Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon

One of our favorite Saturday afternoon activities in walking around the Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon. It is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and is the only fully intact fortress wall in all of Korea! This weekend we jumped on the 66-4 bus (the 66 and 10 also make this journey) with some of our new friends, Meredith and Stuart from Portland! Pacific Northwest- woohoo! The fortress is about 5.52km around, and houses many military facilities from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The story of why it was built is an interesting one...

The wall was built in the late 18th century by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty to honour and house the remains of his father Prince Sado, who had been murdered by being locked alive inside a rice chest by his own father King Yeongjo having failed to obey his command to commit suicide.



Korean Wine Train

Some friends invited us along this weekend on our first trip to a Korean winery. The tour started with a train ride through the countryside with unlimited wine! The tasting started at 10am- yes, you read that correctly, 10 IN THE MORNING! After a few hours on the train, we were bused to an lunch buffet with more unlimited wine. The afternoon was spent touring the "winery" and relaxing in a "wine foot spa". The website advertised this "wonderful and relaxing foot spa" to be in some type of special "healing wine". They thought they could fool us drunk foreigners! It was a tub painted dark purple on the inside and filled with hot water!! We are not that tossed my friends! You can't fool us - drunk googles or not!



Wine foot spa-HA!


The Chataeu Mani Winery was pleasant enough, though it did not rival Napa or anything. It was sure nice to get out of the city. On the way back to the train station we took a stop at a museum with traditional Korean instruments and the world's largest drum (according to our guide). The train ride back had more unlimited wine and by 9pm we were finishEE!

Wine and Cinema Train



The extent of our winery tour




World's Largest Drum (they claim it is in the Guinness Book of World Records)



Visit Korea is the tourist organization that put together our day! LOVES

Lately..

It has been far too long since the last post. No excuses. I clearly need to get back on the horse!


Here is a bit of what we have been up to.

 1) Discovering where the Korean weirdos hang out. Finally, I am home.

Saturday Hongik University Art Market=EPIC

2) A soundless stroll through Seodaemun Prison.

 3) War Memorial of Korea. Both educational and a bit humerous. Nothing like Korean children climbing around in war wreckage.

 4) Newspaper pom poms and orange plastic bag-hats at a Lotte Giants game. I've never seen fans more dedicated.

 5) Swallowed up by the masses at the Cherry Blossom Festival

 8) Group cutting of the cake at a Korean wedding

7) Motivational words from a Korean backside during my first race

 8) Endless nights at the noraebang

 9) Tandem biking the Han

 10) Women's Race at the World Cup Stadium

11) Running a 10K with a Scotsman in a kilt

 11) Weekend trips across the world to attend a wedding

Alex and Megan Gonzalez 5.22.2011

 12) $5,000 burgers at Korea's only greasy spoon

 13) Mozzarella balls at Namsan Tower for our anniversary



It has been an eventful few months. We only have a few more months in Korea. Our next destination? Southeast Asia.