This last weekend we grabbed our stuff, chucked it in the car & drove off to the coast!

Since this was our first chance to do more than a lap of Taebaek (Mike made that last 30 mins! - only because we got lost.), we decided to head to larger cities with larger shopping facilities and historical sites of importance. So Saturday morning, we drove to Samcheok and decided that we should go further on to Donghae for lunch. We had a little trouble recognising which part of Donghae would have some interesting things to check out or food to eat and accidentally (!?) ended up on the tollway direct to Gangneung.

Two and a half thousand won later (cheap toll-road!!) and we are at the outskirts of Gangneung. Seeing as my directions and Mike's driving had done sooooo well to this point - we headed to the nearest Tourist Info desk. There we met a charming woman, (who apologised for not being in uniform on a Saturday!) and were loaded up with maps and a couple of tips for where to go and what to do. We already knew the Unification Park was a must see, but looking at the map, quickly decided we could do that on Sunday on the way home.

Next, it was time for lunch and seeing as Mike didn't fancy the local speciality of Tofu made with seawater; we sought out more carnivorous friendly options. By aiming at the clearly marked tourist areas, in front of the beach, we hoped to find a lunch that was both tasty and reasonably cheap. Maybe we should have stopped at the E-Mart and had lunch there? Due to the amazing looking fish tanks filled with fantastic varieties of soon-to-be-dinner fish, we chose a spot and immediately chocked on the menu prices! We wanted to run, but there was a man standing by the fish tanks and we felt it would be a bit gutless. Fortunately our kind waitress was able to translate the cheaper end of the menu (nothing under $15 Aussie) and we ended up ordering Raw Fish Bibimbap. The Bibimbap was ok, but it was the side dishes that made this lunch really tasty - a really small pasta salad, a hot calamari and green onion pancake (the most delicious thing there), some nicely pickled vegetables and; you'll never guess; kimchi! The good thing we took from this - the calamari & green onion pancake does seem to be a coastal speciality and we love it!!

That afternoon we end up at the EMart and found ourselves enjoying the shopping opportunities there. A couple of dinner plates, a measuring cup & yoga matts (I didn't buy one - yet). We had planned to walk around Gangneung but seeing as it started to rain, we felt it was time to check in to our Love Motel. This time we had the red & white room - it's all too funny being asked to choose the decor for your room - and it was magical to have a spa bath. Oh yes a spa bath... sigh.

Fortunately the rain cleared as quickly as it had started, so we were able to walk around town, but with the time being after 5pm, not all that much was open. Still I found a stunning bright orange organza-mesh wedding dress, for my good friend Georgie, sadly I was thwarted from taking a photo of this stunning piece of "fashion" by the people working very late hours! We meandered for a while before attempting dinner.

Sunday morning and even with sleeping in until 9am, there still isn't anything open when we emerge. We walk and walk and I'm close to collapsing from hunger (missing breakfast really doesn't agree with me). We find a coffee shop that is open and well, with the shop owner roasting his own beans, we have to try it! The coffee is great but they didn't serve food. So we continue the breakfast search. In fact I was about to bet Mike W10,000 that he couldn't find us a bakery to have breakfast in and what do you know, we turn a corner and find a little Tous Les Jous (local chain bakery). Good thing I didn't open make that bet...

After breakfast, We hop back in the car and leave Gangneug for the Unification Park. We know there is a North Korean Submarine on display and a South Korean Destroyer. When we arrive, we are a little surprised at the obvious military lookouts positioned regularly and the large barbwire fence along the coast. It is quiet clear that there is no intention to allow the North Koreans to use the rocky beach as a landing point ever again. The cool point was donning a hard hat and walking through the NK submarine - I hope the guys who manned this vessel were my height or shorted and very skinny! The sub is 35m long, 3.5m wide and 6.7m long and somehow it carried 26 men! We struggled to have 12 tourists walking through taking photos! I imagine this was a very uncomfortable submarine. The destroyer is fun and I get to move around the anti-aircraft gun (the gun was, of course, removed). Not so fun was Mike trying to put my handbag on the end of the aiming guidance - which I had no way of reaching whether on the deck or in the control seat!

We drive on through the back-again rain to Samcheok and have a fabulous lunch at the Home Mart. It's just food court food, but we are entertained by an enourmous projector (showing Korean drama - the Older Man always crys, the young men always fight and the women are always scheming). We listen to my favourite podcast ((Cool) Shite on the Tube) for the last of the drive home and have a good giggle. In this podcast my email was read out at the end - I don't know if it's a good thing to be impersonated by a guy with a beard and a breathy voice but it made Mike & I laugh. A lot!