Sallie says: Catching up in Cheongju

It's been a few days since I missed my plane in Portland. I think it's been a few days; I've lost count. I think it is Wednesday in Korea. We have done so much. Here are a few of the highlights, for me. We have spent a lot of time with In-Yeoung, Francie's Goddaughter, and now she is my niece. She has made it so easy and so pleasant. She takes her duties as hostess seriously. She has helped navigate Francie and me through the past few days in a way that makes me feel as though I live here.

We shopped in Insadong, looking at a staggering, colorful variety of colorful silk items, artwork, tourist items ranging from silly plastic trinkets to silk bags to expensive scrolls. We found a store that sold clothing. A green shirt/jacket caught my eye. I tried it on and fell in love with it. A few outfits later, we emerged and I kept shopping for that Korean pony. I have not yet located it. Toward the end of the day, Francie sat down to have a manicure. I was fed up with my hair, and I went upstairs to a beauty shop and got a haircut. It as a very nice day. Not cootchi-crayo (phonetic spelling of Korean word for so-so). No, it was stellar.

The next day we headed to Cheongju. In an effort to avoid taxicab rides, we chose the subway. This ended up being a rather grueling ordeal taking 2 hours when it should have taken 20 minutes to get to the bus station. But I liked the bus ride. The Koreans have a knack for adding special touches to everything the do. The special touch on the bus was a set of pretty cloth curtains in the window of every seat. We rested on the bus, and were taken to the Ramada Inn Cheongju, where we met with Don Jin, Francie's friend from the peac corps, and his two daughters. We had a traditional Korean meal, and the pictures will follow. If you know me at all, you will know it is a miracle that I survived it, because there was a lot of fish. In-Yeoung guided me through by telling me the ingredients of each dish and whether I should or should not attmept it.

Speaking of the extra attention to detail taken by the Korean people, wait till you see the pictures for this. I cannot possibly describe it. I have seen the New York Subway, The London Gap thingy, and the Paris Tube; they look like subways. The Seoul Subway looks like a frickin' art gallery!

Francie's Korean friends (and now mine as well) are all wonderful people; so hospitable, so friendly and fun. We have been having a wonderful time.

We were treated to a massage at the Blind School. I was positioned face down on a heated table, and the student gave me the best massage I ever had. It was relaxing and was excellent for my jet-lagged muscles.

After lunch with the staff from the Blind School, Don Jin and his translater from the school, Brian, took us to see a castle. We hiked up a piney-smelling, ancient stone path to a stone temple surrounded by what looks like a version of the Great Wall of China. I guess China is not the only country who has great walls. We got to the temple and noted the colorful painted ceilings and the intricate rock-work from centuries ago. Francie was able to sit down to rest on a folding chrome chair with naugahyde upholstery which was situated at the opening to the castle. I have pictures of that too. There were people there who were planning to walk the entire length of the wall, which goes in a circle, coming back to the same starting point, and I believe it is several miles. It was a perfect day for a hike. We did not do the complete loop, but we had some fresh air and exercise.

We will be shopping in a minute or two, an unauthorized shopping trip to what looks like a Korean version of Walmart. I need a pair of shoes to change into. Mine are hurting afteer the long day we had yesterday. We did so much yesterday, it puts "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" to shame! Did I mention that, after the blind school and the lunch and the hike to the castle (not to mention the massage), we went to a crafts exhibition in what used to be a tobacco warehous (all 4 floors of it). It was amazing.

We'lll be going back to Seoul this afteroon and you can expect pictures and further notes from both of us at ahta time. For now, Kam-Sam-ne-dah for reading!