Jindo Miracle Sea Festival

Once a year in Jindo, one of many islands off Mokpo in the province of Jeollanam-do in South Korea, a festival would take place that would seem of biblical proportions. Known as Jindo Miracle Sea Festival, or Jindo Sea Parting Festival, the seas would part to reveal a road leading from Jindo to a neightbouring island.

While also known as the 'Moses Miracle', local legend instead tell of an old lady who was somehow left behind when the other villagers in Jindo fled to the neighbouring island because of some wild tigers. She prayed to the Sea God who then parted the sea for her to join her family. The phenomenon though, divine or not, actually happens 2-3 times a year, when the tide is at its extreme lowest, revealing a land bridge of sorts that actually connects Jindo to that particular island. The Festival though, was to be held only once a year (well to make it special I guess), and during then, you could join in the festivities and walk the 2.8km land bridge to the island.

Like many festivals in Korea, a carnival of sorts are almost mandatory, complete with food tents, music and performances. Once evening descends (approx 5pm), when the sea "parts" for an hour or so, the locals spring into action - no, not to cross the parted sea, but to scour the land!! This is something definitely more down-to-earth - free seafood for the masses! From seaweed to mussels, from crabs to abalone, families comb the land bridge for the riches of the seabed. No doubt what sort of dinner these families are having for the week... What a sight!

There are express buses from Seoul to Jindo which takes about 5hrs, and there are direct ferries from Jeju to Jindo too. However, for those who would want to enjoy the festival or event longer, it may be a good idea to stay in Mokpo, which is easily accessible via train from Seoul as well. Mokpo to Jindo is just 30minutes by bus. There are a couple of accomodation options in Jindo too, but as the Formula One race had arrived in Mokpo some years back, the upgraded motels in Mokpo seemed very well valued with excellent in-room facilities at affordable prices (we had a luxurious twin room for 55,000 won).

For those who have yet to experience a "miracle", check out Jindo's Miracle Sea Festival! ;)

Nemrut Daği

There are some places that just exudes a sense of mystery, or a fascinating past, and one of the main attractions of eastern Turkey - Mt Nemrut or Nemrut Daği, is such a place. Discovered in 1881, and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site only in 1987, it is certainly one of the highlights of Turkey, and some would say, the star attraction even.

A tomb site of a king atop a mountaintop may not seem out of the ordinary, but the statues surrounding the site are the talking point. King Antiochus I, King of Commagene, believed himself equal to the gods, and thus have his own statue made seated together with the likes of Zeus, Apollo and Hercules etc. Somehow, somewhere in time, these statues got beheaded, and now what's left is a scene of headless statues seated in a row, with their heads staring out from somewhere below their feet. And these statues are huge - the heads alone are man-sized! The statues are also placed on both the eastern and western face of the mountaintop, and so, many tourists come up not just to see this eerie sight, but for sunrise and/or sunset viewing as well. And yes, the views are stunning indeed!


There are supposedly 2 routes to the site - Malatya from the north, and Kahta from the south (and not to be confused with another Nemrut Daği near Lake Van at the very eastern end of Turkey). Travel arrangements can be made at both cities. Package tours (typically from 3D2N to 4D3N) are also available from as far as Cappadocia, with a evening/sunset stop atop Mt Nemrut. There are also supposedly some accommodation options in the nearby village but is practical only for those with their own car. Arrangement can be made to stay overnight at the cafe/restaurant at the entrance of the site too (which I did), and then you can catch both the sunset and the sunrise. Bring a good sleeping bag, and you can watch the stars on the restaurant verandah too! Note that you need a half hour hike up a barren rocky path to reach the statues!

There are many many places in the world for watching a glorious sunset/sunrise. But not together with a bunch of beheaded statues... and their heads!

Earth Hour 2012

Yes, today is Earth Hour, and it's happening 8.30pm in the time of your respective home country.



Will there ever be a possibility that a city participate in Earth Hour such that the whole city is plunged into darkness, and then the heavens will reveal itself in its full glory!


When its dark enough, you can see the stars. -- Persian Proverb

Three Great Festivals of Tohoku

Summer in Japan is humidly hot, especially on the main island of Honshu, but it is during this season where there are tons of festivals about. Thus on my overland journey from Hokkaido (which is really pleasant for sightseeing in summer) back to Tokyo, I managed to catch the Three Great Festivals of Tohoku - Aomori's Nebuta Matsuri, Akita's Kanto Matsuri and Sendai's Tanabata.

Aomori's Nebuta Matsuri is held from August 2-7, and consists of a parade of music and dances, with the highlight being the huge graphic lantern floats. These paper lantern floats are fantastically detailed, depicting the gods and demons of Japanese/Chinese culture. They are mounted on a huge wheeled platform, and pushed and spun about by a contingent of energetic enthusiastic men. These floats supposedly take a year to design and build, and looking at the artistry, it's not hard to believe!

