Summer 2017 - Hawaii to Korea Trip

June 28, 2017 Morning came too early!  I'm starting to feel the wear and tear of traveling. I got ready slower this morning and Russell made sure Matty was up as well. We all made it in time for our meeting time in the lobby at 7:15am. Instead of navigating the subway during rush hour, we all took taxis to Yongsan Station to catch an 8:40am KTX train to Jeonju. We all found something to eat before boarding the train for the 1 ½ hour journey.  In Jeonju we took a short 20 mins taxi rides to Jeonju Hanok Village. The village is famous among Koreans and tourists because of its traditional buildings that strongly contrast with the modern city around it.  Most of the streets are still cobblestones. Just like Bukchon, a lot of tourists rent the traditional Korean clothings to walk around the small quaint village. Matty immediately spotted scotter rentals and we thought it would be a fun way to explore the village. Russell and I took all the youngs...

June 27, 2017 The three of us slept in and checked out of the hotel at 10am. We headed to Busan Station to reunite with the rest of the family who was due to arrive at 11:15am.  The purpose of visiting Busan was for Ben who grew up here in Chinatown and was  conveniently located  across the street from the train station. We made our way on foot and Ben quickly found his old elementary school. Back then, it was a Chinese school and the Chinese were segregated from the Koreans. He has memories of his classrooms and playing basketball on the playground. The school looked rundown but is still operating.  Up the hill, Ben showed us where his house used to be. Unfortunately it's been torn down. All that is left is a big hole and is blocked by tall walls. Looks like something new is going to replace it.  Once Ben was done reminiscing of his childhood, we walked back to the train station to catch the City Bus Tour. It's a hop on hop off bus that...

June 26, 2017 Russell, Matty, and I broke off from the group and headed to Busan a day earlier. We heard many great things about Busan and was advised that one day wasn't enough. We purchased ticket on the KTX at the Seoul Station and boarded the 11am train. It took 2 hrs, 40 minutes to arrive there.  Korea's public transportation is quite efficient and Russell commented on how smooth the ride was. Russell had booked a room at Busan Business Hotel in the Seomyeon area, known for great restaurants and nightlife.  It's a nice hotel but the amenities were lacking compared to the Pacific Hotel. After dropping off our overnight bags and planned our itinerary for the day, we headed to the subway station. Seomyeon Station is a major Station and centrally located to most attractions. With Jalgachi Fish Market as the destination, we proceeded to buy our tickets (one day passes) but was confused on where to catch it. We ended up helping another man from Kenya and had a great tim...