Conclusion of "24-hour Free Trip"

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Bumping along down the countryside road, I peered out the front windshield as a new city appeared out across the bridge in front of us as the clock ticked past 10:43 in the morning. Yawning, stretching and pawing towards the ceiling, Shauna and the rest of the passengers awoke with a freight as the bumpy swaying bus drifted down the off ramp turning left onto a skinny two lane road leading us through the small dilapidated homes peaking out behind the green valley trees before approaching the edge of town. As we maneuvered into the seaside parking lot, everyone's eyes were alert with hunger as they peered out the windows wondering what lay ahead? In an instant the organizer came alive taking his position between the seats an all too familiar stance gazing out past every semi conscious face stating quickly but quietly "please follow me to the passenger ferry on the other side of this building. From there we will be boarding a passenger ferry then going to lunch. After lunch we will be heading to the festival grounds this afternoon." Everyone smiled, with glee because something finally made sense! We were going on a ferry ride to lunch? Interesting, I began to wonder why? But stopped myself short shrugging my shoulders and thinking 'Who cares, this is after all a "free trip" and I am here to absorb in the culture around me.' With this thought in mind I stepped off the bus, turned past the small crowd at the bottom then began walking down the pier following the other people in front of me heading towards our next mode-de-transportation; the passenger ferry.

As I walked with the crowd around the building, I spotted Dominique who had hear camera perched in her hands taking a photograph of the unravelling scene before us. There were several small carts set up with a schmorgasboard of dried fish, octopus and squid lying one on top of the other. I smiled at the smell by embracing the casualness of each adjumma. Quickly I pulled out my camera, snapped off a quick shot and put it back in my pocket while bending over to look at the strange bits and pieces spread out before everyone. Then the smallest of little hands protruded in front of my face as the adjumma, smiled up at me handing a small sampling of dried squid. Without carefully inspecting the sample piece I popped it into my mouth chewing mildly at first then aggressively with every jaw movement except even with the aggressive chewing the rubbery dried squid still tasted like a rubbery shoe sole consistencey of salt water and dried squid.

Not impressed but trying my best, I took a couple of pictures of our surroundings before being hearded onto the passenger ferry with everyone else. Not even thinking twice about what might be happening to each and every one of us Tom, David and I walked over to Rick, to extract the ever fine missing details and learn what truly was going to happen on this ferry ride out to lunch? Or where exactly the ferry was dropping us off to have lunch? He explained the same thing the organizer said. He didn't have any "new" information to help us unburden the stress of what might be coming. All he knew was we were going on this ferry and it was going to eventually lead us to lunch. Then in the early part of the afternoon we would be attending the festival. Nothing more, nothing less. Next thing we all knew we were on the ferry. It's gate was moving ever so slowly raising itself up, locking us in and pulling straight back from the dock out into the waterfront. As I began to inspect our surroundings, by looking left, then right and then above me, many things came into view; ribbons, rows and rows of ribbons strung out above our heads from the front of the ferry all the way up to he captains quarters. Although they weren't just ribbons but miniature flags from all around the world. I spotted Canada, Korea, Japan and Germany. Then further down the deck was a large area with carpeted area rugs laying around a very large speaker system. Without any further inquiries about the deck around me, I asked Shauna to watch my bag as I went in search of the loo (bathroom). Once I located the facilities next to the engine room doors, I learned very quickly using the the "toilet" was a bit trickier then expected since the ferry was billowing out black smoke from the engine room jerking itself from the left to the right, as if the captain was trying to drive with one hand while pouring himself a hot cup of coffee from the other. At the precise moment when I thought everything was going to go smoothly the congested ferries engine gave a loud belching sound below my feet as it spewed a thick dark black smoke through the only ventilation into the loo... This is when I ran screaming out of the loo jumping down the short set of stairs slipping on the passenger deck bumping into a very petite man who was barbequing squid parts on a stick on his hibachi grill. Excusing myself from the man with the knife I scrambled for my feet and headed for the flight of stairs ten feet away.

