Sayonara Japan, hello Seoul!

Saturday was our last day in Fukuoka so we decided before we took off for Seoul to seek out some local shrines that were recommended by the locals. The thing with Japan that I've noticed at least in the cities I've seen is that many of the temples and shrines are tucked nicely within the high rises and urban dwellings so although rather tranquil, the backdrop of a 50 floor building creates a a different feel altogether from the mountain valley temples in South Korea.

We did stumble upon a shrine that was holding a sumo tournament, but not the kind we were thinking. This was one of the athletes after a match. Unfortunately, we were not allowed in to witness the spectacle first hand.

A quick flight home and very complicated taxi ride later, we checked into our comfy digs at the Ramada in Seoul before a night out on the town. Nicole went to visit the girls from work and pick up Olive while Shawn, Pops and I met up with Peter for some grub and then onto Itaewon where we took in the foreigner scene which was not surprisingly kicked off with a bar fight and a handful of military police rushing to the scene. Good times. We drank to the final few days of my bachelorhood and toasted to the good times had by all in Korea.

Thanks to the toxicity of the night before, our Sunday funday in Seoul was a late start but we managed to get out of the hotel around noon and onto some sightseeing. After a stroll through the always crowded Myeongdong and Insadong markets to grab some souvenirs for the fam back home, we made our way to the Deoksungung Palace. As if the perfect weather mixed with the sounds of traditional Korean music in the park wasn't enough, we had the rare opportunity to witness the show stopping dance moves of our newest donkey friend, Dong Seoul! His entrancing neckwork was irresistible to pretty much everyone that past him.

Of course, the shopping is never complete without another wardrobe addition for Olive.










We ended our night with some traditional Korean Galbi which was a fitting last dinner with Pops and Shawn who have become pretty big fans of Korean cuisine during their trip.

All for now, Pops and Shawn's sendoff blog is next!

Thanks for reading all,
adam