By mid-November (2021), we had shipped our boxes and had nearly emptied our apartment. We had a couple of weekends left before we would move out of our rental apartment (in Seoul) to an Airbnb in Mapo. With most of the packing and paperwork sorted, we were now ready to bid farewell to our friends.…
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Mahableshwar, roughly 1,353 m (4,439 ft) above sea level, is a short drive away from Panchgani. It might be a good idea to keep either hill station as a base and explore the other on a day trip. Mahableshwar gets way more tourists than Panchgani and is tailor-made for domestic tourism. It’s also an easy weekend escape…
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My earliest memories of Panchgani had a foreboding air to them. Back in the day, Panchgani was used as a ruse by distraught parents to get their incorrigible children in line. A mecca for boarding schools, most kids from Bombay were terrified of being packed off to Panchgani. Two kids (who were rather infamous for…
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Route Map We had spent a day in Lonavala (previous post) and decided to drive to the next hill station on the following day. We could have stayed back and explored a lot more in Lonavala, but we wanted this trip to serve as a template for longer road trips in the future. Most of…
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We hadn’t travelled within India for the past eight years. We spent most of our trips back home (from Seoul) with family and friends. Back then, our aim was to explore as many countries internationally (given how horrid the visa-waiting time and process is) and it’s quite possible we got a bit carried away. We…
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The Drive to Hwanseongul Cave Idyllic countryside roads of Gangwon Province Mountains of Gangwon Province After spending about three days in Gangneung (read all about it here and here), we drove further south to explore Samcheok City. Samcheok is also located along South Korea’s picturesque East Coast and is a part of Gangwon Province. Like…
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Driving from Tongyeong to Geoje The drive from Tongyeong to Geoje is about 30 minutes. However, the journey from Yi Sun-sin Park (earlier post), in Tongyeong, to Windy Hill, in Geoje, took over an hour. Both scenic points are located at the southernmost tip of each island city. We would spend the night in Geoje.…
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Goodbye Namhae I can’t believe that it’s already been a year since we visited the southern coast of Korea. Last summer was hotter with lesser rain. We had spent a week exploring famous cities, mountains, cultural hotspots, sandy coasts, and Buddhist temples. We spent the seventh day of our summer trip in Namhae — exploring…
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Blind trust. It never came easily to me. I’ve always relied on questions to have a better understanding of any situation. I think: it’s an innate need to be in control of uncertainty and also have a better grip on my anxiety. I was scared of dentists and the dark I was scared of pretty…
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We started watching Korean serials, dramas, and mainstream movies to get a better understanding of the language and cultural nuances. In the popular Korean series: Stranger, also featured in the list of ‘Best International Shows of 2017’ by the New York Times, (spoiler alert) the protagonist is transferred to Namhae for exposing corruption in the…
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