Stepping up onto the ladder leading to the next deck, I glanced back over my shoulder at six middle aged men glaring in my direction from the commotion I had just caused. Each of them with their starving red eyes wringing together their hands ready to shove me up against the wall and toss me overboard into the deep brown dark waters. Slowly, I gestured an apology, with the most sincere smile I could muster since I was "embarrassed" by my actions of falling into the BBQ Squid Man. One man lowered his eyes in my direction shaking his head a small smile creeping up between his lips then I turned and hustled up the flight of stairs without any futher disruptions.

Pulling myself up onto the top deck, a blasting voice below came out of the speaker system with quick rythmic succession of words undeciphering into my ears the tones became intense within a few short sentences. I looked about thinking we had run into another vessel or possibly the ferry captain didn't make the correct turn? But nothing seemed strange and everyone just looked around as if we were out on a Sunday drive in the countryside. I walked around snapping off a couple of pictures until I ran into Abby standing around the corner peering out off the side of the ferry. We spoke briefly about where they might be taking us until the ferry started slowing down and began spinning to the right, we were pulling a manuever only fifteen minutes into the ride towards lunch? Without breaking the string of random Korean being spoken over the loudspeakers a person approached us asking us to go to the bottom deck to be entertained by dancing and singers? We looked at each other, shrugged and followed everyone else down to the main deck.

Reaching the main floor, I spotted Rick, David and Tom, sleeping on the carpeted section of the car-deck. Laughing deeply inside I walked back over to Shauna in a deep conversation with Nadine. Picking up my bag, I reached in pulling out my snack bag and offering others a rice-puff roll as well. Everyone's stomachs growling from hungry, the torture of the adjuma singer began on the main deck three feet from where I had just seen Rick, David and Tom, napping. Immediately they all three sprang up as if in a nightmare! They winked, wiped away sleepies in their eyes and tried covering their ears, crying David and Tom, grabbed their bags and walked away through the crowd trying to get out from in front of the blasting speakers. Since being in Korea, I have noticed Koreans, are not conscious of music clarity nor music volume. They try to deafen each other by blasting ear splitting outrageously LOUD TREBLE music at one another!

Vehemently each one of us tried to debate our pure concerns about this approach to listening to treble music at an outrageous volume but only our mouths moved the words coming out were blasted out of the sound waves around us unless you snuggled up to someone else's ears speaking ferociously to get your point across! Realizing my thoughts on this debate were going to be too suttle with the music blaring all around us I moved across the deck of the ferry to the front-most section escaping into my thoughts about jumping off the ship and swimming for shore? But the disturbing brown foam of water kept smashing its way into the side of the ferry, warding off this idea immediately. We were stuck on this ship until it reached the dock and nothing we could do would persuade these people to try and find clear crisp clarity in their trebbled music! It was torture, pure and simple torture to our ears and senses.

Slowly the ferry captain slowed the ship with the last of the bellowing notes floating around our craniums as he swung the front of the ship towards the port. Relieved I was standing at the point of escape when a sudden fear crept over my shoulders and I noticed the entire crowd lifting itself off the ferry deck approaching me in a zombie-like trance moving and gesticulating itself in my direction. I should have been frozen by the movement but thoughts of being trampled by the crowd trying to escape this horror show boat ride flickered through my head and I darted to the left zigging and zagging through the crowd with pure pleasure!

As the ships door slowly fell back against the dock, the crowd gave a HUGE CHEEEEEEER and a CRRRRRRRY of relief as in unison they took a step off the torture chambered ferry onto solid ground! Tears were streaming down people's faces as they realized they were being released! Moving onto the concrete they could barely acknowledge their own excitement when the organizer said, "Please make your way back to the busses so we can go to lunch." People were scrambling left, right and center through the streets around cars, trucks and adjumma's selling their dried squid parts. On the heels of the crowd, I looked across the street seeing a Family Mart, knowing I was freaking thirsty as a dog in the desert, I scrambled towards its front doors. An organizer spotted me waving his arms frantically in the air, trying to keep me from going into the Family Mart, I waved back to him with a large viscous smile. Showing him the drinking motion and then giving him a threatening contorted face of apprehension. He let me go with a terrified look of "crazy American might kick-my-ass, should let him do what he needs to get." Running inside Family Mart, I grabbed a bag of chips, two chocolate bars and the BIGGEST BOTTLE of water I could spot! Paying the 3,500 won, I stuffed the items into my bag and pursued the remaining passengers of the ferry back to the bus.

