Chris Backe's Blog, page 91

December 18th: Clothing, from Korean for Tourists

(This is an excerpt from the newest book, Korean for Tourists. More about that in a minute.)

Clothing

Korea remains a trendy place to shop, and a fine place to pick up the high-end names (either the real thing or a very good fake).

Do you have…? …있어요? (…iss-seo-yo?). Note that the thing you’re looking for goes first in the Korean.

Bra = 브라 (beu-ra)

Dress (one piece) = 원피스(won-pi-seu) or드레스 (deu-re-seu)

Dress shirt = 와이셔츠 (wa-ee-syeo-cheu) – the Konglish term ‘Y-shirt’ is used for a butto...

December 17th: the Pak Ou Caves, from 5 Days in Laos

(This is an excerpt from my newest book, 5 Days in Laos. More on that in a minute.)

Pak Ou caves Unnamed dirt road about 7 kilometers from route 13, northeast of Luang Prabang (GPS: 20.04867,102.21050)

Admission: 20,000 kip (add 13,000 kip for the round-trip ferry crossing to the park, 5,000 kip to park your bike, and a donation to borrow a flashlight. Suggested donation: 10,000 per torch.) Technically open 24/7, but the ferries only run during the day. The Pak Ou caves (pronounced ‘pah...

December 16th: about Buddhist temples, from an Introduction to Thailand

(This is an excerpt from my newest book, an Introduction to Thailand. More on that in a minute.)

Buddhist temples

No introduction to Thailand would be complete without a quick word on Buddhist temples, or wat. Typically walled off from the outside world, all temples will feature a bot, the central sacred hall that is typically closed to the public, and a Bo tree, under which the Buddha received his enlightenment (so don’t climb it!). All but the smallest temples will have a viharn / wiha...

December 15th: an oddball museum of lights, from 51 Daytrip Destinations from Seoul

(This is an excerpt from the newest book, 51 Daytrip Destinations from Seoul. More about that in a minute.)

Feelux Lighting Museum Gyeonggi-do, Yangju-si, Gwanjeok-myeon, Seok-u-ri 624-8 필룩스 조명박물관 – 경기도 양주시 광적면 석우리 624-8 (GPS: 37.835724, 126.967509)

Admission: 5,000 won. Open 10am-5pm (last admission at 4pm). More info at lighting-museum.com .

A museum dedicated to lights? Hey, this is Korea – and we’re still getting warmed up here.

Start with a history of light, going back to oil lights...

December 14th: Convento do Carmo, from Choose a Way Lisbon

(This is an excerpt from the newest Choose a Way book. More on that in a second.)

Convento do Carmo (Carmelites Convent)

Largo do Carmo, 1200-092 Lisboa

(GPS: 38.712136, -9.140230 – link to Google Maps)

Admission: 3.50 – open 10am-6pm everyday (until 7pm June to September)

The urban legend surrounding the Carmo Convent’s ruins is almost as old as the church itself. Locals were lead to believe that the church was left ruined after the 1755 Great Earthquake as a reminder of the effects o...

December 11th: the sheep farm, from 7 days in Northern Thailand

(This is an excerpt from my newest book, ‘7 days in northern Thailand’. More on that in a minute.)

Hug You Sheep Farm 96 Ban Watgate, Chiang Mai (GPS: 18.792167,99.002989)

If your camera wasn’t already getting full of pictures, it will be after this stop. Complete with faux buildings and real sheep (pay a nominal fee for a handful of grass), there are plenty of places to take selfies or pictures of your group. The sheep pictured above is about 5 meters tall – more than big enough to get...

December 10th: millions of toys, from 7 Days in Central Thailand

(This is an excerpt from my newest itinerary, 7 Days in Central Thailand. More on that in a minute.)

Million Toy Museum Thawasukri 45 Moo 2 Tambon Muang Thong, Ayutthaya (GPS: 14.360343,100.552529)

Started by Krirk Yoonpun in October 2008, the professor has drawn illustrations for children’s books for decades and won several prizes for them (including a prestigious NOMA award in 1982). After visiting the Kitahara Toy Museum and the Hakone Toy Museum in Japan, he decided to open his own i...

December 9th: a kiln for a sauna, from 7 days of Weird Korea

(This is an excerpt from my newest book, 7 days of Weird Korea. More on that in a minute.)

Maseok Chamsut Gama – a kiln for a sauna Gyeonggi-do, Namyangju-si, Hwado-eup, Maseokwoo-ri, 21-1 마석참숯가마 – 경기도 남양주시 화도읍 마석우리 21-1 (GPS: 37.658250, 127.319014)

Maseok Chamsut Gama is one of the most unusual saunas in Korea. If you’ve been to a jimjilbang (찜질방) before, this is nothing like that. Try to imagine a more rustic form of a sauna instead of the typical gleaming walls and sparkling baths. T...

December 8th: Yangnyeongsi Herb Market, from 3 Days of Weird Seoul

(This is an excerpt frommy newest book,3 days of Weird Seoul. More on that in a minute.) Yangnyeongsi Herb Market and Museum Jegi-2-dong, Dongdaemun-gu (GPS: 37.577761, 127.037625)

No, not that kind of herb. It’s the smell you’ll first notice – an earthy, plant smell that’s difficult to identify as any specific type of plant. It’s a market where mystery seems to lurk around every corner, and you might picture a wizened old person selling these herbs for their mystical effectiveness. In...

December 7th: How the Koreans relax, from 3 Days in Seoul

(This is an excerpt from the newest book, 3 Days in Seoul. More about that in a minute.)

Siloam Sauna 128-104 Jungnim-dong, Jung-gu (GPS: 37.557700, 126.968610)

After last night’s debauchery and drinking, you might be wondering how the locals detox. The answer: a jimjilbang. Best translated as a ‘day spa’, a jimjilbang earns top marks for offering bathing areas, saunas, as well as common areas for snacking, watching TV, napping, or any number of other things. The third floor contains a f...