May 31st. 77th Day

 Well maybe not the 77th day but feeling all of being 77 years old and traveling around anywhere not just Asia. And everyone I am traveling with has been so understanding. Thank you all. 

So today was a day off (well sort of). Patricia and Jonah were off to museums today while we rested up. It was suppose to be a rainy day but I am not sure that really happened. The rain that is. 

I had some ticket issues so after sleeping in and going for a cold bowl of noodles at my favorite shop in Tokyo, i was off to Tokyo Railway station. 

So off to the station and the Sinkansen counter. Lets just say this. I managed to return the unneeded tickets and get most of my money back.  It only took me avoiding one certain person at the help desk to get everything done. And then back to home. 

Mary Ann and I got hungry around 7:00 pm so we explored where to eat close and finally settled for a place selling SuKiYaki.  It was nice. Done by a gentleman from Bangelidesh.  It was a good meal and pictures don’t do it justice. 

After dinner we went to an outdoor cafe, had cheesecake and bourbon and then home. We will see what we do tomorrow. 

Goodnight 

May 30th. Royalty and Fish

 Today started off with showers (no photos) and late breakfast. Unfortunately we had ordered before we realized it has a smoking area. Like having a no peeing area is. Swimming pool. But breakfast was ok and we were hungry. 

Cafe signage. 

Then off to downtown following our guide Patricia and she does get us through the maze that is Tokyo subways. First stop os the Imperial Palace still used by the current Japanese Emperor.  We turn Jonah and Patricia lose to go rome the palace gardens at a faster pace than when with us and I settle down in a chair with my Starbuck’s Carmel Macchiato and watch the world go by. 

But first we have to watch the very large carp that swim in the moat surrounding the Imperial Palace. 

And the world does go by.  I sit in the sun sometimes blocked by clouds and Mary Ann retreats to full shade. 

Patricia and Jonah return not having seen the palace but getting to see the royal garden. Such beautiful irises you have never seen. 

Then I try to  straighten out some train tickets I had ordered back in March for this trip. Impossible to do so I just bought new ones and will get a refund from Japan Experience. 

And now the real experience. Shopping. In one of the busiest shopping places in Japan and maybe the world. Of course we have to walk past the famous intersecionw in Japan. 

After the Adidas Store and yes we bought something, time for a detour to go see the statue of  Hachiko the faithful dog. 

What a lovely story of faithfulness.  

Then shopping at a place I had never heard of. Maybe you have. 

They have the widest selection of nothing in the world.  Mary Ann and I waited first outside, then in a bakery while the other two shopped. 

Now this is really where the fish comes in. Mary Ann saw a sushi place while we were walking to the last store so we decided to try it. A twenty minute wait became a 3 minute wait and we were seated. But not your dad’s sushi store. Order from a tablet and the sushi comes to you on a conveyor belt, stops in front of you and you take it off. 

And so we ate until we could eat no more. And Mary Ann’s and my total bill was just over &30.00 and Patricia’s and Jonah’s just under &40.00.  What a deal. 

Then the train ride home and to bed. I must admist that the walking between train stations was hard on the old back. Can’t wait to get it repaired. 

May 29th. Tokyo

 Up at 4:00 am

In the morning to catch our plane to Tokyo. Well I wont talk about how much we paid in excess luggage weight. But what can you do once you are at the counter? Get on the plane. 

And so following our trusty guide Patricia we reach the place where we will be staying for the next few days. But no check in till 4:00 pm and it is 1:00 pm. 

No problem when there is a soba shop around the corner. 

And the winner was. 

All of them. Then to the corner coffee shop to have some nice coffee and watch people go by till our rooms were ready. Once inside them, no-one moved much having gotten up at 4:00 am. 

Goodnight

Well not quite. A run to the Lawson’s store ( no relation) for a couple of quisey stomachs. Mary Ann and Mine. Our guide Patricia and her mate Jonah came along to make sure I didn’t get lost. Stock up and they get me back to “the hill”. Then they take off to eat real food somewhere. Stories tomorrow. 

