CJ Kids Vill is a preschool/kindergarten in Gwanghwamun, downtown Seoul. I recently went there with some friends to take pictures for some kindergarten magazine. I know, sounds exciting! Hmm yeah…but it’s good practice and some of the kids really are hilarious.
Three weeks ago I took a bus to Danyang, Chungcheongbuk-do, to meet my friend Nick.
Danyang (단양)
It was to be a great weekend to watch the final game of the Korean series opposing the SK Wyverns and the Kia Tigers. However, as an SK fan, it wasn’t so great to see Kia hit a walk off home run and become the Korean Series Champions.
Danyang, and bridge leading out of it
Danyang itself is rather boring. Fortunately, there are plenty of things to do outside of town. One of those is visiting Guinsa temple.
Guinsa is located 20+ km from Danyang, so as an aside, take the bus and not a taxi. Guinsa is located in a narrow valley in the Sobaek Mountains, and is a beautiful temple complex.
Pagoda and drum, stairs
Diagonally Identical
Select
Temple complex going up the valley
Dragon
Lucky Fish
Sobaek Mountains, Temple Complex view from the top.
Pure water
Comfort. Dare I say luxury?
Temple gate, monk
Since we payed way too much for a taxi to get to Guinsa, we decided to hitchhike our way back. It only took a few minutes of waiting, and we were treated to an opera version of “Amazing Grace”.
We picked up some dongdongju on our way down, and the Sobaek Mountains are apparently famous for it.
동동주!
Sipping the dongdongju in Danyang, we got to see several hanggliders drift down in front of us.
Last month the fall colors were settling in so my parents, some friends and I headed to Gyeongi Province near Pocheon. We rented a condo, and it really was a beautiful place.
Condos, fall foliage
For dinner we grilled some nice 목살 (pork, shoulder cut).
Grilling moksal
This statue was sitting by our condo:
Cry baby
The weather was pretty much perfect, with bright blue skies.
Flowers in the morning, condo in background.
Watchdog
Sunday morning we headed to Pyunggang Botanical Garden (평강식물원) in the mountains close to Pocheon.
Fall colors
Mom & Dad
Dragonfly
Reach to the sky
Bog
Bee
I love 국화빵, sweet bread filled with red bean paste. It sounds nasty. It isn’t.
A few weeks ago I woke up at an ungodly hour on a Saturday morning. The reason? Go check out the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) between North and South Korea. It happens to be “the most heavily militarized border in the world.” (Korean Demilitarized Zone Info)
My parents were in town, and we booked a tour with the US Military USO.
South Korea in the foreground, North Korea in the background
I typically loathe tours, but this is the only way to get to the JSA (Joint Security Area). A few weeks back I tried to make it there with a friend, and we were taken off a bus by the military.
They are pretty tight on photography at the DMZ, but here are a few shots I managed to get.
South Korean soldier
The above soldier is a guard in one of the buildings in the JSA that lies directly on the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Half of the building is technically in South Korea, the other half in North Korea.
Rice field, South Korean flag
Rice grown in close proximity to the DMZ is sold for a much higher price than other rice in Korea. Supposedly the air is much purer there. CNN recently had an article about “the accidental paradise of the DMZ” where many plant and animal species are flourishing.
The South Korean flag in the above picture lies across the border from the North Korean propaganda village, which boasts the highest flag tower in the world. The flag itself weighs 270kg.
Here is a picture I took a couple of years ago, on a not-so-clear day.
North Korean Propaganda Village
Other pictures:
South Korean military vehicle, Christian cross in the background?
