Within striking distance

Rail Report: First Class on the KTX from Yeosu Expo Station to Suncheon, South Korea

In my previous post, we saw what it’s like to travel in Standard (Economy) Class on the KTX from Suncheon to Yeosu. Today, we’ll upgrade ourselves to the posh First Class cabin for our return journey.

Rail Report: Standard Class on the KTX from Suncheon Station to Yeosu Expo, South Korea

Today, we’ll see what it’s like to travel in Standard Class on the KTX by doing a short hop from Suncheon to the coastal city of Yeosu, in Korea’s Jeollanam-do province.

Terminal Report: Overnight Transit at Hong Kong International Airport (22-23 January 2020)

It’s not easy for someone who loves travel to embrace the “new normal” that we all must now endure. Having said that, it’s important to remain thankful to the good Lord for present blessings, future hopes, and past joys, amongst which are the memories of my last overseas holiday before the end of the world as I knew it. As I quietly nurse the fond hope of resuming my adventures at the appropriate time, I’ll continue to flip through my treasure-book of happy episodes from that and other past journeys – including the exhausting (but quite fun!) experience of an overnight transit through one of the world’s major transportation hubs.

Welcome to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).

Field Report: The Ruins of Suncheon Japanese Castle, South Korea (26 January 2020) – Part 3

Here’s the closing entry in my set of Field Reports about the ruins of a 16th-century Japanese castle in Suncheon, South Korea. The preceding posts (Part 1 and Part 2) are concerned mainly with my visit to the site itself, whilst the present article supplies background information. I’ve also set out some practical advice on how to access the site from central Suncheon.

Field Report: The Ruins of Suncheon Japanese Castle, South Korea (26 January 2020) – Part 2

Let’s continue our visit to the ruins of Suncheon Castle (순천왜성), a 16th-century fortress built by the invasion army of Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the coast of Jeollanam-do, South Korea.

Field Report: The Ruins of Suncheon Japanese Castle, South Korea (26 January 2020) – Part 1

Until recently, my interest in Japanese castles was geographically confined to Japan itself. (Hardly a surprise, since that’s where nearly all of them are.) That changed this past winter when I visited the ruins of a 16th-century fortress designed by the Japanese, built using Japanese techniques, and bearing all the hallmarks of a typical Japanese stronghold – except that it was located on the southern coast of Korea.

Welcome to Suncheon Castle (순천왜성).

Sed ite, dícite discípulis eius et Petro…

…quia præcédit vos in Galilǽam: ibi eum vidébitis, sicut dixit vobis.

Friend and reader: I wish you, your family, and all your loved ones a very happy Easter.

Field Report: Sunday Stories from Suncheon, South Korea (26 January 2020)

This post is both prelude and epilogue to my upcoming report on Suncheon’s really-quite-spectacular Japanese castle. (Yes, you’ve read correctly: there are ruins of an old Japanese castle in Suncheon and I’ll tell you more about it in another post). Just some little vignettes and casual observations that illustrate what I went through on a quiet Sunday as a stranger in a strange land.

Field Snapshots: Suncheon Bay National Garden (25 January 2020)

I didn’t stay long at the Suncheon Bay National Garden (순천만국가정원, Suncheonman Gukga Jeongwon), mainly because of the threat of rain and poor conditions for outdoor photography. That said, I rather enjoyed my visit to this sprawling slice of greenery, and I’m happy to offer a small gallery of pictures – in place of a full report – selected from the images I snapped whilst there.

Field Report: A Quick Peek at Jeonju Hanok Village, South Korea (25 January 2020)

Suncheon was the focus of my latest adventure in Korea, but I decided to fill up part of a spare day by heading north to Jeonju (전주). Let’s see how this quick side trip went.