About
Kia ora
waterfallsandcaribous.com is more than a mere blog – it documents the antics of an extraordinary couple of Kiwis discovering the cultures, food, art, coffee, architecture and lifestyles of people and places we visit around the world.
We have (residentially) kicked it in the Cayman Islands, Melbourne in Aussie, Duksin – a small rural village in South Korea – and now reside in the bustling and kickass hometown city of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, Hong Kong!
Our travels collectively and individually have also taken us to other far flung ‘corners’ of the round earth: Cuba, the States, Scotland, the Irelands, Italy, England, Fiji, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India and Macau; and of course we’ve travelled extensively throughout our stunning beloved home country of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
A theme you may pick up on through the course of our blogs is that we don’t always do things the easy way…in fact, its become a bit of a standing joke that if there’s a hard or particularly random way to do something, that will inevitably be the way that we’ll go. So, if you are interested in our adventures, a bit of humour, or you’re just looking for a bit of by-proxy street cred feel free to check us out.
Peace!
Your trip so far sounds incredible. Are you settled yet? Started work?
It IS incredible – we’re having a blast exploring Korea! Yip, we’re settled into our apartment and nearly a month into work already. We’re going to get the rest of the honeymoon trip around Korea up on the site in the next few days and then we’ll start getting into the nitty gritty about where we’re living, what we’re doing, what working life is like etc. Stay tuned!
Hi there! Thanks for reading my post about Chinatown/Lunar New Year in Buenos Aires. I’m happily surprised to see that you’re currently living in Korea! I’m a Korean-American (currently living in Argentina) from New York. I was in Korea for 6 weeks last year & loved it so much that I plan to spend most of 2013 there. I hope you are having a great time… I’ll be reading your blog and taking notes- except for the 6 weeks I spent in Korea last year I don’t know the country at all. I wish you a fantastic adventure filled with lots of great food and plenty of laughter! Best, Chris
Hey Chris!
Thanks for your comment – its really cool to hear to hear that your enjoying our blog. There are definitely some really great parts of Korea. We do rant from time to time (mainly about work and the tiny little village we live in) but wouldn’t give up this experience for the world. Any tips you want, let us know! We’re going to start writing about the food soon…mmmm….
looks like a wonderful trip… oh to be young again….
Young and poor. We look forward to travelling in the days where we’re old and rich, hahaha.
Thanks for dropping by, and enjoying my trip to Jeju along with me 🙂 It’s great how you guys are adapting and enjoying all things Korean. Seeing your photos of the Korean food makes me wanna dash over and indulge in the cuisine all over again!
The food is pretty great, that’s for sure! Thanks for your comment!
Hey thanks for stopping by my 365 blog! I’m thoroughly enjoying looking through yours. I have a friend who used to live in South Korea, and now lives in Australia — both of which have been a once in a lifetime experience for him. Enjoy your travels, I’m jealous! 🙂
Both South Korea and Australia are pretty awesome – in extremely different ways of course! Don’t be jealous – get out there and travel 🙂
Oooh nice. Being in the navy help me travel. But not with thr freedom thst you guys have. Our ship missed out on south koreawould love to have gone!! Do you guys travel for work?
We are teaching English in a village in the southwest of Korea. I suppose you could say we travel for work. We have worked in the Carribean, Aussie and South Korea. Thinking about Japan or Hong Kong but that’s the beauty of working in random jobs. Thanks for checking us out.
Hello. You guys are fantastic! I’ve been trying to go around as much as I can too. Thank you very much for dropping by my blog. I’ve just started roughly a week ago. I’ll definitely keep reading through your adventures. All the best!
Your photos were really cool so we’ll definitely keep up with your blog too! Enjoy writing – its such a fun way to document your adventures!
Thanks for the like – sounds like an adventure! My family is also in the decision process (a long one) about where we are going to end up at the end of our trip around the world.. maybe abroad like you!
There are so many amazing places to see in the world…I doubt we’ll even scratch the surface. But living overseas certainly provides a great opportunity to earn and experience at the same time. Highly recommended 🙂
I never get to travel like that. Of course I did go to the mall. 2 years ago. Thanks visit my blog.
Hahaha we’re glad you got to the mall 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Looks like you guys are having a ton of fun in Korea like we are — so much to see and eat! I’m always on the lookout for new places to visit, and your blog has given me some ideas. Hopefully my blog will do the same for you :] Cheers!
Korea is definitely an interesting place to visit if you get the chance!
I’ve been thinking of TESL…heard that S. Korea pays the best and the kids are adoreable. There is another blog…it’s http://www.ihatecockroaches.wordpress.com. She’s also teaching in S. Korea and she’s quite funny.
Thanks for the recommendation – we’ll definitely check it out! South Korea does pay well and the packages are really good! The kids vary in adorable-ness (that’s not a word, I know!) – depends on the school you’re at and how well behaved they are!!!! Haha.
Thanks for stopping by my blog! I’m excited to read about all your adventures.
Thanks! We love being able to share our adventures, big and small.
