Gakwonsa Temple

Today we went to Gakwonsa Temple in Cheonan.  Like most old stuff in Korea we had to walk up some stairs  to get there.

And then up a stone path.

This guy was at the end of the path.  His name is Amita-Bul.  That's me on the right.

Jacqui and Conrad were close behind.

We brought the other kids along as well.

Near Mr Bul were some temples.  I felt weird taking pictures here cause everyone was bowing.  It felt like taking pictures during church.

This was the big main building in the middle of the temple.

Jacqui and the kids in front of the main bldg.

Inside that building.  These were probably 10 ft tall.  The inside of this building was  pretty cool but I didn't take many pictures cause Jacqui told me that cameras were not allowed inside.

They have a bell.

The backwards swastika means peace but is widely used in Asia to mark temples on maps and road signs.

Our friend Amita again.  This time from over by the Temple buildings.

I included this in case anyone wanted to read about the buildings. 

We walked up a trail.

Jacqui and Conrad love walking.

Delainey needed a PB&J and water break.

Some parts of the trail were very steep.

The Safety Officer probably would not approve.

Jacqui found a place to get some water.

She decided to just have a picture taken.  I think she learned her lesson last time.

The view from the drinking hole.

Some times hiking felt more like climbing.  Katrina is leading the way here.

I climbed ahead to take some pictures.

The Zimmers climbing up a steep part.

The orange dot in the middle is Jacqui's hat.

Delainey was very sad because she wanted a whole sandwich but all we had was two halves.  This was at the top.

We found an easier way to get down.  Not nearly as direct as the way we came.  Sometimes this trail went up and it said it was 3,800 meters back to the temples.  

Jacqui, Conrad and Delainey on the way down.

This was another trail that you could never see in one day.  The trail system is probably 30 miles of very rugged terrain, with lots of temples and sights along the way.  We will probably go back here some time again.  The real adventure of the day was getting there.  Our GPS worked very poorly on the way there and never found a signal at all on the way home.

Building 63

Last weekend we took a trip to the 63 Building in Seoul.  It was the tallest building in the world outside of the United States when it opened it's doors in 1985.  It is still the tallest gold cladded structure in the world.

Conrad was excited about the trip!



We met some interesting people there.

And also a few that were less interesting.

Some we liked...

And some we didn't.

Jacqui stayed between this guy and the kids.

He was cool though.  He showed me some moves.

Delainey made some friends...  into a coat.

And Isaac gave a speech on self-sufficiency and denounced unearned entitlements and coprporate welfare.  I don't know where he gets this stuff!

You would be amazed at the people you run into in Seoul!

We decided to take a break before lunch.

Isaac couldn't decide what to order.  The crab legs were fresh and delicious.

After lunch we went to the aquarium.  They had some of the more typical things you might find in an aquarium like this octopus.

And some things you typically would not find like this prehistoric looking monster.  This fish must have been about 175 lbs.

This one was 10 meters.  That is just under 33ft for you Westerners.

After the aquarium we decided to go to the top of the bldg.  The black line up the middle of the building is the elevator.  It is mostly glass except for the floor, ceiling, and the door.  The elevator was really fast and felt like it was never going to stop going up.  Delainey said she wanted off.  Jacqui would not move from right next to the door and I thought I was gonna barf.  This is a definite "MUST DO" for anyone who comes to visit.



Isaac contemplating a way down without getting back on the elevator.



While we were up there we decided to get some culture.  It has been said that we are lacking.

Once safely back on terra firma, we decided to take a break next to the Han River.  The weather was great and there were lots of bushes to puke in after the super fun elevator ride.

I went and got ice cream for everyone from a little shop.  You have no idea what you are getting until you take the first bite.  This one was bean paste flavored.  Mmmmmm!

I love how excited Delainey is here.  She was less excited after she bit into this green tea flavored treat that that had little to no sugar added.

We had a good time and we highly recommend the elevator ride to everyone!