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I started the morning by catching the public bus to Bulguksa. I walked around there for a while and saw a huge bronze bell being rung. There was some kind of event there I think, so it was really crowded. I tried some street vendor food which doesn’t seem has healthy as other kinds of Korean food since it is deep-fried meat.
Afterwards I went to the Gyeongju National Museum which I thought was pretty good. They had a few models of the city back in the Silla Dynasty, over 1000 years ago. Not much is left now. It was a big museum and I was surprised it only cost $1 to enter. Before entering a nice Korean woman came up and talked to me, which was a little surprising. It made sense when she said she was with Jehovah’s Witnesses. She asked me, “What do you think about the Bible?” I replied, “Umm, it’s a book?” I stopped at giving my email address away and went into the museum. While I was there I ran into the German from yesterday and we walked to Bunhwangsa which was not very impressive. Then I walked around the city a little more and saw a few more burial mounds.

Later I took a bus to Golgulsa, where I’m spending the night doing a “Temple Stay.” I had a hard time finding the place since it didn’t seem like my maps matched up with the roads exactly. After walking a while through mostly countryside I made it. My stay here included three vegetarian Korean meals, beginning with dinner. I could take as much food as I liked as long as I ate everything.

My roommates were three Koreans. I also talked to a guy who has been there for a few months from Chicago and a girl from London (who is an English teacher in Korea). Part of the deal at this temple is a martial art called Sunmudo. So we take part in a Sunmudo training session which I have to say was good exercise at least. I went to sleep a little after 10PM.

I got up at 7AM to catch a bus to the 3^rd largest city in Korea, Daegu. From there I took another bus to Haeinsa which my guidebook lists as “must-see.” After 3 hours traveling total, I made it there. Unfortunately, lots of renovations to the structures and throngs of school children on field trips prevented it from being perfect. It was still pretty nice way up in the mountains and I got to peek into the Tripitaka Koreana (80,000 wooden blocks used for printing).

Apart from “Hellos!” from children, I met a traveler from France there. He is going through North and South Korea for 3 weeks. He can do this because in France they get 5 weeks of vacation per year so he doesn’t have to quit his job.

Later I headed back to Gyeongju where my room was. The owner is pretty nice. He hand draws maps for guests to use every day, which seems strange. He doesn’t like to use a copy machine. I also met a older German traveler who lives in Taiwan. He had a lot to talk about, but I found out he works for a German company in Taipei, Taiwan and I got his business card.

The first day or so in a new country is always strange. Everyplace is different and of course it takes a little while to feel things out and get comfortable. So far I think Korea is similar to what I expected. Since it is physically in-between China and Japan, I expect behavior of people and the environment to be in the somewhere in the middle too. For example, it is dirtier than Japan, but probably cleaner than China. It is a similar for politeness and the traffic situation. Not as perfect as Japan, but not as crazy as China. I’ve probably been spoiled by how smoothly everything goes in Japan though.

I notice PC Bangs everywhere. They are similar to Internet Cafes, but almost everyone is playing computer games. It appeared most were playing World of Warcraft when I walked through one. I also notice a lot of English schools everywhere. I think everyone assumes I’m an English teacher because I don’t think Korea gets too many people who go around the country just as tourists.

First thing in the morning I walked down to Gwang-an beach. It was a nice view with the Gwang-an suspension bridge out there in the sea. One thing I didn’t expect was being mobbed by a bunch of school children. Maybe 20 or 30 kids where down there in a group. “Hi!” “Hello!” “I’m Korean!” “Nice to meet you!” At one point I think 5 kids were pointing their cameras at me getting my photo. They asked where I’m from and listed off a bunch of soccer players and asked if I knew them. They were so excited to see a foreigner and wanted to practice English. And I think I was the only foreigner I saw around that area.

Later on I left the 2^nd largest city in Korea, Busan and headed to Gyeongju (one of the ancient capitals of Korea). However, first I stopped at Beomeosa. It was sort of a wild bus ride up a mountain and there were a lot of people there. Still pretty neat place. I continued to Gyeongju and after arriving I set out to find a place to stay. I tried to find a place with wireless in town, but didn’t have much luck. I did find a cheap guesthouse with a private room though. It did take up some time to sort out accommodation though and was getting dark. I walked through Tumuli Park and saw many large burial mounds of kings and family from the Silla Kingdom. I quickly walked by Cheomseongdae observatory.Then I kept walking but it got dark and started raining, so I headed back.

