So it is really, really, really a bad idea to not blog about things as they happen. Especially when it comes to traveling in a foreign country where the whole experience blends together into one awesome trip but you end up not really remembering the particulars. I set off with one of my friends that I met while living in Germany, Jody Dean, to head to South Korea. We went to visit another "German" friend, Angela Ellsworth, who has been stationed there with her family for 2 years. This was a kind of last minute trip and I'm so happy Jody made it work to come with me. We had so much fun, ate lots of interesting and yummy food and spent almost 2 weeks laughing. It was a much needed girls get together for all three of us!
We spent some time walking around Pyeongtaek which is the closest big city to where Angela is stationed with the Army. The city really comes alive at night, with all the lights and people out shopping.
Angie and her husband Kent took us out for our first taste of Korean food, it was delicious!
Our first adventure was to head down South toward Daegu, South Korea.
A photo of a rice patty field taken from the car as we drove down south to Daegu.
A quick stop at a Buddhist sanctuary in Gayason National Park
On the steps leading up to the Haeinsa Buddhist Temple. The walk up to the temple was so beautiful. We were in the National Park and the trees were lovely. It was a bit hot and humid but being able to walk through the peaceful forest was wonderful. You can understand why they chose this spot to build a temple. This temple was originally built in 802 AD...that's OLD
Jody and Angie posing on the temple grounds
This drum is used during the day to summon the monks to prayer
Such a beautiful location surrounded by mountains.
This temple is unique in that it holds the Tripitaka Koreana collection. The entire Buddhist scripture carved onto 81,350 wood blocks is housed in this building. We couldn't go inside but....
...there was a photo of what it looks like inside, which was pretty cool. I love how this photo looks like Angie is choosing a movie at Blockbuster:) This temple has housed this collection since 1398.
I stole this picture from Google Images because all the temples had "no photo" signs all over them. You had to take off your shoes as you entered the temple. People were praying and making offerings to these Buddha statues.
The colors they used to decorate were so vibrant and beautiful.
Jody and I being silly...
...very silly!
The walk back to our car through the forest. Did I mention we had lots of fun and mostly laughed the whole week?? Love these ladies!
While in Daegu we figured we should probably hike up to the Apsan Observation Deck. This hike took us through miles (like, a lot!) of forest. We hiked straight up and then hiked straight down. We figured there was probably an easier way to reach the platform but we didn't really know where we were going so we ended up hiking the whole darn thing. I was so hot and sweaty and ready to get back to the car! But I will admit that the views from the top of the mountain were spectacular!
Just starting out on our hike. Little did we know our adventure would take us 4 hours and many gallons of sweat before we were through:)
Stairs, that go straight up!
In Korea it's not enough to hike all day on trails so they have these little exercise stops placed through out the forest so you can get a nice ab workout in while you hike:)
Wonderful view of the city of Daegu from the top of the mountain trail.
Now we are hiking back down the mountain on a different trail to try and find the viewing platform.
We made it to the viewing platform!
Almost back to the parking lot and we came upon this temple all decked out in colorful lanterns. It was a nice, colorful pick me up after a long, long hike!
While in Daegu we also visited the famous market place. Lots of interesting sights and smells, as you can imagine:)
Angie standing at the entrance to the market place. It was a "bit" crowded!
Interesting things to see...
...and smell...
...and taste!
After our trip to Daegu we were ready for another adventure. This time the DMZ! We joined up with a tour that took us to different sites in the DMZ. Unfortunately we weren't able to book at tour that actually took us to the JSA (Joint Security Area) where you can actually step across the border into North Korea. Oh well, I'll just have to come back and do that another day!
We took this bus to the train station. You seriously had to hold on and sit down or you were going out the window. This bus driver didn't brake for anything! Angie says all bus rides are that crazy in South Korea!
Our first stop on the tour was the freedom bridge site. This photo shows prayer ribbons that people have placed on the fence showing their desire for reunification.
This train shows bullet holes and other damage from the war. It was abandoned right in the "no mans zone" and sustained many injuries from both sides.
The "Freedom Bridge" stretching from South to North Korea. Of course it is currently not in use but there is hope that it may one day open.
