A Walk Into History & A Hike Up The Tower!

Our day today kicked off with a visit to the Gyeongbokgung Palace - a historical and well known royal palace that was the home of the Joseon dynasty.  This expansive palace was built back in 1395, shortly after the capital of Korea was moved to Seoul.  This location and palace became the heart of the city and a significant icon that has been restored and maintained today.  While we were there, we saw some traditional musicians and changing of the guard ceremony, and many Koreans wearing traditional dress and clothes.  It was a beautiful day to explore and walk around the area, taking in the ornate architecture and design of the Palace and seeing a bit of how the rulers of this time period lived.

After a visit to the Palace, we jumped back onto the subway and headed over to Insa-dong, an area of the city that has a number of shops that offer traditional souvenirs and food stands to enjoy.  While we did a little shopping, we also found the exact spot where we took a picture of Joshua playing in the water five years ago (his favorite activity).  He thought it was really funny, so how could we resist recreating the scene and taking an updated picture?

Then....and now!

We had some downtime in the afternoon and took a few naps (still recovering from jet lag and short nights of sleep!), then headed back out to enjoy a beautiful evening in Seoul.  We first visited Namsan Park, where they have recreated a traditional Korean village with homes, and spent some time walking through the area and seeing how unique and different their homes and living areas were compared to ours!

After we left the Village, we took a bus up to the N Seoul Tower, beautifully lit up on one of the highest points in Seoul.  After getting off the bus, we had to hike up part of the side of the mountain to fully enjoy the amazing view of " Seoul at night".  The Seoul Tower is also the area where the "Locks of Love" are located, and we showed Joshua where we put our family lock on to highlight our forever family day and unending family love for one another.  Then, we took the opportunity to go up to the Seoul Tower observation deck (1,200 ft up) and enjoy a 360 degree view of the city.  It was a beautiful night to see the lights of the city and enjoy the views!  The girls even had an "extra bonus view" when they went to the bathroom - glass walls that looked out onto the city!  (Can someone say "privacy?!")

The N Seoul Tower - lit up with white, blue, and red (the colors of Korea)

Overlooking the bustling city of Seoul

Privacy please!

After taking 8 subway rides, 2 bus rides, and walking over 15,000 steps for the day, we were ready for bed when we came back!  Here's to a good night of sleep and looking forward to another exciting day tomorrow with Joshua's foster family!

Outside the front door of Joshua's adoption agency!

Joshua looooves his noodles!

...and his freshly prepared gimbap!