Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul
Hi everyone! One of the teachers snagged me last weekend and was kind enough to take me into downtown . These are just a few pics that I managed to take. The name of the palace is and was built in 1395, the Joseon Dynasty, King Taejo, one year after he moved the capital from Gaeseong to Seoul. It was the primary residence of the royal family, but was invaded by the Japanese in 1592. Many of the buildings have been destroyed but this is what remains with some repair work. A full restoration will begin in 2009.
I’ve managed to meet a nice girl from named Anne and we have designated ourselves as each others travel buddy, which is really nice. I feel much more comfortable getting lost with someone else.
We went for a hike yesterday in the hills behind Migeum (the city where our school is located). I must send pics of that experience. Although, these are not mountains per se, it was still a vigorous hike. One I am ashamed to say, where even 80 year old Korean seniors were passing me on the trail. A spider was kind enough to help me along the way, by scaring me half to death by its shear size! Didn’t get a picture of that, I was running too quickly.
Once you arrive at the top of the hill, there is an outdoor gym where you will see everyone stretching after the hike. It’s actually a very brilliant idea. I’m not even stiff today because of it. There is a lot of value on physical education in this country. Once at the top, there was a little temple upon which many Koreans sat in complete peace. We didn’t talk once we reached the top, only sat and ate lunch in silence with everyone else.
Comments
Kerri,
You have a new job. You are a travel writer. This is very entertaining! You should also record these articles in a podcast!. Give yourself a comical name. I don't know, call it West meets East, adventures of a West Coast adventurer in the land of Kimchi or something. Then you can change the name when you visit Japan.