Next stop on the tour was the Dorasan train station. Again, this train station is not in use because it was built as a connecting line for North and South. It cost 40 million dollars to build this station and it has no use...maybe one day?
For our next stop they took us to a viewing platform where we could look across to North Korea. The guide said the rule was that you could not take photos of North Korea unless you were actually in the photo. So here is my "North Korean Selfie!"
My favorite stop of the day was the trip down into the "Third Tunnel of Aggression" Our tour guide didn't get us tickets on the awesome cable car that runs down to the tunnel (60 stories below ground) so we had to walk it. Which was fine going down but not so fun coming back up!
I stole this image from Google because there were no photos allowed but you can see how it was pretty cramped down there. The story goes that North Korea dug these tunnels under the ground after the Korean War to try and find a way to invade South Korea. South Korea has so far found 4 of these tunnels but they are sure there are more they haven't discovered yet.
Happy little photo in the DMZ
No Smiling Allowed at the DMZ
We needed a few days to recover from all our exploring so we hung out at Angie's house for a few days. We went to a market, ate some yummy food, got pedicures and just relaxed.
Totally pampered!
Super yummy, cook it yourself at the table, Korean bbq!
OK, that was enough relaxing! While hanging out we also had to take a day trip to the Hwaseong Fortress. Super crazy story about this fortress. This is what Wikipedia has to say: Hwaseong Haenggung was built by King Jeongjo to restore the honor of his father, Crown Prince Sado. The Crown Prince, who suffered from extreme mental illness, was killed by his father who declared him unfit to be king. Sado met an unfortunate fate of being sealed alive in a wooden rice box until he died of starvation. This tragic but enthralling story is memorialized at the palace today in the form of replica rice chests that can be crawled into by undaunted tourists.
Crazy right?
Walking around the fortress wall
It just kept going and going...
Hanging out at one of the 4 entrances to the fortress.
Oh, and then there were stairs!
Inside the Hwaseong Fortress
The beautiful 600 year old "wishing tree" People write their wishes on bits of paper and then attach them to the fence surrounding the tree.
A replica of the rice chest Prince Sado was executed in. I can't imagine being squeezed in the box for days without food or water as I slowly died in the hot South Korean sun!
My friends are so silly...
...oh wait, so am I!
Our final big adventure was a trip to Seoul. Jody, Angie and I went up on the bus and Angie's family met us up there a few days later. Seoul was a wonderful way to end our time in South Korea. What a wonderful city full of great history and shopping!
Super fun antique shopping district.
Yes, I'm cool
Of course we found ways to eat our way through the city!
We spent a few hours looking around the Korean War museum. I found it very informative as I really didn't know much about the Korean war and how close the South came to loosing to the North.
We got to witness the changing of the guard at the Gyeongbok Palace.
The throne room at the palace.
The Queen's private garden at the palace
We saw many people dressed in traditional Korean clothes. Our tour guide explained that the younger generation have brought these clothes back into style.
Our final day in Korea was spent in Seoul. We were joined by Angie's family as well as my sister Paige that had flown into Korea the day before to spend some time with her husband who had been deployed to Korea for a few months. It was a super, duper fun day and a perfect way to end my time in Korea!
Being silly in front of our hotel, waiting for Paige to show up!
We took the cable car up to Seoul Tower. All those colorful locks behind us were placed there as "love locks" by star struck Korean lovers:)
Our view at the top of Seoul Tower
We found this step to be quite "shocking!"
There just happened to be a cultural demonstration going on at the tower. Angie's daughter Gabby got called up to participate.
We got to see some pretty fancy martial arts demonstrations
Loving Seoul
Most interesting experience had to be a trip to "Dr. Fish" You put your feet in a tank full of fish and they nibble off all your dead skin. We all thought it felt pretty freaky to have fish nibbling our feet, but I just LOVE this photo of Jody:)
Strike a pose...Korean style
The perfect way to end my trip...gelato.
I absolutely loved this trip! I had never been to an Asian country and so I didn't really know what to expect. I found it more expensive than I imagined. I also found it very English speaking friendly as most signs were in English as well as Korean. I loved seeing so much of the country, the mountains, the rice fields, the cities. What an adventure! So glad I subscribe to the philosophy that you can't take your money with you when you die but you can take your memories!!
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