Well we have been back home for 12 days now. So go to be home and sleep in our own bed with only Drs appointments to keep track of the days. No pictures please. But it may sound strange but I miss Korea already and am anticipating the next trip with no plans as of yet.
A big thank you to everyone who read my silly blog. And also to everyone who participated in this dance either willingly or by chance.
So here is to the next adventure.
Well maybe that title has already been taken but so has June 16th yesterday. We left at 6:40 pm on Sunday and got to Atlanta on Sunday at 7:30 a one hour difference after a 13 hour flight. And in the last row which does not recline.
But first I had to rescue Jonah’s sword from customs prison. . Most of the work had been done on Friday by Ms Chang from the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation as a favor to me. It still meant going here and there to meet the right people and insure it made it on the plane to Atlanta. Surprisingly US customs has no problem with people bringing in weapons of death and destruction. Go figure.
So a little down time in Atlanta airport then the flight from Atlanta to Wilmington which I remember nothing about since I slept the whole way.
John Gruntfest duly picked us up and got all our stuff inside. Found out the Sonatas battery was dead when we got home. Probably from not being used and all the electronics that go non stop. My 2003 Ford Ranger started right up.
I still stayed up till 2:00 am unwrapping my rock and Jonah’s sword. Then found out my router has died so a new one was ordered. This is probably it for the blog unless I get sentimental and want to rehash some highlights. You have been warned.
Goodnight
The day before we leave to the USA is nothing special. Mary Ann and I spent most of the day in our room and in bed. We have done this many times on this day, but today I slept most of it and Mary Ann played games of her phone. She also went downstairs and bought sandwiches for lunch. Just another way for us to spend an anniversary. Happy 56th.
We also celebrated by going out to eat at a place we discovered while staying here just before our last trip to Japan. But before that my newest best friend in Korea Jon Dunbar dropped off copies of the Korea Times, where he works, that had the article about our donation. How very nice of him.
I would hope others step forward and return these type of things to Korea.
Then off to dinner at Debbies. Like being in an upscale restaurant in NYC. Well sort of. It did make for a nice anniversary dinner.
Goodnight
Today started with a trip to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, where once again we were treated like Royalty. If everyone could be this kind and thoughtful, the world would be such a better place.
First item was concern for the sword Jonah had to leave behind. And then an interview about our donation for their archives. By the time that was over, it was lunch time with the Secretary General Mr. Kwak and the other people who have helped us with this donation. Unfortunately it was just now that I have realized we took no photos. And a great meal it was.
We then returned to their office where Ms Chang spent a couple hours getting Jonah’s sword so that we hopefully will be able to take it home with us on Sunday. I think only someone who is bilingual like her would be able to negotiate the bureaucracy like she did. We shall see when we try to get the sword on Sunday.
Then on our way for a little more last minute shopping and picking up a jacket Jessica had left in Busan, which we had delivered to Seoul so we could return it.
A short bus ride from there to a beer and wine cafe near where we used to live in KaWayDong. One more time to say goodbye. Who knows if it will be the last. I hope not. And if anyone knows it is the last, please don’t tell me.
Goodnight
Today started with Mary Ann and I going for breakfast in the Koreana Hotel for the first time since we arrived. French toast for her and eggs Benedict for me. French toast was OK, but the eggs benedict came cold with no hollandaise sauce. I told them this and they said they served their eggs cold. Back to the kitchen and they still came back cold. So much for breakfast.
So I headed out by myself to look at a scroll I had seen yesterday. Mary Ann should never let me out looking for scrolls by my self. I did get the bamboo one I was looking for, also 8 or 10 others I liked at bargain basement prices. They are nice, but need to be mounted. We shall see.
The rest if the day was hanging out with Jonah and Patricia talking and talking and talking. Around 3:30 Miss Lee from the National Library came by to give me the rock I had bought here in Korea. She was babysitting it while we were in Japan. We hope to see her soon if she can visit the USA. That would be fun. And while we were chating and drinking coffee downstairs, Patricia and Jonah came to say goodbye since they were leaving tonight but wanted to go early to pick up his sword that was being held by Korean customs.