Climbing on board, Rick said to me, "where did you go?" I opened my bag, smiled at him and stated, "I'm a BIG GUY and I NEED a BIG WATER!" He chuckled at my humor and we climbed up the stairs onto the bus. As I landed back in my seat the bus lurched forward into the parking lot, taking a quick right driving past the dock it took an immediate left roughly 200 meters (650 feet) the bus slowed turning left into the tiniest of parking lots almost ramming through the front doors of a very small shop. The driver pulled the bus forward, turning its wheels and adjusting his mirrors, he backed up, put the e-brake on and opened the doors! The organizer said, "here we are, lunchtime!" Every single one of us, stared starved at one another thinking the same thing, 'why the F**K didn't we just walk here!!!' Except not one word escaped our lips as we jumped out the door taking six steps across the "parking lot" pulling off our shoes and dropping onto the floor in front of a twelve person preset table with banchans and soup sitting out all ready for the feast of ssmbap (lettuce wraps).

Quickly before the hands started moving I snapped off two quick pictures of the food laying everywhere. I then sat down, ordered a beer and looked around at each bowl in front of me. There were assorted kimchi's, bean sprout dishes, a bowl purely with oysters in it, another with a red paste, a green paste and pickled garlic. Shauna turned the lazy susan in front of us and a bowl with small fish appeared, pickled beets (or at least they looked like beets), and then the waiter brought over a fiery plate of pork in a hot red sauce. Plus with every meal here in Korea, each of us had our own small tin of rice. As I put away my camera to begin the feasting process, I looked back to my right Dom, Mark O, Tom, Rick, Abby, David, Monica, Juan, and Nadine all chomped down in unison, smiles breaking out on their faces as the tantalizing flavors hit their tongues. Rolling up my first wrap, Dom offered me her bowl of oysters stating she was a vegetarian. I laughed heartedly thinking about how great it was to be in a country chalked full of fresh seafood! I gladly accepted her bowl of oysters and then Shauna's too! I was in Oyster Heaven! Finally, a meal I could thoroughly enjoy eating! The beer, oysters and banchans, slowly began to fill up everyone at the table, conversation started to come from within everyone as the food livened the entire group at once.

The meal, lasted nineteen minutes forty three seconds! People began wiping their mouths and heading for the door. Only Dom, Shauna, David, Nadine and myself were still seated chewing slowly, digesting as we went through the motions of eating. We smiled at each other wondering what the hurry was? One table after the other began standing as if the owner came out and told us their was a fire in the kitchen! People were actually leaving in under thirty minutes! It was unreal. We all looked at each other, talking about what the rush was? That we weren't leaving this table until our bellies were full of this great food, our senses had come back to us and our conversation was over with. There wasn't anything anyone could say to us to get us back on that bus after the BS ride around the corner or the BS ride on the ferry! It was all still too fresh in our minds... even if this were a "free trip."

After another ten minutes we gathered our wits, picked up our bags and left together happy for the rest, ready for the afternoons itinerary to begin. Back onto the bus, the organizer said we were heading for the festival field sitting down the bus driver pulled out his magical wand pulling the bus out of the tiny parking lot around the corner to the right and down the very thin street. Turning right again he barely missed the corner of a ramshackled building pulling us around in front of the port station down the street flowing past the buildings out of town in the direction we had originally come from. Ten minutes later he turned right into a gigantic field with balloons, tents and cyclists pedaling past with numbers on their backs. He pulled into the parking lot, backed into the space, his usual method now familiar to us all and opened the door. The organizer quickly stated we had forty-minutes at the field and then we must get back on the bus to get to the bazaar in the next town! I looked at Shauna who looked at Dom who looked at David who looked at everyone else mouthing all of us mouthing Four-Zero...? Why the hurry? What is going on?

