D r a g o n P e a k

When I was planning the itinerary for Pyeongchang, I saw several beautiful landscape shots of the mountain range there. Most of it were taken from Dragon Peak in Yongpyong. After Jeongdongjin, instead of heading straight back to Alpensia, we requested the taxi driver to drop us at Yongpyong Ski Resort.

 Beautiful panoramic view from Dragon Peak, Mount Balwang.

 Skiers gathering at the atrium of Dragon Plaza, and ready for another go at the slopes. This is where we board the cable car.

 Our cable car, and it being not crowded, we have the car to ourselves.

 Ascending 3.7km long to Mount Balwang. It goes up and up, passing several intermediate hills. 

 Yongpyong is popular with the locals and is the larger of the two ski resorts in Pyeongchang.

 Shooting landscape through the car window. Pardon the stains though.

 Skiers having a blast of fun time coming down from the top.

 Spotted the windmills of Samyang Ranch. 

 It is me and the world on my feet. 

 Arriving at Dragon Peak

 What a beautiful day at the top. When the weather gets really bad, the cable car service will stop. How lucky we are today.

 Look at the temperature. At -13.3 centigrade, this must be the coldest I have ever experienced in my life. 

 More of Samyang Ranch on the background. Oh how I love the windmills. 

 One quick breath and down they go.

 Ok, who is the odd one here? 

 Photographing without the hand gloves is almost impossible because of the cold. My fingers become numb the moment they were exposed to the air. 

 My brave wife looking pretty at Mount Balwang.

One final shot of the mountain ranges.

Just like in life with its ups & downs, our day went from good to not-so-good, and end with a grand finale. The earlier disappointment after Jeongdongjin was quickly wiped off from my memory once I reached Mount Balwang. Although the cable car ride is long, we were rewarded with a spectacular view at the top. I was completely mesmorised by the beauty of the surroundings.

Despite the cold and missing the courage to ski, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip here. Our stay at Alpensia will come to an end tomorrow. If I have to choose a resort to stay again, my decision will still be at Alpensia. Somehow, I find the place has a lovely feel of a Christmas village, and that puts a warmth in my heart.

And another travel trip awaiting....

J e o n g d o n g j i n

Many people - both Korean and tourists - go to Gangneung on New Year's day. Gangneung, located on the eastern geographical of Korea, offers the most beautiful sunrise one can find on a clear morning. For this reason, many visitors make their way on overnight train from Seoul to the beaches in Gangneung to catch the 1st sunrise of the year. One of the best beaches to see sunrise is at Jeongdongjin.
As for us, we did not ride the sea train nor watch the sunrise. I just wanted to visit Jeongdongjin for it's beach and famous train station.

 Jeongdongjin is a small town. It is so small that I would probably have driven pass it if I had been driving.

 But you will not miss this landmark - the 'Ship Hotel' (Sun Cruise Resort & Yacht) on the cliff overlooking the ocean.  

 Another ship-themed attraction.

 The popular beach where the 1st sunrise of the year is seen from. 

 A steam train converted into a museum.

 Where are we going, mommy?

 The purpose of my visit is to see Jeongdongjin Train Station.

Jeongdongjin Station is documented in the Guinness Book of World Records as the train station that is located closest to the sea, in the world.

 See how close the train track is run along the beach?

 Sculptures along the beachfront boulevard.

 One of the things for tourist to do is to take the sea train from Gangneung to Samcheok, with a stopover at Jeongdongjin.

 The sea train offers passengers a sea view ride along the beautiful 58km long east coast. As it needed prior booking, we did not get the chance to ride on it. 

 The quaint & small looking train station.

 Train arriving to pick-up passengers bound for Gangneung City.

 Not for us, as we are heading back to Alpensia in our taxi.

Our signature Saranghae pose.

