The Matiz meets Jeju: Rise and Shine and Asia's Best

After soaking up loads of rain camping the previous night and hiking Hallasan during the day, the evening of August 20th lead the Harringtons to set up their tent under a pavilion "just in case". With an extra layer of protection, the Harringtons remained relatively cool and had a good night's sleep which came to an end dark-and-early the morning of the 21st.

Realizing that their Korean vacation was hours from coming to a close, the Harrington's knew that their final day needed to be filled with quintessential activities, starting with a sunrise hike of Seongsan - a famous and oft depicted crater of Jeju Island. The hike was quick, easy and shared with numerous Korean tourists who were eager to shoot numerous photos of this iconic Jeju Island experience. 

The Matiz Meets Jeju: Fanta Cans, Squid and Pirates

Waking up on a beautiful little knoll overlooking the ocean was nothing short of beautiful and tranquil. The Harringtons took their time walking the pup and breaking camp before loading into the Matiz and hitting the road with the goal being to end up in or near Seogwipo by evening.

Having scoured the map for unique and interesting things to do while on Jeju Island, the couple was intrigued by the possibility of taking a tour of the waters by none other than a submarine. Since there was a submersion site between their current location and the city of Seogwipo the two decided to check it out.

 Unfortunately, as the couple began their trek toward the submarine tour headquarters they were distracted by the rumble and grumble of what seemed to be a malfunctioning muffler. Unconvinced that they wanted to spend the coming days yelling over wind and muffler rumblings Mike had the bright idea to search out some 'tools' and take a go at patching up this slight nuisance.

So it was, the couple found themselves grabbing breakfast from a local 7-11 and sitting down with a Fanta can, pocket knife and electrical tape with the goal of decreasing the noise level of the sweet little Matiz for the duration of the trip (or for their days in Korea in all actuality).

Soon enough, things were patched and the noise level decreased...for a while at least.

Our Last Matiz Road-Trip: Village Camping and Catching a Ferry

With bellies full and having enjoyed a gorgeous sunset, the Harringtons said their farewell to Mandy and the city of Busan and headed west in search of a place to camp. Being near the coast, the couple assumed that finding a beach would not be entirely difficult. As the couple neared Suncheon Bay they noticed signs for Hwapo Beach and determined that that was their destination and where they hoped to camp for the evening.

Unfortunately, the signs for Hwapo Beach suddenly disappeared and no longer offered any hope to the increasingly tired and unsure couple. So after Melissa offered her opinion on what to do, Mike did the exact opposite (because slowly but surely the couple is learning that, in terms of directions and decisions on the road, Melissa's instinct is never correct) and soon enough the couple was pulling off onto a small dirt road which showcased signs for the mysterious Hwapo Beach. Expecting to find a sandy beach near these newly discovered signs the Harringtons were a little unsure about the concrete docks which seemed to be the equivalent of Hwapo Beach. Nonetheless, sleep was coming on heavy and the docks provided an acceptable place to set up camp and so it was the Harringtons set up camp and woke up to discover they were in fact in an incredibly quaint and peaceful fishing village.

Our Last Matiz Road-trip: Temples and Beaches

Waking up on a quiet beach after a night of storms and scared pups is still waking up on a quiet beach and therefore refreshing and life-giving and absolutely perfect for vacationing. Waking up on a quiet beach and promptly grabbing an iced latte for her and a fresh lemonade for him adds to the perfection. Waking up on a quiet beach and having the perfect morning beverages in hand and making your way to a seaside Buddhist temple reassures you that life is in fact precious and beautiful and that vacations are essential to the soul.

Hitting the Road with our Last Galma Guest

Ready to enter full out vacation mode, the Harringtons and the 'last Galma guest' loaded up the Matiz early on the morning of Wednesday, the 15th of August. The goal was to arrive in and enjoy a bit of Busan with a couple more days of Busan-enjoyment to follow.

The Matiz was packed full with people, belongings and of course a sweet little 3-legged dog.

After making the mandatory, Korea-rest-area Pit Stop, the man Harrington suggested stopping in Gyeongju where many dramas have been filmed/set and where the couple had previously road-tripped and enjoyed the sights immensely the winter before. The warmth of spring and summer had worked their magic on the city of Gyeongju and all who occupied the Matiz were grateful for their decision to stop over.

