After 18 months, together again in South Korea.
On our first day with our daughter Hilary we went to a traditional folk village. It was so interesting. They had some great traditional male dancers, and an old guy who walked a tight rope. He was amazing.
Beautiful.
Traditional village homes.
Dancers. They put on a great show.
Tight rope walker. You wouldn't believe what he could do.
The fantastic view from our condo on the 39th floor overlooking the N Seoul Tower. The tower is located on Namsan Mountain, the highest point in Seoul. We actually walked up to it and went to the top of the tower later during our trip. I can't believe I actually did it! It was so worth it too.
Night view was even better. A beautiful view of the N Seoul Tower and a full moon.
View from Rick and my bedroom.
The subways are awesome. So efficient and clean. That was Hilary's major transportation during her mission. Buses are efficient and clean too. The transportation was better than anything I've experienced in the U.S.
Most everyone had a smart phone that they were looking at or listening to, I think that's a worldwide problem, There was even free Wi-Fi on the subways. Most of the subway stations were like small cities with shopping, and food vendor's. Even the restrooms were clean and nice. Most toilets even had bidets and so did our condo toilet; never had used one before, ha ha. I thought it was a little strange.
Under the city. Hilary with her daddy.
So many sights and sounds. Such a fantastic place. We loved it there.
The famous Gangnam section of Seoul. This is the area that a popular Korean song "Gangnam Style" is about from the Korean artist Psy. This is the subway we exited from.
Streets of Gangnam. I've never seen so many well dressed people. I thought the women were gorgeous and dressed beautifully. Not just in Gangnam, everywhere we went I was amazed at how well everyone dressed. They are mostly modest too. You didn't see tattoos or piercings either. Hardly any overweight people either. They eat a healthier diet, lots of fruits and vegetables; and their sweets have less sugar than in the US. It was very refreshing.
The crime in Korea is very low. There are no gangs or killings like in the US. Stealing is also rare. Even the youth respect their elders. So different from how America is. Not once did we feel scared, threatened, or in danger. We never felt more safe. Unlike cities in the US.
Going to Korea was by far the best trip of our lives for several reasons. We are grateful we were able to go.
So many buses. They actually have their own lane. Such a great transportation system.
Lunch time in Gangnam.
The day after we got in to Seoul, Rick and I had a day to explore on our own before we picked up Hilary. Every time when we looked a little lost someone went out of their way to help us. There was this elderly man who spoke in broken English help us buy a subway ticket and when we told him we were going to Sinchon to the LDS temple he took us all the way there and even when we got off at our stop he walked us there which was still several blocks away. I don't know if we would of been able to find it without his help. Then come to find out he was Mormon and knew who our daughter was from English class he attended which she taught two times a week at the church building. How's that for divine intervention from a city of over 10 million people. We had nothing but great experiences every single day we were there. We were certainly blessed.
