Visit Korea after 14 Years

9/25 - 10/31, 2017

It has been 14 years since D. I. visited Korea though only 5 years for Jane. She visited Korea in 2012.
This time, we are planning to visit Korea for about 2 weeks

1) to meet our families, relatives and friends before it is too late to visit.
2) to meet ham radio friends
3) to travel around Korea for a week to see latest development of Korea.

If you find Korean characters are broken and could not be read, please report to ke6aj@msn.com. Thank you.
 

 

제2구간  9/27 - 10/1
 

수십년전에 Cruise Ship 테마로하여, 젊고 아름다운 미녀들이 비키니를 입고 자태를 자랑하는 장면이 인기를 TV연속극이 있었는데, 이연속극을 보고, 아름다운 미녀들을 보겠다고 Cruise 탔다가 크게 실망했다는 이야기가 있었읍니다. Cruise 모두 최소 1주일, 보통 2 3주의 장기 항해를 하기 때문에, 일하는 젊은 사람은 없고, 모두가 Retire 노인들 밖에 없는것이 보통입니다. 그러나 이번 Cruise에는 젊은 couple 몇쌍 있었고, 일반적으로 연령층도 얕아보여, 대부분이 50-60대로 보였고, 그전 같이 70-80대의 노년층은 많지 않아 보였읍니다. 날씨도 예상보다는 따듯하여, 반팔샤쓰로 지나는 사함들도 많았읍니다.

There was a story long time ago, a few decades ago, that after watching a popular TV show showing beautiful girls wearing bikinis on a cruise ship, a guy took a cruise to see these kinds of beautiful girls in bikinis. However what he saw was not beautiful bikini girls but old, retired people only, as the cruise takes at least a week or a few weeks most likely, and only old retired people have the time to take it. He was really disappointed and never took a cruise again. That is usually true, but, this time, we saw a few young couples and even many of the old people looked like more like they were 50-60 years old, rather than 70-80 years old. The weather was milder than expected and many people wore short-sleeve shirts.

고생 고생하여 Cruise배에 타고보니 인터넷 연결이 유료랍니다. 그러나 돈도 돈이지만, 돈을 내고 연결을 시켜보니, 속도가 느려빠져서올드라디오에 접속하는것 만도 부지하세월인데다, 기사를 올리려니까  올리다 말고 끊어져버리고.... 몇번을 실패하고, 할수없이, 우선 사진없이 기사만 올려놓고, 다음에 사진을 한장 올리고난다음에, 다음사진을 올리고..... 이렇게하여 20여분이 걸려 겨우 1구간 기사를 올렸읍니다. 이런 인터넷 속도로 500 (8시간 30) $175이라는데, D-Star 켜놓았다가는 얼마나 돈이 날라갈런지?, 그리고 가능이나 할런지? 그래서 결국 D-Star 상상도 못하겠어서 포기하였읍니다.

We had so many problems getting on to the cruise ship at the port, but found that the Internet was another problem on the ship. They asked me to pay for Internet service but money was not the problem. I purchased a 500-min. unit but the speed was so slow and more than 90% of time was spent just waiting rather than processing the data. I tried to upload my article to the Oldradio Club website but it kept getting discontinued on the way again and again. Finally I found a solution: upload the article only without photos first, then upload the photos one by one. It took 20 min. or longer just to upload one article. I paid $175 for 500 min. (8 hours 30 min.) and, if I was to use D-Star with this speed and rate, I could not imagine how much I would have had to pay. Therefore, I had no choice but to give up D-Star.

배를 타면 비행기에서는 전면금지인 담배를 피울수있어 좋겠다고 했는데, 배전체가 금연인것은 reasonable 조치이지만, 그전의 Cruise에서는 방에 붙어있어 완전히 open되어있는 발코니에서는 담배를 피울수 있어 무척 편리했는데, 이배에서는 발코니도 금연이랍니다. 어떤 금연주의자의 발상인지는 모르지만, 트인 발코니에서 담배를 피우면 누구에게 피해가 간다고 금연이라고하는건지? 아무대나 금연을 해야 속이 시원한 이런 무식한 금연주의자의 미친짓은 도저히 이해할수가 없읍니다. 이배에서는 船尾의 오른쪽 갑판의 흡연구역에서만 담배를 피울수있답니다. 그런데, 우리 船室이 船首에 가까워,  배전체의 거리는 걸어가야 합니다. (780 ft, 257m) 운동부족이 가능성이 높은 배에서, 그정도 걷는것은 운동삼아 좋다고 생각하고 걸었지만, 매번 배의 반을 걷는것도 귀찮기는 하였읍니다. (담배한갑 20개를 하루에 피우려면 250 x 2 x 20 = 10,000m = 10km를 매일 걸어야 했읍니다.) hi hi. 그러나 한편으로 담배만큼이나 즐기는 커피가 24시간 제공되고 있어, 흡연지역으로 가는 도중의 식당에 있기 때문에,  거기서 커피 한잔 만들어 들고 흡연지역으로 가서 편리했읍니다.

