GUMI: NEW BUS NUMBERS and ROUTES

Today, I was able to download the PDF file containing all the information related to the change of bus numbers and routes of the buses in Gumi from Gumi Bus Information System website. But unfortunately the content of the PDF file is all in Korean. So for the sake of my fellow foreigners living in Gumi, I translated the content of the PDF file. I hope I did everything correctly.

According to the announcement, these change will take effect starting August 31, 2015. 

NO. 10 (Gumi Station - Waegwannambu/Southern Waegwan) 

TIME TABLE

From Gumi Station: 6:50, 7:20, 8:00, 8:43, 9:15, 10:30, 11:10, 11:55, 12:35, 13:55, 14:40, 15:20,                                       17:00, 17:50, 18:40, 20:20, 20:30, 21:07, 21:45

From Waegwan (Chilgok): 6:15, 6:50, 8:35, 9:12, 9:37, 10:05, 10:32, 11:50, 12:30, 13:30, 14:45,                                                   15:15, 16:00, 16:40, 18:15, 19:05, 19:55, 21:10, 21:40

Route

Gumi Station > NongHyup Bank > Geumosansaguri/Lotte Cinema > CNS Building > Geumo Market > Songwon Overpass > Terminal 4-way Intersection > Gumi Bus Terminal > Shinpyeong Intersection > Shinpyeong 1-dong > Lotte Mart > Kolon > Gongdan Central > Gumi Tax Office > LS Electronics > Dongnak Park Entrance > Magna Chip Semiconductor > Samsung SDS > Sudoga-apjang Corner > Hyundai Apt > Hwangsang-dong Entrance > Indong Middle School > Indong Terminal > Jinmi-dong Community Center >  Samsung Corning > LG Display > LG Siltron > Gumi Remicon > Sewage Treatment Plant > Korea Synthetics > Jung-ri > Jung-ri Buyong APT > Janggok Elem. School Ent. > Janggko Middle School > Jung-ri Bridge > Jung-ro O-Ulrim Apt Entrance > Jungdong Bridge > Namgwang Apt > Seokjeok NongHyup > Obang Shincheonji Town > Hansol Pine Park > Garden Village > Hyosung Harrington Apt > Namyul 1-ri > Gangchon > Ponam 1-ri > Ponam 2-ri > Ponam 3-ri > Ponam 3-ri Banji > Jungma > Chilgok-bo > Heungksa Temple  Entrance > Northern Waegwan >  Southern Waegwan

NO. 11 (GUMI STATION - SOUTHERN WAEGWAN)

TIME TABLE

From Gumi Station: 06:05 06:15 07:44 08:15 08:32 08:49 09:06 09:21 09:40 Hyundai Apt. 10:12 10:31 11:37 11:54 12:11 12:28 12:36 12:49 13:04 13:21 13:38 14:45 15:05 15:37 15:54 16:11 16:43 16:51 17:19 17:36 18:26 19:01 19:20 19:40 20:40 21:00 21:50 22:30

From Waegwan: 06:15 06:56 07:15 07:30 07:45 08:00 08:15 08:55 09:44 10:01 10:18 10:33 10:41 11:09 11:26 11:43 12:50 13:08 13:25 13:42 14:01 14:31 14:39 14:52 15:30 16:17 16:34 16:51 17:23 17:57 18:14 18:35 18:50 19:07 19:39 20:50 22:20 Hyundai Apt

ROUTE

Gumi Station → NongHyup Bank → Geumosan Intersection → CNS Building → Geumo Market → Songwon Overpass → Terminal Intersection → Gumi Bus Terminal → Shinpyeong Intersection → Shinpyeong 1-dong → Lotte Mart → Kolon → Central Gongdan → Gumi Tax Office → Lifelong Educ. Center → Welfare Building → Sun Cheon Hyang Hospital → Textile Coop → Sae Han District → Gwangpyeong Prugio Apt → Home Plus → Boseong Hwangsil 2-Cha Apt → Sagok-dong → Sagok-dong Semaeul → Sanmo Elem.→ Sangmo Nonghyup → Sangmo Hwasong Park 2-tanji Apt→ Otae2-dong Corner → South Gumi Driving Academy → Neul Pureun Apt → Chang-shin Apt → Boksan Middle School Ent.  → Boksam Elem → Boksam-eup Office → Yul1-ri Ent. → Yul 1-ri → Bokseong 4-ri → Oseong Apt → Yangmok → Yangmok Gas Station → Yangmok High School→ Murim 2-ri → Gwan Ho  elem. Ent. → Gwan Ho 1-ri → Chilgok Police Station → Gwan Ho 5th Street → Northern Waegwan → Southern Waegwan

Gumi: A Place I Call Home in this Foreign Land

I've been living in Gumi for five years now. I really love it here. I grew up in the countryside and I love being close to nature. I also love the slower way of life. That's the reason why I think Gumi is the right place for me.

