Wow. Where to start.
April has been jam-packed. Besides trying to wrap everything up to return to Canada, my parents came for a 2-week visit, we rushed around visiting people and places, and I had my wisdom teeth removed!
We started with our mental list of things that we really wanted to do/see before we went home. Top of that list was Palgongsan, Busan, and Gyeongju. So my parent`s visit co-incided with being able to do those things.
We also met up with Erin and Luc, and spent an afternoon wandering around Seomun market one last time, picking up gifts for people back home, and enjoying some final Korean moments. One not-so-good thing that happened though, was that when we went to the area with the caged animals, we witnessed a cat being choked almost to death when it refused to be shut up in a box. That cat was fighting with everything it had.
I also had an adventure trying on jeans. The market doesn`t have change rooms, so the lady gave me a full-length stretchy skirt to put on while I changed to try on some jeans. Not the easiest thing in the world, but I somehow managed it. I`ll have to get the picture from Erin.
After getting a toothache in April, I went to the dentist and decided to have my remaining two wisdom teeth removed. This meant that I had to miss a school field trip to Busan, and also ended up missing an additional two days of work because of the swelling. Mom and Dad arrived a couple days after my extraction, so I didn`t get to enjoy the restaurants with them right away.
They spent the first few nights in Seoul, exploring and hiking and going to the theatre, then on Thursday they came into Daegu. I met up with them Friday for a trip to Seomun again and up to the top of Woobang Tower, where we got a great view of the city. It was nice to share a bit of Korea with them.
Saturday, we got off to a slow start because of cooking a hearty breakfast, but we eventually made it up to Donghwasa temple on Palgong mountain. However, we misjudged distances and times, and didn`t have a chance to see the part Rod really wanted to go to - the Gatbawi Buddha, or wish buddha. We instead came back to Gyeongsan, and met up with a couple of my co-teachers at a seafood buffet restaurant for dinner.
Sunday, we caught an earlyish train to Busan, but had to stand for the 1 1/2 hour trip because it was sold out. Arriving at the Busan station, we wandered for a while trying to find a lunch place, finally settling on a chinese restaurant. Then, to get to the Busan Aquarium, we had to take the subway for an hour. Travelling sucked up most of the day, so we had only an hour in the aquarium before we had to catch our train home. Luckily, that was enough time, since we couldn`t watch the shows anyway - they were only in Korean. Back in Gyeongsan, we sat down to a nice Sogogi dinner (bbq beef) that we had discovered a few weeks before.
Monday, I had the day off to spend with my parents, but Rod had to head back to work. So up early, Mom, Dad and I were on the bus to Gyeongju by 8am, and arrived with a full day to explore Gyeongju. We started off at the Bulguksa Temple, a large temple complex up in the mountains, then caught a shuttle bus to the Seokgram grotto at the top of the mountain ridge. Both were impressive places, although the grotto was disappointing - after a 20 min walk to the grotto (or cave), we didn`t even get to go in properly. The cave was sealed off with a piece of glass, so you could only peer through the window at the cave. I got a couple pictures before Dad pointed out the "no photos" sign.
Back in Gyeongju, we had the afternoon to fill before meeting Allison and Nic for dinner, so we wandered around Tumuli park and the observatory. At this time of night, the school groups had left, so it was mostly empty, and quite peaceful - very different from my last trip there, midday on a Saturday! It was a bit of a trick filling the time until Allison and Nic`s classes were finished, but we eventually met up, ate a great dinner of a chicken stirfry, and then I was back to the bus station to head home, while Mom and Dad stayed 2 nights in gyeongju.
They then went south to Busan, and had a better chance to explore the city by road and boat. Friday, they returned to Daegu, where we dropped off some suitcases, and then joined them for supper at Bennigans in downtown Daegu. Then Saturday, they headed home;
Rod and I, however, got a parting gift of a new cold, so we spent our Saturday packing and resting. Sunday, we headed out to finally visit the Gatbawi, and despite our illness, managed to climb the millions of stairs up to the top of the mountain. It was worth it, despite the crowds of people who were bowing to the buddha.
This week has been packing, errands and finalizing. Our moving day is finally here, although it doesn`t really feel like it yet. I guess when I go home to an empty apartment today it`ll sink in. Hotel tonight, then tomorrow train, bus and flight! Now, if only I can figure out some way to make my bags a whole lot lighter....
See you soon.