School's Out - time for some fun!

I know kids in Canada are heading back to school this week or next, but for Jin and Lili Friday was their last day of Korean school. There was a farewell cake at school, with cards and best wishes from their new "chingu's" (friends). Then, when we came to pick them up it was time for the sad final goodbyes to their teachers. They each left with a bag full of things they'd made or done at school, as well as binders full of photos of class activities that the teachers put together for them. Their teachers have been awesome! Korean school has been a great experience for them.

Deb and I also recently completed our official studies here. This past Thursday we attended our last Korean language class. Our teachers and the school staff gave us a warm farewell. They are very nice people at the Metro Academy. Although classes were sometimes diffcult and homework may have seemed onerous, it has paid off. We know a lot more Korean than when we arrived here. 고마워요!

So now that school is over it's time to explore Korea. We have only 3 weeks left before our trip ends and we have so much more to see. As we mentioned in a previous post, we have lined up a 6 day guided tour of some key sites in the southern part of the country. Our tour company is called Tour Road. I plotted the locations of our main tour sites (red stars, white labels) on a Google Earth image of South Korea and included it in this post so you can get an idea of where we'll be travelling to.


The Tour Road van picks us up on Tuesday morning. Our first stop will be at Mungyeong, which I think is a mountain pass that includes a fortress wall and gate that were part of the southernmost defences for Seoul. Then we are head to the Gyeongju area for a day and a half. This city was the capital of the Silla Dynasty (57BC to 935AD) and the area in and around Gyeonju is littered with historical artifacts, tombs, ruins and such. So much so in fact that the area is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We'll be staying at a hanok or traditional house. I think that means sleeping on floor mats. Who knows what else...

We then head to Tongyeong on the southern coast. This city has been called the "Naples of Asia". It is supposed to be very beautiful and is the gateway to a national park on the island of Geoje-do. We'll take a boat cruise around the island to see the scenic rock formations. Tongyeong was a base for the famous Admiral Yi Sun-sin who designed the "turtleship" which he used to great effect in defending Korea from the invading Japanese in the 16th century. There is apparently a replica of a turtleship in the harbour. We are also hoping to sample more fresh seafood while in Tongyeong.

We then go to Goseong to visit the Dinosaur Museum and see some real dinosaur footprints. Lili and I travelled here in the spring. Jin was sick then and couldn't come, so Lili and I will be tour guides for Jin and Deb. After that we travel to Suncheonman Bay to see the ecosytem of a large estuary. This wetland is an important stopover for large numbers of migratory birds, including some rare species. We'll have to remember the binos. Our next stop is Jirisan National Park, Korea's first national park. We'll see some spectacular mountain scenery there as well as visit an ancient Buddhist temple and stay at a hot spring. Our last day will be spent visiting a bamboo forest in Damyang and then learning all about the quinessentially Korean hot sauce, gochujang, at nearby Sunchang. Then it will be "home" to Seoul.

The trip has a bit of everything: some history, geology, dinosaurs, scenery and spice! I don't think we'll try to post during the trip, so we'll have some catching up to do when we get back. See you then!

All the best,

Derek, Deb, Jin and Lili

p.s. before we sign off, I thought I'd add a few recent photos.

Jin and Lili with a school chum, Sung Joon, who lives in our building. The girls with their teachers.

The bicycle rental place at Oksu. Riding the bikepath under the expressway at Oksu.

Our two proficient cyclists (yes those are pigeon feathers stuck in their hair).

Walking home along the Hangang Park bike/walk trail.

Guys fishing for the big one under the expressway, Hangang Park.

The Costco at Sangbong, in northeast Seoul. We just discovered this one on our subway line (at the Mangu Station). Doesn't that statue make you feel warm and fuzzy, and make you want to buy lots of stuff?