I took this cruise because I can smoke, since smoking is totally banned on airplanes. But after I boarded the ship, I found out that the entire ship is non-smoking, except for a small smoking area on the 8th floor, in the back of the ship. Our room was 6117, on the 6th floor, so I had to walk almost half the ship (780 ft or 250m) to get from my room to the smoking area. To smoke a pack of cigarette, I had to work 250m x 2 x 20 = 10km/day. Well, I thought it wasn't bad, since it forced me to do some exercise every time I wanted to smoke. Otherwise I wouldn't have done exercise while sailing (16 days). However, what I didn't like was that they banned smoking on the balcony of the room. It was a private balcony, and wide open to the air. The smoke of cigarette would have gone upward and out above the huge, open ocean. Nobody in the next room would have even smelled the smoking. What is the reason to ban smoking on a private balcony? This seemed to be another stupid, selfish, dumb anti-smoker making a totally senseless rule, only because he/she wants it that way without any justification. However, I didn't mind walking half the ship every time I wanted to smoke. It was good exercise. Ha ha. On the other hand, it was great that coffee is always available, 24 hours a day, which is my second favorite thing after cigarettes. And the restaurant serving coffee was in the middle, on the way to the smoking area.

Vancouver 9/27 예정시간보다 한시시간 늦게 오후 5:30 출발하여, 38시간 반이 걸려  3일인 9/29 아침 08:00에는 Ketchikan이라는 곳에 도착하여, 아침 10:30 AM 상륙하여 육상 Tour 예정이었는데, 참가 희망자가 적어서 취소가 되었고, 어제는 하루종일 깊은 안개가 끼고 오후부터는 계속 비가 오면서 계속 안개속을 항해 하였읍니다. Ketchikan에서는 Alaska 거목을 벌목을 하는 Lumberjack들을 구경하고, Crab Meat 점심을 먹을 예정이었는데, 아쉽게 되었읍니다. 이래서 결국 3일인 9/29 하루 종일 선실에서 지났는데잠시 Ketchikan에서 하선하여 근처의 상점도 둘러보고, 전체의 사진도 찍고 한것외에는 하는일 없이 빈둥 빈둥 지났읍니다.

The ship left Vancouver about 1.5 hours late, sailed 38.5 hours and arrived at the first port of Ketchikan at around 08:00 AM on 9/29. I had booked an excursion tour to leave the ship at 10:30 AM. However, I was notified that the tour had been cancelled because not enough people had booked it. We were supposed to see a Lumberjack show and have a light crab meat lunch. But now we had to stay in the stateroom for a whole day doing nothing. It was a boring day. I went on land for a while, looked around at a few shops and took a picture of the entire cruise ship.

이배에서 놀라운것은 Elevator입니다. 4대의 Elevator 한곳에서 움직이는데, 6층에서 8 식당으로 가려고 “UP” 보턴을 누르고 10초이상 기다리는 일이 없이 Elevator 도착하고, 도착 하자마자 문이 열려 10초이상 기다리는 일이 없이 탈수 있읍니다. 그래서 Elevator 8층보턴을 눌르자마자 문이 다치고, 10초도 안걸려 8층에 도착하여, 도착 즉시로 문이 열립니다. 이래서 6층에서 보턴을 눌른지 20 정도….. 길어야 25초면 8층에 올라와 Elevator밖에 나와 있읍니다. 대개 Elevator 보턴을 눌르고 한참을 기디려야 오고, 타고나서도 목적층 보턴을 눌르고 한참을 기다려야 문이 닫히는데, 이배의 Elevator 그런일이 없읍니다. 평생에 이렇게 빨리 움직이는 Elevator 일이 없읍니다.

