Gwakppawon shares unreleased travel stories and nostalgic memories of paper maps

In new unreleased footage from Earth Marble World Tour 4, veteran traveler Gwakppawon reminisced about the romance of using paper maps before the 2008 emergence of the iPhone changed travel landscapes. The TEO release also reveals that the program's unplanned style involves continuously modifying plans and bookings until the day before departure.

Veteran world traveler Gwakppawon has shared behind-the-scenes stories from his travels that were not fully shown on broadcast. Unreleased footage from Earth Marble World Tour 4, released by TEO, contains his culinary experiences in Thailand, walking tours in Singapore, and reminiscences about travel methods from the era before smartphones.

"The era of carrying paper maps was true romance"... Changing travel landscapes

Gwakppawon mentioned the "romance" of the past, recalling the days when people carried paper maps to find specific addresses before the widespread use of smartphones. Reflecting on how travel methods changed rapidly with the emergence of the iPhone around 2008, he expressed regret that it has become difficult to find travel guidebooks like those used in the past now that the internet handles everything.

Describing his past travel styles, he shared his experience of frequently using Korean guesthouses. He explained that when local language skills were lacking and information was scarce, these guesthouses—which provided Korean-style breakfasts—were a great help in obtaining local information. In particular, he stated that the existence of the Korean community was effective in relieving the loneliness he felt while traveling South America for six months.

"It's not that there is no plan, but that we keep making them"... The reality behind Earth Marble's unplanned style

He also spoke about the production environment of Earth Marble World Tour 4, which proceeds without prior site inspections by the production team. Gwakppawon explained that while the program may appear to depart with no preparation, it actually involves a process of continuously planning and booking accommodations and routes up until the day before.

In particular, because this season involves many situations where decisions must be made spontaneously on-site without prior inspections, more time is required to secure accommodation bookings and movement routes. "It is not that we are unprepared, but rather that the process of repeatedly modifying plans and making reservations on-site is repeated," Gwakppawon said, pointing out the unpredictable charm unique to the program.

Singapore 'Line-up Tour', searching for optimized routes

After completing a gourmet tour in Thailand, Gwakppawon moved to Singapore to showcase an efficient walking tour connecting "neighboring houses." He named his personal style of minimizing movement and optimizing routes the "Line-up Tour." Amidst the scenery of Singapore where high-rise buildings and European-style buildings harmonize, he continued his meals while enjoying Vietnamese pho and spring rolls.

He gave the practical reason that when craving Korean food while traveling abroad, pho is "good for replacing Korean food when you crave soup-based dishes." He also showed the side of a veteran traveler by sharing his own eating rules, such as eating vegetables first for blood sugar management. At a cafe visited afterward, he experienced Singapore's modern payment environment using a QR payment system.

Source: original video (YouTube)