Mum and Dad's Visit! - the Skyway and Seoullung Tombs

My mum and dad stayed for ten days. After returning from Busan, we met with a work colleague of Dad's and his wife, and they took us to a lot of places around Seoul. We had an amazing barbecue dinner. There was so much food on the table and they kept bringing it that when we were done it just looked like we'd not even touch it!

Afterward, we went and drove the Skyway to look at Seoul from the top of the mountains. What a view! The pictures don't do the place justice. On the way back down, we stopped by a place for tea, but it was closed. It was an old Geisha house turned into a tea house on the side of the mountain all with old architecture and traditional pathways and soju-making jars. Even though we couldn't go in, that was really cool too. Then we ended the night by finally getting tea and cake at a little coffee shop near the President's house.


Gate of Gyeongbokgung, the big palace in Seoul.


A look over Seoul from the Skyway.


Seoul from the Skyway.

Later that week, we visited the Seoullung Tomb, which was a little green forest in the middle of the towering landscape of Seoul. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to two former emperors and a queen of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, and it's a really pretty place. The pamphlet tells the story of the first king, King Seongjong, who Dad said "sounded like a fairly decent guy" was into poetry. He wasn't the oldest son, instead coming to power because of his granny and mum, who worked pretty hard to get him there and help him keep power. He was apparently a fairly good, well-liked ruler, who tried to be good for everyone. His second wife, Queen Jonghyeon, is buried with him at the site, as well as their son, Jungjong, who became King himself after his father's death (he was less successful than his father, and he came to power after his half-brother was overthrown in a coup, I believe the story was).

The tombs are really well taken care of, with spirit roads from T-Shrines to allow for the passage of the dead. Rites are still held at the tombs for these departed monarchs, but nothing was going on the day we stopped by. It was so quiet and nice, with blossoms on the trees, that I immediately fell in love with the place, because it's not often in Korea you encounter such quiet places without anyone else around. If I get the chance, I'd like to go back again, because it's one of the few places in Seoul that really seems peaceful.

Pictures of Seolleung:




NEXT TIME: BLOSSOMS!!!

March is for Birthdays, April is for Parents Visits - Busan!

Hello hello readers! It's time for a long over-due post.

For those of you who wondered why I did not post in March, I can only say this: terribly sorry. March was a month of birthdays (including my own, hello 23!), and so a lot happened, but not much that deserved a post about. We didn't visit anywhere particularly new, and we didn't do too many exciting new things, so despite having a full month, I had very little new to post about.

In the one week when there wasn't a birthday, Amy and I found ourselves in the middle of a Saint Patrick's Day celebration in Sindorim. I have never been so thrilled by the sheer number of people with blond hair. A band was playing jigs, and everyone was dancing and throwing beer about and drinking in the middle of the street at the bottom of the Sindorim mall, and it was completely by accident we ended up there. All in all, it made for a good distraction and Amy and I both had a lot of fun.

In other news, at the beginning of April, my Mum and Dad came to visit! We did lots of stuff while they were here! We took a trip down to Busan in the south. It rained, but that was okay, because it was nice to get out of Bucheon for awhile. Dad found an entire baby octopus in his pasta and it put Mum off her dinner. We had a nice walk down around the beach the first evening, before we finally got to sleep in a proper soft bed (my bed here in my apartment, like most Korean beds, is rock hard, so this was heavenly). We took the KTX bullet train to get there, travelling at about 230km/hr. We made several stops all the way south, so the trip was about three hours, there and back, but it was great to see the scenery and take a look at Korea.

Sadly, a lot of Korea looks very similar. This does make sense, since it's a small country really, comparatively (I'm thinking U.S. now), and there are lots of people so the whole place is built up. As such, finding green space is rare, but very much appreciated when you do come across it. For the girl who doesn't usually tend to like nature, it's an interesting dynamic. I miss trees and plants and green things. I might buy myself a little potted plant. XD

Busan's built up too, but it's on the sea, and there are beaches where fireworks take place. The neon lights against the city are gorgeous, and there's actually a lot to see around there. We visited the museum, and also the United Nations cemetary on the second day, both of which were interesting and a nice change from regular day to day stuff.

Here are a bunch of photos from Busan!


My mum and dad in Busan


One of Busan's famous beaches, minus all the people who are usually there in tents, because it was raining that day


Busan beach at twilight


Busan beach and bridge all lit up


My mum and dad again



A couple of panorama shots of Busan's beach


For the NEXT POST: more of my Mum and Dad's visit!



-Til then! Sam-