Thanks for liking my Nighttime in Moab post.
No worries – was very cool! Thanks for visiting.
Thanks for the “like”. I’ve really enjoyed reading your posts – great humour and lovely photography 🙂
Thanks for visiting our blog! We have a lot of fun so hopefully it shows in our posts 🙂
Hey thanx for the like on my blog..great to see you there..
We were in Seoul for a while last year and loved the place….best food I’ve eaten anywhere in the world.
Seoul is amazing! We can’t wait to visit there again and eat our way around a new area 🙂
There is a train you can get..(dont ask me which) that takes you around five clicks from the centre, (over the river) to a fish market which has got the most incredible 1st floor restaurant/food hall…simply the best fish/seafood dishes I’ve eaten…And have you been to Horsetail alley?(its in one of the markets) If not you must… there is a guy (always in a dickybow-tie) cooking amazing souffles…FAB!
I’m so jealous..I cant wait to get back to Seoul.
Have a great time!
Cool. We will put them on the list next time we get to Seoul.
Thanks for liking my post Castle in America.
Love your adventures- making us get itchy feet again-sigh!
PS when was the headline pic taken? Saw the forbidden city wall in the exact same icy climate-happy memories!
Yip, the shot was taken at the forbidden city at the end of December last year. We are loving the adventures!
Kia ora, G’day and Namaste,
Thanks for the like on our entry Agriculture in Nepal. This one was prompted by… well I can’t say anything prematurely… but suffice to say it is relevant to a future supporter of the health post in Pattale.
It looks like you guys are having a real ball there. Korea looks like a really fascinating place to visit. I’ll have to work on my wife though as Canada and Japan already have dibs on us visiting. Looking forward to reading more as you go.
Cheers,
Ian
I definitely understand Japan and Canada having dibs on your travel efforts – we’re particularly keen to get to Japan ourselves. Its only a short plane ride away from us here so its on our radar…Fingers crossed!
Thanks for your “like” on my Gastronomic Food Heaven post. I can relate to your blog. I am an Aussie living in a foreign country, Spain, teaching English to kids that I would not call adorable at all. A recent post describes my “joys” of teaching English here. Will continue reading your blog. Thanks again.
Your “joys” of teaching sounds eerily similar to mine…I guess kids are kids all over the world! I’m interested to know whether all your kids are constantly glued to their smart phones, like here? I didn’t even own a smart phone until I was 30 and can’t imagine why a 12 year old needs one…
Sounds like you guys are on a very amazing adventure. I’m envious. Thanks for checking out Fried Neck Bones…and Some Home Fries.
Thanks for visiting us too! We are having some pretty epic adventures 🙂 Don’t be envious – just do it!!! A few years back we dreamed about packing up and moving to the Cayman Islands just because it seemed like such a fantasy. So we just saved our pennies and did it! Its really just a matter of making a decision and then pouring your efforts into making it a reality. We are, however, constantly poor, haha. But its worth it 🙂
I love your blog; wish I would’ve found it sooner! My wife and I spent our honeymoon traveling NZ three years ago and have been dying to go back. In the meantime, we’re planning a trip to Korea next year, so it’s really nice to read about your experiences. Looking forward to following your blog!
Hi John! Thanks so much for your lovely comments 🙂 We are certainly having a blast “researching” and writing our blogs. You were extremely lucky to have your honeymoon in New Zealand – I hope you enjoyed it thoroughly and were treated really well. Are you visiting Korea for a holiday or something more permanent?
I was born in Korea (but adopted as a baby), then lived there again when I was 10, but barely remember anything. And my wife has never been, so this is kind of a “going back to my roots” trip, though as I was raised in the US, it will be pretty much a new experience for both of us. Really excited, but also kind of overwhelming. One reason I love your blog is being able to see Korea through the eyes of foreigners exploring it for the first time 🙂
Are you two planning on staying there for a while, or just until you’re done teaching?
It sounds like it will be a pretty special trip for you both. How exciting!!! Its been a mixed bag for us being here as being Westerners some elements of Korean culture we just don’t understand (and probably never will) but the experience is definitely one worth having.
We’ll see out our current contracts which end in October but after that we’re not sure exactly. We’ll be heading to India for a 6 week hiatus but before we leave will apply for new jobs somewhere…either in Korea or maybe further afield!
India sounds incredible!
If you ever find yourself in the US, stop by Ohio and visit us 🙂
And ditto – if we decide to come back to Korea post-India come and hang with us 🙂 We can even show you around our little Korean village!
Excellent! 🙂
What a nice surprise for a Monday morning. I see you also living in Korea. I’ve been here for about a year and a half now. In my last stretch of this great adventure. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Look forward to reading about more of your adventures and possibly nodding my head in agreement at shared experiences.
Thanks for visiting us! Where is the next stop for you after Korea?
A pit stop back in South Africa and then a trip around the US with my sister. She is based there at the moment. The rest in unknown 🙂 Any suggestions?
We are struggling ourselves on where to go next.