Who said you can over advertise something?

And lastly, our place supplies hairdryers but no shower or bath.  

And that is Goodnight  

May 28th. Incheon Bound

 After a great night last night, I needed some rest. But that didn’t happen. Neither Mary Ann nor I had a good nights sleep despite the wonderful new Hanok we were in. You never know. And then sometimes you fall asleep on a rock and wake up rested.  

But we are still in Korea and need breakfast, so we walk down the street for coffee and breakfast. Which leads me to the subject of Scones. Seems no matter where we try them, scones in Korea are delicious. I have trouble not reordering another one the same meal. My breakfast partner tells me that is not to be done. 

After breakfast, I go downtown to pick up a present we special ordered for someone back in the USA. And let me tell you about that. Not the present, but the bus number 1. It makes a loop starting on our street and loops past our old 1970’s house, downtown and the back. How very very convenient. The driver actually got to know us by sight.  Of course he received a turtle keychain from Topsail Island. 

Part of his route. 

And what should appear across from where we are staying but the institute to preserve Royal Culture Food. 

Some things don’t need preserving here in Korea. 

So just before we head to Seoul train Station to go to Incheon, we make a detour to the house next door. It was here that Ko Hui Dong built his house and lived. He is known as Korea’s first modern (western style) painter bringing western style and merging it with traditional Korean style painting. Cool

On the way to Seoul Station. Right. No more tile roofs.

We taxied to Seoul Station and then took the train to Incheon airport terminal 1. After that it is figuring out which taxi is the local one  most want fares to Seoul. And wouldn’t you know it that despite my best efforts, we land up in Incheon apartments again. No sign for “hotel” but the convenience store owner finds the owner and she shows me to the apartments.  Crazy  

It is Mary Ann’s nap time and my beer time. She in the apartment and me down stairs outside having bought a Guinness in the store and plastic cups for effect. 

My surroundings

And just after I finish my Guinness and contemplate having another, they start moving all the chairs and tables up onto a concrete platform.  Seems the police have arrived and are breaking up our illegal patio party. No worry, the tables and chairs will be back down in a couple of hours. But back to the apartment for now.

And then a few hours later. 

For those who have known Korea, you can see that some things never change.

Patricia and Jonah are now back and in their room getting back to civilization. Tomorrow we leave for Tokyo but first dinner tonight. Indoors. The wind is blowing hard outside. 

And the meal was inside thankfully. A Korean standby, Chicken and Beer. At least now it is. I had cajan fries and everyone else had some version of chicken except for Patricia who had rice cake in a rose sauce. 

Tomorrow the four of us head to Tokyo. 

Goodnight. 

May 27th. Not much doing

 After you have lived in a place for awhile and then revisited several times, there is only so much you can or want to go out and do. We have hit that point. We love Seoul but don’t need to go out every night to eat Korean food or see something again. We can make pretty good Korean food at home.  And just how many pictures of roofs can you take.  That said, I still am. Witness today’s. 

But there is more. 

Future 100 year old antiques

And I can waunder the back alleys of downtown Seoul hoping that I might just run across the MunHwa beer hall. 

I haven’t found it yet, but I did find a place offering French Wine. 

And of course I cannot show the stores where we bought gifts for different people. It might give the surprise away. 

So back to the house for a nap. And then the sameness changes. ……..

I went out to re-meet a Facebook friend Jon Dunbar to ostensively talk about my donation of paintings to the National Library. Turns out it was a talk of Korea old and new and on and on and on. Like meeting an old friend you had not seen in years. So much in common and  so much new to us both. 

And now for some photos. 

Yesterday the Leaders of China and Japan were here, so Korean police had Japanese flags on them.

Eating out on a Monday night in Korea. 

Me eating out. 

And of course you eat Taco’s with chopsticks. 

And that is Goodnight. 