Not hesitating people grabbed their bags fleeing the bus one after the other heading for the gates. Shauna and I followed along with Dom and Abby. We stopped eyeing the amazing flower garden on our right. Pulling out our cameras we started clicking off shots of every flower we saw. This is when we noticed several Koreans doing the same thing with overly professional gear by Canon and Nikon. Each one of them stared at each one of us. We gave the glimmer of hope to them all. Then as Shauna and I approached a patch of yellow carnations together three adashi's pointing their large camera lenses at us, asked us politely with a gesture to keep photographing and if they could take our pictures together. Really, they just wanted to take a picture of Shauna staring off into the yellow carnations but since I was their, I was included in their photographic scheme. They thanked us and we moved forward with our capturing of the garden.

Five minutes later we stepped under a long winding tunnel of squash! Green, yellow, red, round, elongated, pear shaped each hung from various vines winding down the arched pathway. Some were the size of a fist others the size of a soccer ball it was interesting to see the balance in the structure as well as the beauty of each orb. Snapping off a couple of pictures we wandered through the archway exiting next to the lilly pond, crossing past the cattails over a small wooden bridge spotting a couple of other flower patches Shauna checked her watch hesitating for a moment she said, "I think we have twenty-five minute left. Maybe we should check out the festival?" Looking around at the remainder of the garden, I replied, "we've done a pretty good job of this but I need to use the bathroom before we start walking the festival grounds." Nodding in agreement we set off on our way. Three minutes after leaving the flower garden we had used the bathroom and started looking at handcrafted water goblets, coffee mugs and plates. The craftsmanship was excellent the prices weren't too bad but our pocketbooks couldn't handle the amount they were asking at the moment. We set off in another direction away from the potters and their gorgeous work.

Slowly we made our way past each stall on our right, not one the same as the other. They held an array of jewelry, bead work, tapestries, strange food on a stick, squid parts roasting, nuts, ice cream, waffle cakes and beverages. We continued walking until I saw a booth with Asian Art. We stopped for a moment looking over the lines of his work. His wife standing in the booth began talking to us in broken English about the works of art. Each had a significantly different vision but they all maintained themes surrounding Buddhism. Over ninety percent of the work was done in black and red with various shades of both colors. His remaining few other pieces worked with lighter blues, reds and oranges mainly depicting the lotus flower. As I began scouring through his images, one on the wall about four-feet in length caught my attention. This piece had a buddhist head staring forward opening up his robe followed by a trail of kanji (writing) which lead down into the form of a turtle climbing off the page! It was amazing and I was very interested in purchasing this piece. I spoke to the woman in broken Korean; el-my-knee-kah? (how much?)

She responded quickly with ee-sip-cheon. The confused look breaking out across my face I hesitated then looked at Shauna for reassurance who said "I think she is saying 5 - something? Thankfully about that time Dom approached us looking in at the art prints as well. I asked Dom, if she could ask the lady how much the prints were that I was looking at because I was confused on the amount? 5, 50, 500 won? I just couldn't figure it out? My brains conversion wasn't working fast enough anymore today to decipher what they lady was asking for? Dom then asked her el-my-yo? (another way to ask; how much?) the woman replied ee-sip-cheon, smiling. Dom turned to me, she wants 20,000 won. Roughly $20 for an original Buddhist hand-ink print drawn by the monk standing behind us less than 5 meters (25 feet) away. I thanked Dom, picked up the print, paid my 20,000 won which was significantly less than the yuk-baek-cheon or 600,000 won or roughly $600.00 CAD, which they wanted for the long magnificent red and black Buddhist turning into turtle print!

