Difference between revisions of "South Korea"
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
It only has borders with [[North Korea]]. | It only has borders with [[North Korea]]. | ||
| − | Koreans are friendly, honest and generous people who often drive big cars which are usually empty. Hitch hiking is easy here for foreigners if you are reasonably well dressed and clean shaven. I found I generally waited 15 minutes or less. The motorway service stations (hyu gye so) are easy to get lifts from, they often have tourist information centres with free road maps, free internet access and excellent cheap food. Tollgates are also good places to hitch. Technically you shouldn't stand on the motorway side of a tollgate, but cars often pull up here anyway, and the tollgate staff rarely object to you standing on the motorway side of the tollgate. Sometimes tollgate staff may even help you by asking drivers their destination, and asking them to give you lifts if they are going your way! | + | Koreans are friendly, honest and generous people who often drive big cars which are usually empty. Hitch hiking is easy here for foreigners if you are reasonably well dressed and clean shaven. I found I generally waited 15 minutes or less. The motorway service stations (hyu gye so) are easy to get lifts from, they often have tourist information centres with free road maps, free internet access and excellent cheap food. Tollgates are also good places to hitch. Technically you shouldn't stand on the motorway side of a tollgate, but cars often pull up here anyway, and the tollgate staff rarely object to you standing on the motorway side of the tollgate. Sometimes tollgate staff may even help you by asking drivers their destination, and asking them to give you lifts if they are going your way!<p> |
| − | Write signs in Hangul (Korean alphabet) place names on road signs are generally in Hangul and English, so you can copy the Hangul from road signs. A map in Hangul is useful, and one in English if you can't read Korean | + | Write signs in Hangul (Korean alphabet) place names on road signs are generally in Hangul and English, so you can copy the Hangul from road signs. A map in Hangul is useful, and one in English if you can't read Korean<p> |
| − | Korean drivers may try to take you to bus or train stations (they mean well). Also many of them are completely incapable of reading paper maps, relying instead on satellite navigation. | + | Korean drivers may try to take you to bus or train stations (they mean well). Also many of them are completely incapable of reading paper maps, relying instead on satellite navigation.<p> |
| − | Few Koreans speak good English. | + | Few Koreans speak good English.<p> |
| − | vocab/phrases (n.b. my Korean is not good, but these will generally be understood:) | + | vocab/phrases (n.b. my Korean is not good, but these will generally be understood:)<p> |
| − | Hello: Anyong haseyo | + | Hello: Anyong haseyo<p> |
| − | Thank you: Gamsa hamnida/komup samnida | + | Thank you: Gamsa hamnida/komup samnida <p> |
| − | Please: juseyo | + | Please: juseyo<p> |
| − | here: yogi | + | here: yogi<p> |
| − | Motorway service station: hyu gye so | + | Motorway service station: hyu gye so<p> |
| − | Gas station: ju yu so | + | Gas station: ju yu so<p> |
| − | Interchange: IC pronounced "ee shee", most Koreans seem to understand the word "tollgate" | + | Interchange: IC pronounced "ee shee", most Koreans seem to understand the word "tollgate"<p> |
| − | Where are you going?: Odi ga? | + | Where are you going?: Odi ga?<p> |
| − | + | <h2>Seoul going east to Wonju, Gangneung, Sokcho, Odae San and Seorak San national parks</h2> | |
| + | Take the subway to Daeyami on the south side of Seoul (blue line Oido direction). Walk out of | ||
| + | Daeyami station and turn left. Keep going until you get to the busy main road witha garden centre housed in polytunnels opposite. Cross over at the pedestrian crossing and follow the main road to the right, walking under the bridge. Turn left and keep going until you reach the Gunpo tollgate. Traffic from here goes east to Wonju and Gangneung and west to Incheon. | ||
[[Category:Asia]] | [[Category:Asia]] | ||
Revision as of 07:35, 11 December 2007
South Korea is a country in East Asia. It only has borders with North Korea.
Koreans are friendly, honest and generous people who often drive big cars which are usually empty. Hitch hiking is easy here for foreigners if you are reasonably well dressed and clean shaven. I found I generally waited 15 minutes or less. The motorway service stations (hyu gye so) are easy to get lifts from, they often have tourist information centres with free road maps, free internet access and excellent cheap food. Tollgates are also good places to hitch. Technically you shouldn't stand on the motorway side of a tollgate, but cars often pull up here anyway, and the tollgate staff rarely object to you standing on the motorway side of the tollgate. Sometimes tollgate staff may even help you by asking drivers their destination, and asking them to give you lifts if they are going your way!
Write signs in Hangul (Korean alphabet) place names on road signs are generally in Hangul and English, so you can copy the Hangul from road signs. A map in Hangul is useful, and one in English if you can't read Korean
Korean drivers may try to take you to bus or train stations (they mean well). Also many of them are completely incapable of reading paper maps, relying instead on satellite navigation.
Few Koreans speak good English.
vocab/phrases (n.b. my Korean is not good, but these will generally be understood:)
Hello: Anyong haseyo
Thank you: Gamsa hamnida/komup samnida
Please: juseyo
here: yogi
Motorway service station: hyu gye so
Gas station: ju yu so
Interchange: IC pronounced "ee shee", most Koreans seem to understand the word "tollgate"
Where are you going?: Odi ga?
Seoul going east to Wonju, Gangneung, Sokcho, Odae San and Seorak San national parks
Take the subway to Daeyami on the south side of Seoul (blue line Oido direction). Walk out of Daeyami station and turn left. Keep going until you get to the busy main road witha garden centre housed in polytunnels opposite. Cross over at the pedestrian crossing and follow the main road to the right, walking under the bridge. Turn left and keep going until you reach the Gunpo tollgate. Traffic from here goes east to Wonju and Gangneung and west to Incheon.