Muju Firefly Festival

Since arriving in South Korea, the Harrington's have enjoyed their fair share of festival-going-shenanigans. Being the easy-to-please-folks that they are, they generally leave festival grounds feeling as though the day was well spent, even if a few things were amiss. However, most foreigners have more than a few bouts of disappointment when attending some of Korea's festivals as there is frequently a trend to over-promise and under-deliver. (Daejeonites who've been here a while may recall the great Rock Band and International Beer fiasco!?!)


So, with relatively low expectations for the festivities themselves, yet knowing their ability to enjoy a day trip regardless of the occasion, the Harrington's made their way to the Muju Firefly Festival

The Bear (un)Necessities

Unlike the typical academic calendar in the United States which offers a short (2-week) winter vacation and a long (3 month) summer vacation, Korea offers approximate 2 months in both the winter and summer (although, this summer will only be a week or two over one month). Regardless of these differences, the truth is, for westerners who are used to hitting summer livin' late in May or early in June having to work through July and conduct camps into August makes for a less than anticipated summer vacation. Therefore, each educator easily embraces any and every holiday, even those that fall on a Wednesday.

 So it was, with joy in their hearts and a mid-week chance to sleep in, that the Harrington's found themselves getting together with good friends Hyunhee and Hakcheol for a short road trip toward Jochiwon where they would explore Bear Tree Park.

Pensions, Beaches and Green Tea: Happy Birthday Buddha

In order to perfectly round out the month of May, the Harrington's were thrilled to come face to face with a three-day weekend. Monday, May 28th of 2012 happened to coincide with the lunar date dictating Buddha's birthday (or arrival on earth) and allowed many residents of South Korea to enjoy an extra day of sleeping in and/or exploring the peninsula. The Harrington's made the most out of the weekend by celebrating, barbecuing, camping and exploring.

Saturday got off to a slow start with Melissa putting the finishing touches on a cover letter and resume for a dream job and Mike gathering the necessary items for a successful weekend which included tents, sleeping bags, home-made root-beer and home-brewed cider and beers.

With their tasks accomplished and fully yearning for a get-away, the couple loaded up the car and headed just south of town to Jang-tae san a recreational forest boasting a Sky Tower and Tree-top Tower walkway. However, the forest wasn't the sole purpose of the Harrington's outing, rather the couple was heading off to a Pension where they would spend the evening and the following morning celebrating Ryan's (one of Mike's soccer buddies) birthday. The afternoon and evening were filled with barbecued duck, pork, beef, a few veggies, more than a few pitchers of beer and bottles of makgoli, birthday cake, food offerings to and from Korean families at the same pension, a roaring campfire and numerous drinking games.

Morning came all too soon for some of those celebrating, including the Harrington's who struggled to sleep on the hard, heated floors of the pension. Regardless, the crew cleaned up their site, grabbed some orange juice, soaked up some morning sun along the river and went their separate ways with most returning to Daejeon while M'n'M made their way into the recreational forest and further South to the coastal city of Yulpo. 

As mentioned earlier, Jangtae-san boasts a Sky Tower and Tree-top walkway which provided the Harrington's a pleasant start to the day but were nothing entirely impressive or worth ranting about.

Stories from the Couch: Baseball Mania

On Sunday, April 22nd, the Harrington's loaded up the car and headed north toward Cheongju, the current home of Daejeon's Hanwha Eagles while the home stadium is under construction.  And while the Harrington's love a good game of baseball on a Sunday afternoon as much as any Apple-pie fed Americans, their main purpose in attending this specific game was due in large part to the CouchSurfer they picked up at the bus terminal before heading to Cheongju.

Waka is relatively new to CouchSurfing, but not to the sport of baseball. On the contrary, Waka is

Gyeongju Road Trip 2012: Mountain Views and Shady Villages

Waking on Sunday morning was similar to the previous morning in that the main objectives were 1) get out of bed and 2) find breakfast and coffee. If you're new to Korea or don't live here you may be surprised to know that coffee shops aren't always open at the early morning hour of 9am and they rarely have their pastries fresh and ready at that god-awful early morning hour, but this crew wanted another bun with coffee and we're pleased to find the Papa Roti was able to provide just that.