The woman rolled the print up in newspaper adding a single piece of tape to the fold on either end to secure the print in the roll. We exchanged money for the print thanking her and the artist we walked off in the same direction we were previously heading. Less than 20 steps we noticed a tent with several Bonsai trees, all potted and sculpted in various forms. Knowing Shauna has a fondness for Japan and especially for Bonsai, I turned and walked into the tent at a rapid pace without saying a word! This caught her off guard but she turned her attention to following me rather than noticing where I went. After only a few short minutes she realized why I had made the abrupt turn into the tent! Immediately she withdrew her camera from her bag and began sizing up a couple of articulate trees in the corner moving to the right out of the pot. Each one more spectacular then the other I realized some of them were wearing ribbons. This was a contest and the winners were presented with ribbons for first, second and third. But I didn't really know if this were true since all the ribbons were in Korean written in Hangeul and I couldn't read them nor decipher what they meant. Although I could disagree whole heartedly with whatever Bonsai didn't receive a ribbon. Like the one which had twin koi fish in the pot swimming beneath the roots of the tree or the one which extended four and a half feet out of its pot swinging up and away to the right to its patch of green leaves, its amazing entanglement of roots and tree limbs protruding to various spots in a wind swept arrangement! Yet both of these didn't have ribbons on them. Although... it would have been extremely tricky to pick a winner amongst the fifty Bonsai trees! Every single one of them was exquisite and unique in their own rights and I was thrilled to have seen them all in person. Strolling over to Shauna I asked her how much time we had left? She glanced at her watch and said "ten minutes! Shit! We need to head back to the bus!" "Sounds good, but lets make our way back through the stalls behind the artist's tent, this way we get to see a bit more but we are still heading towards the bus."

Exiting the Bonsai tent, we hurriedly walked past the artist's tent thinking Dom, might still be there but she had already disappeared further into the festival. We raced past three tents and darted left behind a tent selling some sort of jewelry. Walking abruptly we dodged past a stall selling everything from the dollar store, beyond a guy selling kitchen utensils, bags, hats, shirts, fisherman pants, books, caramel something, smells wafting in our direction, we turned down the second lane heading right past a guy making saucer looking things? I stopped momentarily as he handed me a small saucer. Smiling, I thanked him, gum-sum-knee-da, and kept walking, while biting down into the soft warm morsel. Fantastic! What the heck was this? "Shauna you need to try this." She stopped momentarily as I handed her the warm morsel, taking a bite her face cringed handing back the remainder of whatchamacallit? "It's not really that good but it has a nice texture to it." Of course it does stuffing the rest of it into my mouth! We went past another person making some sort of food, I stopped to watch but Shauna grabbed my arm pulling me and stating simply "Bus." Turning I followed her through the rest of the lane with my head glancing slightly towards the remaining tents as we walked past wishing we had more time but we HAD to get BACK on the BUS and now I knew why I never liked the idea of pre-organized tours! You never had enough time in the locations where you would prefer to have more time. Oh well... at least this tour is 'free' well for the most part.

Climbing back on the bus, David asked if we had seen Dom? We simply said we saw her at the artist tent but not after that. Everyone it seemed was waiting on Dom to return from the fair. So we weren't the last ones aboard the bus. But the organizer had his agenda in mind and asked the driver to pull forward into the parking lot. Instructions taken, the driver started up the bus pulling forward. This is when David, jumped up speaking clearly in a loud voice that Dom wasn't on the bus yet! Rick, interrupted the organizer before he could spat back about what was going on. They quickly spoke in Korean, Rick said we are just pulling forward to wait for her. Dom approached walking down the entry way, barely managing to hold onto all the goodies she had purchased. The bus doors opened, Rick smiling asked her to hurry up, she nodded and entered the bus. We all smiled then laughed about the absurdities she was carrying; prints, mugs, bath mat, t-shirt and food?

Sitting back into her seat just in front of ours we started a conversation about what she had bought and where she had went after the artist tent? "I walked over to the petting zoo, of course!" Everyone began laughing at this reply. The bus jerked out of the parking lot making a left, then a right and back out onto the simple countryside two lane road. No one said where we were going nor how long it would be until we were there? The bus lurched left and right swaying through the countryside eventually making its way back up onto the main highway as we sped off into the green rice fields back tracking through the fields we went. Unsure of why we were heading back the way we came many people took the opportunity to put there sleepy eyes to rest. Excited about not knowing what our adventure held next I stayed awake another twenty minutes to make sure this ride was longer and not shorter. Thirty-three minutes later I closed my eyes for what turned out to be another hour and a half.

