return

Time certainly flies when you're working hard and playing harder. Is this adulthood?
It can't be, if you jaywalk and trespass on a regular basis,
most often in search of a prime location to howl at the moon.......right?

Let's take a stroll back to the days when two feral siblings roamed the islands, mountains, and towns of Korea.
Post Seoul and a brief interlude in Gunsan: We picked an arbitrary city, Daejon, to be our  next excursion. We heard tale of an elaborate arboretum, currency museum, and had hopes of delicious foods. What we found was an arboretum in its infancy, its complicated design made clear by the juvenile trees trying to fulfill expectations. The labyrinth was chest high, better suited for an awkward walk rather a thrilling game of escape. The rose garden was a diverse scattering, voluptuous English beauties shouldered next to delicate tea roses. More akin to subway car than formal event, the resulting atmosphere was both chaotic and content.

Unfortunately, my camera battery died shortly after the rose garden. So no pictures of the strange currency museum and only one picture of our creepy love motel. This place had more LEDs than a rave as well as his and her robes that had most certainly seen crisper days.

All in all, Daejon is interesting. A wonderful place to visit. Once. The following weekend we packed our bags and headed to Seonyudo Island for our first Korean camping adventure.....

shifting, sorting

Korea survived the three week long dual Yourick storm, but just barely. I'm still sorting through many a picture and memory and will share more with you all very very soon.

                  Snapshot from the Secret Bar entrance, known for
                                  Whiskey & Beer & Talking.

morning after the night before

The eve of Buddha's birthday ended as any noteworthy celebration should, with a few good beers and spicy street food. The following morning we made our way to Cheonggyecheon stream in downtown Seoul. The stream has an interesting history: first as the nucleus of development for an infantile Seoul, then later as being covered and choked by traffic infrastructure for twenty some years, and most recently as an expensive yet worthwhile urban renewal project. The cool air and gentle current suited our weary disposition and was a nice reprieve from the concrete jungle.

Namdaemun market was next on the itinerary. As the largest and oldest continually running market in Korea, Namdaemun is a feast for the senses.The photos simply don't do it justice because the sounds and smells alone test one's capacity for stimuli. Cars are not permitted, nor could fit within the market, but a steady stream of precariously laden motorcycles and scooters weave their way through pedestrians. Vendors shout with promise of the best merchandise: be it fish, ginseng, jerseys, or underwear. Scents ranging from enticing to repulsive or an unheard mix of the two greet you with at every turn. We wandered until we could no longer stand, and collapsed into a meal of melon and hotteok before returning to Gunsan.