Last day of Exploration!

With only 5 days left of our Korea adventure, all 20 of us spent our last day of free time doing different activities. On my last day of free time I decided to finish up souvenir shopping and spend some time exploring a different part of Seoul I wasn't able to see before. Even in a month we haven't begun to see that much of Seoul (the capital where we have spent most of our time) because it is so large, it holds more than half of the entire population!

Some college students from Gwangju National University of Education suggested Dongdaemun for shopping, so that is precisely where Tyler, Cassidy, and I started our day. It is not far from Myeongdong where we have all spent some time before. Dongdaemun wasn't exactly what we expected, but it was still quite an interesting experience just to see it.

Dongdaemun

There are huge department stores that we didn't get to see, but we spent all of our time there exploring the street vendors. It was similar to many other places we've seen, but it did seem to cater more toward the local population than tourists looking for souvenirs. If I didn't have to keep my suitcase under 50 pounds for the flight home I may have spent more time shopping for clothes there! The picture below shows just one small area of it, and let me tell you, most of it was much busier than this shows.

 

Street food in Dongdaemun

We took in the sights at Dongdaemun, watching all the locals buy clothes, electronics, and of course food before we went over to another "unchartered" territory in Seoul. We explored Namdaemun later in the afternoon since Dongdaemun (while interesting) didn't have souvenirs for us to give to family and keep for ourselves. Nongdaemun was not lacking in the souvenir department and reminded me a lot of a combination between the traditional souvenirs you find in Insadong mixed with some of the items like clothes seen in Dongdaemun. Basically, best of both worlds sort of deal!

Typical souvenir shop you would see in Seoul

We didn't know exactly what to expect from Namdaemun, but we did know that it is the largest market area in Korea. It was a great place to end out our last day to explore on our own. Some of the college students we have been able to talk to have told us they like this market more than Insadong. It is not as much as a tourist spot and the prices are cheaper compared to Insadong. Because it isn't as big of a tourist area, it makes it easier to bargain. I was also able to practice some of the Korean I learned in class to ask for discounts! Even more impressive - I was successful!  I would say "깎아 주세요" which basically means "give me a discount please" and sounds like "gaga ju sa yo" (very fun to say!).

Namdaemun

It is definitely a bittersweet feeling knowing this was our last day exploring on our own. Only a couple days left of our fantastic adventure in Korea, and we are all getting ready to visit Yeoju (yet another high school!) the next two days!

A Day in Everland

The Disney Parks system has a few different theme parks around the world. We all know Disney World and Disneyland. And then there's the ones in Europe and Japan. I never knew there was one in Korea. So maybe it's not quite a Disney park...it is pretty close though.

Everland is a theme park just outside of Seoul that is very reminiscent of Disney World. There are five sections of the park: Global Fair, American Adventure, Magic Land, European Adventure, and Zoo-Topia. Also, the two main characters bear a striking resemblance to a pair of well-known mice.

One of the first rides we went on was called Global Village. The ride featured a boat ride through various cultural exhibits. These were dolls that recreated traditional aspects of each country. Most of the expected ones were there. But there were also a couple that were not: Space and the North Pole.

T Express

The park also boasts two rollercoasters. The first one we decided on was the T Express. From a distance, it didn't seem that bad. The drop did look somewhat steep though. While in line, we found out it is actually the world's steepest drop on a wooden coaster. It certainly felt like it. T Express is the most intense rollercoaster I've ever been on.

Zoo-topia was a unique section by itself. Our group first went on a safari where we saw lions, bears, tigers, and hyenas. At one point, tigers had even climbed on top of a vehicle and a bear walked alongside the bus. There were also sections featuring animals such as monkeys a

Tigers climbed on top of the vehicles

nd polar bears.

 

After dark, the park featured a light parade. Characters and floats covered in lights traveled along a route through European Adventure. Accompanying them were various songs including Christmas at Saraevjo and an Everland theme song. The characters also all resembled other known characters. For instance, Hercules, Alice (in Wonderland), and the Little Mermaid were all there.

