Safe & Sound

The Korean peninsula has been making the news as of late. You've probably read that we're "on the brink of war" over here.  The media may have brewed up images of us hurriedly packing a few bags and evacuating Seoul, with kids and dogs and soju. 

This is far from our reality. It's just another summer day in Seoul. Okay, with a little twist on normal. Mike's working nights during the joint military exercises which means I've gotta get these blaring kids out of the house so he can sleep. 

Today, we went to Namsan Park, a slice of nature about 5 minutes from home. 

It's a mountain at the top of which is Seoul Tower. The walk up, however, is all winding trails, playgrounds, mineral water springs, work out equipment, and even restaurants. 

Dave and the kids climbed up a steep slope using a rope. 

While I found a book nook. This fabulous little tent is in a playground for kids who would rather explore a good read than the dirt. I could have spent days in there in my youth. 

Iryna and Dave goofed off on a swing built for two. 

I found an elusive Korean tiger!!  Not extinct!!

We wandered off to a pond to watch the koi swim and hunt for the turtles that make the pond home. 

We found only one fish, a lot of lily pads, some cattails...

...and a heart shaped key. We speculate that it's the key to a storage unit filled with cash from the illegal Asian drug trade. The problem, of course, is we don't know where to find the storage unit. 

We will just have to rely on our good looks to make our millions. 

Good thing we seem to have a lot of those good looks. 

I smell college funds!

 

And CHEESE!!

Thirsty, we left the pond in search of the mineral springs to fill up our bottles. 

The mineral spring was a bust. Big signs plastered all over the area warned us against drinking the water.  EColi contaminated. So, we hopped on the exercise equipment and had ourselves a work out. 

Iryna and Roman tried to out do each other. 

I think Roman won. 

Never one to work out when I don't have to, instead I looked around, watching what the old folks around us were up to. 

I discovered fruit trees!!  These guys were hitting the trees with sticks and getting fruit to munch. Bushels of wild nectarines littered the ground and hung heavy from the trees. 

Dave gave the trees several good, hard shakes.  Like manna from heaven, down came the fruit. 

An afternoon snack enjoyed by all. Can't beat that!  Better than sewage mineral water, anyway. 

As a side note: nectarines apparently also have a laxative effect. Shortly after this, Kelly had his first poop in the woods. 

Yay?

For his part, Kelly had a blast. He loves stopping and talking to all the older Koreans he meets. And they love him right back. 

By the end, he was exhausted. I packed him on my back and we headed home. Safe and sound. 

Nothing but the usual here. 

Well... the usual for Korea, anyway.