Gumi is known for its numerous factories. If you own a Samsung or LG gadget, there's a big possibility that those gadgets were once in Gumi. But Gumi is not only about factories, Gumi has a lot more to offer. Gumi is home to one of Korea's famous mountains, Mt. Geumo. Many Koreans who love hiking, come to Gumi to hike Mt. Geumo. Especially in fall when the foliage turns red, orange , and yellow.

On the foot of Mt. Geumo is a very beautiful reservoir. It has a walking trail made of wood around it. Many people walk on the trail. Especially in the evening. Sitting on the benches while watching the still water and the stars at night can be really relaxing.

On the other side of the city is Mt. Cheonsaeng. This mountain looks like a flat table from afar. It's a bit easier to climb than Mt. Geumo. The view from the top is also really good. On the foot of it is a   hole where cool air comes out. Standing in front of the hole feels like standing in front of an open fridge.

Another interesting thing about Gumi is that two South Korean presidents came from this city. The first one was President Chung-hee Park. President Park was born in 1917 in a small village which is now known as Sangmo-dong. The house where he was born and raised is still standing and open to the public. The second Korean president that can be considered as a native of Gumi is no other than the current president of the Republic of Korea, President Geun-hye Park. Though she was born in Daegu, her place of family register is in Sangmodong, Gumi. She is the daughter of President Chung-hee Park. And the first female Korean president.

Theres a lot more to see in Gumi, such as the beautiful temples and ecological parks that look beautiful all year round, especially in spring.

I really love Gumi, its location, people, and scenery. Gumi is the place I call home in this foreign land.

나는 구미를 정말 사랑합니다. 

Himeji Castle: A Castle As White as a Heron

A Dream Come True

I've always wanted to see Himeji Castle in person. I don't know why, but I really find this castle so beautiful. I thought that seeing this castle will just be a dream forever. But I was wrong. A week ago, I climbed the steep staircase of  Himeji. Standing on the ground in front of it was a dream come true. Reaching the top floor of it was overwhelming. It was surreal. I was really happy. 

Getting to Know the White Heron Castle

Himeji is located in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. It was originally built in 1333. The materials that were used to build it were wood, stone, plaster, and tiles. Though the castle was used from 1333 through 1868, it was demolished twice for reconstruction purposes. 

And in May this year, the five year renovation of the castle walls and roof  had concluded. This is how it looks like at present

Riding a Wasen in the Moat

When we went to the castle, we saw some people riding on a boat in the castle moat. The boat is called a wasen. A wasen is a traditional Japanese style boat.

How to Get There 

1. Take a train to Himeji Station
2. From Himeji Station's central gate, walk straight along Otemae-dori Street. It takes about 15 minutes.

Tips 

*It is better to come early. It is one of the famous destinations in Japan. Many people visit the castle every day.
*Bring cold water with you. The staircases in the castle are very steep. You will probably get so hot and thirsty by the time you get to the top floor.
*If you don't like stepping on the floor barefoot, wear socks. The attendants in the castle will ask you to take off your shoes before you enter the main keep.

Entrance Fee

The entrance fee for the castle is 1000 yen. If you want to go to the garden outside the castle, you have to add 40 yen. 

HIROSHIMA: HOPE FOR PEACE

A Dream Come True

I have always wanted to visit Japan. I really wanted to see the castles, especially the Himeji Castle. I have always dreamed of standing in front of Himeji Castle. I also wanted to see the famous shrines and temples in Kyoto, the old imperial capital of Japan. I used to think that these dreams were impossible to happen, but I was wrong.

My husband and I spent our summer vacation in Japan. Though we only stayed there for five days, we were able to visit and see a lot of places. The first place we visited was Hiroshima.

