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.