My last hours in Japan today. I was able to go to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant for my last meal in the country with the help of a Japanese friend I made at the very last place I stayed at. So I had some things like raw fish and fish eggs on rice. Tried a little too much wasabi at first (real stuff I think, not as green as the imitation kind in the US) and that was kind of shocking. The design on the plate determines the cost. I think the average price was $3 for a small plate with two sushi items on it.

I visited two other places in the city, but I don’t have the names now because I donated my Japan travel guide to the hostel. But in the afternoon I said goodbye to Japan and boarded the JR Beetle. It was the only hydrofoil that I’ve ever been on and it was quite a wild ride. Normal ferries need 8 hours for the journey, but this one made it there in 3 hours. It was neat to see us fly past any other ships. It is a small ferry and I am guessing the waves on the sea were about 10 feet, so it felt like a roller coaster at times. If anyone gets seasick, I imagine it would be here. The Beetle was relatively expensive though. After fuel surcharges, port taxes, and the ticket it was $123 one-way.

On approach to Busan, Korea I saw a huge container port which seemed to go on for miles. I also noticed the high skyscrapers. Apparently there aren’t any earthquakes in Korea unlike Japan so they can build a lot higher. It is sort of nice that nearly everything is on the ground floor in Japan though.

First thing to do when entering a new country is to get to an ATM. I did and took out 200,000 Won ($218) which should last me a while. Then I walked to the nearest subway station. Now I didn’t make any room reservations here partly because I’ve been so busy in Japan. After a minor setback of missing my subway stop, I finally made it to a hostel. It was up on the 18th floor of an apartment building which was kind of strange. Then no one answered when I used the bell, so I had to leave and do plan B. Got back on the subway and went to another area of the city and followed some directions down an alley, up some dark stairs to the roof of a building to a cheap guesthouse. The owner was there and I got a bed for $13. Seven-Eleven doesn’t have the selection of fresh made meals it does in Japan unfortunately. Later in the night I headed to a university and ate at a restaurant where students go and I had some Bibimbap for under $3 (included 5 side dishes) which I though was a really good deal and a good first Korean meal.

Once in a while I notice a person on a motorcycle or walking around throwing business cards at buildings and sidewalks. This seems to be the physical equivalent of e-mail spam. Forcing people to clean up this garbage in front of their home/business doesn’t seem too nice. In Japan they would never stand for anything like that.

Today is my last full day in Japan and the last day my Rail Pass is valid. From Hiroshima, I headed east on the bullet train and took a detour to Akiyoshi Cave after another train and bus. I think it was pretty neat. They say you can walk 1.5km inside the cave and there are some really huge areas in there. It rained most of the day, so I suppose being inside the cave was good.

After a return trip (going through some nice countryside and mountains) I made it back to the main bullet train line and continued on to Fukuoka. There I bought a ferry ticket to Busan, Korea and checked into my hostel.

Some comments about Japanese people after three weeks:

• They are rarely ever seen eating or drinking in public. I think it is considered rude, but maybe more about keeping everything clean.
• Eye contact seems to be frowned upon. One man got mad at me when I was looking at a sign above his head when he thought I was looking at him.
• Many people are afraid of me. I’ve seen kids literally run away from me.
• The average person really cannot converse in English. They have never had any practical experience. I’ve heard people would want to talk to foreigners here for practice, but I’ve been proved wrong.
• I feel so underdressed in the country. The average Japanese person in a city is always wearing some fancy clothes. I’m just wearing a T-shirt and jeans.

I awoke with the sound of rain and kids doing drills for National Sports Day in Okayama. Later in the morning I said "Bye" to my roommates (after some talk about which MMORPGs this guy helps manage) and then I got on the train for Hiroshima. Right away I got on another train followed by a ferry for Miyajima, home of the famous floating torii gate in front of Itsukushima Shrine. I also walked up to Daisho-in and walked by Senjokaku.

I made it back to Hiroshima, took a street car to my hostel. Seems like a top notch place today. I then walked over to the Peace Memorial Park and Memorial Museum. The museum had some very interesting information on the atomic bomb exploded here. And then there is the A-Bomb Dome nearby, which was very near the center of the blast.

For dinner, I went to 7-Eleven, or as it is called in Japan by the snappy name: 7&i Holdings. It is so easy. Go into the refrigerated area, you can see the food, price, and number of calories and then decide what to get. When you buy it they will even microwave the meal for you and give you chopsticks.

I talked to the Japanese people sharing my room and learned I should complain about my long trip here yesterday. They walked up the mountain for 7 hours hiking 23km (Choishimichi – Stone-marked path). It was pretty neat to stay in that traditional Japanese style accommodation. The only chair I saw in the place was a rocking chair off in a hallway. There was not too much privacy though with the sliding doors usually open so it is like one big house.

