 |
| Outside the palace walls |
 |
| So beautiful! |
As part of the travel fee for the Holt Korea program, a guided tour is offered to each of the families while they are in Korea for court. Our tour was yesterday. We were scheduled to meet our tour guide in the lobby of our hotel at 9:30, so we took the morning slow. As soon as we exited the elevator in our lobby a young man walked up to us, asking for Joseph Oliver (I love that they use our middle names). After introductions, we headed down to the subway and from there to the Gyeongbokgung Palace.
 |
| A history lesson |
It was a beautiful, beautiful place. Nestled right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city is the most peaceful and ancient set of buildings and grounds. Our guide knew so much about this history of site and the people who spent time there. Although he tried very hard to keep the attention of the boys, and sometimes did, he continued to share important facts and events with Joe and I as we wandered from building to building.
We were there for what seemed like an hour, but what was really two and a half. No wonder we were all starving! Hubert then took us to the restaurant right outside the palace walls, where we had traditional Korean meal which used some of the same recipes eaten by the ancient kings who lived in the palace. It was delicious! Our tour guide suggested I try the bibimbap. I have had this before in the U.S., but it has never tasted this good. Liam had his favorite, Japchae and Joe and Nolan shared a beef stake with a rice cake and veggies. Everyone loved what they had and we ended our meal with a dessert waffle with chocolate sauce, some sort of fruit sauce, honey and frozen blueberries on top.
 |
| Hubert! |
While eating lunch, Hubert, Joe and I had a great conversation about the political struggles that Korea and the US are facing in the coming years. Since we discussed our shared concerns, Hubert decided to take us to Gwanghwamun Plaza. According to Hubert, this is where all political action by Korean citizens begins. This is where historical protests have been and where the charge to impeach their last president began.
While there, we also saw the huge statue of King Sejong the Great and Hubert taught us (I use the word taught very loosely) the Korean alphabet. It was incredibly interesting to be on this square as it was the only area in which we have seen a huge police presence. There were dozens of them lining a building with a large wall and barbed wire. On the ally way next to the building, were several police buses. We later found out that this building was the US embassy and that this police presence is a typical occurrence- thank goodness.
On that note, we have never felt safer than here in Seoul. In the last week, we have only seen a handful of police officers and have not had a single moment of being uncomfortable- unless you count when older women and men insist on touching our children, especially the older gentleman that picked Nolan up and put him on his lap on the subway. Otherwise, we feel totally secure walking the streets of every area, at every time of day. It is so refreshing!
After visiting the square, it was time to head back to our hotel and say goodbye to Hubert. Before he left, we gave him a bag full of items from Oregon as a thank you gift. He was extremely thankful that we had thought of him and given him a gift. We took several photos together and he headed down to the subway, as we headed back to our room.
 |
| View from the pool |
After resting for a bit, the boys talked us into another visit to the pool. Guess what?! Purple caps! I actually got a picture this time. The boys swam for a bit, then we decided to get ready for dinner. Once again we headed down to the mall for a quick and easy dinner. We love our hotel and we wish that there were more authentic Korean restaurants near by. There is a huge selection in the mall, delicious room service and a few other choices within walking distance, but we are so tired by dinner time and tend to not have the energy or patience to explore.
Today, we planned to make want we called "The Market Loop". Four markets in one day! We almost made it, but I will tell you all about that later.
It was a beautiful, beautiful place. Nestled right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city is the most peaceful and ancient set of buildings and grounds. Our guide knew so much about this history of site and the people who spent time there. Although he tried very hard to keep the attention of the boys, and sometimes did, he continued to share important facts and events with Joe and I as we wandered from building to building. 
We were there for what seemed like an hour, but what was really two and a half. No wonder we were all starving! Hubert then took us to the restaurant right outside the palace walls, where we had traditional Korean meal which used some of the same recipes eaten by the ancient kings who lived in the palace. It was delicious! Our tour guide suggested I try the bibimbap. I have had this before in the U.S., but it has never tasted this good. Liam had his favorite, Japchae and Joe and Nolan shared a beef stake with a rice cake and veggies. Everyone loved what they had and we ended our meal with a dessert waffle with chocolate sauce, some sort of fruit sauce, honey and frozen blueberries on top. 
While there, we also saw the huge statue of King Sejong the Great and Hubert taught us (I use the word taught very loosely) the Korean alphabet. It was incredibly interesting to be on this square as it was the only area in which we have seen a huge police presence. There were dozens of them lining a building with a large wall and barbed wire. On the ally way next to the building, were several police buses. We later found out that this building was the US embassy and that this police presence is a typical occurrence- thank goodness.
On that note, we have never felt safer than here in Seoul. In the last week, we have only seen a handful of police officers and have not had a single moment of being uncomfortable- unless you count when older women and men insist on touching our children, especially the older gentleman that picked Nolan up and put him on his lap on the subway. Otherwise, we feel totally secure walking the streets of every area, at every time of day. It is so refreshing!
No comments:
Post a Comment