If you haven’t checked out New Zealand that that would be our definite choice. If you do decide to go for a mission down there drop us a line, we have lots of things for you to do.
very jealous on your road trip through the states!
Thanks for looking at Storyteller. — Ray
I really enjoy your blog so I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. More information at http://remcooks.com/2012/04/02/versatile-blogger-award/. Happy Blogging.
Awwww thank you SO much!!! Its so lovely to receive these awards. Actually, it still blows us away that anyone other than our mums are interested in us, haha. Keep up the great work with your yummy recipes 🙂 I can’t wait to have an oven again sometime in the future (Korean kitchens don’t have ovens!!!) so we can make full use of your site.
Dan & H-J – Enjoy every minute … and when frustration hits it’s peak – well, it will either be a good learning moment, a very funny story in a future or a great excuse for a beer. Have fun – Susan
Thanks for your comments Susan! And you’re totally right 🙂 Every adventure provides a story (or a blog!).
Digging this blog. Praise Jah for connecting I and I. Bless…
Thanks for stopping by my blog, and for allowing me the opportunity to experience a bit of Korea. looks like you are having quite the adventure there. Good and bad, it’s (usually) all good in the end. Enjoy your time there – a great idea for an extended working honeymoon.
That’s exactly how we’re treating it – as an extended honeymoon! That’s what we laugh about when we kinda wonder what the heck we’re up to living in such a small village 🙂 And there’s always a story to tell with any kind of travel. Thanks for visiting us!
Thanks for liking my A Foggy Morning post.
How crazy is this! My US friend’s newlywed children are traveling in S. Korea. http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2QucCz/valerieandgriffin.com/?p=2487 Here’s their blog. Just thought you’d like to know.
Thanks for the link! It sounds like they’re off a very exciting and worthwhile venture. It also made me laugh that they start off that particular post with “145 days until we leave Korea…not that we’re counting!” Haha. We feel like that sometimes. We’ll sit down and read some more of their posts so thanks again!
Do you have any upcoming travel adventures planned yourself in the future?
Have nominated you lovely folks for some awards in the blogosphere, http://girlinafoodfrenzy.com/awards-acccolades-appreciation-in-the-blogosphere/ I really enjoy your posts and the sense of adventure you convey, cheers!
Thank you so much! What a lovely surprise to start the day with 🙂 We are loving following your cooking adventures. Obviously, food has a special place in our hearts…stomachs…haha.
Thanks for visiting one of my blogs. I am glad you enjoyed today’s post and perhaps you will visit again. Enjoy your travels. I always have. Did you get to Vietnam yet? It is amazing.
Léa
No, Vietnam is somewhere we haven’t made it to yet but definitely an intriguing destination! So many countries, so little time (not to mention money, haha). Thanks for visiting!
Your posts make me want to visit Korea so badly! Do you have a post-Korea plan?
It was definitely one of those perfect days that made us fall a little bit in love with Korea! Spring is lovely here.
Our current contracts end in October at which stage we’re heading to India for a 6 or 7 week trip with a friend from back home. We’re starting in the north and working our way south. After that, we’re not quite sure yet…possibilities are endless. We may come back to Korea (though NOT to the village where we live now, haha) and try our luck somewhere like Busan or Seoul or we may head to Japan or Hong Kong or…arggggghhhh, so many places to see and not quite enough time or money!
Man oh man! That sounds amazing either way! I’d LOVE to visit India, but the flights are just so expensive (I know that everything is cheap once you get there…)
What exactly do you guys do that you can travel so much and so easily (if you don’t mind my asking)?
Haha its funny that we come across as having the ability to travel so much and so easily…hehe. The thing is it IS easy for anyone – if you want to travel, travel. We used to dream about skivving off to the Cayman Islands – it seems like one of those dreamy fantasty places. And then one day out of the blue, a job for legal executives in the Cayman Islands was advertised in our local paper. So I (H-J) applied and was successful. We then spent around 6 months saving for the plane tickets and finding Dan a job and then flew away…
This time we applied for jobs as ESOL Teachers in South Korea. So the moral of the story is that we have to find jobs in places, then we head off. That way we can pay our bills back home, have an adventure in a new place while saving for the next adventure. I wish we had the sort of life where we didn’t have to work and could just swan around the world exploring but yeah, we don’t! We are perpetually broke but working in different countries allows you stay afloat and at the very least explore the country your in. Also New Zealand is SO far away from everywhere else its really expensive to get flights in and out – so once you’ve left its actually much cheaper to just keep hopping around, rather than take holidays from NZ. Travelling to India from South Korea is about 1/3 of the price than it would be from New Zealand!
