seasons come...seasons go

Well...good news, the seasons come and seasons go in Korea just like they do back home!!! Deep down, I'm a beach bum at heart. I love summer time and a nice tan, but as I get older my skin becomes more and more pale, and I've even grown accustom to a daily sun screen. Though my love for the beach and summer bliss will never leave me; in recent years I've grown more and more found of a beautiful fall day. The city is not a perfect scene to take in all the natural beauty that autumn has to offer, but still a place to enjoy the mild and pleasant days and slightly crisp nights. Over the past weekend, Chris and I took advantage of the beauty in this season when we visited a temple in Bulguska!!!

We left around lunch time on Saturday and had a full day. We traveled about an hour away by car with Willy and Una. The mountain side view on our ride was absolutely gorgeous. We first stopped at Willys parents home in "Culture City." We didn't get to meet his parents, but this was the first Korean home that we have visited outside of the city. It was shocking for us that there were cows in the front yard, and this was not a large front yard, I'm talking the front yard that you might find in front of a garden home. You walk out of the door and there the cows are, and they weren't even the family's cows.

Next, we made our way to Bulguska Temple. The temple and courtyard were so tranquil, a nice and calming relief from the day to day hustle of a typical Korean city. We got some great pictures of the Asian architecture displayed at the temple and the simplicity of nature on an awesome autumn day. Though I can not agree with the ideology of the Buddhism religion I greatly respect the setting and atmosphere that a temple creates free from common distraction. After walking around and checking out the temple and the many different methods of worship, we made our way to the courtyard where we had a Korean style picnic and were able to sit, relax, and just enjoy the environment.

Onward we marched! Our next stop was a random turn of events. We had planned to visit a park where a concert was going on, but on our way there we noticed a hot air balloon in the distance. Willy managed to find the place just as the last balloon ride was about to go up. We made it just in time to pay and load. We took a ride in a hot air balloon just as the sun was setting over the city. There was a large lake and the view and experience were both spectacular. A hot air balloon is one of those things that I had always thought would be really cool, and let me tell you...it was!!!

Last, we finally made our way to the park, where we enjoyed a Korean concert. There were local artist preforming and the park itself was so unique. The park was built in honor of a Korean king and it was set up as an exact replica of his place. There were many traditional Korean style buildings surrounded by water, but the nicest thing about it was that we were there at night and the lighting was amazing. There were lights down on the water that shined up on the building so that it created a reflection of the beautiful architecture on the water.

The day was absolutely perfect. It really couldn't have been any better. It was so nice to just take a day and get away from the city to enjoy the beauty of scenic Korea.

Hugs, kisses, and lots of misses!!!

ps Please remember my family as we have recently experienced the loss of a loved one. Scott's mother passed away this past week. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated.