So this semester, all us AYP (Academic Year Participants) were given our own excursion. Last semester, we went to Busan. So this semester, the 9 of us and one of the program leaders when to the countryside and also two islands.
So we left Seoul bright and early on one of the express trains here in Korea (KTX) and made it down to Suncheon right around lunch time. Man was it hot out! In Seoul there was still a slight spring chill in the air, at least at the time that we left for the station, but once we arrived down South, it was a different story. It was sunny and bright out. The air seemed lighter and cleaner. The heat from he sun felt amazing on my arms and legs. The whole vibe of the town felt like Florida to me, all I was missing wast the palm trees and the coconut sunscreen lotion.
We got in to the rented van that we were going to use for the weekend and drove to the restaurant that we were going to eat at. There was so much sea food that I had no idea what to do with myself. We were given a regional specialty that was a form of sea food 비빔밥 (mixed rice and hot pepper paste). it was actually really good because the mix that we put in the rice was a mixture of bean sprouts, green onions, mussels, and other shredded vegetables.
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| Our spread! The big red bunch of veggies to the right is the mixture I was talking about. We also had other types of fried sea food and other veggies as 반찬 |
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| crabs that still had the shells on that you could eat whole |
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barbecued squid on a stick with hot pepper paste and sesame seeds
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After lunch, we crossed the street and went to the Saltwater Marshland Conservatory. it was so pretty out and the salt breeze that was coming off the marshlands was absolutely amazing! I felt like I was at the marsh lands in Florida and really started to get a little homesick.
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| There were crabs and mud skippers in the mud. All of them were clear to see because it was low tide when we were there! |
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| View off of the mountains in the distance |
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The main information center
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While we walked around, we were able to take a boat ride. It was amazing being back on a boat after so long. The sea-salt breeze blowing in my hair, the noise and vibrations coming from the inboard motor, and the smell of boat fuel was just a huge welcome. It was weird, but it was not until then that I realized that my time here was limited. I kept getting flash backs to family boating trips to Fort George and Bird Island, down in Florida.
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| We got to ride a boat to see the marshes and to hear about what was being done to conserve them. |
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| View of the mountains while on the boat. |
After we went to the marshes, we drove for a little while to get to the place where we were going to be eating dinner and spending the night. Where we were going was out in the countryside on a 두부 farm (tofu) where they fermented 김치(Kimchi), made 뒨장 (Fermented soy sauce), and also teach visiting students the process of making tofu. And yes, that means that we also made tofu!
We got to separate the grains, grind the soaked beans, and then got to press the boiled curd into the blocks that we all know and love! And afterwards, like with in minutes we were eating fresh, warm tofu. Omo guys, I am not sure how much you know I like tofu, but coming from a tofu lover who lived off it for 8 years, it was freaking amazing! Like it was the best I have ever eaten. In fact that night was the best night food wise for me since I have been here in Korea. It was a relativity simple dish and one that I have eaten a lot while here in Korea. But everything was so much better. All the vegetables were super fresh and the Kimchi was fermented for a long time, so there was some heat to it, but not enough to kill a person and the flavors and seasonings were just perfect. And don't even get me started on the dwenjang (fermented soy sauce). It was absolutely the best thing in the world. I swear I ate about half of the container that they had out to feed all of us!!
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| My homemade Tofu!! |
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| Dinner for the night^^ |
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| MEAT! |
After dinner we got to walk around in the fields and then went back to our rooms to get ready for the night since we had an early day the next day. A few of us actually stayed up later and ate delivery fried chicken and played charades.
since this post was a little long, and it is getting kind of late, I am splitting our trip into two parts^^
So until part 2~
