I am home from a five-day trip to Jeju-do, the Honeymoon Island. It was beautiful and we had a wonderful time! [more entries regarding that to come] Below is a little taste of the beach, the water, the sun, the fun...
Friday afternoon, Will and I went to Seoul to replace his computer's faulty AC adapter. We took the opportunity to fit in some touristy stops. We hit our favorite electronics market in Yongsan. I may have bought more movies. ;) I have a small addiction to CHEAP movies... and because Will shares my addiction, the guy there loves us. We are officially "VIP" customers. [The pic is from a few weeks ago... but you get the idea.]
Then it was on to COEX (a HUGE mall) to get haircuts. Will has a favorite gal, so we went to visit her. I got an Asian haircut too! My hair is short again and I think I will be really thankful during the next month of traveling... less maintenance is always good when you're not sure how dependable the hot water will be or where the nearest hairdryer is.
Across from COEX is the Bongeunsa Buddhist Temple. We walked over to snap a few pictures and found a lantern festival. The sky was filled with lit lanterns... It was beautiful, almost other-worldly. We meandered on the grounds and enjoyed the colorful summer evening.
Once it was time to head "home," we squeezed ourselves on the subway with EVERYONE else in Seoul and went to Jongnowon Hotel. I took a much needed nap before we left to find the next stop on our adventure tour, Dongdaemun.
We had to experience Dongdaemun, Asia's largest outdoor market that is open all-night, before we left Korea. To be completely honest, I don't ever want to go back! It was overwhelming... BUT now we can say that we've been there. We stopped for beer and fried chicken on the way back, finally going to sleep at around 4:00 am.
We had had BIG plans for our Saturday... but after the all-night market, we weren't really up for BIG plans. Instead we walked to the Blue House (the Korean equivalent to the White House) and said a quick hello to the President. We got lost a few times, but were glad of it, because we found a nice park, some quaint coffee shops and art galleries. I loved the neighborhood! It was packed with people out enjoying the beautiful weather on a Saturday afternoon. So if Will or I end up moving to Korea, we will definitely buy houses in the President's neighborhood! :)
Last stop before home was Myeongdong Cathedral. It was a beautiful cathedral, but I sure didn't feel like I was in Korea. It is interesting the cultural power and influence that the Catholic Church holds... it really is a globally unifying force. I'm not Catholic, but the building in the shape of a Latin cross, with the stained glass windows and wooden pews, felt so familiar, so comfortable. It reminded me of cathedrals in Paris, Valladolid, and even Costa Rica. Being here transported me to each of those places again. I could hear the rain pounding on wooden roof of the Costa Rican cathedral... I could smell the musty stone pillars from Valladolid, Spain... I could see the tiny candles again that had been lit by the sojourners at Notre Dame in Paris, France.
The outside of the cathedral was being cleaned, SO I am posting someone else's picture. (Thank you Google Images!)We ate, caught our train and now we are home again in Sinchang... this may very well be the last week I call Sinchang, Asan-si, South Korea home! I will keep you updated on what the future holds, as soon as I know myself.
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