Japan

Driving through Seoul down the Olympic expressway with virtually no traffic is a rarity. I boarded the airport bus in Yoido today and cruised my way to an almost empty Incheon airport. Korean immigration: "finished?"...Me: (just realizing what was actuallｙ happening) "I guess so ajashi" More than 4 years of my life have flown by and today as I finshed my last class, which was laced with Cass beer and cheap wine at 7:30 in the a.m, I can see it. I`m sitting at an internet terminal in my hotel at Narita in Japan, buzzing on expensive Japanese beer and sake, getting my shit together for `a deadly trip` I can`t post pictures here but I can say this; Japanese girls really like tight jeans, and, most Japanese men in their 30`s and 40`s are the same as they are portrayed in movies, talking really fast and cheerful (intentional style). Tomorrow I will be in India and that couldn`t be a better prospect for me at this time in my life. Until then folks...

The countdown.

Well it's official. I bought my plane ticket for Delhi, India last Saturday. As most of you probably know I'm nearing the end of my 4 odd years out here in The Republic of Korea and I thought I would top it off with a little adventure. I'll be returning to the U of M in January but not before a 3 week tour through India and Nepal. On Thursday, November 30th I will fly to Tokyo, Japan and spend a night courtesy of JAL and from there fly direct to Delhi, India on December 1st. This week I will be popping into the Indian embassy in Seoul to apply for my visa which apparently is quite a process. Not only do I have to apply between 9:30 and 12:30, I can only pick it up between 4:00 and 5:00 at least 5 business days later. After that I'll be spending my final days in Korea deciding what to bring, buying some warm clothes for my trek through Nepal and trying to get into the best shape possible so I don't succumb to high altitude sickness. I'm not sure if you have been following the situation in Nepal, but right now seems to be one of the best times to be travelling in the region. For the past 10 years or so Maoist rebels have been wreaking havoc on the country and disrupting the political process but just last week the Prime Minister made an announcement that the rebels would be included in the interim goverment to be formed this December. Lucky me. They've dropped their guns and the UN will be monitoring the situation. It goes without saying that the region remains unstable so I will keep you posted on both the political events and my situation during my trip. Of course it may be a struggle to get to a computer let alone a decent one but I will do my best to write and post pictures as my journey progresses. In the coming week I will post my planned itinerary as well as let you know how things are going. Until then..

The official flag of India

The official fag of Nepal.

Not exactly a typical 'flag shape'