May 26th. Trains and Palaces

 So what can you say about a early morning 7:23 am train.  Well not much since young children may be reading this. But it really wasn’t that bad since we had moved close to the train station yesterday. As we settled down only to be told we were in the wrong number car. Quick move from 17 to 16 and we would soon be in Seoul. Having arranged to drop our luggage off early was nice. And the cab driver actually came close after I gave him a second set if directions. 

Now today being Sunday, some places are closed but we needed to eat. A day old donut, iced coffee and 8 medications don’t lead to a happy stomach.  We first try to go in on a wedding but stop before being thrown out. The next place was for the wedding party. But the place next to it was a jewel. And we got their last table for two. But it was up on the terrace so we would have to sit outside. Poor poor us. That is Chung Duc Palace behind us  

But then we had to settle for the food they were serving. Mary ann had french toast  with Spanish ham and a Mimosa 

And I had ceviche and toast. 

A flower that caught my eye. 

Up close. 

A video of the view. 

A tree that caught my eye. 

From there we hopped on the local bus that does a loop around the area. Really quite nice. But before that, had to check out the garlic salesman for the area. 

And here is the area we are in. To the right is the back garden of Chung Duc Palace. 

We went out in the rain and found a nice place downtown that served some really nice pasta  

And then home on the bus with our favorite bus driver       ( he had picked us up 3 times today) and to bed. 

Goodnight

May 25th. A little move.

 Woke up today to say goodbye to Haeundae a day early. When I bought KTX tickets to Seoul last Thursday, they were all sold out for Sunday except very early in the morning. A 7:35 am train to be exact. So I got us a hotel close to the station and we are here. 

But first I had breakfast at my favorite cafe with Patricia and Jessica. Strawberry ice cream and a scone.  Mary Ann was not feeling well so we brought back a scone and coffee. I pack up (Mary Ann had packed her stuff while we were gone), we say goodbye to Patricia and Jessica and are off. No goodbyes to Jonah or Marco as they were at the Slippery Hands Barbershop getting haircuts. No pictures available yet. 

To the hotel by taxi. Well not quite. Taxi driver has no idea of where the hotel is, so we say Busan Train Station. He takes us there and then Google maps gets us there even if Busan Station Information cannot. If it is not the Busan Hilton, they don’t seem to know where it is. Get Mary Ann installed in the room and I am off to meet Mr Lee at the Busan City Museum. 

Well sort of. Taxi driver doesn’t know where it is till I show him. But I get there. 

When I ask for Mr Lee the information assistant tells me isn’t there. His day off. I had talked to him earlier today and we agreed on a 3:00 pm meeting. She calls and he is almost here. Coming on his day off. 

I had a little time so I bought a few gifts for people back home. Mr. Lee shows up with a gift for me. The catalog of the items now on display. So nice. Then he proceeds to show me each item in the exhibit and explain their importance as well as why they are good. There is not one there I do not like.  And the two videos made to accompany to exhibit were no less powerful the second time around. 

One attempts to show the artist’s mind when creating the various objects. The other is a whimsical animation based on some of the characters from the paintings.  Again I love them both. Below are a couple of clips from each. 

And the more whimsical. 

Before I leave, I just have to take a photo where our names are listed as donors to the museum. 

Really proud of these. 

Bit before I can get a taxi, Mr Lee says he will take me to the station hotel. I accept and we have a wonderful conversation on the way back. I do hope I see him again sometime. 

Me and my friend Mr Lee. 

So off to a seafood dinner. Mary Ann picked out the crab and I ordered the baby octopus. Both were great, but I could have used a little help with the octopus. 

Mary Ann picking out dinner. 

Hold still. I want to eat you!

People still working late. 

Raw eel having been skinned alive. I used to go to the docks and pick the eel out to be stabbed and skinned and cut up to eat raw right there. But that was a while ago in a different time and a different planet.  But I am sure there is some eel with my name on it in Japan. 

Goodnight