One amazing thing about this ship was the elevator. There were four elevators operating in one place. Whenever I pushed the [UP] button to go to the restaurant on the 8th floor, I never had to wait for more than 10 seconds. Also, as soon as the elevator arrived, the doors opened immediately. And after I walked into the elevator, whenver I pushed the [8] button, the door closed immediately. There was no waiting at all, as with most elevators. It took less than 10 seconds to arrive on the 8th floor and again, the door opened immediately. Usually, you have to wait quite a time while the elevators come to your floor and then you have to wait for the doors to open or close..... Not this elevator. It usually took us to the 8th floor in less then 20 seconds, or 25 seconds at most. I have never seen such a fast and efficient elevator ever in my whole life.

3일인 9/30 오전 10 도착의 예정보다 한시간 가까이 일찍 Juneau 도착하였고, 지상 Tour계획은 오후 145분에 시작되어, 뻐스로 빙하가 있는 Mendelhall Glacier 가기로 되어 있었읍니다. 그래서 점심을 배안에서 먹고 오후에 떠나게 되어 있었는데, 배가 부두에 닿은 후에 발코니에서 시내를 처다보니, 바로 부두옆에 King Crab Shack이라는 식당이 보였읍니다. 그래서 점심을 그곳에서 King Crab 먹어보자고, 둘이서 11 반에 배에서 하선하여 그곳을 찾아가 보았읍니다. 그랬드니 King Crab 다리 하나에 $24.00 랍니다. 하도 기가 차서 King Crab다리를 몇개나 먹어야 배가 찰텐데 그런가하고 물어봤드니, 하나에 최소한 8oz랍니다. 그러면서 둘이서 먹으려면 그보다는 작은 다리두개와 곗살 튀김을 함께 주는 메뉴가 좋을거랍니다. 그래서 그것을 주문했드니, 정말로 다리 두개를 주는데, 다리속에 곗살이 들어있어, 다리 하나만 먹어도 우리같이 나이들은 소식가에게는 배가 불러, 함께 주는 겟살 튀김을 먹을 배가 없을 정도 였읍니다. 그래서 정말 맛있는 King Crab 다리 하나로 완전히 점심을 배불리 먹었는데, 계산서가 무려 $61였읍니다. hi hi.

On 9/30, the 3rd day of the cruise, we arrived at the city of Juneau about one hour earlier, but our excursion tour wasn't scheduled to start until 1:45 PM, after lunch, to travel to Mendelhall Geisier by bus. Therefore, we had to take lunch at the restaurant on the ship. However, when I looked out the from the ship's balcony while it was docked at port, I saw a huge restaurant with the sign, King Crab Shack. Since we love crab meat, Jane and I went on land and visited this restaurant at around 11:30 AM so we wouldn't finish too late for the tour. When we looked at the menu, it was asking $24.00 just for one crab leg, though it was a big leg (min. 8oz). I didn't have any idea how many legs we would have to take for lunch, and the restaurant guy suggested another menu - 1 leg for each of us with a few small fried egg cakes, which cost $61.00. We ordered it and I found that just one leg makes my stomach full and I couldn't eat anything else!! It was really delicious, great-tasting crab meat and we really enjoyed it. The price was not important!! Ha ha. 

이렇게 점심을 먹고, 145 정각에 관광 리무진 뻐스를 타고 4시간 반을 예정한 지상 Tour 나섰읍니다. 우선 제일 먼저 간곳이 Juneau Rainforest Garden이라는곳으로, 저의 말로는 수없이 많은 종류의 희귀식물들이 있다는데, 식물에 무식한 나에게는 무엇이 무엇인지? 모두 그게 그것 같아, 한바퀴도는데 5분도 안걸렸읍니다. hi hi 그런 식물원에서 한시간 가까이를 낭비(?)하고, 드디어 이번 Cruise에서 가장 장관일것 같은 Mendelhall Glacier 향했읍니다. 옛날에 알라스카에 가서 빙산의 바로 옆에까지 가본 우리로서는 그렇게 장관일것 까지는 아니었지만, 그런대로 볼만한 빙하였고, 빙하에서 떨어저나온 거대한 어름덩어리 하나가 멀리 떨어저 나와 둥둥 있었읍니다.

After the wonderful lunch, we took a tour bus and left for the excursion tour of the day, which we expected to last about 4.5 hours. The first place we visited was "Juneau Rainforest Garden" where you can see many strange plants. However, I am not knowledgeable about plants and the garden didn't interest us. It took about 5 minutes only to look around and about one hour just to hear a boring explanation by the garden person. After this boring hour in the garden, we went to Mendelhall Glacier which was the main event of the tour. We saw a glacier in Alaska many years ago, and at that time we were able to get very close to the glacier by the boat. But this time it was quite far away. However, it was still worthwhile to see and we saw quite a big iceberg floating in the river.