We say goodbye to Ms Lee a bit later and head out to get another suitcase for all the stuff we have bought. Yes we did it again. And then we settle on. Chinese food for dinner. And the hotel has one so we go there. Mistake. But you only know after you eat and seldom before. At least Jonah and his sword are reunited.
Well not really. He does everything he was told to do but not warned that if he leaves from a different terminal he has to call 24 hours ahead. So he left without his sword and I am trying to see what I can do to at least take it with me. This sword has had a bigger adventure than the one carried by General Lee at Gettysburg. I am meeting with a friend tomorrow to see what can be done.
Goodnight
And they were having a big send off for Patricia and Jonah on their last full day here.
Well actually it was a union organizing demonstration. Jonah figured that out.
A little rest and time to walk to Insadong or as the old timers called it Mary’s Alley. No one clearly knows who Mary was nor is it an alley anymore. But between our hotel and Insadong, we saw Jhogaysa Temple and showed it to Patricia and Jonah. What a nice peaceful place in the middle of Seoul.
After securing the rock, we sat in a coffee shop, don’t ask me which one, and talked of scrolls and family and travels.
Next off to a spot my friend Jon Dunbar showed me but Jon and I could not get a place because we got there too late. I made sure the four of us got there early enough to enjoy the Korean BBQ as well as the ambiance that comes with the place. Open air and charcoal BBQ. Keep the meat and beer coming. As well as the garlic and kimchee. We had a good time.
Find them in the crowd.
Happy couple.
Sorry to see them leave tomorrow as they have been great traveling companions and put up with me way long than most people would. Bon Voyage and hope to see you soon.
Goodnight.
So we get up early (5:30) to catch a train from Nara to a junction for a train to Kansai airport where we will catch a Jeju Jet to Seoul Korea.
After a struggle to find the right terminal (my fault) we are at the counter and the four of us combined are overweight with our baggage so what do they do? Give me my bag, the lightest, back as a carryon. That solved the plane having too much weight to take off.
Then just before boarding Patricia tells Mary Ann they are calling her name. She gets special treatment and is escorted to the front. But not because she is special. No her name became attached to the sword Jonah bought in Kyoto and had put in checked baggage. They questioned her all about it, unwrapped it but finally let the sword and Mary Ann on the plane. And it was a beautiful flight.
Land in Korea and all is well. We go through immigration and pick up our baggage ( well they do. Mine was all carryon.). Twenty feet from Korea as we (Jonah) goes through “ Nothing to declare”, alarms sound, bells ring, customs agents gently dozing are awakened and Jonah is hustled off to a side area to explain way he is bring such a weapon into Korea. I explain in my best Korean that Jonah and Patricia are only in Korea for two days and the sword will be out of Korea at that time.
So the sword is put into special detention until they pass back through customs on their way to the USA. Of course there is a daily storage charge. The sword now has a great provenance.
And so we are in Seoul at a nice hotel. The other three are napping so I take a walk and end up looking at paintings a rocks. Go figure. Will buy a small rock tomorrow if it is still there. Came back and we had a nice Korean dinner in the Hotel and Jonah treated us. Very nice. And then to bed as travel days do tend to wear one out. Sorry no photos.
Goodnight
So I am sitting in one of the top tourist destinations in Asia finding nothing to do. Maybe it is my back final saying stop. Maybe it is because I have been here more than once or as the saying goes “Have I stayed too long at the fair?”
Whatever it is, it will be good to get back in Hampstead NC. I am actually looking forward to my back operation. Don't have a date for it set yet, but I am sure it will affect my ability to go to Jessica’s wedding in September. We will work it out.
Spent most of today so far recovering from the sushi/sake dinner last night. Did manage to double my Yen. I had 2,000 and then cashed in my IC card for 2,400. And I did weigh our suitcases to check how close we are to tomorrow’s weight limits. Looks like we will be fine.
We had the free ramen dinner and then I went to the spa. What.a great relaxing bath.
