Jinju Lantern Festival

Last week we were able to go to the Jinju Lantern Festival which is a large international festival held every year in Jinju (a city about an hour away NW of us).  This is a very historic city with a large river running through it.  It was the location of many Japanese/Korean battles.  Along the river is a large fortress E and I went to back in June (see this post).  Along both sides of the river were several booths with traditional foods, carnival games, lanterns, lantern tunnels, games, etc.  The river was full of huge floating lanterns with 2 floating bridges to go across.  It was quite impressive...photos can do it no justice.

View of the river from the fortress.

Lantern prayer tunnel.

Close up of some of the lanterns.

There was a kid's area that had several kid lanterns, traditional games and activities.  We made a doll out of rice straw.  We also saw E's Uncle Mike (the red Teletubby...don't ask).

It wouldn't be a good Korean festival without a herd of middle school girls attacking E.

Messy Day

We've been hanging onto nice weather for a few weeks so I decided we needed to have an outside messy day before it gets too cold. Some girls got more into the messiness that others so it was a good thing we had the hot tub ready to wash off. Maybe E is still too young to appreciate being messy but I have great memories of shaving cream fights, water balloons and mud volleyball. E's favorite part was popping the chalk paint balloons with the end of a paint brush...can you tell by looking at her face?

Rice Harvest

There are two reasons I have become very interested in rice production. First, we are in Korea where almost any flat and empty space if farmed, usually for rice. Plus, rice is started in flooded fields...isn't that interesting to you? Second, I married a farm boy.

When we got to Korea the fields were planted and still partially flooded but young and green. We've recently seen the change in the field to a golden color. Harvest time. Before they pulled out the combines we were able to snap a few pictures. Isn't it beautiful?

Windy Hill and Hakdong Pebble Beach

A few 'famous' sites on our island are Windy Hill and Hakdong Pebble Beach. We recently spent a Saturday morning there. The goats may have been the coolest thing at Windy Hill and there isn't much better than rocks for this 2 year old. Here is a view of our outing.

And for those who are interested...

This is a Korean squatter. They aren't found in too many places anymore...just parks, beaches, the occasional rest stop and some of those types of public areas. And in case you are wondering (because I know you are), E is the only one in our family who has had to use one yet.

Chuseok: Korean Thanksgiving

The day after we returned from our Jeju vacation was the beginning of the Korean Thanksgiving holiday Chuseok. It is a 3-day holiday where families get together to visit their ancestor's graves, dress in their traditional clothes, eat and enjoy each other's company. Everything shuts down and our island was a complete ghost town. Most Koreans travel so it is recommended to do minimal travel during that time to avoid the crowds. We laid low and had some great experiences with some great friends.

We decided to get E a Hanbok (traditional Korean dress) to hang on the wall as decoration. We couldn't resist getting a few pictures of this doll!

Monday we went for a hike but it was so hot we didn't last long. That evening we decided to camp on the beach. It was a beautiful evening and the campfire was wonderful. By the time the sun went down our campsite was covered with bugs...not just any bugs...killer bugs. Half the bugs were a cross between a cockroach and an over sized silverfish and the others were rolly pollies that ate through cardboard and paper towels. Sick. We immediately packed everything up and went home. The next morning we went back to the beach and enjoyed the last really hot day of the year. (Side note - we saw several other tents set up at the beach that night that were still there in morning. We wondered if they didn't get attacked by bugs and maybe it was just our location on the beach? There is no way I'm curious enough to try another time!)

Jeju Vacation

Last week we took a quick trip to a neighboring Korean island called Jeju. Jeju is the ultimate getaway place for Koreans and several neighbors like the Japanese and Chinese. It is a volcanic island and the source of all good products (Jeju grown products like tangerines are better than any other according to most Koreans). It is also a hot honeymoon spot similar to Hawaii. It is only a short 50 minute flight from Busan which was perfect for E. The idea of flying was fun for her and she is at a great age to travel. We had great weather (except for the last day) and were able to do lots of fun things.

Jeju is full of local legends. One is about the grandfathers that are carved from the lava rock placed at entrances as a guard from demons. They also are thought to be gods offering protection and fertility.