In the morning I had a Japanese breakfast at the hostel (sitting on the floor). Then I went with one of the guys who hiked up the mountain to Kongobu-ji where he got his book stamped and calligraphy written. He had 88 stamps in there so far from visiting the 88 temples on Shikoku island. Now he has one more for visiting the headquarters temple today.

Then I visited the Garan sacred district. The highlight there was the Konpon Daito Pagoda with its bright colors and impressive interior. No photography inside, so it will remain a mystery for everyone else. Then I waked over to Daimon, or the big gate. Then I visited the Reihokan Museum. This is the only museum I’ve been to where you have to take off your shoes. Finally I dropped by the Tokugawa Mausoleum, where they didn’t really show too much.

At 12 noon I got on the bus, and then cable car, and then a number of trains going through Osaka to the destination of Himeji Castle. Unfortunately by the time I got there the castle was closed so I could not go inside (still behind schedule from yesterday). I took a few pictures and headed back to the train. However there is a virtual tour on the web site. Oh, I did drop my camera at one of the train stations in the panic when my backpack unzipped and stuff started falling out. It landed on the ground the way you normally set it down, which is probably the best way to hit and it seems fine.

Next stop was the city of Okayama, where I’m spending the night. It was kind of tough to find the hostel since I didn’t have a proper city map. After wandering around I found a map on the street with the hostel labeled. But I still couldn’t find it until I realized that map was rotated (north was not at the top). Getting closer, some Japanese person saw I was lost and got me in the right direction.

This hostel is probably the worst I’ve seen in Japan. The bathroom smells like an outhouse, they lock the door and turn off the lights at a certain time, and everything seems old and plain. I did meet some other travelers though. One is from Poland and is traveling on a similar route as me. The other is from Korea and is riding a bike across Japan. Also interesting that he worked at an Internet game company, and managed the localization of games like Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid, Dynasty Warriors, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He even met with Hideo Kojima (the pretty famous game developer I saw talking at the Tokyo Game Show). He‘s riding to Tokyo where he will stay with a new Internet game management type job.

I tried to wake up and get an early start for my next destination, Mt. Koya. I don’t have any confirmed reservation there, but I’ll see what I can do. I checked out of my hotel at 8AM, got on a train heading that direction. The train to the first transfer (Wakayama) was supposed to take 30 minutes, but ended up taking over an hour for some reason. At Wakayama the tracks branch off in a few different directions. I noticed there was a train leaving which I thought was the direction I needed, so I made a split second decision and got on. After 15 minutes or so, I noticed the train was going past the ocean which was not supposed to happen. I realized I was on the wrong rail line. I saw Gojo on my map as the direction I should be headed, but I realized I got on a train that said Gobo.

I had to get off the train at this tiny town and take a train in the opposite direction. I noticed I happened to get there the one time during the day when there is only one train per hour. So I had to wait nearly an hour before I could begin to get back to where I was in Wakayama. An old lady started talking to me at the station which was one of the rare times a Japanese person has started talking to me (of course, she didn’t know English). After the train back to Wakayama, it was another 20 minute wait for next train. Finally on the right track, the train stops half way and lets everyone off since it was the end of the line for that particular train. I had to wait around 25 minutes in another smaller town for the next train to come by. On this train a Japanese guy started talking to me, which was the first time that ever happened in Japan. He was a student and he lives in the area and we talked a bit about Mt. Koya. Then I had to get off the train to switch to another train and learned there is another 45 minute wait for that one. So I finally got on the final line to the mountain. This included one more switch over to a cable car for the very steep part. Actually not quite there yet, but a short bus ride later I finally arrived.

This was the biggest mistake I’ve made in Japan. I could have got on a different train right outside my hotel and made it here in 1.5h or 2h, but it would have cost be about $4 more and would not have used by Rail Pass at all. Instead I spent 7 hours traveling here.

Then I checked for accommodation. Things weren’t looking up because I arrived on a weekend (later learned a holiday weekend too) and this place is popular with Japanese people. First place I check had no vacancies, the second place said they I could have a $120 room, since that was all they had left. Then I checked the Youth Hostel, which only could take 13 people, but surprisingly they took me!