Shaken awake from the rocking of the bus and blaring car horns my eyes opened hazily at the sight of congested traffic out the bus windows. Where were we? What was going on? Now what are we up to? The driver and organizer were speaking about something as the bus lurched forward slowly until it found the bike lane and drove a bit faster until the brakes locked up and we slid into a dirt drive way bus doors opening as the organizer stood up to announce our arrival at the Goksung Traditional Bazaar and that we had twenty-minutes to enjoy! Everyone starred at one another with an appalled spiteful feeling rising up in their throats but the hunger stirring deep inside of each one of us held those spiteful thoughts in our heads as we ran for the bazaar in search of a bathroom and snacks. As we entered the parking lot, the bazaar had the architecture of temples, low slung outside walls, crested by beautiful ornate tiled roofs. We walked into the bazaar images flashing in our minds of what was to become the most disappointing stop on our trip. The bazaar was eight adjumma's all sitting together in the middle of this large open space bazaar. Each one selling vegetables, and fruit. One small convenience shop open at the far end and a tea shop! The expressions on our faces said it all... this was messed up! They took us from a nice happy festival to an about to close for the day bazaar. Then the best announcement of the day came from Rick, when all ten of us approached the little convenience shop. The Korail Group isn't going to feed you on the train ride back so please make sure you buy yourselves something to eat during the return trip. You have got to be kidding! Everyone looked at the other... I suppose we should buy ourselves a beer or three, to toast the end of this trip! Everyone's heads nodded in unison of agreement. Buying snacks and beer, everyone piled through the convenience shop. I couldn't help but go look at whatever the tea shop had inside, just in case we were overlooking something. But all they had were grains and tea. I walked out and into the bazaar spotting fresh fruit in front of two adjumma's. Walking over to them, I looked at there selection of apples, peaches and pears. I asked how much, knowing I wouldn't know the answer. She replied in her elderly voice. I smiled picking up two green apples. Then thought Shauna might want one, I handed her 2,000 won (ee-cheon). She couldn't believe it, grabbing a bag, she piled in four more green apples handing me the bag. I thanked her for her kindness and she thanked me. I then strolled away with fresh fruit happy to get on that train back to Seoul.

The buses were all in the parking lot as we exited the bazaar and climbed onto our bus. Some people were still trying to use the bathrooms. Others were standing in the parking lot smoking. And some were just standing outside the busses refusing to get on until they knew exactly where we were going? I didn't care anymore all I wanted to do was get off the bus tour and begin the journey back home. I knew it would be some time until we reached Seoul and even more time before we reached GEV. I was tired of sleeping on the bus or the train, I was tired of being asked to hurry through places I would have enjoyed spending more time and I was tired of being tired on this trip. Pulling out my water bottle I walked down the aisle out the bus door, opening the water bottle and pulling out two apples I poured a little bit of water over each setting the cap back into place and taking a large bite out of one apple. Happily, I put the water back on the bus and sat down. The busses began filling back up with their occupants as the drivers fired up each bus in unison. The doors closing, the driver putting us into motion turned right out of the parking lot heading down the street past one light, then a second and at the third he started into what appeared to be a turning circle from my seat it seemed he was trying to pull a full bus u-turn until he maneuvered the bus to the right swinging back around to the left and putting the bus into reverse while we were still in the middle of the intersection. Determined to finish off whatever this maneuver was, he stepped on the gas, lurking the bus backwards as though he was parking the bus but it couldn't be that he was parking already? We had only gone two hundred meters (yards)? What was this going doing? As the last thought came screeching out of my head, the organizer jumped up stating everyone needed to grab their bags, pick up their purchases and not to forget anything because we were at the train station!

