And now we begin the Korean exploration part of our vacation!
We started our adventure by taking the bus to Daegu and then grabbing the very next bus to Andong. between the two busses I had some time to show Mom and Don around a semi outdoor Korean market and we can say it didn't disappoint for Korean-ness.
The bus
beans and grains
Bull frogs being sold at the market.
We made it to Andong and waited a while for a bus to the Hahoe Village in the pouring rain. Monsoon season this year has been a doosie, nothing like last year. When the bus got to us it was filled to the brim with people. The bus driver did the obligatory stop but when he opened the doors he just looked at us and gestured "no." Luckily an enterprising Korean Girl decided to help us out by getting a taxi for us instead of waiting over an hour for the next bus. Thank heavens for Korean Hospitality.
We ended up beating the bus to the entrance to the village because our taxi driver was so awesome! The bus dropped us off at a ticketing center where we then caught another shuttle to the actual village. We then hoofed it to our lodging in the rain but right as we got there it started to downpour. We thought it'd be a good idea to just hang out in our room and watch the rain until it faded and then go look for dinner rather than get soaked; but the rain just came in waves, it would lighten up just to begin drenching everything again. We finally decided to head out and explore despite the precipitation but that proved to be a saturating endeavor as the rain came down so hard the water soaked through our umbrellas. Rain was coming down, up and sideways. There was so much water you could get washed away in the rivers flowing down the streets.
Despite all this our little room was so perfect. I could imagine some old men just sitting there watching the rain come down while they talked about frivolous things. It was fun for just the one night to sleep on the floor and live in a Folk Village despite the fact we had some nice modern amenities to make the time spent more pleasant.
Even with all the rain people were having a good time and we were able to get some good pictures.
The church in the Village.
We didn't get many pictures before we turned around because the rain was ridiculous and we were soaked. After it slowed down later in the evening Nick and I went out in search of food but apparently the shop owners figured no one would be crazy enough to venture out in the deluge so they closed up shop and we ended up just walking around the village.
The river was high but people still took the small ferry across to climb the cliff. We saw people up there taking pictures right after the hard rain.
A beautiful tree in the area.
Beautiful picture!
Our place was perfect. It has been owned by three previous generations of one family and is currently owned by a fourth generation son. He lives there with his mother, his wife, and his four month old baby. They brought by some fresh homemade kimchi and it was the best kimchi I have ever had! After dinner they brought the baby by for us to oogle over. She was beautiful.
Saying our goodbyes :(
The Mask Museum
Nick looking like he belongs in a mask.
We had a great time in the village even though it was raining like crazy. I wish we had more time to look around and explore more but we had to get to Seoul to begin phase three of our adventures!!!
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