Boseong.

After Cheonan, we did something that I have been wanting to do probably since after we arrived in Korea.  We went down south to a quaint town called Boseong.  Boseong is a popular place to visit  because there are many picturesque green tea plantations on the mountains there.  We were actually going to go the the green tea plantations on our anniversary, but ran out of town since the bus to get to Boseong is long and doesn't run many times during the day.  I was very glad that we waited though and were able to go with Doug's parents, since every other place we took them featured Korea's urban side.  The countryside is still such an important aspect to most Koreans, since South Korea developed so rapidly these past fifty years. So, experiencing the beauty and tranquility of rural Korea is a must. Hey, they don't call it the "land of the morning calm" for nothing, right?

So we got to Boseong around lunch time and stopped at the cafe there before entering the fields.  The cafe featured green tea bibimbap, green tea noodles, and a green tea breaded pork cutlet.  It was simple food but delicious and really satisfying.  After eating we made our way to the fields. You pass all of the gift shops and cafes and see a really steep staircase.  When you reach the top of the staircase, you immediately see rows upon rows of vibrant green and perfectly manicured green tea bushes.  To say it is breathtaking would be an understatement.  It's something that Doug and I like to call "that's so Korea".

Doug and I also hiked to the top of the mountain that the fields were on.  From the top you can see the ocean, small islands out in the distance, and plots of green tea fields spotted along the mountains all around you.  It was so peaceful, I could have stayed there for hours if it wasn't for the green tea ice cream at the bottom of the mountain calling my name.  And normally I'm not a huge fan of green tea ice cream, but this stuff was the bomb.  I had to refrain myself from going back for seconds!

After taking lots of pictures at the bottom of the field, we started making the steep ascent to the top.  The above picture was taken when we were halfway to the top.

Finally, we can see the ocean!  If you look close enough, there is an island to the very top right of the picture.

After our short but steep climb, we rested our feet in a small stream.  It seemed like the popular thing to do since chairs we ligned up and down the whole stream with visitors quietly soaking their feet.

Take me back to that ice cream.  Seriously.  It was that good.

And finally, the family waiting at the little country bus station for our bus to Busan.