Eric... : 치맥 Festival in Daegu

Saturday July 20th and Sunday July 21st
So. Woke up at met Karen and Callum at the Express bus terminal to head down to Daegu. It is about 3.5 hours away from Seoul. The busses are fantastic. We took the luxury bus, which was 10000 more each way than the regular, but well worth it. I have never been in a bus where I fit in the seats and where if the person in front of me leans back I do not get crushed. I fit and I did not get crushed. There were 3 seats in each row. 2 aisle 1. The seats were big and comfy and I was nowhere near smashed by the seat in front of me. So the bus there and back was 50000 won. Got to see some nice scenery driving down there. Mountains and little towns.I never really knew how mountainous Korea was. I know that there are mountains in Seoul, but the mountains go all of the way down.
We got to Daegu and met up with James. He is an English professor at Gyeongbuk University. Basically he has a job that I could get if I had above a bachelors degree. The difference between a hagwon kindergarten and a university. We all go and get a love motel room. A love motel is a cheap motel, where people go to have private time (It is not uncommon for multi generations of Koreans to live together, and many families, (grandparents, parents, and children all sleep in the same room), or what travelers stay in for cheap. The room was cozy, but not bad. Rob came by train. He had a meeting about a job.
We all left to go to the Daegu ChiMaek Festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P1BmZlWCws
If you do not remember ChiMaek or 치맥 is chicken and beer. This was the first year of the festival. It has a lot of potential... but it was pretty crazy. There were tons of Chicken places.... but the lines for each one was incredibly long. We literally waited an hour and a half to order our chicken... Now you may be thinking 'what?' instead of making chicken and just selling it. These places were making the chicken fresh. Yes... they fried the chicken per order instead of large batches. Fresh is good... but wow. There was a line for free beer too. So we waited in that line for 30 minutes, where they check out ID and give us a ticket for 3 free beers. They pulled Rob and James and myself out of line and helped up personally, and Karen, whom is Korean still had to go to the tent. Not like it really saved us much time. They did it when we were in the front of the line. Oh, I must mention Daegu is really hot and humid.
But James, Callum, Rob and I waited in line for the chicken together (Karen and another friend did a different line). While it may sound miserable, drinking and talking in line with a concert going on on the stage... well it was a blast.
We all got our chicken and ate some... decided it was time for a beer run... Well, before I left Seoul, I bought a chicken mask. So I put it on and went to get beer. Popular I was. A lot of people wanted to take pictures of me and with me. At one point there was a Dry Finish beer bottle walking around. I wanted a picture with it. You know, ChiMaek (chicken and beer). So after we took the picture, people almost lined up to take pictures with us. I was taking pictures for like 20 minutes. Then I also took pictures with a fake Psy. It was great.
Walking to catch a cab, I was still wearing the mask. Making people laugh, taking pictures, following people, and randomly yelling Beagaaak like when two people were walking toward me, or a couple holding hands, or by people at bus stops. People screamed and jumped. But the people that were walking behind us knew it was going to happen, and everyone just burst out in laughter every time.
We then went to some bar where James's friend was having a concert. Karen and Callum left, then Rob and I left shortly there after.
Sleeping was not great. Rob and I slept on the floor and Karen and Callum got the bed. Normally floor sleeping is not that bad for me... I just could not get comfortable. I think part of it was the allergies/cold was still bothering me, and also the fact that there was a bit of chafing that happened... as I said it was really hot and humid... and then wearing a chicken mask does not help, nor does being overweight and hairy.
I woke up at 9am, and the next person did not wake up till after 10. So I spent the morning reading on my phone. I have started The Count of Monte Cristo.
We met up with James and had pizza for lunch. The name of the place was NY Jets Pizza and they used the Jets logo. The pizza was actually really good. They just used the sweet tomato sauce that most places use in Korea. I am not a big fan of it. But other that that, it was happy.
We took a cab to the bus station, and waited at Starbucks till it was time for our bus to leave. I dozed in and out on the way back to Seoul.
I am spending the night doing laundry. I gave in and orderd McDelivery for dinner. I though about going and getting something... but walking still is sore. I hope I will feel better about walking tomorrow, and just feel better health wise tomorrow. The allergy/cold feels a lot better, but not up to 100% yet. I know 치맥 was not something that would help it... but oh well.

So here are some 치맥 pictures