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.

Fergusons in Cheonan.

After spending three hot busy days in bustling Seoul, we headed to Cheonan, which Koreans say is the "slow life".  Even though it still is a good sized city, it does not even come close to jam-packed Seoul that attracts tourists from all over the world.  One thing that Doug and I really wanted to show them was the Big Buddha statue on Mt. Taejosan, which is the mountain that we can see from the view in our apartment.  The area around the statue and temple is so peaceful and serene.  It is definitely a must see when you are in Cheonan. Plus, we could bring Pippa along on this outing, which is always a bonus :)

 Tons of steps to the top didn't stop this pup.

Pippa chilling with Buddha.

 Doug got some great photos of the temple's intricate artwork.  And, of course, he took a picture of a dragon.

Fergusons in Seoul.

Doug and I were so lucky to be visited by his parents last week.  It was a very busy week - we were able travel all the way south and back again with them - but it was so much fun.  We first met  them in Seoul and stayed there three nights.  Here are some highlights from Seoul:

First we visited Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest palace in Seoul.  It was a hot hot day, but the skies were so beautiful and blue.

We also visited a secret garden that the royal families used at Changdeokgung Palace.

One night, we took the tram up Namsan mountain to visit Namsan Tower.  This tower overlooks all of Seoul and lovers come to put their locks around the tower with love notes written on them.  Namsan tower also has three restaurants located in it.  We ate at the Italian restaurant and watched the sun slowly set.  It was amazing to watch the cities lights gradually turn on until the whole city was lit up.

Anniversary Weekend: Gwangju.

For the second part of our anniversary weekend, Doug and I stayed in Gwangju, a city in the South West of Korea.  We were lucky that there was no rain during the weekend, but it was sweltering hot.  Because of the heat, we tried to stay cool as much as possible by enjoying our meals slowly and stopping for lots of coffee breaks.  Doug found a really nice Italian restaurant called Bottle.  The flavors in the pasta were so fresh and delicious.  We loved it so much that we ate there twice in two days!

Night 1: The food was so good that we didn't even think to take pictures until after we were finished.  The food was great, the drinks were refreshing, and the atmosphere was so relaxing.  I think I'm glad this place isn't in Cheonan or I would be wanting to eat there all the time!

Day 2: We ate there for lunch before heading back to Cheonan.  Doug couldn't stop thinking about the burger after he saw it on the menu the night before.  See how there are only two fries on his plate?  They've really got portion control down here!  I got seafood pasta with a tomato sauce (yes, I ate seafood - it was too good to pass up!). 

After lunch we had some time to kill before catching our train but didn't want to walk around in the heat.  Also, I wore black skinny jeans that day which was the worst decision of my life.  We noticed a dog cafe across the street from Bottle and I convinced Doug to go with me. This cafe was a lot cleaner than the  one we went to in Cheonan, but the dogs weren't that interested in being around you.  From the photos you can get a glimpse of how to accessorize your dog in Korea.

Anniversary weekend: Wolchulsan.

Last weekend, Doug planned a trip for our anniversary and wouldn't tell me a word about it.  He has been planning this trip for weeks and I have been so anxious to find out where we would be going. He even typed up an itinerary for different options of activities so we could chose depending on the weather and what we felt like doing.  He is the best :)

Saturday morning we decided to hike Wolchulsan.  It is super hot and humid in Korea right now, but we really wanted to see the cloud bridge, which spans two peaks of the mountain and connects the trail together.  So we set out at around eight in the morning trying to beat the heat.  

Here I am at the trail head.  About two minutes after this I was already drenched in sweat.  

The beginning of the hike had bamboo trees lining the trail and tons of birds singing.  I know this sounds stupid, but it reminded me of Disneyland with the bamboo, birds, and misty humidity.

Here is where the trail split.  We followed the lanterns, which led to a temple and eventually the bridge.

Notice all that sweat?  Honestly, I don't think have ever sweated like that before and I hope I never do again.  The hike wasn't that long but was really steep.  Here we took a water break and rested on some rocks.

Finally at the end!

I love that Korea always has little pagoda things for shade when you reach the end of a trail.

The cloud bridge.  Totally worth it.

The above and below pictures are looking down while on the bridge.

On our way back down with the bridge over top of us.

After, we stopped at a little restaurant and I got some ramen and Doug got a fried pork cutlet, called donkatsu.  The ramen was doctored up with fresh vegetables and seasoning.  Delish after a hike.

On our way back into town we saw a group of hikers about to set out.  Notice how all the other hikers in the previous pictures are covered from head to toe? Notice how we are not?  I thought they just didn't want to get tan since Koreans like having light skin.  Well, I'm pretty sure it has to do with the mosquitoes since my legs are still covered with huge itchy bites.  But even with the mosquitoes, it was a breathtaking hike and something so unique to Korea.  I loved having this experience with Doug.