If you want to travel, apply for jobs in weird and wonderful countries. English teaching positions in some countries (like South Korea) even pay for your airfares and housing. So its definitely worth thinking about if you, like us, don’t have the cash to be a lady-who-lunches 🙂
hey guys! Thanks for the follow — love your blog name, and even though you’re not enjoying it right now, it’s nice to have a reminder of the existence of snow. We don’t get much of that here in Bogotá — just a lot of rain. Korea looks amazing, and I hope you’re enjoying as many minutes of being there as possible! Also, just wanted to give a shoutout to your native lands… I traveled to New Zealand almost exactly a year ago and was absolutely in love with it. Impressed you guys had the willpower to leave!
follow/like/whatever. this is what happens when I try to use the internet past my bedtime
Isn’t New Zealand amazing?! We know for sure that’s where we’ll end up again 🙂 But in the meantime there’s a huge world to explore…Bogota looks amazing!!! How long do you anticipate being there?
I nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award because I think you are pretty awesome!
Congratulations. Check it out: http://bit.ly/IOaIxe
Here are the rules:
* Thank the person(s) who nominated you and link back to them
* Share 7 things about yourself
* Nominate 15 bloggers you admire
* Contact your nominees and let them know
Aww thank you so much! We are extremely flattered 🙂 And congratulations for your nomination also.
Hi thanks for stopping by my blog http://www.intotheorchard.com and liking my post on chip shop etiquette
Your tale was pretty funny (its so hard to adjust to different ‘cultures’ of doing things sometimes, we totally understand!) but what sucked us in completely was that gorgeous picture of fish and chips…YUM! That’s a luxury we haven’t enjoyed since being back home in New Zealand! Thanks for visiting our blog.
no worries, can’t beat some good fish and chips however you order them:-)
Thanks for stopping by our blog!! What brings a world traveler to the stories of Saipan and Seattle?? You guys look like you’re living a great life! My husband and I just got our TESOL/TEFL training so that we have the option to travel more after our stay in Saipan 🙂 Who knows where the roads will take us – but it’s always a fun adventure getting to see new places! Looking forward to seeing your own adventures 🙂
We saw the pictures of Korean food so had a peek at what you’re up to! Plus Seattle being a coffee mecca and Saipan somewhere we’d never heard of (and we LOVE discovering new places!) all added up to intrigue and interest – thus our clicks on your blog! The photo of Dave looking so disappointed initially at the idea of no burgers etc was hilarious…I understand that, living in a village where ALL we can get is Korean food, haha.
TESOL training definitely opens up options in different countries. We’ve travelled before using our legal and hospitality backgrounds but it was nice to have a few more options this time round…though the Korean kids are definitely making us have second thoughts about whether it was a great idea, LOL. Great opportunity to be in this part of the world though and we have plenty more adventures around and about before we contemplate going back home. We’ll look forward to seeing where you all end up too!
*lol* Yeah, Dave has been a real trooper in Saipan 🙂 He gave up his job to let me follow this dream, but he’s actually been really happy with the choice – he just needs to grab some pizza or a Taco Bell burrito now and then to remind him of home 😉
I can’t wait to check out more of your blog! My sister spent some time in Korea going to school there. She didn’t like it as much as her time in Japan, but still came home with a lot of good memories. She did the TESOL class with us – I will have to point her to your blog and see if she got to see some of the same things!
Korea definitely hasn’t been our favourite of all the countries we’ve visited in our lives…but its a new place and everywhere has cool stuff to seek out. Like your sister we’ll take away some good memories. We are definitely considering Japan as another place to live and work after this – hard to pin down exactly where we’ll go though, there are so many choices!!! Have you had any thoughts about where your TESOL training might take you?
Well, I am thinking I may not end up using TESOL! I am glad to have it in case – I’d love to go pretty much anywhere, with less of an interest in the Middle East and most (but not all) of Europe. More of an Asia/Africa/Australia/NZ person I guess 🙂 And my plans and goals always keep changing. I am getting ready to start as a clinical dietitian, and plan on my own also to study nutrition for developing countries (medical nutrition therapy for issues like protein malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, malaria, etc for places without hospitals) and maybe get to visit various medical clinics in small villages and help train the staff to add that component to their care plans. I have no idea if that is something that will happen – but for now, that’s my goal to start that maybe in 2 years after I gain more typical clinical experience here in Saipan 🙂
What’s been your favorite place?? (btw – if it’s easier, you can just email me at FlipSideAdventures {at} gmail.com) 🙂
Its definitely good to have options! TESOL is a great string to add to your bow and I’m positive that your clinical dietician-ing (hehe) will open up some really life changing experiences. Wow.
Favourite place is hands down New Zealand! It will always be home and it really does have it all – stunning landscapes, great produce, friendly vibe, great coffee, amazing beaches, places to escape, a vibrant arts culture…etc etc. We could go on forever!!! Cuba was fascinating and surprisingly gorgeous (don’t go for the food though!) and the people and politics really got under our skin, in a good way. Cayman Islands for the temperature and beaches. Hong Kong for the food. Italy for the history, beauty, art and, of course, the food…Ahhh this list could get long! Shall email ya 🙂
and all these stories are in your blog?? I must take time to sit down and read your stories!! 🙂
Sadly, no. We only started the blog when we moved to Korea in October. Our other adventures are un-documented, other than by photo. I’ve flicked you some emails with links so you can check out some pictures and drool with jealousy over stunning beaches and fabulous food, hehehe.
awesome!! Thanks for sharing the pics!! How fun!!! I may drool with jealousy over the food…. but I can never be more than 2.5 miles from the beach when living on tiny Saipan 😉 (The island is all of 12 miles long and 5 miles wide at its largest points)
Hello there! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I am so jealous of where you have been and are. I have lived in the Philippines, Canada, and now the United States. But it sounds boring compared to where you’ve lived.
