April 30th. Slow then fast

 As you can see Tuesday started out slow but gained momentum as the day went on. Woke up early to unlock the front door so Jessica and Meghan could take an early walk. By the time I woke up again, Michael and Jenna were gone. All came back with stories of the market as well as temples with monks chanting and all. It is so much better when you discover these things yourself than when guided to them. They have the pictures. 

Back to home and then off to the Kyoto castle. Its a nice  castle we have pictures. Did I mention it was a rainy day?  

After the castle, time for some beer and noodles. Jenna found us a great restaurant. 

And they make their own noodles.  

D

April 29th. Goings and comings

 Well a day of a lot of goings and comings.  Mary Ann and I got up at 4:00 am to catch our flight to Osaka Japan on Peach Airlines. We did. Now the story os that Jessica flew into Osaka ahead of us to surprise Michael since he surprised her by coming to Thanksgiving at our house last year. The first test was to surprise Meghan, who would get to Osaka an hour before Michael. 

But first we have a taste of freedom by putting all our luggage, and now I understand why they call it luggage, into lockers. Item #1 left cane on a cart in Seoul, but Meghan was bring me a seat cane I sent before she left. We Mary Ann and Jessica buy train tickets to Kyoto for when everybody gets here. Then off to lunch where we see our first food robot. 

After lunch we wait for Meghan to arrive. Jessica will come up after Meghan sees us. You decide how surprised Meghan was 

Yes Meghan brought the cane all the way to Japan only to leave if in the never land between customs and immigration.

Off to more shaved ice then surprise Michael and Jenna

Surprising Michael. You decide 

So after that, it is pock up the luggage, wait for train to Kyoto and get settled into the Buddha house. I think they liked it. I do. 

A little foolishness at the airport. 

The Buddha house. Much nicer than this. 

April 28th. You never know !

 You never know how much crap you have till you move. Even after just 10 days in one place we have more and more. 

Just my crap

So we change plans. Scrap the Metro with this stuff and cab it to Seoul Train Station. From there we cab catch the special train to Incheon International Airport which we leave from tomorrow for Japan. Talk about someplace hard to find. And with suitcases and bags. But we do. I take us to the wrong car but we finally get there and collapse. 

Then it is up and down Terminal 1 to find a taxi to our paid for AirB&b. 

We get in a taxi, tell him where we want to go in Incheon, oh nonwe were in the Seoul only taxis. A nice man takes us tro the Incheon taxi line and we are off. 

We finally get to our destination, unpack, admire the view and Mary Ann is hungry. She saw a bar downstairs   was off. Well almost. For the first time in our marriage MaryAnn yelled at me for being too slow going to a bar. The bar ends up being closed but we find a chicken and beer place. 

We run into the only other couple there that we saw in an elevator at the airport. They are headed to Prague, Paris, and Viet Nam. She was even nice enough to go back to her hotel and get us a map with stops for the free airport shuttle. How nice. We finished eating and  went upstairs to lick our wounds from a rough day. 

View from our room. 

Damage done to the chicken. 

Tomorrow we meet the grandchildren. 

April 27th. Shopping before Japan

 Well we know and speak Korean better no much better than we know Japan or speak Japanese so today we shop for things like toothpaste and soap. Success. 

But first we had breakfast in bed. 

And then to shopping. Metro to Seoul station and Five Guys. The biggest diverse store we know. Just one incident while we were there when Mary Ann let go of the cart on the way down. 

Needed something to eat and found a nice Italian place at Seoul station.  

Old Seoul station outside. 

And finally home. Here is my local store who supplied me with beer each night  

Tomorrow we pack and move next to Incheon airport for our trip to Japan on The 29th

April 26th. You can never go home again?

 Well this is day 30 but who is counting?  A later get up than we thought because we stayed up listening to the Supreme Court briefings on Trump’s immunity as President. 

So we are up and out headed to the BaekInJe house for the English tour at 4:00 pm. We lived in this Korean compound when we first moved to Seoul from Busan. It was a small house off of the large house. Our friend Bob Kowalczyk got us the house when we moved. It is now a UNESCO site protected. But first let’s remember where we are. This is in the metro station. Look close at the English  

But we are also in dreamland. Many, many people male and female rent these to visit sites in Seoul. 

We kill time in a bar and then Mary Ann helps us find the alley we used to live on and we walk up it to the entrance After signing up we wait and finally it is 4.00pm. 

We had been her briefly a few weeks ago and showed the photos I had brought from the time we lived there. She is the English guide and recognized us. I handed her the photos (for them to keep) and we started the tour with a couple from Singapore. Here are a few photos from the tour. We did not live in this house. The house we lived in is now very different and offices. 

Inside Bob’s old house below. 

Our guide in Bob’s house

We next went to our old house and had gotten permission to see inside. It was of course different, but we still knew where everything used be. I talked to the couple from Singapore while Mary Ann talked to the staff about what was where and how the house was arranged. I joined them and we talked about our house for almost an hour. We traded emails and they gave us a book in English about the BaekIjJe house. I think for a while we did go home again. 

