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In April 2017 I visited five of South Korea’s twenty-two national parks. In this post I document how I got to each park by rail and bus. I had not planned to spend much time in South Korea, but thanks to the authorities in Shanghai, China, I found myself with an extra week in South Korea.… Continue reading How I Got to Five Korean National Parks by Mass Transit

  Last week, two friends and I explored parts of the Dales Way over three days. The long distance footpath starts in Ilkley, Yorkshire, progresses through the Yorkshire Dales National Park, then finishes in Bowness-on-Windermere in England’s Lake District. We chose start and end points served by rail: Ilkley at the start and Ribblehead at the finish.… Continue reading Walking the Dales Way

Today, in Montmartre, Paris, I stared at the Moulin Rouge, explored the elaborate cemetery, and walked past a boulangerie (bake shop) where a sign quoted a simple truth from Benjamin Franklin.

I checked in to my Dubai hotel at 2:00 a.m. this morning, fresh off an eight-hour flight from Guangzhou. In the lobby, people were still enjoying the night. Two thirtysomething expatriate women emerged from the pub in summer frocks, looking like they were on their way to an English garden party. This is a city… Continue reading Dubai by Rail and Foot

South Korea is a nation of hikers. On the trails old, young, hip, dowdy, they love to hike. It’s no wonder: Korea is mountainous, but the population is concentrated on relatively small plains. The mountains beckon. During my current stay in South Korea I’ve hiked in five of South Korea’s twenty-two national parks.

I’m still trying to figure out why I needed two stylists to blow-dry my hair with their duelling dryers in a Seoul salon. That’s the joy of travel. Even everyday situations can surprise. When something is “not like back home” that is to be welcomed. Anyway, here’s my list of some Korean oddities I’ve encountered… Continue reading Descending Lifelines and Other Korean Oddities

I’m in Shanghai’s Pudong Airport about to board a Korean Airlines flight to Seoul. It’s not my choice to go to South Korea today. I would rather go to Japan. I actually have a ticket to Japan (Fukuoka), leaving at about the same time as my Seoul flight. But if I try to board the… Continue reading The Time I Was Denied Entry to China and How I Got In

I deliberately chose a creaky 1920’s era hotel for my base in Shanghai, which made it all the more shocking to emerge into 21st century Shanghai.   “Do you need the company of a woman?” asked a conservative-looking thirty-something woman, pacing the street outside.   Today, I walked a twelve mile, somewhat random loop from… Continue reading A Shanghai Urban Hike