어디를 가나 근처에 가서 증명사진 한장 찍고 떠나는 한국식 관광자에게는 적당치 않았지만, 무려 한시간 반을 구경을 하랍니다. 빙산 옆이다보니 무척 추워서, Visiter Center 건물안 창을 통하여 그저 쳐다만 보면서 한시간 반을 소비하고, 다시 돌아왔니다, 예정은 부둣가에서 케이블 카아가 급각도로 산위 까지 올라가서 산위에서 Juneau 시가지를 전망하게 되어 있고, 그것도 Tour요금에 포함되어 있었지만, 높은 곳에서 내려다 보았자 별것 아닐것 같아, 케이블 카아 타기는 안하고 배로 돌아와 버렸읍니다.

Korean travelers are famous for visiting a sightseeing spot, taking a picture as proof that he/she was there, and then leaving the spot. However, we were allowed to stay for an hour there. It was cold outside and we just stayed in the visitor center for an hour until the tour bus came back to pick us up. After the glacier trip, we were dropped off in front of the tramway (cable car) with tickets included in the tour. However, I didn't think there was much to see from the top of the hill and it was foggy up there anyway. So we gave up the tramway and returned to our room.


내일의 관광지인 Glacia Bay National Park 가까이에 있어 그랬든듯 (아침 08:00 도착 예정), 배가 11시까지 Juneau 정박해 있다가, 한밤중에 출발하였읍니다.

Maybe because Glacier Bay National Park, which we were to visit the next day, was not too far away, the ship stayed at the Juneau port until 11:00 PM and departed for Glacier Bay in the late evening.

10/1 아침 10시가 되어서 Glacier Bay National Park 초입에 도착하여, 공원 속으로 항해를 계속했읍니다. 오늘은 상륙은 안하고, 배에 탄채로 양쪽에 있는 여러개의 빙산/빙하를 구경하였읍니다. Glacier Bay National Park 면적이 330 에이커의 거대한 공원으로, 공원의 대부분이 빙산으로 덮여있읍니다. 배는 Glacier Bay 65마일 깊숙히 들어갔다 나오면서, 바다로 흘러내리는 몇개의 거창한 빙하를 보여주고있읍니다. 여기에 소개한것이 가장 큰것인데 아주 웅장하고 거대합니다. 결국 오늘은 오후 3시경에 이곳을 떠날 까지, 배에 탄채로 이빙산을 구경하는것이 일정의 대부분으로, 배는 이곳에 몇시간을 정박하여 승객들에게 빙하를 보여주었읍니다.

We arrived at the entrance of the Glacier Bay National Park at 10:00 AM in the morning and continued to sail to Glacier Bay. Today we were not supposed to land but to see glaciers from the sailing ship. Glacier Bay National Park is 3.3 million acres wide and most of the park is covered by glaciers. The ship sailed deep into the bay for 65 miles and came back. Meantime, we saw a few glacier floes and what I have shown here is the largest. It was huge and long as shown, and many icebergs were floating around. The ship stayed a few hours for the passengers to enjoy this huge, beautiful glacier, the best in the bay.


 


아래 사진은 위의 사진과 같이, 하나의 긴 빙하입니다. 왼쪽의 [A]는 바로위 사진의 오른쪽 [A]의 연속입니다.

The following is the same glacier shown above. It is one continuous glacier as the above photo. [A] at the left is a continuation from the [A] on the right of the photo above it, as shown above.

다음 사진은 이 공원에서 두번째로 큰 빙하입니다. The following is another Glacier in the park. The 2nd. best.

오늘 여기를 떠난후에는, 이틀 반을 계속 알라스카주의 남쪽을 항해하여, 10/4 아침 7시에 Aleutian 열도의 중간쯤에 있는 Dutch Harbor 입항하여오후 3시까지 정박 한후에, 1주일을 쉬지않고 항해만 하여, 10/10 일본의 북해도에 도착할 예정이었는데, 기상관계로 Dutch Harbor 둘르지 않고 가겠답니다따라서 이제 10일간을 연속 항해할 예정이라 한동안은 별로 글로 일도 없을것 같습니다. hi hi.

After we leave here today, we will sail for about two and half days to visit Dutch Harbor on 10/4 at the middle of Aleutian Islands, where we will stay from 07:00 AM to 03:00 PM. Thereafter, we were supposed to sail non-stop for a week to Kushiro city in Hokkaido, Japan. However, due to bad weather in Dutch Harbor, we will bypass it and sail directly to Japan, sailing non-stop for almost 10 days.