Hey everyone!

Well, it's been ages since I have posted, and there is a reason for that! I have been going around and doing lots this past week or two, and I have made some decisions about how to use Steemit for my personal use. Since I find it quite underwhelming for single image posts, I have decided to use my Steemit profile as a blogging page and I have created a website and Facebook page for other images (if anyone is interested please feel free to check my Facebook out! https://www.facebook.com/SeoulinspiredPhotography/).

So!? Where have I been? What have I done? I have had a few adventures, but today I want to share one of my most recent... Sokcho!

Sokcho is arguably the nicest beach (in my opinion it is the nicest!) within day-trip reach of Seoul. It is about two and a half hours away and costs about $40 for a round trip on the bus. The buses are very comfortable (Korea does transport the best out of anyone!) and the ride is very enjoyable albeit a bit cold... AC!

My first reaction to the beach was that of amazement! The weather had been terrible in Seoul when we left... Rain, wind and storm clouds. However, after getting off the bus we were greeted with bright sunshine that proved too hot nearly instantly. The first task was to find some shorts I could use as togs (or a swimsuit in non-NZ slang!). This proved pretty easy and finding a cheap $10 pair of shorts at a nearby beach store was not difficult at all.

It was now time to head to the beach, and boy, what a sight it was to behold!

A nearly empty beach?? In Korea?! We pretty much had the beach all to ourselves! It was amazing! The beach did get busier throughout the day, but even at the peak of the day there weren't overwhelming amounts of people. I think this would definitely change in weekends though, so if you visit make sure to pick a day that you think will be less crowded.

Coming from New Zealand I didn't really expect much from the beaches of Korea, after all, New Zealand's beaches are heralded as some of the best in the world. However, even at first sight, I was impressed! It was beautiful! Images can't possibly do it justice.

By this point we were a bit hungry... I hadn't even eaten breakfast! So we decided to go and find something to eat. We decided on seafood since we wanted something that was special to the area. This turned out to be problematic, as the beach area (which is a bit separated from the actual city) is mainly a vacation/tourist area that isn't very busy on weekdays. Out of 5 or 6 restaurants we tried, only one was actually open! The food was great though (although a little traumatising as it was all alive still...) and if you visit Sokcho, I have to recommend seafood! You could definitely taste the freshness.

The mountains in the background of this image are also an attraction. Although we didn't have the time to go this visit, I would love to climb them sometime in the future... I can only imagine what the view must be like!

The walk back to the beach was pleasant (and too hot!), and now it was definitely time for a swim! We had been dying to get into the water... That was the whole reason we had come after all!

By this point there were quite a few more people at the beach. It was definitely still comfortable though, and for $10 an umbrella could be hired for the day. I would say this is an essential as the sun is very very strong on good days, and without an umbrella you can't really stay close to the swimming area. They cost $20, but $10 is returned when you return the umbrella 'ticket' at the end of the day.

Have you ever seen a more appealing beach?! Across all the countries I have traveled, and all the beaches I have seen... I would say this rates quite highly! The water was so clear and clean. There was next to no litter in it, and the only thing you were likely to come across was seaweed! For such a populated country, the beach was extremely clean and I was more than impressed!

There are lifeguards on duty, and you can swim within the first barrier. It looks quite small, but the deepest part would be easily twice my height. The sea was very calm on the day we visited, and although it wasn't too exciting, I didn't care! After months and months I could finally see the ocean again!

At a about 6, the sun started to set. We were pretty content with the amazing day we had had at the beach, and we were exhausted. In typical Korean style, we had eaten fried chicken for dinner (another thing Sokcho is apparently known for!) and were ready to rest. But there was one more thing we wanted to try first! My friend had purchased some bubbles at a stall earlier, and for me it was the perfect photo opportunity! (posted with her permission).

A trial of bubbles!

Blowing bubbles!

Jumping with style

This was my first attempt at ever trying to capture bubbles well, and it was also my first attempt at nearly any photos with a new lens I am trying (35mm). While not the perfect lens for this situation, I would say they turned out pretty well! What do you think?

Anyway, I love the way these pictures came out! I think I will buy bubbles more often :D Definitely one of the cheaper ways to make some amazing images, and for $3.... Well I would say it was some of the best money ever spent for that price! It entertained us for about an hour while trying to get the perfect shot.

Unfortunately the time to leave was soon upon us. We had had an amazing day, but like all good things, it must eventually come to an end. At 8pm we took the bus back to Seoul (another two and a half hour ride, arriving at express bus terminal at about 10:30).

The path back to the bus station!

My first day at Sokcho was a day filled with memories I will not forget for a very long time to come! Korea is a beautiful country, and if you visit the right places, it is fair to say you will be amazed! I have always loved Korea, and Seoul, but after visiting Sokcho, I definitely love both even more. After a day away, I was excited to return to Seoul, the amazing city that it is. But that doesn't undermine the fact that Sokcho was amazing, and if I get the change to visit again, I wont even have to think twice about it.

Thank you so much to all who have read my post, I hope that one day you too can visit the wondrous location yourself!