Are you serious? We could have walked from the bazaar, we spent more time getting on the bus then it would have taken all of us to walk down the street! Jesus Freaking Christ! Yes Blasphemy! I couldn't believe it! We'd been driven less than two streets yet again to a destination! Everyone laughed, smiled, jerked their heads and retained their disgusted thoughts. Making there way off the bus everyone piled out in front of the same station we had been to that very morning were this whole trip had begun. Walking up to the train station, I stopped to take a quick snap of the station when my camera died on me. Damn it! "Hey Shauna can I you snap a pic of the train station for me?" I asked explaining the battery situation to her. We then walked into the station, through its doors everyone stepping out onto the platform as one awaiting the instructions to cross over onto the track platforms. Shauna along with most of the other travelers on the trip began idly chatting not feeling in the mood to chat more about what just happened I walked off to look around the train station. At the far end of the station I came across two pomegranate trees, with fruit on their limbs along with four chili plants and a couple tomato bushes!

I walked back over to the rest of the group when I noticed people were crossing over the tracks onto the waiting platform for the trains arrival. Everyone began guessing which direction the train would arrive from? I tried to make a small wager with a couple of people but they weren't in the spirit of gambling on such a simple 50/50. Then Rick, approached asking someone around us to take a photograph of the group at the end of the trip. As the person clicked off two snaps the train came barreling past us from the south slowing down to a standing halt. People jumped onto their train cars heading for the their seats. Everyone sitting in unison, beer cans came out of bags and began popping open one after another. Tom stated, "here's to an interesting trip with all of you. I had a good time for the most part. Now let's get on home!" Smiling, we cheers'd each other took a sip and fell into chatter amongst ourselves.

Twenty-four minutes later Shauna pulled out our pillow resting it between the two of us as we began our first and last game of kinds and little ones. Before we reached the end of the game we looked at each other and said simultaneously "let's finish this later." In agreement we put away the cards, packed away our food stuff and fell asleep for the remainder of the train ride back to Seoul. Nearing Seoksu Station, Rick stood up grabbing his bag and thanking everyone for coming on the trip. We thanked Rick, for putting us on the list of teachers and wished his remaining weekend be a good one. Everyone put in their two cents worth as Rick, walked past down the aisle and off the train onto the platform. Waving our goodbyes we all started discussing options when we arrived back at Yongsan station. Abby, Nadine, Shauna, and myself opted for returning straight away to Hapjeong station to catch the next bus back to GEV. Tom, Dom, David, and Mark O decided to stop at Yongsan and grab themselves something hearty to eat. Juan and Monica, well they never did agree or disagree with anyone nor did they state what they were going to do when they reached Yongsan? As we departed the train forty-three minutes later at Yongsan station everyone coincided the amount of fun they had on the trip and with a final departing word we all moved off in separate directions once again.

I vaguely recall the two subway trains we caught to return ourselves to Hapjeong and the forty-five minute bus ride back to GEV was a blur. However I do recall for some reason Abby pressing the stop button on the bus as soon as we turned the corner about seven minutes away from GEV. Ironically, the bus driver didn't drive off without us but waited until we all climbed back onto the bus to finish the remainder of the seven minutes to our home. Thankfully he did wait because the walk from where Abby had pressed the stop button, would have been much longer than a seven minute bus ride since the road went up a short hill winding right then left and back up another small hill until it flattened out at the English Village. Dropping us off at the back gate, we thanked the driver for his kindness, jumped off the bus, said our goodbyes to each other and headed off in all different directions across campus. Home sweet home! We were finally home. No more bus rides, no more train rides, just a nice comfortable bed and home cooked food for us! I looked into Shauna's eyes as she gazed back into mine and we both stated, "no more extended free-trips, okay?" We nodded in unison as we entered our building walking up the stair well to our door step returning to where we began a mere 31 hours and twelve minutes ago.

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Photos

Ajumma selling dried fish
The "sample" lady

Garbage pick up
in the middle of this port town

After lunch...
entering into the Gangjin Ceramic Festival