With sugar and caffeine flowing in their veins the crew loaded the car and set out in search of a mountain location famous for some Buddhist stone carvings in an open air-cave. Much to the Harrington's delight, this destination is not number one for most in the Gyeongju area so after wandering down some narrow little streets in "redneck" Korea the Matiz was parked next to two other vehicles and a steep ascent began before they reached an impressive enclave of carved stones and group of snacking Koreans taking part in a lecture of sorts, possibly on the sacredness of the place where they all sat in their brightly colored North Face jackets, trekking poles leaning on the rock walls behind them. Regardless of being surprised by the presence of this rather large group for such a small place, the location once again reverberated with that feeling of importance and sacredness that the Harrington's and friends had enjoyed throughout the weekends sight-seeing.

Coming off the mountain, the group desired to pull into a town which claimed to have a street devoted to the sweetly marinated bul-go-gi beef for which Korea is famous for, however this delicacy was not to be found. Rather, the Matiz took the foursome down the two main streets and down the narrow roads criss-crossing the rice-paddies before dreams of bul-go-gi slowly faded as the crew left a town which a) did not provide what they claimed and b) had a creepiness vibe unlike other small villages according to Jon.

Fortunately, the Korean expressways are sure to provide a fine dining experience for the weary and hungry traveler so upon sighting such a location, the Harrington's and friends pulled in, ordered some Korean fare, played some arcade basketball and waited for their number to be called before getting their fill and finally returning home to Daejeon.

Gyeongju Road Trip 2012: Sacred Mornings and Ancient Tombs

Following a restful nights sleep, the Harrington's and friends pulled themselves out of bed with great effort and set out to explore the ancient capital of South Korea.  Beginning with a bun and a coffee and a quick stop at the information booth the crew was soon ready to load into the Matiz and make their way out toward Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto on the outskirts of the city.  The two locations, each set apart in worship and honor of the Buddha, offer a truly sacred atmosphere, especially during the cold and non-peak-travel time month of February.  Not being particularly inclined toward visiting temples, the Harrington's were nonetheless taken in by the beauty and peacefulness of Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram which are also UNESCO World Heritage sites. Additionally, the Harrington's continuously enjoy travelling to Korea's biggest hit destinations in an attempt to 'collect' National Treasure sightings.



Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju, South Korea

Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju, South Korea

Seokguran Grotto, Gyeongju, South Korea

Having soaked in the serenity and tranquility of these mountain top temples and holy places, the crew loaded into the Matiz and headed onward toward the east coast where they planned to grab lunch and spend the afternoon exploring various ancient tombs.

Before caring on too far with their afternoon however, the crew stopped in a small restaurant for 회국수 (huey guk su - raw fish noodle soup) which was more like 회냉면 (huey naeng myun - raw fish cold noodles) but served as a passable lunch and offered a sufficient fill for making way toward the tombs.

To begin, the crew headed to the underwater tomb of King Munmu.  Based on information available in English, King Munmu not only united the three Korean dynasties during his lifetime but committed himself to protecting the peninsula as a dragon...which is why he was buried in the sea, near the country he so cared for and where he could most effectively ward off the Japanese as his reincarnated dragon self.

The tomb itself is seen from the shores of the sea and appears to be little more than a rock islet.  However, while the four friends wandered the beach, they could not help but feel the importance of this place for the Korean people.   Whether it was a group of Koreans unloaded from tourist buses, a small family gathering or one devout worshipper the beach that day welcomed a number of reverent Koreans and Buddhists offering their prayers to the great wide open before them. Along with their prayers, eels were offered either to the sea, the dragon King or the seagulls, the visitors could not be entirely certain.

Having enjoyed the fresh sea air, the Matiz was again loaded down with passengers returning to the city where the travelers would meander the grounds of numerous Silla dynasty tombs which resemble well manicured hills with accompanying mood lighting by night, but are filled with much greater history and worth than their outsides would let on.

All the Fantastic Eats of Gyeongju Road Trip 2012

To cap off the day of Korean tourism at it's best and finest the crew of four headed to Ku-Ro as recommended by Frommer's guidebook for a fantastic meal of 쌈밥 (lettuce wraps of rice and an insanely wide variety of Korean side dishes) before returning to their hotel for a rolicking good game of Redneck Life accompanyed by wine and coke, a few beers and another restful nights sleep.

Redneck Life

Gyeongju Road Trip 2012: Lovin' It!

