First day was spent exploring the city and with some help from the locals who sent us in the wrong direction then caught up with us to help us find the right direction we managed to find a beautiful temple near-ish the center of the city. We also explored the market there which is one of the larger old markets in Korea. In the market you definitely know you are in a smaller city. Most of the markets IN my city basically just have fish for sale and you go to a grocery for pork, beef, chicken, etc. In this market you pick the animal out yourself and they kill it right there for you... it doesn't get any fresher. If you're not used to seeing your dinner's last moments before you take it home to the pot it can be a little upsetting. I have seen my fair share of chickens, and turkeys (no turkeys in Korea but they have ducks a plenty) lose their lives for a meal, however that didn't prepare me for seeing the dogs.
I know, I know, I know! They eat dog here! No I don't care that they eat dog, who the heck am I to judge them. Most of the dogs that are food are raised in much the same way we raise cattle or pigs back in the USA. It's part of their culture, livelihood and survival. However, when I saw whole dog carcasses in the refrigerated unit, it was all I could do to stop from crying and it broke my heart. Having been raised with dogs as companions and not food, seeing these animals ready for the pot (well actually they would still need some butchering since they were whole) bothered me. I grew up knowing full well that cultures, even in Los Angeles, ate dog. While it is a small percentage of the Korean population that still consumes dog on a regular basis it does happen. The majority of the population seems to be moving away from dogs as food and definitely more and more dogs are being treated as members of the family the same way we do in the West. However, no amount of knowing this fact prepared me for seeing it; all I could see was my own Nala or Dunkin being served on a platter. That said. This brief encounter definitely opened my eyes, but it didn't ruin my weekend.
The next day we went and explored the printing museum. Where they have a moveable block printing press (well the actual thing is over in the Louvre I think but parts of it are here) that pre-dates the Guttenburg printing press by about 100 years. Angie and I totally geeked out at this museum. I have to say I really LOVE Korean museums. They pretty much do everything with dioramas which make it all so much more fun and a little cheesy as well as educational. After the museum we explored the Fortress where we hiked around, ate some lunch, took some pictures and enjoyed the day.
As always traveling around Korea I continue to develop a love and respect for this country and it's people. I may not always agree or like what happens but they've captured my heart anyway. I've put together a quick slide show of the trip that I hope you will enjoy. Until next time....
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