyone who looked local if they knew of the place. No one did. I had gone down every street in the neighborhood at least twice. Finally, as I was about to give up, I walked into G.O.D Sports Bar. If they didn’t know where it was, I was going to just hang out there. The employee was so helpful that he looked it up on the internet for me and then walked me to Koba, making sure that I found it. Now that’s service! And from a competing bar no less.

Anyway, Koba (or コバ) is very hard to find, even with the address, as the only sign is about an inch high so I’ll help you with directions and maps below. I walked right past it several times in my search.

The guy sitting in the top photo is Mac from Macbar or MAC Bar (not sure how to spell it), another Hiroshima Bar that I’d like to visit on my next time through.

Koba is very close to the Hondori (本通) Shopping Arcade. If you aren’t there already, take a streetcar to the Fukuromachi or Tatemachi stops.

Above is a closer view and also shows you how to get there from Heiwa Odori.

When you approach the A on the maps, look for something like the above. It will probably be dark and not this clear. However, if you go up really close to the sign you will see this:

広島 Koba is upstairs. Head on in and up. The food is great. The company is great. The atmosphere is excellent. Everyone is very foreigner friendly in this place.

As I walked in Michael Schenker’s “Rock My Nights Away” was playing. The words were very fitting.
“When I’m sad and lonely
Far from home
Who’s gonna rock my nights away”

I recorded that song off the radio and onto a cassette tape in 1983, but probably hadn’t heard it since 1986 or so. Hearing it in Koba on this evening in 2013 sounded like it was written just for me at that moment. Koba was clearly going to rock my night away.

The place isn’t really Heavy Heavy Metal like Godz and Rock Bar Mother can be. Instead, it’s more 80s hard rock. I can’t remember all of the other albums played on this evening but one was Ozzy Osbourne’s “Diary of a Madman” (or was it Blizzard of Oz?). Anyway, Koba is a fun place so be sure to check it out the next time you are in Hiroshima.

The address is
１-４ Funairi Nakamachi
Naka Ward, Hiroshima, 730-0037

Tel: 082-249-6556
広島県広島市中区中町1-4

Koba is usually closed on Wednesdays.

Posted on July 3rd, 2013 under Japan. Tags: beer, hiroshima, Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AF-D nikkor lens, Nikon D600, photomerge. Comments Off on Koba (コバ) in Hiroshima

Jejumok-Gwana (제주목관아) Carp

I saw Hiroshima Carp earlier on this trip, but these were the first carp I saw in Korea. As I lowered my camera down toward the water they got really frisky.

Posted on June 28th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: jeju, Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AF-D nikkor lens, Nikon D600. Comments Off on Carp attack!