Unwilling to truly admit that another set of dear friends will take off come the end of the month yet going through certain motions regardless, the Harrington's planned and executed a weekend road trip to Gyeongju with Jon and Whitney.  Wanting to make the most of the weekend the crew loaded up the Matiz on Friday night, stopped at Daejeon's only drive-thru (a McDonald's of course) and made their way out of town...kind of. 

Since becoming a driving family in Korea, the Harrington's have been learning that street signs are not entirely helpful, especially within the city. Generally, signs are placed about two inches prior to the turn leaving the driver to watch their street go by and soon realize the next series of streets are more labyrinthal than grid-style and leave the hopeless driver mazing through the streets in a hunt for the ill-placed sign that caused the problem in the first place. The Harrington's (along with Jon and Whitney) hypothesize that once-upon-a-time Korea began putting up signs and were about to adjust various aspects to make them more amiable to the driver when they realized, everyone has a GPS, who needs signage? Needless to say, the most difficult part of any road trip is leaving the city.

Once on the expressway however, Gyeongju was only a short 2 hour drive away. Thrilled to be out and exploring the great peninsula of Kimchi-lovers in a city renowned for it's historical significance the crew stopped at Anapji Pond to take in the peaceful night scence where once existed part of the Silla dynasty palace complex. Complete with mood lighting and soft music in the background, the pond was truly glorious and did a wonder to calm any nerves on high alert from the maze-like streets of Daejeon.

Hearing what was assumed to be the 'last call' over the Pond's loudspeakers, the Harrington's and friends reloaded into the car and set out to find cheap accomodations and a nice place to share a pitcher of beer. As is generally the case, the cheapest (and most well 'lit') accomodations were near the Bus Terminal of the city. Here the crew debated between 'Happy Time Hotel', 'Liebe Hotel' and 'Dollar Hotel' among others, before settling on Seorim (?) Hotel for the meager amount of 25,000 Won ($25US). For those familiar with Korean Love Motels, this one was quite mild and provided a rather reasonable sleeping experience.  For those unfamiliar with Korean Love Motels, stay tuned to the Harrington Times for a more detailed report later.

With a place to sleep secured, the crew took a short walk before ducking into Loss Time bar to share a pitcher of beer and end the first night of the Road Trip in true road trip fashion!

Jinju's Famous Castle (a.k.a. Fortress)

Following an enjoyable evening exploring Jinju's lantern festival, a packed-tight-ocean-side-camping-venture and island exploration, the crew you've read about all month (Mike, Melissa, Aaron and Lady Annyeong) made their way back into Jinju to explore the festival grounds and nearby 'castle' before heading north to Daejeon. The fortress is extensive, beautiful and wonderful for a mid-day stroll and city views. Filled with families and couples during the days of the festival, fortress grounds also offered unique photo opportunities (as in how Lady is now 'headless') and of plentiful people watching opportunities.

The final hours in Jinju were spent tracking down Jinju Bi-bim-bap (which should have had raw beef, but didn't, but was still delicious), steaking out a firework viewing patch of hill and enjoying the glowing lanterns one more time.  Once all was said and done, the car was loaded, Melissa was dozing and Daejeon was only a mere hour and a half away.

And that dear readers is the one thrilling travel of the Harrington's as Melissa then decided to go doubled-up style on her MAED and has been begrudgingly typing paper after paper every weekend since. Fortunately, there's a light at the end of the tunnel and the MAED will be finished on January 16th, 2012 just in time for two thrilling non-Korean adventures! Hoo-zah!

South Coast Camping and Nam-hae Island Tour

Having enjoyed lantern festivities, cool night air and the worlds most succulent roasted chicken, the Harrington crew and couch guy made their way toward an unknown destination in hopes of finding a piece earth upon which to set a tent. Falling asleep in shotgun, Melissa offered little to no help in anything having to do with settling in for the night. However, the commitment and determination of man Harrington to camp in Korea with the wits of a SmartPhone finally had the crew somewhere - on the south coast - of the peninsula, near a park, between ocean and rice field with a tent full of rambunctious adjummas (Korean for funky old women, much like the one seen here -- in the second video) within earshot. Like manly men, Aaron and Mike set up the tent and soon after, all were drifting in (and occasionally) out of sleep with Lady sliding around sleeping bags for the ensuing night.

