Leslie's South Korea trip-Part 2-The Secret Garden

One of the places Leslie had on her list to see was the Changdeok Palace. The palace itself was constructed in 1405, however would be destroyed by Japanese during the invasion of 1592. It has been rebuilt and the beauty preserved ever since. The main attraction of the palace is not the architecture of the rooms itself, but the Biwon or better known as The Secret Garden. It is a soothing quiet spot with a pond in the middle being occupied by lily's. Because the palace is surrounded on all sides by walls, the garden was the meditating area for those, mostly the emperor and empress, who lived in the palace. The palace was built during the Joseon Dynasty. Its difficult to comprehend sometimes because the history here is long lasting but the American history is very young. As we explored Seoul and it's history, we learned that Korea was a major battleground for the Chinese and Japanese that still effect it today. The Garden is Leslie's favorite memory of the Palace. I thought it was nice, but very bland because we were not able to enter any of the facilities within the palace.

Leslie's Korea Trip -Part 1- The Seoul Tower

I am able to make some time and post a new title. I know it has been some time since I have been on here, but there has not been a lot going on until recently. Leslie arrived at Incheon International on June 15th after a long 14 hour flight. My friend Steve and I took the subway from base to meet her. I mention that because he was the one to point her out at a very busy airport. Leslie didn't really know what to expect upon arrival (only what i told her over the phone)but left on the 13th of July with an impressive view of the country and and strong fondness of the people. It's safe to say the she hit Korea like an earthquake hits California. It didn't take Leslie long to realize what she wanted to see and do. We had a tentative schedule of events planned. We had plenty of time to travel around Seoul and realized how magnificent the city is. We ventured up the Seoul Tower only to see how huge the city. Once we got to the top of the tower, you could see civilization on all areas for 360 degrees. It truly is one of the most memorable views I have ever seen. After we left the tower, we started walking down the trail and I noticed a vendor making some kind of stew in a pot. As I approached I noticed that the stew was actually a pot of boiling caterpillar-like bugs. Yuck!!! The Seoul Tower was just one of adventures during her month stay. I will bring another title in the following days.