Mary Ann where our Living room was. 

The alley we used to walk up below. 

And of course we can forget how to use a toilet. 

We next walked (not easily) to InSaDong where there are many Korean tea houses and restaurants. We chose a winner and will be back. Our 30 day celebration. 

Quite a spread

The lady, 94 years old, who owns the place and is famous. 

So a Friday night, just outside our hotel. 

And that wraps up another day of my blog. Tomorrow is the next to last day in Korea till May 10th. But we will be back.  

I am afraid that I really didn't emphasize how special

It was to go back to our old house and show the old photos to the people there.  It really was special and made a special day and more new friends. 

April 25th. Market Day

 As the title suggests, we are going to a market today. But first more things to send home. Suit and shirt I no longer need. Some of Mary Ann’s similar clothes and gifts from the National Library. It’s a good size box so we have the hotel call us a taxi. There was a Post Office down the street but he took us to a different one. Now we need a Korean address and phone number to send something. Luckily the man whose apartment we stayed in earlier allowed us to use his. Don’t tell anybody. And of course like all taxi drivers we encountered, the lady at the PO could not find the address. But it did get shipped. 

So we walk outside looking for the Metro. It is a little bit of a walk but every walk in Seoul discovers more interesting things. Like traffic circles. 

So we finally find a Metro entrance but first some late morning breakfast. Forgot to take pictures. Maybe tomorrow. But Korea treats wafflles as pastry. And they are good. We split one, have coffee and listen to some smooth jazz music playing in background.

While waiting for our train, we are reminded of the subways back home with the cleaners in them. 

On the train towards the Gwangjang Market. 

This is the same market we went to the end of March and shown on this blog. We buy presents for home as well as tips for my walking stick ( I refuse to call it a cane). And time for lunch. Into a restaurant that serves bibbimpop.  I just wanted a beer. So it comes but with the beef for it raw, uncooked. Seems we have wandered into a raw food restaurant. So Mary Ann tries it. 

Not quit the response Tripp had with octopus but similar. And the menu for those interested 

The alley we walked down to the restaurant. 

I love that they close for breaks. Except maybe when I am hungry just at that time. 

A stall devoted to ornaments for traditional Korean dress. 

For old timers. Yes every once in a while they come by. 

Mary Ann and I have come to love this type of pine. 

Now many Koreans are Christian and you can find them singing about God many different places. 

And after Krispy Kreme doughnuts and coffee, it is time to go to our room and rest. Tomorrow I think we will tour our old compound in KaWayDong.  

April 24th. Just questions

 Today was another slow day. Rest before the storm. Mary Ann finally got me out of bed and we headed to the laundromat. Well Mary Ann did after I got settled into Starbucks across the main road. I drank coffee and she started the wash. 

I did get lonely and walked down to the laundromat where the clothes were now drying. 

Not the biggest of laundromats. 3 washers, 4 dryers

All electronic and no cash. The first time there, Mary Ann encointered  a man that only had cash after walking 20 Minutes to get there. So Mary Ann used her credit card and he gave her cash. 

We go back to our room and box more things we do not need and are sending back to the USA. Not cheap but better than logging them around. 

Now time for dinner. The folks downstairs send us down a different street and we find a great place to eat. Speaking of which, where has the real bulgogi gone. Now every time we order it, it comes as meat boiled in water/soup. Not the same as BBQ Korean. So where did it go? Change is one thing but this!  

And then where are all the storage lockers and sites like we have in the USA?  Very strange where Koreans keep all those things not needed but kept like we USA people do. Well some of us. 

But now for that nice meal. 

And although we did not have any, there are always plenty of eels available. 

A nice jacket my son left for

Me

April 23rd. Old friends and. New

 Mary Ann and I did nothing eventful during this day. Yesterday was so filled with emotion, all good, that we needed a day off. But just the daytime. 

We met our friends from the National Library for a dinner in Insa Dong.  It was a meal fit for royalty. But first the entrance to the restaurant. 

I knew we were in for a Korean meal like we had never had. If only I had taken more photos. 

And no I can’t describe what each dish was. But there were Jeruselem artichokes known as pig potatoes here. Mulberry fruits, squash soup, octopus, pork, and all kinds of vegetables. And all in the right portions. And then to share all this with good friends. 

Professor Kim, Ms Lee, Ms Pak and Mr Lee

Ms Cho, Ms Lee Un Hoe 이 은 희 and her husband 

And our translator Mr Pak. 

After such a great meal, it is natural to want to rest but the Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch was having a lecture that would end with a tribute to our dear departed friend Peter Bartholomew.  The presentation was interesting. 

Then we retired to a bar close by, had some beer and met and talked to Jon Dunbar about Korea old and new. By the time we were done, it was close to 11:00 pm. A late night for us. We were helped to find the 1 metro line which took is safely home.