On the Road with Brent & Erika

Sadly, our time in Korea is almost over. I feel like we've really packed in the days with tons of great sights, good eats and lots of time with Ricky. It's been a learning curve traveling with a toddler, but we've hit our stride.


We visited Korea University, which is where Ricky is a professor of English. It was fun to see him in his element with students saying hi and stopping him to chat. We also ate at a nearby burger joint to commemorate July 4th.


Harper busted out the map to help us plan our next adventure to Seoraksan National Park.

We spent three days amidst the rocky mountains to the east of Seoul at the national park. There were numerous tunnels that our bus would pass through on the three hour ride there, and Harper learned to say, "Tunnel time!" as we would enter one and, "All done, tunnel!" as we exited. We all got to hear that probably twenty times.


We stayed along the river about a kilometer from the park entrance. There were picturesque views at each turn.


On our first day, we took a cable car up to a peak for a hike around. After some photo ops and chipmunk watching, Erika rested with Harper and ate Korean honey pancakes, while Ricky and I nearly missed the last cable car down while exploring a temple.


Quite a spectacular view of the Cheonbuldong Valley in one direction...


...while in the other direction is the city of Sokcho on the East Sea.


Ricky, Erika and Harper, who let us know that she preferred to be carried on the front now instead of the back.


Family shot on the bridge to the Shinheung Temple with Harper playing along showing her new "smile" face.


We were here right as the sun was setting and had the place virtually to ourselves.


Harper loves it when Mommy and Daddy let her loose to explore temples.


The ceiling above the chanting monk inside the main temple (see video below)


These peaceful fellows were sending out some Buddhist good vibes.


There were some nicely aged paintings on the walls of some of the temples.


You could pay some money to write blessings or wishes on tiles that will be used on the roof.


The next morning, we hiked along the river to the Biryong waterfall.


Pretty cool little frog we found hanging out on a rock near the river


The water was pretty cold, but the pool at the base of the waterfall was irresistible so we just had to get in.


That afternoon, we took some buses along the coast to the Naksan Temple right on the ocean.

It was quite a pretty scene:





We rested at a picnic table overlooking the ocean with some refreshing blueberry juice.

Early the next morning, Ricky and I got up to hike to Gyejoam, an interesting Buddhist hermitage that's surrounding an old cave at the base of Ulsanbawi, a set of dramatic rock cliffs. People have carved writing onto many of the rock faces over the centuries. It was very peaceful so early in the morning, and Erika and Harper enjoyed staying back and sleeping in.


This 16-ton boulder named Heundeulbawi totters and rocks if you push it. We gave it a go trying to roll it off, but to no avail.


The setting of the whole thing, at the base of rock cliffs and overlooking the valley, was very striking.


Harper got accustomed to riding in various buses to get around and loved the wind from the open windows.


Where do you want to eat?

After our bus back to Seoul, it was time to get Harper's stitches out! Everything went smoothly, and she just has a tension bandage for a few more days, and then we're done (other than scar ointment and sunscreen for six months). We decided after that, it was time to do something just for Harper. So we headed to a nice aquarium on the bottom floor of this huge, modern, mall-type complex called COEX. She had a blast running from display to display and shouting out the names of the animals that she knew.


This big frog was probably the most popular display that she continued to come back to.


Harper didn't seem too impressed, but I thought this two-headed turtle was pretty cool.


After much coaxing, Erika relented and let these little fish nibble on her fingers. From the look on her face, I don't think she loved it.


The sharks and rays brought the most oooh's and aaah's as they glided past us.


And the grand finale was this enormous tank full of giant turtles, sharks and just about everything else. Harper was mesmerized.

On Friday, Erika and I went on a tour of the border area with Communist North Korea, probably the most closed off and restrictive country in the world. Harper stayed back with Uncle Ricky and Kim because small kids aren't permitted. She enjoyed eating McDonalds and playing at a nearby playground.


The neutral blue UN buildings are where peace talks take place in the DMZ (demilitarized zone). The South Korean guards here are facing the North Korean guards on the other side. It's the most heavily guarded border in the world, and it felt that way.


Here's a North Korean guard carefully watching us with binoculars. We also saw others hiding behind a balcony occasionally popping up with binoculars of their own. It felt rather silly actually.


The flag and the guard in this picture are positioned directly on the border between North and South Korea. Erika is on the North Korea side--add another country to our list!


The Bridge of No Return, where POWs and refugees once could cross to either side, however, they could not return.


Gijong, a North Korean "village" just across the border, is actually an empty ghost town designed to show off North Korea's quality of life. The flag, one of the world's largest, weighs 600 pounds and often will rip.


We also visited the 3rd of four tunnels the North Koreans have dug attempting to attack the South. It was a steep and long walk down to the cramped tunnel and our hard hats came in handy several times on the low ceilings.


Later that evening, we rejoined Ricky and Harper and took a stroll along Cheonggyecheon, a festive downtown waterfront area. We came across this man making enormous bubbles, much to the delight of kids and Harper.



The bubbles almost looked like modern art.


Then we ate our favorite meal of the trip so far, Kamjatang. It is slow-cooked pork backbone and potato stew. Strip the meat off the bone, cut up the potato, add broth and rice, and you get a perfect bowl of Korean comfort food.


I felt a little cave-manish polishing off the meat from these bones, but Ricky appreciated my tenacity.


Admiral Yi Sun Sin, a famous Korean military leader, watching over the city

On our last full day in Korea, we went with Harper to the National Museum. This is where we had attempted to go before Harper's big accident occurred. Today was smooth sailing, though, and we enjoyed the artifacts and calligraphy, as well as a fun children's museum.

Erika's mom flies in today, and we will have tonight to enjoy an evening all together. Harper can't wait to see her Nana all the way in Korea! She and Ricky travel on to Mongolia on Monday, and we are headed to Tokyo tomorrow. The plan is to get up early and attend the 7am service at Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest Protestant Christian church in the world with roughly a million members before our flight.


Harper continuing to make more Korean friends!



Five days in Japan and then we're home! Until then...
-Brent