I only had 3 hours at most of daylight, so I took off to see some of the sights. I went to Okunoin, which holds the mausoleum of Kukai (famous guy who founded this whole area) surrounded by the largest graveyard in Japan. It was pretty nice. Everything in town closes down around 4:30PM, so I headed to the hostel. I was expecting bunk beds and stuff for being the cheapest place in town, but it is a traditional Japanese house. I share a room with two other (Japanese) people, and there are other rooms all around separated by sliding doors. So this is the most Japanese place I’ve stayed in so far and the walls are literally paper thin; we’ll see how it works out. Most people staying here are Japanese too.

Right now I’m reading an article on how Japan leads on Internet connections on top of this mountain on a free wireless connection. How appropriate.

Today I visited Panasonic Center OSAKA which was probably one of the most interesting places I’ve visited in Japan. It was a product showroom and a museum. They had cutaways of many products and explained how they worked and how they gained efficiency. Probably too many things to list, but I saw a 103" Plasma TV, some super small laptops, a Quad-Digital TV tuner for a car (so you can have 4 TVs in your car on different stations), products for home networking over 110V lines or Coaxial lines, an accessible kitchen, compact dishwasher, steam oven, advanced air conditioners, and more. They were showing things like how to make electric ranges more efficient by using many thin strains of wire (like 10x as many) instead of fewer thick strains in the burner element.

They even had a home fuel cell system which runs on natural gas and outputs hot water and electricity. I asked if this is commercially available and they said yes in Tokyo you can lease it for under $9000 per year. So I don’t think this system would save you money, but apparently more environmentally friendly since the natural gas doesn’t lose much energy in transmission compared to conventional electricity.

Too bad they had signs that said no photos throughout the building, so don’t have too much to show.

I headed over to Kobe, Japan and walked around that city for a little while in the afternoon. The city had a major earthquake last decade, but is doing fine now.

My hotel is in maybe the worst area of Osaka, but maybe in Japan that’s like the best area of Detroit. It is pretty close to the train tracks which means I can hear trains going by quite often.

Today I saw the Namba area of the city, including another Apple store (only two floors, not as impressive as the Tokyo one). And then continued on through Den-Den Town which is an electric town area like Akihabara in Tokyo, without all the tourists. One store had had retro video games. I played the Nintendo Virtual Boy (one of their failed products). I also saw old Japanese computer systems like the MSX on sale for $20-$30, the equivalents to a Commodore 64 for example.

The big thing for today was visiting Universal Studios Japan. I’ve never been to Universal Studios in the USA, so I figured this was my chance since it was 15 minutes away covered by my Rail Pass. I’ve also always wanted to go on the Back to the Future ride and I learned it was closed this year in the USA making here in Japan the last and only place to ride it. I wasn’t sure if going the whole day for $50 would be worth it since all the rides were in Japanese anyway, but then I noticed if you enter after 3PM you get a discount. So I came back later at 3PM and got in for $33.

Inside the park I first saw a Waterworld stunt show, which was great. Lots of explosions, water effects, and the highlight was an airplane launched over a wall directly at the audience landing in the water. Looked unbelievable. They had some Halloween theme shows going on in the park too, since it is October. Next was a Backdraft ride. It was really boring at first, since you had to stand and watch behind the scenes videos of the movie. But then the last room comes around with a factory on fire and you can see tons of fire effects, explosions, and barrels flying up in the air, so I think it turned out all right. Then I went to the Spider-man ride, which was pretty exciting. I stood in line for the Jurassic Park ride, but it was shut down while I was in line, so I decided to leave.

Then I went to the Back to the Future ride. They have a time machine Delorean outside (not the actual movie prop, but close). I was surprised this ride had one of the longest waits in the park, I think because it is sort of clumsy loading and unloading people into the ride, maybe that’s why it has been closed. It was pretty good since there was new things filmed using the actors for the ride. They have 8-person Deloreans that you get into, even fitted with digital speedometers and displays showing your current and last time. Went to the year 2015, and then the ice age, and then one of the dinosaur ages and back again.

Afterwards the Jurassic Park ride had no wait, so I went there. It is a water ride including an 85-foot drop, so pretty exciting. The park was about to close and they were closing attractions early, so I went on whatever I could. I went on Snoopy’s Great Race, which is a small roller coaster. And then the very last thing open was Sesame Street 4-D, of all things. The attractions closed at 7PM, so it was a short day and there was a lot I missed. I kind of wished I was there for a full day now. There was a Peter Pan’s Neverland show at 7PM with actors flying a hundred feet up in the air on cables which was kind of neat. Still, I wish I could have seen the Terminator ride, ET ride, Jaws, ride, a big roller coaster, and a few others. I didn’t bring my camera inside the park since I didn’t really want to deal with that on some of the crazy rides, so no inside the park photos.