The best part of the park was that there were very few lines. We waited a maximum of a half hour for the safari. It wasn't until later in the day until the park started getting crowded. The park itself was also fairly well taken care of. However, it's visible that it's not quite at its peak. They seem to be trying to improve it and make it an even better attraction. I'm sure if they continue updating the park, it will become a leading site in Korea. It was already a wonderful place to spend the day.

Exploring Insadong!

Wow, we are about 2 weeks into our trip already with so much more to see and do! It's amazing it's about halfway through and we have already accomplished so much. From educational museum visits to teaching in Suwon high school, we are doing it all!

Today was a day set aside to accomplish some free time, shopping, and cultural activities. Most of our group got to experience Insadong. Insadong is an area in Seoul known for their shopping stands containing Korean souvenirs, most of which are handmade.

Decorative Fan and Card

Probably my favorite purchased item is the decorative card. Insadong has tons of cute little shops along the way and one sold decorative items. I paid a small price and then they personalized it with my name in Korean for free! This is especially exciting for me; with a name like Stacia I never get to find souvenirs with my name on them! There were plenty of other knick-knacks to purchase in the souvenir shops such as decorative boxes, traditional chopsticks, and of course keychains that say "Korea" as the typical souvenir to take home.

I have also seen quite a few shops in Insadong that sell a pair of ducks. I asked someone about it since I kept seeing it in almost every shop. I thought it was a cute story, I love all the Korean traditions we get the chance to learn! The wooden Mandarin ducks symbolize a happy couple and are called wedding ducks. Traditionally Koreans would give them to a newly married couple to wish a long happy life together, like the ducks. They are sometimes beautifully carved and they come in a range of sizes, the smallest I saw were only a few inches long. Also, some ducks have strings tied around the beaks. I was told if one duck has it, it's the female to show that a wife should be quiet and honor her husband (traditionally, anyway!). If both ducks have the string it is meant to show that silence is a virtue. I just thought it was an interesting story to share, learning is never-ending and I personally adore hearing about the little traditions that make the Korean culture so interesting!

Korean Wedding Ducks

Visiting the Seoul Zoo!

The Seoul Zoo opened its doors in 1984

Today I had the awesome privilege of visiting the Seoul Zoo and it was absolutely extraordinary! The Seoul Zoo was unlike any other zoo that I had visited before. Seoul Zoo is surrounded by beautiful breathtaking mountainous views and is spread out amongst many acres of trails and views of animals, gardens and waterfronts. The zoo houses over 3400 hundred animals from all over the world, including many endangered animals. I must say that out of the many zoos that I have visited throughout my lifetime, this has been my most favorite.

Asiatic Crocodile

When we first arrived at the Seoul Zoo today we quickly realized that the place was huge. Not only does Seoul Zoo provide a wonderful habitat for animals, but it is also home to a huge botanical garden, a theme park and a water park. Thankfully, the water and theme park were separated to keep the zoo and botanical gardens reserved. The zoo is spread out in a way that you basically have to hike the mountain to see the different zoo exhibits.

The zoo consisted of  four main trails that each took about two hours to complete. Each trail had its own set of animals and gardens. Unfortunately, we did not get to do all of the trails due to time restraints, but the cost of the zoo was only $3, so it would not cost much to go back to finish the trails.

Another great thing that the zoo had was a sky lift. The sky lift was very useful to us, especially whenever we got all the way to the back off the park. We took the sky lift down the mountain and got to see more animals that we did not get to see off of the trail that we took. The sky lift also provided us  with a 360 degree view of beautiful mountain ranges and waterfronts.

Sky lift at the Seoul Zoo

Overall, our experience at the Seoul Zoo was awesome! The amount of wildlife and land there make the trip definitely worth taking! I honestly did not know what to expect, but I'm really glad I went because I realized immediately upon my arrival that this place was much more than a zoo, but a place full of educational opportunities and great pictures!

David, Kelli, and myself at the Seoul Zoo

A smile goes a long way

Navigation is a great skill to have, for those of us that don't have this skill well we travel with people that do. Today was our first entirely free day and my travel buddy and I were pumped, we had a plan and we were going to shop till we dropped, then we got to the sub way.

