Korea without pictures ... love motels, kimchii and baseball

Greetings from Korea. If you are expecting to see wonderful pictures, sorry... there are none from here as I'm a prize fool and went and lost my camera getting out of a taxi in Seoul. If anyone sees my face in Seoul on any website then please let me know as you can rest assured that the publisher is the new and unlawful owner of my camera.

Having left Seoul (a fascinating city and one I highly reccommend a visit to) I made my way south to Gyeongju National Park on the south west coast of Korea. My accommodation being my first experience of a Korean love motel.... 'seedy, but comfortable' describes it best. Actually it was really clean and modern and for the money (less than 20 pounds a night) I have never stayed in better. For that you get a large double room (of course there is no single or twin option), a large plasma TV screen with about 60 channels (including local porn - this is afterall a love motel!), instead of complimentary chocolates on the pillow you will find a box of condoms! and the lighting controls can be adjusted by the TV remote to suit your level of sexiness. Whilst I'm sure at this point I bet you are thinking I'm a bit strange... In fact it is considered quite normal to stay at love motels in Korea because they are cheap and well maintained. Their actual function I'm led to beleive is for young Korean couples who want to get away from their parents. The funny thing is that you can rent a room by the hour and when you arrive you check in by passing your money through a tiny waist height hole in the wall counter where a lady who cant see your face passes you back your room key. The whole thing is anonymous, except in my case it wasn't because the lady didnt speak any English which meant that after several attempts of trying to explain things she felt it was easier to take me to the room and show me! (THE ROOM ONLY!)

Clearly displayed at the bottom of the stairs is a collection of videos and DVDs which guests are welcome to borrow. Most titles seemed to be in pink boxes with scantily clad women on the sides. Having been reccommended love motels by both Koreans and my ALT friends in Japan I was glad I experienced this at least once. I liken it to staying in a Japanese capsule hotel - if you think it there is nothing worse than being encapsulated in a coffin for the night then think again. This is something I reccommend anyone to try at least once. In both cases if the worst comes to the worst you only lost 20 pounds.

Anyway, so there is a lot to report and as I dont have any pictures I will try to sum up my experiences in words. I will begin by explaning todays events.

As I write this I'm sitting in some strangers house that I met earlier today on the train. When I sat down next to this guy he was listening to his mp3 player. I was suddenly passed an earphone and invited to listen along. He then got a notebook out of his bag and proceeded to write me messages whilst listening to the music. I found this rather strange, but rather amusing that I should communicate with someone via messages on a pad. 'Hello', 'where are you going?', 'what is your name?' etc.. This continued until the coffee cart came around. After insisting on buying me a coffee I struck up a conversation ceasing the opportunity whilst neither of us had earphones in. Conversation began in broken English and my non-existent Korean except I did learn 2 essential words 'koepi' - 'coffee' and 'Komabsubnida' - 'thank-you' . For everything else I became a master at chirades. During coffee I told my new friend about my visit and asked him if he knew the hotel I was going to check into which I pointed to in the Lonely Planet guide. With that the guy (who I had met just 20 minutes previously) insisted I stay at his house and when I said 'no that's too much', he rooted around in his bag for the key which he took off his key chain whilst muttering about the cost of hotels in Korea. He kept apologising for the fact that he had to work tonight and that he wouldn't be home.

About an hour later we arrived in Busan and as we got off the train I struggled to keep up with my new friend who was scurrying in and out of the gaps emerging in the crowds, only breifly looking back to mouth to me in broken English "follow me, it's not far". Seeing me struggle with my bags (mostly omiage for friends back in Japan - yes Teresa there is something for you!!) he kindly took two of them out of my hands which felt like an olympic relay team effort as we carried on at a fast pace until we reached an empty subway station. Still a bit shocked that someone would invite me to their house after such a brief encounter I was even more surprised to see a subway ticket thrust into my palm without hesitation. Once again I offered to pay, but this just seemed like it was making the man feel awkward and uncomfortable so I didnt persist and gratefully accepted. After two stops and a two minute walk up a hill we arrived at at run-down apartment block. Now at this point you may be thinking that I'm totally mad and perhaps I am, but this guy seemed genuine and I really didn't have any reason to doubt his intentions. The fact that he has let me into his house and he isn't in tonight means that I could just as well steal all his belongings (including the expensive laptop that I am now writing this post on). Anyway so the guy says he has to leave for work, but would be back in the morning at 9am. We walked in the door to his house and he apologises over and over for how untidy the house is (actually a certain ex girlfriend of mine could show him what untidy really is). Anyway, with that he's off out the door having given me his only key, showing me the fridge, giving me some food and showing me how everything works including the heated futon on the floor. I'm left sitting in this apartment wondering what I have just done, but somehow I it doesnt feel awkward or strange.

