28 May 2022
The hottest and poorest part of Korea
Suwon to Daegu on the KTX
On my train ride here I learnt that Daegu is generally about 4 degrees hotter than any other city in Korea, due to being in a basin surrounded by mountains. That seems to be true so far.
I also learnt that it is the poorest part of Korea, but also with the richest suburb, but also the highest amount of gang activity! I better look out because I am easily influenced and might inadvertently join a violence gang.
Getting here was on the half bullet train. Half because from Suwon To Daejeon, it runs on the slow line, in order to service Suwon, before joining the fast line where it goes to 300kmph. It seems there are a few different versions of the bullet train that use different parts of the slow line and serve intermediate stations, as a result it actually took the same 2 hours to get from Suwon to Daegu as it would take to go direct from Busan to Seoul. And if you are not intimately familiar with the geography of South Korea, that is completely meaningless.
Regardless of the train, temperature and socio-economic pitfalls, I will be here for 5 nights, so I booked into a youth hostel! To celebrate, a small amount of terribly boring photos.
Before leaving Suwon I took a stroll around the local park, which has a comfort girl memorial donated by the senior citizens who use the park. These are a huge controversy around the world, apparently Japan just secretly paid Germany millions to remove one, and something similar happened in Australia a few years back.
These bricks are made of tyres. Why can't we have nice things like this in Australia? I know everyone loves a good tyre fire that goes for a decade, but bricks are also cool?
Here comes my bullet train. Complete with speed blur. I also learnt today they are French designed, based on the TGV. I bet if I look at one of my previous Korea trips I already mentioned that.
This being a Saturday my train is completely full. Luckily I reserved a seat a month ago. The seats are split into two warring factions who face each other, ready to fight to the death.
And now, I am in Daegu, proof in the form of a sign. Every Korean city has a slogan, I believe Seoul landed on 'I.Seoul.U'. From where I am standing here, Daegu is not at all colourful, so the sign should be taken down. The actual bullet train station in Daegu is east of the city, and in a bit of a wasteland area, last time I was here I walked to my hotel from here, it was far, today I took the subway.
The bullet train station does however manage to have a giant Shinsegae and the inside of the station has lots of shops and restaurants, so when I get here early in 5 days time I will have stuff to see.
Now for my hotel. I was suspicious of this one. The world natural gas conference has been on in Daegu all week, it finished yesterday, but hotels are scarce because of it. I selected this youth hostel. But, it is part youth hostel, part business hotel, part resort, part wedding hall, part conference centre, part bomb shelter. Most of the reviews are from backpackers complaining that the shared kitchen is not big enough and that the staff do not arrange day trips for you. I am on the hotel floor and my room is great. Probably the best room of the trip so far.
Here is the bathroom, complete with blue light to demonstrate cleanliness. So there you go, I will eat a red bean filled bun now.