Korea twice in one year - November 2022 - Page 6

Day 16 - Friday, 18 November 2022

Finally here

Gwangju to Daejeon on the KTX

It seemed to take forever to get here. The train journey in total was only 2 hours. Foolishly I got to the station in Gwangju 2 hours early and there was not a lot to see or do at that station. Changing trains in Osong was a race to the right platform and right place on the right platform or miss the train. Arriving in Daejeon was a subway ride and arriving at my hotel was a case of find the power point and mess around to get the internet to work. But now I am here. I have a huge room with a kitchen and washing machine in a 'Residence' hotel which is more like a Quest or Meriton in Australia.

So this was a procedural update with just the facts. Knight Rider is on TV so thats a plus.

One last photo of my beloved stream!

Korea twice in one year - November 2022 - With my train not leaving until 1:30pm I had heaps of time for a long walk around Gwangju in the morning. Here is a view from a convenient overpass.

With my train not leaving until 1:30pm I had heaps of time for a long walk around Gwangju in the morning. Here is a view from a convenient overpass.

Korea twice in one year - November 2022 - Here is the outside of the GwangjuSongJeong station. They like to do it as one word. It is the main bullet train station in Gwangju.

Here is the outside of the GwangjuSongJeong station. They like to do it as one word. It is the main bullet train station in Gwangju.

Korea twice in one year - November 2022 - A unique opportunity to photograph the track geometric inspection car. I kind of thought these were obsolete, bullet trains are effectively all doing

A unique opportunity to photograph the track geometric inspection car. I kind of thought these were obsolete, bullet trains are effectively all doing this all the time, measuring the distance between the tracks, temperature, height, wear etc by analyzing data from the train wheels. I read a whole thing about it in relation to the Chinese network.

Here comes my train. They are all the same train.

Korea twice in one year - November 2022 - I had to change in Osong and then a short ride back to Daejeon. I think there is a different Daejeon station on the line I was on, but that station is

I had to change in Osong and then a short ride back to Daejeon. I think there is a different Daejeon station on the line I was on, but that station is not connected to the subway, so a change of bullet trains is more convenient.

Korea twice in one year - November 2022 - And finally, my very well equipped hotel room. It has a kitchen, a pull out kitchen bench, 3 different desk areas, and a washer dryer. As I mentioned,

And finally, my very well equipped hotel room. It has a kitchen, a pull out kitchen bench, 3 different desk areas, and a washer dryer. As I mentioned, it is designed for business people that might be working here longer term. Now to find out where I am exactly, I am staying in a different part of Daejeon to the last time I was here.

The new part

Dunsan in Daejeon

I need to compare notes to the last time I was here, so let me do that quickly by hitting search on my website and clicking on Daejeon.
OK, last time I was here I wrote about missing the actual city centre until fairly late in my stay. I stayed in the west near the hot springs, and generally headed to the far east to the train station, missing the new part of the city in the middle.
This time I am staying in the new part of the city in the middle.
Last time when I visited the new part of the city in the middle it did not look as new as it does now, I suspect some of the new parts are now ever newer.

I am glad we got that out of the way.
I am confident I saw most of Gwangju, and I am now also confident that the new part of Daejeon is just generally more modern looking than Gwangju. More finance less arty. More mall less Korean Tiananmen Square massacre equivalent memorial.
Well that is my first impression of my second visit to Daejeon. I am good at talking in circles.

Today was the weakest day of pics.
Tomorrow is a hiking day, but I do not want to go to the national park on a Saturday, so now I must choose a secondary less busy option and leave the national park for Monday.

Korea twice in one year - November 2022 - Here is a shiny new mall. I do not think it was here when I was last here. If it was I did not take a photo of it and I feel as though I would have. I

Here is a shiny new mall. I do not think it was here when I was last here. If it was I did not take a photo of it and I feel as though I would have. I certainly included some photos of surrounding streets last time.

Korea twice in one year - November 2022 - The streets around my hotel are bright and colourful. But quiet as it is still early on a Friday. Korea is a very late country, street stalls often do

The streets around my hotel are bright and colourful. But quiet as it is still early on a Friday. Korea is a very late country, street stalls often do not start up until 9pm.

This is just your average Samsung store in Korea.

Another example of a modern looking street. The pedestrian crossings are a bit of a nightmare though.

Korea twice in one year - November 2022 - And for my dinner, I did not go straight to the Galleria basement, although I did walk through there and I am sure I will end up there at some point.

And for my dinner, I did not go straight to the Galleria basement, although I did walk through there and I am sure I will end up there at some point. Instead I went for some Korean / Hawaiian fusion with the bulgogi poke. Such healthy.

Korea twice in one year - November 2022 - Final pic for this evening, I wandered away from the city centre and enjoyed the tree lighting with lasers that lined most streets.

Final pic for this evening, I wandered away from the city centre and enjoyed the tree lighting with lasers that lined most streets.