Morning came quickly for Melissa, as is to be expected, so she took care of some business including walking Lady Annyeong through some nasty, destructive Korean flora that was eager to prick and stick onto fur and pajama pants. While getting all the prickly character's off of the Lady and finally settling in to read some Dracula while letting the boys sleep Melissa ran her fingers over the Lady and made a most unpleasant discovery amongst her white fur-coat, a tick. So it was, with squeals and gags Melissa aroused the men and coerced the Man into extracting the nasty little blood-sucker who so desperately wanted to be cast as Count Dracula on poor little Lady's neck.

From tick extraction and tent collapsing one naturally heads further south to explore the islands that be. For this crew, that was Nam-hae Island, full of joyous wonders such as American Village and German Village (neither of which were visited this round), desolate October beaches yearning to be a part of energetic and exciting photographs, raw, bony, spicy fish and simple, stunning seaside beauty.

Let it be known, that getting off the beaten track and/or enjoying Korea in the off season is sure fire way to rejuvenate the worn and weary Native English Teacher.

Floating Lanterns and Festivities in Jinju, South Korea

The night of October the 7th, the Harrington duo alongside their Sofa-Sleeping friend Aaron and the most trustworthy sidekick Ms. Lady Annyeong loaded up the dear Guemi Matiz and hit the expressway en route to Jinju. About 2 hours, an egg salad sandwich and an unfortunate exit choice later, the crew pulled into Jinju, South Korea where festivities were just beginning to light up and had yet to receive the full flux of weekend travelers. So it was that the Harrington family and Mr. Fitz enjoyed an evening of glowing lanterns, candle-lit-floating-lantern-wishes, tunnels of glowing-red-lanterns, joyous children, fire-breathing phoenix and dragons, floating river bridges, heaps of food scraps for the Lady and a most amazing late-night-chicken-snack all on a Friday night. Having enjoyed the festivities and committed to setting up a tent and sleeping in it, the crew made their way south (slightly unknowingly) and pitched their tent between the sea and a rice field .

The Jinju Lantern Festival was fully enjoyable on all accounts. For the Harrington's, arriving Friday night was a special joy as the crowds were smaller and partaking in the festivities proved much easier than when the crew attended the same festival on Saturday night. Saturday night was highlighted by

Fresh Eats and a 108 Ft. Tall Buddha

A polite suggestion and a three day weekend lead to the Harrington's enjoying yet another road trip, enjoying a Subway sandwich and touring the temple grounds of Song-ni-san National Park. Having caught wind of a nearby Subway shop on Thursday night, the Harrington's began daydreaming about the delight which is found in fresh baked bread, southwest chipotle sauce and the simplicity of 'eating fresh'. Four days later, they had found directions, called up the Dickerson-Bradford's and loaded up the car en route to Cheongju on October 3, a national holiday in honor of the foundation of Korea (a story which involves lots of garlic, bears, tigers and the son of a god - which is best saved for a later date when all the details are worked out) and set about finding Dream Plus near Cheongju's bus terminal. The building was easier to find than expected and the crew need only wait until 10:30 a.m. before they were able to order their foot-long subs which would later be enjoyed in the crisp, clean October air at the foot of one of South Korea's National Parks.

Continuing on, the couple enjoyed the beauty that is Korea's countryside on the windy roads leading to Songnisan National Park. Known for it's gigantic Golden Buddha built in 1993 and an ancient 5-story wooden Pagoda, Songnisan has numerous visitors throughout the year and a holiday weekend only increased the amount of visitors making the trip. Regardless, the sites were beautiful, the day perfect and the meal prior to wandering the grounds absolutely fantastic! While Korean food does much to please the taste buds of the Harrington duo, not much can beat the satisfaction of a hearty and delicious sandwich which Subway so perfectly provides.

Getting There (Subway): Get to Cheongju's Bus Terminal, either one, whether by bus or car or taxi and look for the Dream Plus building (pictured in the first collage, top left) . It is between the Bus Terminals, near Lotte Mart and a number of nice cafes and restaurants. Subway is on the first floor and opens at 10:30.

Getting There (National Park): Not sure. Most parks have a bus that will go into them. By car you can take National Road 25 from Cheongju or the Expressway 3. Out of Daejeon, take the Expressway or National Road 37. You should see many signs for 속리산. Southern entrance provides views of temple grounds and large Buddha whereas entering on the northern side will provide for less congested hiking opportunities and more picturesque scenes which the Harrington's have now placed on their 'to-do list'.