We started out strong, we bought or ticket and proceeded towards our side of the station, as we boarded the metro we began to doubt our navigating abilities and got off at the very next stop. Upon getting off and gathering our bearings we realized we were indeed going the entirely wrong direction. We stood there grasping our metro maps deciding how to get to the correct side, we eventually found our way but, not before several people asked if we needed help.

Finally we made it to one of the many shopping districts and we were off, on a search for the best souvenirs  our won could buy. The first vendor we stopped at had the traditional items but we were in search of more. The next vender we came across was the best, it was a tiny treasure filled space. We began by trying to select I love Korea t-shirts,  but we could not figure out the sizing. The lady running the stand was extremely helpful, she sorted through the piles for us and soon came out with the shirts we had selected.

Next we ventured to pick out souvenir plates from the same vendor. These plates were tucked up on a shelf, right by the vendors seat, we were leery of going into her space to look at these items, but she quickly jumped from her seat and ushered us in to look. We selected our items, and began to pay, I had several other bags in my hands at this time, the vendor took note of this and offered me a larger sized bag than needed so I could combine everything into one.

Next we ventured on our way and continued to interact with the people in the various shopping areas. From this I noticed that the people were happy and friendly, even when the steady rain turned to a downpour, people still greeted us with a smile and a welcoming hello. People asked if we needed anything, they were great about helping us find our way, and they were always willing to lend a helping hand.

We approached the city with an open mind and a smile and it responded in the same way. I would not have thought that Seoul, Korea's largest city, would be so welcoming, but this really is a country geared towards hospitality. I can honestly say that even through all of the confusion of the subway and navigating around the city that I did not have any bad moments because I knew I would be able to approach anyone with a smile and they would try to help me.

This one day of city shopping and exploring has really shown a new light on the culture here in Korea.

Rain Rain Go Away

 Wet conditions of the streets of Seoul

As I prepared for this amazing journey and grand adventure I set Seoul South Korea as one of the cities on my Weather channel app. It alerted me that "Seoul is cooler and rains a lot less than Williston".

Well, today the weather was just like that from Florida, rainy!  I felt right at home.  This rain did not dampen the spirits of this small band of agriculture teachers, we carried on.

This was our first "free" day so we decided to spend it exploring further some of the beautiful museums and shops that we had been exposed to over the last two days. Well, we found that many of these museums are closed on Monday but we still found an amazing city which to dive into.

Seoul Station - metro, train and bus.

Mass transit at its best!  Seoul knows how to do it. The Seoul train station is just one example of this country's ability to move people. Something I look forward to riding in the next few weeks. The other is its intricate system of the metro and bus lines.  All moving people to and fro with the greatest of ease and all on the same public transportation payment card.

While on these transit options every Korean is connected to an electronic device.  Cell phones are in everyone's hand, plugged into the world.  It crosses all ages and genders.  Everyone is "wired" up and connected.

There is a bar code on the back of each card and is read at every stop and the correct "won" is deducted to ride from station to station.  Very efficient! All Koreans seem to be able to navigate these transportation options, swipe their payment card, which they keep in a very handsome wallet.  Everyone stays connected through transportation. 

I make this simple observation to say that we all need to stay connected.  In our everyday lives many times we don't stay connected, and I am guilty of this.  Our profession as agriculture teachers only gets strong when we stay connected.  I know this, understand this however I need to practice it a little more.  Being connected to these wonderful professional on this trip will only strengthen my will to grow and become a better teacher.  This international agriculture education experience has opened my eyes to the ability of us to stay connected where borders do not matter.  Just like the t-shirt reads: Teach Ag Beyond Borders!  

This is for you Dad, KTX

Since my time in Korea I have tweeted, blogged and posted on Facebook more than I have in my entire life, and it keeps me connected.  I've learned to upload pictures to Flicker, post multiple pictures to my Facebook status at one time  and even how to Tweet at someone, AWESOME!  Every morning I awake to see who has read or liked my pictures I posted the day before, reminding me of the love and passion I have for agriculture education and that there are so many people who share this same feeling!  So even though the rain has driven us inside, Seoul you know how to keep me connected, very powerful!