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| From 2010-02-20 Seoul & Bomunsan |
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| From 2010-02-20 Seoul & Bomunsan |
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| From 2010-02-20 Seoul & Bomunsan |
The last few weeks we have been keeping busy. January 13, 14, and 15th marked the Lunar New Year in Seoul and an extra Monday off of work for us - wahoo! Jake and I headed to Seoul for a Valentines day weekend. We met up with my friend Derek who is relocating to Taiwan soon. That night, we found an underground bar with cement tables and wire fences. It was reminiscent of a jail and I questioned the location. However, the music selection was refreshing and a nice change from K-pop jams.
The following day we rendez-voused with Sabrina for some sightseeing excitement. To Jake's dismay the much anticipated Mexican restaurant was closed along with numerous other eateries for the New Year. We ended up eating handmade mandu's at a minature shop near Insadong - not Mexican, but still delicious. Later, we strolled to Gwanghwamun Plaza where we surprisingly stumbled upon a large parade and festival. Check out the pictures for dancers, drummers, kites, Mozart, and more!
The highlight of the weekend was the theatrical show NANTA. This Stomp-like banging bonanza takes place in a Korean kitchen. The head chef, manager, handsome guy, sexy girl, and nephew create a hysterical dynamic through bickering, butchering, and battling. This nonverbal show captures a handful of cultural quirks and uses audience interaction to keep the laughs rolling. I highly recommend catching it if it comes to your town.
Yesterday, we checked out Bomunsan Mountain in Daejeon. We recently got some new neighbors to add to our circle of friends and Forest came out with Jake and I for the hike. The mountain is across town, but totally worth the trip. The bus drops you at a cross-way. You feel like the city disappears behind you and you fall into the countryside. A slender road winds up the hill speckled with local restaurants run by elderly buddhist Koreans. It is peaceful and all are welcoming. We had some homemade bibimbap (rice with local mountain vegetables) along with the side dishes. After fueling, we began the journey up. The day was marvelous with the temperature close to 50 degrees while surrounded by snow covered grounds. It felt like Christmas all over again. The pictures capture the views from the two peaks we climbed to. The sun was bright, but a vague overcast blurred the skyline. I must warn you, we had a brief run-in with some mountain lions, I mean cats, that kept us entertained. Plus, the hills were slick ice patches and the boys had some comical sliding contests on the way down. Luckily, I only bit it once. All in all, it was an excellent journey.
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