The Phillipines is somewhere we would love to visit in the future – everyone we’ve met from there has been extremely lovely and it looks like a beautiful country. Your adventures don’t sound boring at all! There is ALWAYS something new to discover, even at home 🙂
Good Morning and Thanks for stopping by my blog and liking Lemons, Busses and Bones. It’s greatly appreciated. I look forward to reading more of your stories as well.
Scott
Hi! I nominated you for the ABC (Awesome Blog Content) Award. I was moved to do so because I am delighted whenever I see an email from you in my in-box. You can read about the award at http://elladeewords.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/a-community-garden-and-abc-awards/ .
Accepting awards to enable you to nominate other worthy recipients isn’t for the faint hearted or time poor, so please accept if you choose and there’s no timeframe on responding, or obligation to do so if it’s not right for you.
Best wishes,
EllaDee
Aw thank you so much! That is really cool and we’re thrilled to hear that your enjoying our adventures!!!
Seriously, you liked that post too? Thanks for all the support, I figure I’d get a lot more shit given how offensive my writing style is.
Seriously, YES. You say all the things we think (and say to each other) but don’t necessarily share with anyone else, haha. You really hit the nail on the head with that last post. We are the Ultimate Glorified Babysitters. This was utterly confirmed to us recently when Dan was told by his boss, “leave the teaching to me. Just smile more”. Okaaaay….Its market day today at our respective hagwons – another day of being paid to sit around, be ignored and do nothing. Oh no, that’s right – I have the SUPER essential and important job of handing out half filled paper cups of coke to already hyperactive brats! YAY 🙂
Please keep up the offensive writing style. It rocks. You appeal to our sarcastic, evil inner selves…actually, a lot of my friends would probably say I don’t keep my sarcasm and evil-ness inside at all times but in a foreign land, they’re not here to appreciate me.
Couldn’t change it if I tried, and I have. Will figure out how to put a link to your blog on my page as soon as possible. Thanks for the encouragement.
Hi guys- I’m just curious about your recommendations – to teach, or not to teach, – English in Korea. I’m traveling with my boyfriend (also a Kiwi), and we’re looking for the next paid gig, but have heard mixed reviews about Korea. What would your overall suggestion be, for two people who have teaching experience, and want to continue in a new, not-too-expensive and exciting environment. What would you say?? Thanks!
Hi! Well, where to begin…before we arrived in Korea we had met SO many people that had been here and worked as TESOL teachers. Everyone raved on about how much they loved it and what a great time they had. Interestingly, since actually being here teachers ‘on-site’, so to speak, are far less enthusiastic about it. On the whole, the experience is fantastic and we don’t have any regrets about having done this. The packages are good (decent wages, free flights and housing) and the work is relatively low-key. We work approximately 25 hours a week giving us plenty of time to do other things. There are definitely things to take into consideration though – like whether you apply to work in a public school or go the hagwon (private academy) path. There are pros and cons of both but our impression is that the public system is a lot more secure. Location is important. And your reasons for wanting to teach here are important to take into consideration too. For example, working in a hagwon in a little village such as we are, we are not going to be changing any lives…we are glorified babysitters and this can be really frustrating sometimes.
We’re totally happy to give you as much information/advice as possible – email H-J on braydz69@gmail.com
Ps. There’s a GREAT Kiwi bar in Busan 🙂
Hi and thanks for reading MartyRobinsonSpanish.wordpress.com blog about the houses in Granada, Nicaragua. Good luck to you, sounds like a great adventure. I got a TEFL certificate last year but did not use it yet.
Marty
We’re still obsessed with all things Caribbean and those lolly coloured houses really drew us in. Having the TEFL cert certainly provides another option for travelling – many great opportunities in some pretty unusual countries 🙂 Thanks for visiting our blog.
Thanks for stopping by my “Charming Faro and Port in Porto” post. Sounds like the two of you are on a memorable adventure! Do it for as long as you can! Life is short….
We’ll go until we run out of money…haha.
Where did you live in New Zealand? I’m heading there next week, flying into Christchurch for a week. Do you have any advice on things I should do around the South Island for relatively cheap? I’m a US exchange student studying in Australia, which has literally ruined my budget. ha
Hey. We lived in Dunedin in the south, Napier in the Hawkes Bay and in Wellington.
There are heaps of cool things to do around Christchurch/ South Island but it really depends on how you like to travel.
