Valentin will be with us in 4 weeks time. Watch out, he’s going to keep us busy (all good!), so he tells us we had better "be prepared" ⚜️
Here’s his report.
Now the month of scouting is over and I can fully concentrate on my exchange. 🥳
We landed in Germany last night and were very happy to finally sleep in again. We got over the jet lag quite well and were able to reduce the large mountain of laundry with renewed energy.
The last four weeks in Korea have been very exciting and tense. It was a very formative time with many new people and other cultures.
We got to know and appreciate the Korean culture best on our two-week tour through Korea. My fondest memories are the incredible hospitality of the Korean people and the perfectly thought-out public transport systems. I'm curious how these will be in Perth. :)
After the Jamboree, we took the bus from the capital Seoul to the small town of Jeonju. There we were able to recharge our batteries for two days. But we still had enough energy to see a large traditional Korean Hanok village and a temple on the nearest mountain on the first day.
Arriving in Busan, a candidate city for the 2030 World Expo, we went straight to Busan Tower and saw the second largest city in Korea from above. After we traded our last badges with Swedish scouts at the parking lot, we went back to the hostel.
The next morning we took the bus to the artists' quarter, which was built as a refugee quarter during the Korean War. With many colorful and artistic houses, it radiates a lot of positive energy. The next day we arrived at the more remote ancient capital of Gyeongju, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the region around the city, which was a kingdom until the year 930, we explored the royal palace and much more in the incomparable Korean nature.
Finally we all went back to a campsite near YangYang and were able to set up our tents again. We spent the first whole day fishing in a small bay. In total we caught 12 smaller ones and grilled them.
Since we were by the sea, we enjoyed it so much. Afterwards we went to a very large nature park. At the highest peak, three Scouts have advanced to the next level. A very unique place for a promise celebration.
Then we hiked to a nearby waterfall and bathed in its pool. Since it had rained heavily in the evening, we were very happy to travel to Seoul the next day because everything was wet.
Once we got to the hostel and made our beds, our priority was drying our laundry. On the same evening we walked through the alleys of this very big city and let ourselves be fed by various street food stands. As a whole unit we visited the Royal Palace in the pouring rain on the morning of August 23rd. Temples were always very interesting to see. In the afternoon we went to the large National Museum. It was a small but good insight into Korean history and culture. The next day we continued with the history of Korea. We did a guided tour to the DMZ. For all of us it was a very interesting day with a lot of Korean history, which continues to this day. Unfortunately, our guide confirms that the relationship with North Korea is worse than it has been for a long time.
Because a few participants were picked up by their parents the next day, we went to a Korean BBQ restaurant and then to a karaoke bar to have one last great night together. After that day we all fell into bed very exhausted.
We started the last whole day in Korea very relaxed and happened to get on a train and got off random after a few stops. We ended up in a neighborhood we probably wouldn't have gone to normally. A very great experience.
And then the month in Korea was over. I had many new experiences, and got to know and appreciate many new people.
I am very thankful and proud to be a Scout.
The best greetings and be prepared ⚜️
Valentin