Anseong Winery Tour and Grape Harvest 'Festival'

In order to bid farewell to the month of September, the Harrington's joined a meet-up group, loaded the car (primarily with their bodies, some maps and a handful of snacks) and made a quick jaunt north to Anseong, home of Kenneth Kim's Winery. Legitimately interested in wine-making and beer brewing, Mike was excited to see the inner workings of a Korean winery and Melissa was simply content in knowing she'd get to take in a fair share of complimentary wine throughout the day.

The trip began with a visit to a Grape and Wine history museum that culminated in dixie cup filled with grape vinegar which was surprisingly refreshing (at least, the first sip was). From the museum, our guide and host Ken politely acquiesced to a request to visit the French Catholic Missionary where Anseong's wine tradition began in 1901 according the Official Site of Korea Tourism. The abbey building was a unique combination of traditional Korean design and of course classic European cathedral design. The building today is an interesting contrast to the cement block church which greets visitors to the abbey.

Following these initial aspects of the day of wine, the Harrington's and meet-up crew made their way to a nice lakeside restaurant for a wide variety of traditional Korean dishes and the first samplings of Kenneth Kim's wines. Wines ranged from whites, to ports, to sherry's and other red varieties. There was no holding back on Ken's part and wine glasses remained full through the meal and two vocal performances from meet-up attendees who had professed and hidden talents in the world of music and performance.

With bellies finally filled the crew re-loaded the bus and made their way to the wine 'estates'. As is expected, Korea is not Napa Valley. That out of the way, the winery was ultimately right up the alley of Mike and Melissa with their humble Wyoming upbringing and acceptance of all things done with a dose of redneck thrown in. Highlights, other than the continuation of free-flowing wine included a dark, dank dungeon of a wine cellar, wine in large plastic bottles most generally associated with Culligan-type water systems, heavy-duty brick wall paper covering the small abode and the outrageously massive power line serving as a reminder that while you may be in the countryside, it remains that you are in fact on a small peninsula filled with millions of people who appreciate electricity.

Additional highlights of the hours spent on the estates were live music, grape chowing and grape stomping and walking away with complimentary bottles of wine.

The days events came with a number of opportunities to receive a discount these included 10,000 for joining this meet-up group, 10,000 for early-registration and 20,000 providing your own transport. So it was, the Harrington's each paid 40,000 for a day of touring and drinking, eating and drinking a bit more (but not so much as to be unsafe to drive) while walking away with a 30,000 won bottle of wine each. Overall, looks as the couple made out quite well.

For others thinking of touring, look for a good deal such as this and you should have no regrets. Remember you're in Korea, not California and you should have no regrets. Consider going with a meet-up group as you may luck out and meet a few individuals who are interesting, kind and willing to sell/give you some hops for brewing. You may also meet individuals with whom you disagree and could get on fine without ever meeting again, but you'll never know unless you try it!

Driving in Korea: Obtaining a Korean Driver's License

So you want to stop wasting time waiting in lines for buses, taxis, trains and subways, and have decided to join the world of convenience, high gas prices, perpetual taxi vs. scooter wars, and traffic jams, huh? Well, I hope you're up to the challenge of driving in Korea. The first challenge that presents itself is becoming a legal road warrior. You need to get a driver's license. There are three ways to become a legal driver in Korea:

1.) Obtain an International Driver's License. This can be done online, or in your native country before arriving in Korea. However, it can only be used as a valid Korean Driver's License for 1 year in before you have to convert it to a legitimate Korean Driver's License.

2.) Obtain a Korean Driver's License by using a license issued in your native country. This is the process that I recently went through, and will be writing about getting this done outside of Seoul, specifically in Daejeon. This requires handing over your native country's driver's license (it will be given back upon departure).

3.) Obtain a Korean Driver's License from scratch. This can be done at your city's Driver's License Office (운전면허시험장). You will have to take a written test (in English), a driving test, and attend a safety class. This doesn't require giving up your home country's license.


Still with me? Ok, so if you don't have an international driver's license, and you are willing to hand over your original driver's license, then step 2 is the way to go. In order to complete step 2 you will need the following: