Dinner on the street

So, after Min wouldn't keep napping and we were tired of the subway, we decided to wander down the street and see what we could find for dinner.

Min needed a bath first. He's into dumping as much soap into the tub as he can get away with. Results are a lot of bubbles, a lot of fun, and a very clean boy. A pretty good combination if it didn't mean a lot less soap.

Street vendors which is what we decided would be dinner. Now, what to choose?

We passed a stand selling double-dipped corn dogs for 1,000 won.. about 90 cents. Who could pass that up? The boys eating dinner.

The stand that sold us dinner. A very nice couple.

We decided to keep wandering and see what else we could find. Here is a street near where we are staying. It is also close to a university.

Another street we decided to check out.

Happened to find a stand selling these fish-shaped pancakes. Very good!!

What a day for Henry... Kukkiwon!!

We decided to go to Kukkiwon, the World Taekwondo Headquarters, on Monday. Little did what an amazing day it would be.         

Entrance to Kukkiwon

Henry standing inside the Kukkiwon Headquarters.

We had been watching the demo team practice while sitting in the regular stadium seats, but one of the people from the demo team waved us over these seats. These are the seats where the Grandmasters sit during competitions. They even put a fan on for us. Eventually a few other people who were part of a group joined us. We still didn't know that the Kukkiwon Demo Team was going to perform, but when they got ready... well, we were in for a real show. Please pardon the blurriness of some of the pictures below. The people were moving so fast that I couldn't get them clear.



And, our little trooper just couldn't quite make it. He fell asleep on the subway. I carried him all the way back to the guesthouse, got him into our room, and just as I was going to lay him down on the bed he woke up.



The view from our room, the kitchen, and the end of the hallway.

Took some pictures today of the views out of the windows in our guesthouse.

This is one is from the end of the hall.

Whoever lives in this house has a little white dog. We've seen the man feeding him in the morning.

We usually some people taking a morning stroll along these streets in the morning.

From our room window.

Also from our room window. Today the white house toward the top right had something delivered and it had to be done by crane. The crane put two big wooden boxes on the roof. I think that streets and walkways are too narrow to have anything delivered by truck.

A quiet day... well, as quiet as you can get with 3 boys

Given the excitement and exhaustion after our day at Lotte World. We decided we should have a quieter Sunday.  The plan was to go to Insadong, an street filled with arts and crafts vendors, antique sellers, and lots of little restaurants.

Started off with photos by the frog statue outside the guesthouse. And, yes, Min is carrying a giant green pencil. That was what he wanted to buy as a souvenir from the guest shop at the Folk Museum. It was made in China. 

Exploring the stairs and door next to the driveway into the guesthouse.

Charles loves this statue by the Rinnai Building. We had to stop for pictures here too.

I can't remember the names for these guys but their purpose is to protect against evil spirits. Maybe they should have protected against us.

The little lady selling strips of pineapple.

We decided to try to find someplace for lunch. Seoul is loaded with these little bitty side streets, or alleys, full of tiny restaurants and shops. Insadong was no exception though the alleys seem even smaller here...more like hallways.

We checked out this little alley.

And then this one. Here are the boys checking out the octopus in the aquarium. Actually, there were many of them in there but I can't remember the plural form of octopus. Is it octopi?

Checking out yet another little alley.

And another. Yes, we did finally stop to eat but it is kind of fun to explore these little places.

The man playing the flute in street.



Some grasshoppers made out of some kind of reed, or grass, or corncob husk... I'm not sure but they were pretty cool.



And, a grasshopper made out of the same sort of greenery.


We ended up going back to the guesthouse and having a well-earned nap. Min slept for 2 1/2 hours. We went upstairs to see the babies again. We ended up getting to hold a different little boy this time. Charles named him Ben.

Lotte World-- a treat for the senses

On Saturday, we were treated to a day at Lotte World by a friend in Rochester. She graciously recruited her niece and husband to take us 'someplace fun for the kids.' Little did we know what we were going to encounter that day. Yes, it was fun for the kids... and parents too. Our morning was off to a questionable start when Min got up at.. you guessed it... 4:30 a.m. The boys had some trouble getting along during our morning. But, they pulled it together and were real troopers.  Lotte World is a giant amusement park that was both indoors and outdoors.

This is the sign outside the door. The amusement park is inside the Lotte Department Store and attached to it on the outside.

The boys were so hungry when we got there we stopped at the closest place to eat. We got chicken nuggets and hamburgers (very American choices) but the burgers tasted like bulgogi. Either way, they were good and very much enjoyed.

I'm not sure who this is, but we had to take a picture with her when we got inside. Min was not thrilled.

A very small view of the outside part of the park.

I took Min and Charles on this little car ride while Travis and Henry went on this....

This ride took Travis and Henry about 250 feet up in the air and then dropped them that distance in less than 3 seconds. Certainly not for me, but they loved it.

This is them near the top.

It was hot that day but they had multiple places that shot out a mist of water. Perfect for cooling off.

A snack of peanut butter coated squid... we also had the best fruity drinks and hotdogs.

I also got to take Charles and Min on the paddle boat swans and flamingos. Thankfully, our friend came with us to take Charles since only two could go per boat. We almost had an issue with Min since he was 4 and not the required age of 5. But, since he would be 6 in Korea he got to go. I got to do the pedalling and Min insisted on steering. The majority of birds went around the lake in a circle, but our bird must have looked drunk since we went around in tiny circles in the middle and weaved our way to the edge.

A view of the outdoor part of the park from the lake.

Min in the swan.

The other part of Lotte World was a very impressive Folk Museum. It started out with life-size replicas of people in the cave age and went into the more modern era of Korean homes.

Henry wearing the back carrier for hauling various kinds of supplies.

Charles wearing the carrier. This was heavier than he was so he needed the walking stick to keep him up.

The museum was also filled with huge dioramas of traditional Korean life. This was a view of a wedding of the Kings' daughter.

After we were done at the Folk Museum we got to eat dinner at this restaurant. It was set up in a traditional Korean restaurant way wear we sat on the floor. Thankfully our hosts ordered for us. Min was starting to drag by the this time and having him here was like taking a wild animal to dinner.

Our day at Lotte World ended with the parade. Also spectacular. This parade had full-sized floats, fireworks, and lots of dancing people... all inside. Who can resist this cutie?

The boys favorite float.

The boys were exhausted and Min fell asleep as soon as we got on the subway. Charles wanted badly to go to sleep but just couldn't do it.

We had to carry Min all the way back to the guesthouse. Poor boy... the day I left the carrier in our room was the day we needed it the most.