Akita's Kanto Matsuri is held from August 3-6. The highlight of the festival is the balancing of kanto - bamboo poles adorned with paper lanterns. The performers do that sequentially using 4 methods - on the palm, forehead, shoulder, and hip... all using one hand! During the day, competitions are held with teams and individual events, accompanied by drums and music. During the night parade, the streets are lined with these kantos, and the lanterns lighted with real candles. On a single signal, all the kantos are hoisted up and a mass display of skill occurs. Amazing sight!

There are many Tanabata festivals in Japan, but Sendai's one of the biggest and most famous. Also known as Star festival, it is based on the Chinese legend about the cowherd and weaver girl which is held on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. However, due to calendar differences, different Tanabata festivals are held on July as well as August. Sendai's Tanabata is held on August 6-8. Basically, the whole city's shopping streets and arcades will be decorated by these long paper streamers, designed and made by just about any local organisation (schools, shops, communities, groups etc). Aside from these decorations though, this festival appears relatively uninteresting as compared to the other two. There are, of course, performances, music & dances and various points in the city.

There are lots more other festivals scattered across the country, and the most wonderful aspect of the festivities is that, everyone turns up in their traditional attire, and seeing all those kids all dressed up really makes them soooooo kawaii!! :)

Aside from the heat, it's great fun!!

City in a Cave

Situated near Akhaltsikhe in southern Georgia, Vardzia ranks as one of the country's most interesting sights. Dug out of solid rock, comprising 13 stories of apartments (some say 6000!), complete with a throne room, a church and even a bell tower, the cave city of Vardzia is making a definite claim into UNESCO's list.

Built as early as the 12th century during the reign of their beloved ruler Queen Tamar, it was a bastion against the Mongol horde. However, it was not the Mongols, but an earthquake that destroyed part of the city years after the invasion. Today, it is a major tourist attraction in Georgia, though only part of the complex is open for sightseeing. In fact, a portion of the place are occupied by monks and it is a fully working monastery. There are some really awesome frescoes in there (but then, there're many awesome frescoes all around Georgia!), and there are also some mazy tunnels which you could wander in. No worries though as you would eventually come out into the open! (though not really advisable for those who are claustrophobic) The scenery around are also quite spectacular!

There are only a few marshrutkas a day plying the beautiful route from Akhaltsikhe to Vardzia and I believe I took the last one at close to 4pm. It's 2+hours of journey, and there a few guesthouses around the area where you could spend the night (the Lonely Planet guide lists a few). For those in a group, there will be many taxi drivers in Akhaltsikhe which you could hire for the trip and may be a better alternative. There are also many marshrutkas between Akhaltsikhe and Tbilisi, and Akhaltsikhe is also the start/end point of the Posof border crossing into Turkey.


For visitors to Georgia who have a bit of time, Vardzia can be an excellent option besides the popular Kazbegi/Svaneti and/or Kalkheti regions. Check it out!

Mendoza

Mendoza, a world-renowned wine region, and a city in western Argentina, makes for an excellent stop in your travels through Argentina, particularly if you are a wine/Malbec fan!

One of the unique ways to visit the wineries here, is to go for a wine bike tour. And one of the more backpacker-budget-friendly options is through one of the bike rental agencies in Maipú. Basically, you can take a public bus from Mendoza city to Maipú, and from there, take your pick of the agencies. Hostels and travel agencies in Mendoza itself have lots of brochures on these bike rental companies, so getting there shouldn't be a problem. However, competitation must have been pretty tough. When we showed the bus driver our intended bike rental joint, he stopped us at a competitor's place. Luckily, its a short walk to the other agency. And for 25-30 pesos, you get your bike for the day, a bottle of water, and a map of the attractions/winery nearby. At the end of your excursion, after you return the bikes, you get to enjoy a free glass of wine, and relax and chat with other travelers!

I've taken those day-trip wine tours before, and like most "packaged tours", you usually have little time and little choice of wineries/destinations. I've also taken self-drive wine tours with friends, but usually the driver (which could be you) don't really get to do the wine-tasting. So I find these bike wine tours great, as you have the flexibility to choose where/what to see (there are other stuff besides wineries, like beer garden, olive oil plant etc), although you do need some leg power. The other downside is, well, parts of the road are pretty narrow, and it can get pretty harrowing with trucks and motorcycles whooshing by you...

Mendoza itself is great too, and like many cities in Argentina, offers wonderful dine and wine experience. Even some hostels provide a free glass of wine for your stay, and there are often barbeque nights organized. Oh, there is a wonderful weekend flea market as well!

Yes, I'd love to visit Mendoza again!

Earth Hour 2011

March 26 2011 : Earth Hour 2011

I made a post last year for Earth Hour 2010. I am now 6 months into my journey, and this is my post for this year, 2011. There are countless posts on packing for travel. The useful items that have aided you in your travels etc. Let me share one of mine.



I have chucked an item into my luggage unconsciously, and it had seen surprisingly lots of usage. From Europe to South America, I had lived on a budget and visited countless supermarkets/grocery stores. And I had used my green bag (bag made from recycled material) more than I had expected! And it was indispensable during the many long distance bus rides where I chuck food/water into it as my "daypack" was full of my camera gear and laptop.

I am glad I had started using it in Singapore few years ago, and I am glad I had brought it along my trip.

Perhaps you should too!

Lights out!