It doesn't stop there. With my accommodation arranged I decided this afternoon to venture out into the city. At first it felt a bit strange locking the door to a strangers apartment that I had only just met, but soon it seemed quite normal and it felt like we were long lost flatmates. My intention was to visit a fish market some way from my accommodation. Whilst I'm standing at the subway station trying to fathom out the ticket machine, two young students approached me and asked if they could help. When I told them I needed a change machine, with that they produced 1000 won and insisted I use it to pay for my ticket. I only asked where I could get change and suddenly they are buying my ticket and want to help me get to the fish market. We got talking and it turned out we're both heading in the same direction. So I jump on the subway with them. The students told me they were going to a baseball match and they asked - if I had to visit to the fish market cos actually its not that great! I was like, 'well I dont have to go, but I just read about it in the guidebook and I had no other plans'. They said 'how about baseball instead?' Im like, 'WOW.... OK, sounds fun'. So I abandon my fish market plan and head to baseball. First stop was for food at a stall selling whole cooked chicken on the street. They stop and buy me a chicken. Again I offer to pay, but they insist. Next we go to the supermarket and they insist I drink beer with them which they tried hard to pay for, but after insisting I won in the end (1-1). We arrive at the stadium and they want to buy me more food and then proceed to offer to pay for my entrance ticket. We meet up with their friends inside and have a great time, despite Busan losing (again - turns out Busan arent such a good team). Sung-Chul tells me that they always lose when he watches a game. The atmosphere was great and I was the only western face in a sea of Koreans. I got lots of looks and on my way to the toilet during an interval I was accosted by two young Korean girls who followed me asking lots of questions whilst giggling to each other. I felt like a movie star for the night.

The game was a lot of fun and I was glad I'd aborted my plans to visit a smelly fish market for which I'd been warned about the expensive sushi on offer. About the game, I particularly liked the fact that if a ball went into the crowd the chant was "give it to a child" and this didnt stop until a kid or even a baby had the ball in their hands. At least one baby was the proud owner of a used premier league basball tonight. Orange bin bags came around at half time and whilst most made hats out of them, the rest dutifully filled the bag with any garbage they had. The interval entertainment was watching a Korean propose to his girfriend on a small stage in front of a few thousand onlookers... she was presented with a nice looking cake. Next the film crew panned the crowd looking for couples to which they would zoom in on showing them on the big screen.... the crowd would then chant 'kiss'... 'kiss'... 'kiss' in Korean.

I found it slightly strange that a player on the oposing team who is very famous in Korea drew a lot more attention than anyone else on the pitch and during the game he proceeded to sign a few autographs for the home supporters?!! The old man next to me gave me a hard boiled egg and proceeded to fill my palm with salt which I gratefully accepted.

After the game my friends insisted on taking me back to the subway station even though I'm pretty sure they planned to get the bus themselves. They even came on the subway all the way back with me to make sure I was OK. (by now a group of 6 students)

All in all I'm sitting here totally amazed at the level of hospitality I have received thus far in Korea. Yes, the Japanese are incredibly hospitable and I've experienced similar kindness in Japan but I thought that this was something uniquely Japanese. All week I've been wondering what sort of hospitality people like this get when they visit the UK and sadly I cant imagine its anything like what they are prepared to give in their own country.

My first experience of Korean hospitality began in Japan with a quick chat to my Korean friends that I am studying Japanese with - they were also incredibly kind, spending about 2 hours with me telling me everywhere to go and making sure that I had people to meet to show me around when I arrived. When I arrived at Seoul station, Pyo and his girlfriend who are friends of my Korean classmates in Japan were waiting eagerly to meet me. They were great fun and they not only insisted on buying me meals and drinks, but even gave me a parting gift when I left. In fact they seemed most put out that i had booked accommodation and I'm pretty sure they would have happily put me up had I have needed a place to stay.

I sit here lost for words. I can only do my best to ensure that whenever I see someone lost at home that I remember how people have treated me. Sadly, we live in a different world where we presume the worst before getting to know anyone and we are quick to complain about people's lack of English skills and therefore we quickly give up or lose patience. However, the guy I met tonight said to me something that encouraged me... he said that when he was in America people always wanted to help him so he saw me and thought this was his chance to do the same in his own country.

Of course I'm really annoyed and upset about losing my camera, BUT the experiences I've had cant be summed up or explained in pictures. I can't wait to visit this fascinating country again and hopefully re-visit some of the great people that have been so kind to me. Before coming to Korea my perceptions were largely that of what I saw in the media and most of that related to the negative press about the north. I can't reccommend a visit here enough. The food is some of the best I have ever eaten, the people are incredibly warm and welcoming, the love motels are something you have to experience for yourself and the scenery is beautiful (unspoilt and very few foreign visitors in sight). I urge anyone wanting a new and refreshing holiday to visit Korea... of course you should visit Japan too because Japan is also a special place where you will find equal levels of hospitality and also have an amazing time.

To my Korean friends... I can't thank you enough for your kindness and hospitality. 'komabsubnida' for making my visit so enjoyable and memorable. Please visit me in Japan!