Yongduam Rock was created by years of crashing waves but there are several myths like a dragon stealing gems from the mountain and being shot down into the ocean with his head frozen on top or a horse who dreamed of being a dragon was frozen when a soldier stopped him from ascending. Whatever the story it was a beautiful formation.

Chenjeyeon Waterfall is one of several falls on the island meaning 'the pond of the gods'. Seonimgyo Bridge overlooks the 3-part falls and is carved with seven nymphs which descend from heaven at night. E's favorite part was climbing on all the rocks.

Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak (Sunrise Peak) is the top of a volcanic eruption that happened under the sea. It was quite an amazing site from below and at the top of the crater.

Manjanggul Cave is part of the longest lava tube in the world (about 13 km long). Only a portion is open for the public and at the end is this amazing lava formation. E really wanted to see a purple bat in the cave but we had to tell her they were all hiding because they were scared of people. One thing she kept saying about our trip was that she had to wear her jacket because it was cold and that the bats were hiding. It's funny what kids remember!

Jungmun Beach was beautiful! We made several trips back. The sand was course (nice for easy cleanup) and the water was clear, blue and a great temperature. We could be in about 8 feet and still see the bottom. We also loved having some real waves to play in as most of our local beaches are flat.

We decided to go watch a dolphin show and weren't disappointed. It was a 3-part show with monkeys, seals and dolphins. It was great for E and for us!

Jeongbang Falls is the only waterfall in Asia that falls directly into the ocean. Truly amazing.

On our last day we rode the bus to the Jeju Folk Village Museum which is a village created to resemble life on Jeju in the 1800's. Unfortunately the tropical store hit and we only made it to the gate before we went home. Maybe next time?

Overall it was a great trip. E was a great vacationer. We were able to find one of the best burger shops we've ever been to and E found a new best friend that we had to stop and talk to every time we walked by. A highly recommended vacation spot in Asia!

Summering

In Korea summer ends August 31 (if not before then). All outdoor pools close, the beaches are empty, vacation is over and the long sleeve clothes come out even if it still is 90 degrees outside. We aren't too familiar with the school system but we know kids go to school year round and I think the beginning of their school year is in March. They usually have a 2 week break in August.

We took full advantage of the summer in Korea (and yes, we're still going to the beach and loving the minimal crowds).

The waterfall is one of our favorite spots in the summer because it is cool and a great swimming hole. E with a couple of our playgroup friends.

We also fought the rainy season and sometimes got caught outside in a downpour. We also went to the Ship Building Museum which has a great indoor play-place.

We went to the Geoje Blue City Festival with outdoor performances. One night E was captivated with her friend and the other danced the entire performance (sorry for the poor video). We heard some traditional Korean music (and loved the instrument they use), watched a b-boys group dance, saw a clown performance and watched/listened to an amazing percussion performance.

We tried to enjoy all the hiking around us even in the heat and humidity. Here is a hike to a lighthouse on you can see out our window and across the shipyard. The coastline on the island is beautiful!

Beach, beach and more beach. We've loved having several beaches near with the closest one only 5 minutes away. We pop over to play or swim or eat dinner or hang out for a little bit.

The last weekend in August we drove to Bugok which is about 1.5 hours away. They have a large resort facility with a hotel, amusement park, indoor/outdoor pool, hot spring tubs and tube sledding in the winter. It was half priced that weekend as it was the last weekend for the pools to be open. Like most places we've visited in Korea it was in need of some maintenance but we had a good time. E loved the slides in the indoor pool (the outdoor pool was too cold and the slides were too big for her).

The amusement park was a little creepy as it didn't appear to be open. It reminded me of one of the Shrek movies where they walk into the castle/amusement park and it is quite until they open the door with the puppets. Yes, a little creepy. They had these hilarious animals that you could actually drive around the entire park.

Finally, as part of the half priced weekend they let you into the "Ice Land" for free. It must be part of their winter activities. The sculptures were fun and we even got to ride down a really fast ice slide. We could only spend a few minutes in there because it was soooo cold!

Summer is finally winding down for us with a very welcoming fall. We can't believe we have been here for 4 months and look forward to more fun ahead.