Tourism Time

With the combination of friends in town and new teachers to break in, I've had the chance to be a tourist in my own city again this past month. Most notably, this has manifested as a trip to the zoo and one to the War Memorial.

There are some weird things about an Asian zoo, but not many. I did feel a little too close to the animals, but never in an unsafe way. The exhibit of the Americas made me feel a little strange. The exoticism of what seems so ordinary in America puts into perspective just how far away I actually am. However, after multiple cages of wild dogs I can't take your zoo seriously anymore. Coyotes? Not zoo worthy. Racoons and possums? I've hit more with my car than your zoo can afford to import.

The War Memorial is a museum that I've always intended to go to but never gotten around to it. Although it contains them most comprehensive exhibit on the Korean War, it is situated near the army base in Itaewon rather than near the DMZ itself. Probably the most interesting feature was the extensive collection of air, land, and sea vehicles on the lawn, not to mention missiles and other large weapons. Both the outside and the inside of the building were adorned with various commemorative statues. There are two open-air wings of the museum dedicated strictly to the names of the countless soldiers who served during the war. The museum also goes to great lengths to recognize each and every one of the countries who helped secure South Korean independence, complete with videos of each nation's specific contributions to the cause. More than just a recount of the important battles, it was a very somber place, truly earning it the title of War Memorial.

Hokkaido

For my summer vacation, Hokkaido happened.  Hokkaido is the northernmost of the main islands in the Japanese archipelago, and it lived up to it's reputation amongst the Japanese people as the place to go for food.

For starters, I was lucky enough to go on this trip with a friend from college.  Thanks C.H. for coming all the way out to Korea!  When we arrived in Sapporo (like the beer), we didn't know any Japanese and we didn't have a place to stay.  Although Hokkaido is a very popular summer destination for travelers due to its temperate climate, we were fortunate to find it not too crowded.  We also soon realized that its popularity with tourists was in fact with nationals.  This fact became evident when not even our hotel spoke any English.

Inside of the city, there were several things to see, including a giant Panasonic clock styled like the Tokyo Tower and, of course, the Sapporo brewery.  We also toured a local sake factory.  The process is complicated!  We went to another old brewery that was converted into a mall, and we saw the Museum of Literature just off of Nakajima Park.

The city had a rich history, but lets be straight: this was a vacation for food.  Accordingly, as I prefer on my trips, there was non-stop eating.  Sushi all the time, some of the best shrimp I've ever had, crab legs, barbecue, grilled squid, okonomiyaki, street food, and mochi.  The pictures speak for themselves.

One of the best decisions we made was to take the train out of Sapporo and into the harbor town of Otaru.  From there, we took a ferry out and around the cape into a small town called Shukutsu.  It was a fantastic peek into the local culture (and flavor) of Hokkaido.  I want to live in this town when I'm old, fishing for squid and watching the fog roll in over the forest blanketed mountains.

Overall, a totally awesome summer break.  I think C had a great time in Korea too!  Open invitation to anyone who can get a ticket, as always...