Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival

For only a few short weeks of the year the cherry trees bloom with pale pink blossoms. They are magnificent and something I have wanted to see for as long as I can remember. From the end of March to early April, Korea's largest cherry blossom festival takes place in Jinhae. Tourists from all over roam the streets and enjoy the beauty of the blossoms.

This year Korea had an especially cold winter, thank goodness we weren't here, and the trees were only 30% in bloom during the festival, I cant imagine what 100% would look like. 

The weather on the Sunday we went was amazing, it was the first time since arriving in the Land of Lace, Lanterns and Ligers that we were able to remove all the layers and scarves and wear only a T-shirt. It was amazing to feel the sun on our skin for the first time since leaving summer in South Africa. 

There were local people selling their crafts, many food stalls and carnival type games kiosks. 

When we arrived we met with our large group of people we had  come with but some how with in the first 30 minutes of being there we had lost them all. We strolled through the stalls and M played a few games, he won a goldern pig money bank, and we got young coconuts from a local man who was selling them near one of the entrances. I think we must have walked from one side of the city to the other and back via a different route. Taking in all the beautiful cherry blossoms on the way. 

We stopped and had some Korean BBQ for lunch, which had recently become our new favorite Korean food.

I wanted to go up the cable car to the top of the mountain to see the view of the city in a sea of cherry blossoms. The line for the cable car was ridiculously long so we walked up the 1000 stairs to the top. Luckily we came down on the cable car. 

Now that we had done everything there was to do we decided it was about time to head home. So we waited at the bus stop for the bus which never came, tried to catch a taxi to Changwon to collect our bags but the driver was having none of that. Eventually some sweet Korean girl said she was going to Changwon and we should just go on the same bus as her. There were no seats available on the bus and the driver took the long way around. We were standing for at least an hour and half in a very crowded bus. M was not a happy chappy. Quickly collected our bags at the hotel and went to catch the next bus home to Ulsan. The stations was close to the hotel but it wasn't the main bus terminal, it was the last stop out of Changwon. By the time the bus arrived it was already full but they allowed all the people in the queue to stand in the bus, much to M's dismay. Eventually M sat down in a small ball on the floor of the bus and went to sleep. A kind ajjuma allowed me to sit on her arm rest for the trip and I fell asleep sitting there. When we arrived in Ulsan we couldn't get off the bus fast enough. 

We got some fast food, put on a movie and vegged the rest of the evening.

Four seasons

When we arrived the weather was freezing, colder than anything I've ever felt, it is only like 5-7 degrees Celsius though, so not as bad as I was expecting. Everywhere inside is heated so that is fine. Our apartment has underfloor heating so it wasn't too cold. There were three quilts/duvets on the bed when we arrived and we needed all of them to be warm.

Then in April it started to warm up, I will never forget when we were at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Jinhae, it was the first weekend we wore T-shirts. It was amazing not to have to wear a jersey or a jacket and to have sun on our bare skin.

From then on it got consistently warmer and by the time of the Ulsan Whale festival at the end of April we were in shorts and dresses. At the festival there was a foreigner Dragon Boat Race. This was so much fun, foreigners from all over Korea came to race the Dragon Boats. Our team came third.

Then ended the spring and the humidity got out of control, everyone was using fans and the air-con was blasting in the classroom, at home, in the store. The humidty was unbearable. I can do hot, I just can do humid. The Koreans cherish their pale complexion and would hate to get a tan. They wear long clothing and always use an umbrella to protect themselves from the sun. I don't know how they do it in the heat. I have heard of a girl putting sunblock on in class so she wouldn't get burnt from the classroom lights, i mean have you ever...

 The fan is something they love and wave around all day

 Beach is covered with umbrellas, you wouldn't want to get caught out in the sunlight.

 Umbrellas block out the sun on a summers day.

Ajummas love the visor. It can protect their whole face form the sun.


Now we have moved into the fall/autumn and the humidity just disappeared one day and now there is a definite chill in the air. Jerseys and coats are coming out. The students no longer carry around their fans, they now have small lap blankets with them where ever they go.

Wow I am dreading winter. I think I'm going to freeze. -20 degrees Celsius...