Do you mean that you have just a week in NZ? Are you going with anyone? Also, what you mean by ‘relatively’ cheap? NZ is fairly expensive, much like Australia.
Here are a couple of quick ideas. Kaikoura is a very cool place to check out. Queenstown is beautiful but costs a lot more being the big tourist spot of the south. Milford Sounds are stunning. Dunedin great for a buzzy student feel, fantastic cafes and cheap drinking. Actually, you pretty much can’t go wrong with anywhere in the South Island – stunning scenery, friendly people and very easy to get around.
I get the waterfalls — New Zealand and all, but whence the caribous? I had a roommate who was in South Korea in the late 1960s — all I remember from her stories were freezing cold buildings and garlic and fishhead soup daily. You all make it sound a lot more attractive.
Thanks for visiting our blog! Waterfalls and caribous refers to nowhere in particular – and at the same time everywhere! The title is representative to us as the symbol of always looking for something; the elusive waterfall…the caribou. To date, we have seen many waterfalls but no caribou which probably has a lot to do with the fact we stick to warmer climates, haha. Plus it means we can justify continuing to keep travelling and searching 😉
Korea has come an extremely long way in the post-war years and in fact has had the fastest economic growth in 50 years of anywhere in the world. We recently saw an exhibition showing the differences between post-war Korea and today’s Korea and the differences are astounding. Its an incredibly modern and increasingly strong country. I imagine that daily garlic and fishhead soup got a little repetitive, haha. While its still on the menu, there are a lot more choices nowadays and, of course, in the big cities a lot of global tastes to be found.
Hi! So pleased you enjoyed my blog. Crossing cultural divides sure opens your eyes not just to how others live, but also to how we do. Try moving from Auckland to Hamilton!! I saw my home city with eyes wide open when I crossed the Bombay Hills (even more than when I lived in the UK or Singapore). Happy travels.
Come to Anchorage in the summer and you can have both waterfalls (especially along the amazingly scenic Seward Highway) and caribou — in the zoo, if nowhere else. And it’s reasonably warm, never hot. That wouldn’t mean the end of travels, of course.
Good to know though going to the zoo would be cheating, haha.
Caribou herds roam the Kenai Peninsula nearby, though we’ve hardly ever seen them. Moose, now — if you want to see caribou cousins, those are plentiful.
I have nominated you for the sunshine blogger awards http://jrbarker101.wordpress.com/?p=288&preview=true
Thank you so much!
Hi there,
Thanks for stopping by The Legion of Door Whores and for leaving a like for one of my images, it is appreciated 🙂 If you have time, please take a look at my blog sites http://reflectionsofchina.worpress.com and http://moreimagesfromme.wordpress.com , I do hope you will take a look and enjoy what you see there!..You have a really nice site here, certainly on worthy of a follow. Thanks again, Regards Mark
Great thanks for the links! Having briefly visited China earlier this year, we’re especially intrigued by your reflections of China 🙂
Great blog. Thanks for stopping by at mine and for the like 🙂 Safe travel!!
Thanks for your comment!
Grazie for stopping by (and liking) my post about Anguilla! Your expat experience sounds incredible.
Its been pretty fun so far! Loving your Caribbean project…we miss the vibe of the place 🙂
Because I really like your blog, I nominated you for the ‘One Lovely Blog Award’. You can see it here: http://brilliant-london.com/2012/07/26/blog-award-2/
Thanks so much!!! Its great to receive so much love and encouragement from the blogging community 🙂
HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got your camera, where can I mail it to you!
Um who are you? And how do you have our camera??!!! If you have our camera please take it to the main Mokpo Police Station. They know how to contact us. Thanks.
I’m Ben and I got in a taxi in Mokpo and the driver made me take it. He didnt want to deal with lost and found, for whatever reason. I tried posting on a few esl websites for the owner. I’ll drop it at the police station tonight if you want.
Oh wow, that is so, so awesome! We had given up on ever seeing our pictures again…Thanks so much, we would love it if you could take it to the police station tonight 🙂
http://www.waygook.org/index.php/topic,41570.msg270438.html#msg270438
Hey, thanks for liking our post! I see that you guys are living in Korea and having a blast! I haven’t been back to Korea since I left when I was three years old and reading your amazing experience there is really getting my travel itch going!
Oh wow, I didn’t even realise from your blog that you’re Korean – must be some K-thing connection I have now, haha. Its a pretty amazing/weird/wonderful country. We’ve had a blast exploring it over the last 10 months or so. Do you plan on visiting ‘the homeland’ again in your future?
Definitely, we have a friend who recently moved to Korea and we’ll be visiting Japan next March/April. We may hop over to Korea and visit 🙂
Awesome!!! You’ll have a fabulous time! How exciting!
You guys keep blogging your awesomeness!! 🙂
Very cool! Thanks for stopping by and liking chanceofsun!
