Hiraizumi and Geibi Gorge

We traveled to Hirazumi with a Misawa ITT tour.  It is a beautiful area in the woods of the Iwate Prefecture, filled with temples and shrines.  The main temple is the Chuson-ji Temple, a registered World Heritage site, as well as the Konjikido (Golden Hall) which is a national treasure. The kids might be getting “over” seeing temples and shrines but I don't care. We are going to leave Japan with a wealth of experiences in these heritage sites.  I feel that it is a good education for them and if anything, the area surrounding the temple was beautiful country. The cherry blossoms are starting to bloom and everyone is crazy for them here. We wandered through each shrine during our morning. 

Pants and Bub are "over"this but isn't it beautiful in the background?

Chinese Zodiac shrine- Pants is a rabbit

Crazy for Cherry Blossoms!

She has her fighting face on

At lunch time we encountered a little restaurant overlooking the valley. It was small and lovely. The menu was in handwritten Japanese and there were no pictures.  We did the best we could with google translate and made a guess with our order. We were brought four trays with 12 bowls on each tray of soba noodles. 48 bowls of noodles!  We also had two trays of sides to add to the noodles.  I told the kids that they had to eat as much as they possibly could.  They did a really great job as they were hungry due to our exploration.  We make so many mistakes in Japan that can be categorized as "lost in translation."

This only part of the food. One tray had already been removed when I took the picture.

We next went to the Geibi Gorge where we rode in a flat boat pushed by pole along the river.  The gorge was labeled with landmarks to see along the way. The kids had a fun time seeking the labels and learning about the gorge.  Our guide sang a beautiful song about the gorge and the river.  I love to reflect upon the different terrain that we find ourselves in. Last year we were hiking through red rocks and sand.  Here we explore green mossy areas.  What wonders this world does hold!

Trip to Seoul, South Korea

We went on an adventure to South Korea, flying on Space A from Misawa Air Base to Osan Air Base.  We have never done Space A and we certainly learned some things.  Josh went at 6:00am to make sure our names were on the list.  They told him to come back at 9:30 for the roll call. So I went to teach my yoga class and the kids were at home getting ready for the day.  At 9:30 in my class, Josh started calling me frantically. I could not do anything about the calls because I was teaching.  When I got out of class, Josh had left me a message that I needed to run to the terminal.  We were not told that we needed to arrive at 9:30 travel ready, with all of the travelers, and all of the luggage. We were extremely lucky that they let us on the plane without everyone there.  While I was teaching, Josh was scrambling around to get the luggage, the kids, and take the dog to the sitter.  I ran in my yoga clothes to the terminal.  We just thought that we would have time to do all these things after we checked in.  So I had to change in the terminal and we had not eaten any food.  It was a mad dash and we certainly learned our lesson the hard way. One day we will probably laugh about all of this.

            

Next we just waited around for the plane.  The military makes you arrive three hours or more early for flights and then you just wait.  The flight itself was fine and not very long and we did not have to pay anything.  This is why people do Space A.  When we arrived to Osan, we waited again in a really hot room to get through the customs process.  I did not prepare the kids for all this waiting and I needed dollar bills to get food from the vending machines.  All I had was Korean currency and cards.  After customs we took a bus from Osan to Seoul to the Yongsan Army base where we were staying at the Dragon Hill Lodge.  I was impressed that the kids made friends immediately with another family that had traveled from Misawa and that they were not at all phased by spending Spring Break in another country. Josh and I were lucky to travel to another state during our Spring Break as kids. They do not realize how unique our life can be.

The Dragon Hill Lodge is a very nice hotel.  It has a pool, fitness center, restaurants, playground area, and shopping area.  We explored a bit but mostly we were just tired and starving.  I thought it was strange that I did not really feel excited about this trip until we arrived. I think this is due to the fact that we were flying Space A and I had to keep thinking of contingent plans in case we did not make the flight. Such a mindset that I am not used to.

Playground at the Dragon Hill Hotel

Day 1- This morning started out as a business morning. The Dragon Hill has a great tour company on site and we were able to plan each day with the excellent tours to the sites of Seoul.  We also had to buy new luggage.  Both times we have traveled internationally, something breaks.  International travel calls for better than yard sale luggage. 

We walked to the War Memorial Museum, right off base.  It was an excellent museum.  The outside was a parking lot of planes, tanks, and other military machines.  The kids had a great time running around and climbing into the machines.  Inside, we learned a lot about the Korean war.  The museum was full of great displays, visuals, and movies about the event.  The kids really got into it.  I feel like they are starting to understand their place in the world as we learned about Korea’s conflict with Japan and the influence that the United States had in the war. 

We walked to Itaewon, a shopping area up the street from the base.  Josh ordered a custom made suit there which he will pick up later in the week.  He also picked out fabric for a party shirt for his mess dress.  The kids had a great time shopping for trinkets from the vendors on the street. 

We saw a rehearsal for some sort of ceremony at the War Museum. It was cool to see the traditional military uniforms as well as the current day ones.

Day 2- We took a taxi to the Trick Eye Museum.  It was full of scenes that look 3D from a camera angle. The kids had a great time being in all of the scenes. There was a dynamic maze there as well.  It was like a team challenge obstacle course.  Afterward, we found a good restaurant down a tiny alley.  It served yummy dumplings and looked really authentic.  We were the only Americans in the restaurant. 