The day trip to Samyang Ranch & Jeongdongjin cost us a considerable amount of money. I enjoyed Samyang Ranch but I did not find the trip to Jeongdongjin to be worth it. Perhaps I was expecting much more from Jeongdongjin than what is described in the travel guide. And because we only have a few hours left after the ranch, it was a 'touch & go' at Jeongdongjin Train Station before we head back to the ski resort.
Although I was disappointed, I would not say it is a fruitless day trip. On hindsight, if we had not ventured out, we would be loitering aimlessly at the resort, and that itself is a complete waste of our time and money.


And another travel trip awaiting....  

S a m y a n g R a n c h

What do you do in a ski resort? Isn't the answer obvious, you may ask? Strange that it might sound, but neither of us did any skiing while at Alpensia. Instead, we booked a taxi to take us to a few fabulous sights of Pyeongchang and Gangneung. Our 1st stop is Daegwallyeong Samyang Ranch, Asia largest ranch with a land area of 2000ha. I came across this place from happydalki. She made her way to the summit and it was from her photos of the windmills in the vast land, that attracted me. Since it is near Alpensia, I have to see it, but in winter landscape! 

Glimpse of the windmill from the taxi as we approached the highland.

As we climbed, we could feel the strong wind and snow hitting against the car. The driver informed us we might not be able to reach the summit (1140m) because of the heavy snowfall. 

True enough, we have to stop and made a U-turn as the blizzard hit us. I dashed out for a few quick shots and was blasted by heavy snow & piercing cold wind. 

Double delight.

There are so much more to go, but we could not proceed further. Dang.

A shot that was taken in a hush.

The blizzard came and gone in a flash, as we made our way down. Argh...!

According to the travel guide, it would take 4-5 hours by foot to complete touring the whole ranch. I hope these visitors are well prepared for the cold.

The famous lone tree midway from the summit. 

This tree has survived many winters, and hopefully, many more. 

The walking path that was there. 

I must say I like the winter landscape better than in any other seasons.

Minus the short blizzard that hastened our stay, I am glad I was able to take some shots of the area.

The driver was kind enough to stopover here for us to get close to the sheep. 

Here's looking at you , kid.

I am happy to be here and strike this off my bucket list on the places I must visit before I die. Will I come back again? Definitely. I hope to reach the summit and take the long stroll down, as recommended by the guide. I believe there are many more beautiful sights up there, and I want to capture them during winter. Hopefully next time, the weather is kind enough.

And another travel trip awaiting....

A l p e n s i a - P y e o n g c h a n g

It is year end, and the travel bug bites again. I have fond memories of the load of fun we had in the family trip to Seoul last December. We missed it so much that we have to go away to a place to enjoy the winter snow and cold. And that place is at Alpensia Ski Resort, in Pyeongchang.

Call us crazy but this is our 3rd visit to Korea in a year! 

Holiday Inn Resort, our hotel for two nights.

 Although the ski resort is opened, it is not the peak period yet. You can have the slope to yourself.

 Little ones getting ready for the ski lesson.

 One final instruction and they are ready to go!

 Taking the ski lift to the top.

 Yes it is high, and not for the faint hearted.

 I will hold you, so don't worry.

 Need a bum polish? Take the sleigh ride.

 Nothing is going to stop me now!

 Colourful clothings that standout in the white

 My knees are getting weak. I don't think I am ready for this.

Dusk is here, time to go home. 

 Not for the children. They would never get tired when it is fun.

Night skiing takes on a different challenge altogether.

This is our 3rd visit to Korea this year, and 6th in three years. You may wonder why we do not get tired of the country. I do in fact, but not of the visiting, but the 6.5 hours of flying time. If we could be teleported, I would want to go there every month. We will continue to return to this country as it has so many interesting places to visit. We simply love the food and the weather. I was not able to take the cold before, but after all these winter trips, my body has adjusted to welcome it with ease. Now, I loathe the heat and humidity whenever we touch down back at home. Perhaps, we have become SinKoporean, as one relative recently labelled us.

And another travel trip awaiting....