The expat experience is interesting everywhere, eh?! We haven’t lived together anywhere in Europe…yet…but who knows where we’ll end up next 🙂
Thank you for your visit to and likes onBuildingMyBento, H-J and Dan! You’ve got some rad shots of Korean culture and food that I don’t see too often; this also https://waterfallsandcaribous.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/p7300154.jpg is worth a jaunt to! Planning a visit to DPRK anytime soon?~
Thanks for swinging by! Would love to visit DPRK (in a weird kinda way) but we’d have to go to China and in that way which makes the whole exercise even more expensive than it already is. We’re torn about providing tourist dollars straight to the regime too. But maybe one day our curiosity will win out and our bank balance will allow it, haha. Absolutely fascinating stuff though.
And isn’t that Buddha sculpture incredible? Its really buzzy to look at, like an optical illusion.
Hello you awesome people! Enjoying your blog very much 🙂
fun times. p.s totally agree with you on the feeding tourist dollars to the North Korean regime thing.
Ditto! We’ve been loving your gorgeous photos and the mix of antipodean/Asian – right up our alley 🙂 Gyeongju is one of our fav bits of Korea so particularly loved your recent post on it!
And yeah, its kinda hard to support pouring exorbitant amounts of money (have you SEEN how much it costs to visit?!?!) into a country where you know millions are starving…Shame though, because I’m sure its a fascinating place.
YESSS, my friend recently went and she said everything from the tour itself to accommodation and food was really really ridiculously expensive! I’m so fascinated/curious about NK as well but that’s the main thing holding me back from visiting…!!! The closest I’ve ever been is along the border at Yanji – where Tumen river is – but I didn’t see much more than a few patrol guards, a lot of grass and a fake village lol
Hey! Thanks for checking out our blog! We’ve enjoyed reading about your adventures in Korea!!! We’re just a little curious about how you find all your jobs. This is our first year of working abroad, but we plan on traveling around for a while, and we would love to hear any advice you have about finding jobs internationally.
To be honest, its a mixed bag of “how”s and “what”s…We both have varied backgrounds in administration, legal, hospitality, retail, ESL blah blah blah so we can kind of tailor our resume to suit the country or area we want to go.
Regarding teaching – we did TESOL/ESL training back in New Zealand and then used their online resources to look for jobs as well as just googling “ESL jobs” online. You’ll find there are thousands of jobs advertised around the world – its really a matter of doing as much research as possible as each country has different requirements/types of schools etc. If you’re interested in teaching in Korea, we can definitely give you more in-depth advice. There are some concrete things to avoid here!
With Hong Kong, again it was a matter of trawling online and using Global TESOL’s resources. Hong Kong is a much harder ESL market to break into but having experience under our belts helped.
The Cayman Islands was a different kettle of fish. I initially saw an ad in the paper advertising for legal secretaries/executives with a recruitment agency so secured work that way. Again, can give you loads of information that’s something you’re interested in. With Dan, he was working hospitality at the time so for him it was a matter of looking on the internet to check out the different bars/resorts etc and then just applied directly to them. That’s a particularly difficult way to find work in the Caymans for that industry but it worked in the end. It really does depend what industry you’re keen on and in what country. If you have some ideas, let us know and I’m sure we’ll be able to give you more specific advice!
If we could, we’d just travel without working but sadly, income is a necessary evil for us! On the plus side, we find settling down to live in a place for a while opens up very different opportunities and experiences to just ‘passing through’ as it is. Keep us posted!
Thanks so much! It sounds like y’all have had a blast working and exploring other places! It makes us even more excited for what the future holds. As far as the types of jobs we’re interested in, we will probably stick with teaching, because that’s what both our degrees are in, and what we’re familiar with. But who knows, maybe we’ll widen our scopes. For the time being, we are looking into getting our TESOL because I’m sure that would open us up to a larger world of opportunities.
I totally know what you mean about traveling without working. We would love to do that, but alas, we need money. 😦 It’s fun to be able to live in the culture instead of just pass through on vacation, you definitely have more opportunities!
Thanks for liking my image….continue to enjoy your travels and continue telling the story 🙂
Thank you so much for liking my post “Life on the road” on my blog “Diary of an art student” 🙂 Hope you’re having the time of your life and wish you Love, Light, and Laughter, Always 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hey guys, I’ve nominated you for a Liebster award! To accept, follow the link, answer the meme at the end of the post and spread the love to other bloggers 🙂
http://soynginger.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/11-questions-and-a-summer-canape-recipe/
Wow, sorry Jina – this got lost in the quagmire of bloggy stuff and we’re only just seeing it now. Thanks for the nomination!!!
Kia ora to you guys too, hey thanks for the follow, you have a great blog here. Keep traveling.
Cheers bro! Loving the pics of the wild and wonderful places you get to, too!
Thanks for the follow–looking forward to reading some of your posts and looking at some lovely travel photos 🙂
Thank you too!
Great blog! Amazing photos!
Thanks so much for your comments 🙂 We love what we do!
Hey! Thanks for the likes on our blog – will be following yours with interest. Us Kiwis got to stick together – it’s a big world outside NZ 🙂
We love discovering the blogs of other Kiwis out and about exploring the world! Thanks for popping over!