"Some of these things are not like the others"

 We next took a taxi to the Han River for a river cruise.  It was rainy and we got there early but we played on the playground and made the best of it.  The cruise was really just a cheap love boat.  It was really cheesy but fun.  In the evening we took a night tour from the hotel. We went to the N Seoul Tower.  This was a lot like Tokyo tower.  We saw it all lit up and went to the observatory to look out on Seoul. The visibility was poor due to the rain but we still had a good time.  

Day 3- We went to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) or the line between North and South Korea.  It is strange that is such a tourist attraction since the current threat from North Korea is very real.  We drove to an exhibit hall where we saw a movie about the Korean war and ongoing struggles with North Korea (total propaganda).  It was filled with diagrams of the DMZ and the border line.  We went into the third infiltration tunnel that North Korea dug in attempts to infiltrate Seoul.  North Korea has four tunnels underground that they are aware of and they suspect there are more.  We walked into the tunnel to the blockade and we were only 170 meters from North Korea at that point.  We drove to observation point Dora where we could look into North Korea.  It was a little hard to see as it was foggy.  We could see the fence line clearly though.  As we drove from place to place we saw guard shacks all along the fence line. It was pretty surreal. Our last stop was the Dorsan station, the train line that was started in 2000 which would have connected North and South Korea. From the station we could hear the announcements from North Korea in the distance. They play 24 hours a day.  This was a pretty remarkable experience.

Peace Bell that rings daily at 10:00am

Korean War Memorial

They would not let us take pictures in the tunnel so we opted to stand by these very inviting guards...

...and these happy guards

Smile for North Korea!

Day 4- We took a city cultural tour where we started at the Jogyesa Buddhist temple.  They had lined the courtyard with thousands of colorful lanterns in celebration of Buddha’s birthday.  

We next went to the Gyeongbok Palace and saw the changing of the royal guard.  I loved the drumming and seeing the traditional clothing.  We explored the palace and learned about the kings and queens of Korea.

Inside the castle. I love all the colors and intricate artistry

The traditional clothing are beautiful Hanboks.  Pants has a new friend in this picture.

The Castle grounds just went on and on

The Blue House which serves the same function as our White House

We went to Changdeok Palace which looked a lot like the other and was just as big.  We enjoyed the more subdued but still lovely separate living quarter that the king built for his favorite mistress. 

This is the ceiling of the palace. I just love all the detail and colors.  I must be getting tired of living in military housing with white wall.

The slope of the roof is indicative of Korean architecture

 We ended the day with  two shopping markets- Insadong Street and Namdaemun Flea Market.  It was great fun to see the vendors.  Both shopping centers were full of lots of energy and traditional things to sell. 

The kids are watching a demonstration of how to make a yummy spun honey Korean treat.

Day 5-   We next went to the Bukchon Hanok Village.  A Hanok is a traditional Korean house.  I loved seeing the sloped roofs and the steep alleys between the homes. Inside the village we went to the Donglim Knot Museum. I have purchased some of the beautiful knots on purses here.  This is a traditional craft in Korea and the Museum is dedicated to teaching and spreading the art.  We went into an embroidery workshop as well.

After our tour we went to Seoul Forest Park. It is a huge part with five different sections. There were playgrounds for kids, lots of cherry blossom trees, wild deer, a huge bridge to the Hangang River, and lots of paths to wander.  Near the park we found a traditional Korean Bar-b-Que restaurant. We have a few of these in Misawa so we knew the basics.  The side dishes they brought were much spicier than what we have in Misawa. Koreans like their spices! It was good food. 

The Cherry Blossoms are blooming in Seoul.  Misawa will not get the blossoms until the end of April.

Hangang River overlook

 

Day 6- On Sunday we stayed in our room and watched General Conference.  We had considered seeing out a Korean ward but our ward in Misawa was using this day to watch conference so we thought we could do the same.  Between sessions we ventured out to find the Seoul Temple.  I researched the temple before we arrived in hopes that Josh and I could do some temple work while on this trip. I was very disappointed to find that the temple would be closed for two weeks for cleaning. I feel so marooned from a temple sometimes!  We still wanted to see the temple so it was good to make the trek over.  It looks very much like the Las Vegas Temple, it is just three times smaller. While we were there we met another LDS family from Springville, Utah of all places. Sometimes the world is a small place. We also met some of the local missionaries. Then it was back to the hotel for another session of General Conference.  I felt that a day of rest was welcome and needed.

Day 7- We took a journey into the past to the Joseon dynasty Folk Village. We wandered into the folk homes.  They were a lot more humble than the palaces we had been exploring of course.  We enjoyed three performances- acrobatic dancing, acrobatic high wire tricks, and equestrian feats.  

I am in the stocks in the prison house

 Day 8- We returned to Misawa from Osan Air Base on the rotator. Again, we were not prepared for all the hurry up and wait in Osan and then once we arrived in Misawa through customs.  We have learned some things about Space A travel though. I guess you have to do it a few times before it becomes old news.  But we had a great time Seoul, South Korea. Thanks for hosting us for awhile Seoul!