And then to bed
Goodnight
Islands don’t always have to be surrounded by water. Now Miyajima is but Nara is a different story. During WWII, the USA decided that as they laid waste to all Japanese cities with aerial bombing, they would spare Kyoto and Nara since they were old cultural capitals of a Japan gone by. So they still are islands in a land that was demolished in WWII.
We woke up to rain and a very strange Japanese breakfast. Not what we expected. Too strange for photos. Oh well.
But first off to get something to eat. One stop at a cafe to keep us going and then off to sushi. Namely Fuku Sushi. A place we had stopped at by chance with Michael and Jenna. And these three photos got us back in the place in fact, the one outside helped me find it again
Since the place only seats 9 people, and four places were reserved for his friends, we were lucky to get in. But we did and the sushi and sake flowed like the streams coming off a mountain in Colorado. Mary Ann can attest to that.
And my favorite of the night? Octopus. A work of art.
Yes you heard that correct. We started on trains from Kyoto to Miyajima, which is where we landed but then went in search of the ropeway up the mountain in Miyajima. Well Mary Ann gave up, but Patricia, Jonah and. I struggled on no matter what the signs said. The last 100 being 100 steps. Boy they sucked. But the views were great.
Having seen every shrine and temple in Kyoto (well might have missed a thousand or so) we head back to Gion to a shop Patricia And Jonah told us about. After all we shipped a bunch home yesterday so time to fill the suitcases back up.
But it is hot out and the shop is so far. We are walking back to a coffee shop we were at before when Jonah calls and says they are right behind us. Small city.
We go home to rest and then Patricia and Jonah take us out to dinner at the restaurant we ate at with Michael, Jenna and the rest. It where you watch them actually make the noodles from scratch.
Only two photos today. One sacred and the other I am not sure of.
Smallest shrine I have seen. It is complete.
Oh and lastly, A second hand store with a few swords
Goodnight
Well here it is June 6th. D-day to most people in the USA. A time of true sacrifice by men, young men, who gave up their lives to fight a tyrant trying to destroy freedom. May it never happen again and lets hope their sacrifice was not done In vain.
For us a lazy day. No-one wanted to go on the Katsura Imperial tour so we didn’t. Patricia and Jonah we t to wash clothes and Mary Ann and I mailed more stuff home to avoid additional charges on the flight to Korea.
Mary Ann and I did go to Gion, but mostly to shop. I did take a couple of minutes to see the shrine there.
And we saw them making candy.
I actually have a video of a different candy maker whose wares we actually bought.
And then to the ramen shop I had visited with an earlier group and Mary Ann hadn’t been with us.
We went home after that and had plans to go to listen to some live jazz at a spot we were at last night, but Mary Ann took a nap and wouldn’t wake up so we didn’t.
Goodnight
As I sit here in a nice place (finally) eating my moche while others nap, I ponder on all that has happened in the last 2 months. But not for long because I have a daily blog to write.
Today we started out as a group of 4 headed to the Saihoji temple and the moss garden there. My second time and their first. For those who had not read the Blog in early May, you can only enter this temple by application before hand. Once in, you copy Buddhist sutras to get your mind in the right place. Once done copying you can either keep your work or offer it as a prayer. Then into the most wonderful moss garden in the world. Just ask UNESCO. Here are the photos I took the second time around.
Then a bus to the station below and one stop we are back in Arashiyama. It is too early to see Dr Yamano and reclaim what was left there when we stayed there. So we went to the town to eat at our favorite Kobe beef restaurant there. It did not disappoint
And now we split up for we are retrieving lost items and Patricia and Jonah are getting new ones and maybe seeing monkeys. We succeed and it remains to be seen if they do.
For we are off to Daitokuji temple to see the bonsai exhibit they have there. I will only show a few, but remember that a couple of these are older the the USA or for that matter the discovery of America though I know to native Americans it was never lost.
We ended up going to eat at 2 places that were closed and a Jazz Bar that didn’t have good food. I did see a nice temple before we went home and went to bed.
Goodnight