I just can’t wait for you to come to Ethiopia and amazing blog!
We look forward to it one day too! We’re definitely keen to enjoy some of the that amazing Ethiopian coffee with you.
you’re so lucky! and who knows…………..one of these days might even see you in North Wales ^_^
great blog!
Wales is a place we’d love to see one day. We’re ticking the countries off slowly…too many places, not enough time/money – sugar daddies/mummas/sponsors are welcome to fly us to exotic places anytime and shall be richly rewarded with our witty banter and excessive culinary enthusiasm, haha.
Sinwha arts village sounds really interesting! How do i get there? I couldnt find any directions on other websites.
Hi 🙂
Yeah, Sinwha is absolutely awesome – really interesting and beautiful too! Totally recommend taking a stroll through there on a gorgeous sunny day. Website in Korea generally, we found, absolutely sucked at giving directions to anywhere in English. Living in a teeny village there and having no local friends we did things the hard way and just mucked through directions with a view to always getting lost/confused initially but finding something extra and unexpected on the way to wherever we ACTUALLY meant to be, haha.
On that note, we kinda cheated this time – we caught a taxi from near Lotte Department Store and just gabbled “Sinwha, Sinwha” over and over again while wildly flapping a newspaper article about it in the taxi driver’s face. Sorry we can’t be more help 🙂
Hey guys,
I’ve been shown a teaching position in Ulsan. Ever hear of the Merit English school? If so, what can you tell me about them? Hope HK is grand!
James
Hi James,
Sorry, we haven’t heard of that one but can ask one of our friends still living there – she used to live in Ulsan and is familiar with a good number of the different hagwons. We’re assuming its a hagwon (private cram school type thing)?
Oh and if she doesn’t know it we can still give you loads of information about teaching in Korea, if you need it.
Cheers!
Ps. Hong Kong is AMAZING! We’ll get around to blogging about it when we finish our Indian epic 🙂
Yup, it’s a hagwon alright … if you could try, that’d be awesome! The school is north of the river in Ulsan city (not in the “sticks” where you guys ended up, lol 😛 )
Looking forward to hearing more about HK!
Do you know what area, specifically?
unfortunately not … sorry!
Hey Dan,
Was nice to meet you last night out in HK – no email addy on here but it seems you actually read your comments regularly 😉
India photos look great, and you are SO right about those monkeys. HK has similar monkey menaces…
Anyways, Dub Terminator is the guy from NZ you need to know: https://soundcloud.com/madsickill/rootstep-killah-1 is a nice instrumental
https://www.facebook.com/Dubterminatormusic for all sorts of stuff
Hope to cross paths again soon…
Peace,
A
Hey, I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award – congratulations! http://expateyeonlatvia.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/waffle-y-versatile/
Love your blog! So glad to have discovered it. Your perspective is anything but ordinary…which I love about it! 🙂
Bella
Thank you so much!
Hi! Came across your blog and really enjoyed it. I’m based in HK too and have recently started a travel blog. Cheers@=!
Hi! Thanks for your comments and apologies for only seeing this now – we’ve been a bit slack (okay, a LOT slack) lately but look forward to reading about more of your adventures. Loved the post about Wanaka – its not somewhere that crops up as often as it should on the travel blog scene and being a fierce New Zealand Southerner its cool to read about home 🙂 Hope you’re enjoying all Hong Kong has to offer!
eeeee!!! Just got your recipe in the mail for the eggplant!! ^_^ Not completely sure where I’ll find some of the ingredients… but hey, we have a wide variety of Asian stores, so SOMEONE must have these things, right?? Can’t wait to go exploring for items so I can make it soon!!!
Lol, didn’t think of that…I guess we’re so spoiled coming from NZ and now living in Hong Kong, countries where everything Asian is at our fingertips. Hope you enjoy it or at least some version of it – its a fantastic recipe. Fuschia Dunlop ROCKS.
Hi Dan – I was wondering if I could feature you in my regular ‘interviews with’ series… would you be interested? Ping me at bluebaluinHK at gmail dot com please and we can discuss next steps. I promise it is quick and easy!
Hello! I’ve been reading your website for some
time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you
a shout out from Huffman Tx! Just wanted to tell you
keep up the excellent job!
Thanks so much!
Post more delicious food soon, I miss being hungry 😉
Oh Captain, my Captain…apologies for our lack of posts of late. We are finding inspiration and time hard to get a grip on in our homeland! But food you say?! We sincerely promise to post a food related post very soon. I’m not sure you’ll find our Kiwi delights as interesting as our travel finds? Anything in particular you want to see or learn about, please let me know!
Well anything about caves is always welcome. Some of my friends including Dave Bunnell who took some great pictures, returned from New Zealand with fantastic tales of the caves they visited. I hope to head that direction perhaps before or after the 2017 ICS in Australia http://www.speleo2017.com/index.html
Don’t forget though that almost everything you take for ordinary and mundane may be unusual for folks across the world from you 🙂