A Night Stroll Around Hiroshima Peace Park

Since we were staying near the Peace Park, we got a chance to stroll around the park. I was able to take some night shots of the Atomic Bomb Dome. The view was really stunning. It's hard to believe that seventy years ago, an atomic bomb exploded right above the place we were standing. That painful part of history left a standing memorial for the visitors like me to see. This is how it looks like at night. 

The Genbaku Dome (Atomic Bomb Dome)

Sadako Sasaki and the Paper Cranes

The next morning, we woke up early to walk around the park again and catch the ferry that goes to Miyajima Island. While walking at the park, we saw the Children's Peace Monument. According to the information sign, the monument was created in remembrance of  the innocent children who died from the bombing. The monument features a statue of a girl holding a golden crane and two other children stretching their arms on the side. The design of the statue was based on the true story of a girl named Sadako Sasaki, a victim of the bombing. She was only two years old when the bombing occurred. She lived normally for several years, but when she was 10 years old she was diagnosed with leukemia due to radiation exposure. She died when she was 12. When she was sick in the hospital, her fellow patient told her an ancient Japanese legend. According to the legend, anyone who can fold  a thousand paper cranes will be granted a wish. Sadako believed it. Her fellow patient taught her how to fold papers cranes. She then started folding paper cranes believing that she would be healed if she folded 1,000 cranes. However, she died in October 1955 at the age of 12. Her story was shared all over the world. Children from around the world still make paper cranes for her. We saw a lot of the paper cranes in the display case next to the statue at the park. 

The Children Peace Monument

 The Paper Cranes

Photographed by Vince Grindle

Photographed by Vince Grindle

Photographed by Vince Grindle

The Grand Red Gate and Itsukushima Shrine

We boarded a ferry to Miyajima Island to see the famous Grand Gate and the Itsukushima Shrine. While walking to the Itsukushima Shrine we were greeted by a deer walking freely in the road. As we continued walking, we saw more and more of them. Some made us giggle as they ran after people with food. The deer were not afraid of humans. 

Note: The management are trying to make the deer return to their natural habitat in the forest. The visitors are advised not to touch them nor give them food.

The Miyajima Deer

It took us about 15 minutes to get to the view point of the Grand Gate (O'Torii). I think it is beautiful. Especially, its reflection in the water. After taking photographs of the gate, we headed to Itsukushima Shrine. The shrine was also beautiful, with its attractive bright red tint. It was really worth the trip to Miyajima. 

The O'Torii (Grand Gate)

 

The Itsukushima Shrine 

How to Get to Hiroshima Peace Park

1. Take tram No. 1 from Hiroshima Station.

2. Get off at Hondori stop.

3. Cross the street to the right.

4. Go straight through the market until you get to the bridge.

Note: The Ferry Terminal is to the left side of the bridge if you're walking from Hondori

Google Map

 Map directions I made using Google Map screen shot.

Credit: Google Map

                                                                                                                         
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KYOTO: A CITY WHERE ANCIENT AND MODERN MEET

One Door Closed, yet Another Door Opened

After seeing all the things that we wanted to see in Hiroshima, we went on our way to our next destination, Kyoto. We chose to stay in Kyoto longer because most of the places we wanted to see are located in Kyoto.

We arrived in Kyoto in the afternoon. After checking in our hotel, we decided to go and see Kiyomizu-era Temple. We arrived at the temple gate around 6:00 in the evening. We heard a man announcing that they will be closing the gate at 6:00 p.m. After hearing the announcement, we felt disappointed. We went back to the main road and decided to continue walking to Gion District. It took us about 15 minutes to get there. When we arrived at the intersection, a red gate caught my attention. We decided to check it out. We were glad we did. Though we didn't hear anything about it, we found one of the city's best known and most popular landmarks, Yasaka-jinja Shrine by accident. We were glad to have found something interesting after we failed to see the Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

The construction of the shrine initially started in 656. It became an important shrine during the Heian period. It was officially designated as, "Kanpei-taisha", which means it belongs to the highest rank of government supported shrines from 1861 through 1946.

How to Get There

1. Take bus #206 from Kyoto Station and get off at Gion bus stop.
2. Take JR Nara Line to Tofukuji Station. Then transfer to Keihan Railways. Get off at Gion-Shijo Station.

Google Map 

Here are the map directions I made using Google Map screen shots.

Credit: Google Map

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