Brenda and I are back overseas for a lengthy bit of work and play. Our first stop is a long weekend in Seoul, South Korea.
For most of this trip we are joined with couple Donny and Meredith. Donny is a co-worker of mine – the same man that went with me to Asia a year ago. This time we were able to have our wives join us.

First stop is Gyeongbokgung Palace – built in the 1400s as the king’s principal address. Brenda found an entrance where even she has to duck. Meredith is behind her.

Locals rent period clothing and walk the grounds, take photos, get married & etc in this park/museum.

Happy tour guide pied piper leading Chinese tourists through nearby neighborhood.

No idea what this is.

Little boys walking through a re-created street scene from Seoul in the 1970’s.

Waiting to walk across the busy street.

Jogyesa Buddhist temple – this weekend was the Chrysanthemum Festival.

The ladies looking over the options for handmade Korean lacquer boxes.

Street scene – I’ve never seen a harpist busker before.

Picking out wooden spoons.

Trying to order lunch. Nothing was in English and there were no photos to help. This process took us a LONG time to finally get 4 bowls of noodles ordered.

Heading into a skin care store – cremes and masks are big business in Korea. They have all sorts of recipes that can’t be purchased in the US – so the stores are crammed with Koreans and Westerners alike buying carts of this stuff.

And guess who couldn’t help but fill their bags with all sorts of skin care product treasures to bring home?