Loving the History!!!

Daniel and I went to Seoul after church on Sunday for the purpose of exploring a palace.  The train takes us about 1hr 30min and it costs us about $2 to get there from base so that's pretty nice :-)

Anyway, we went to visit the Gwanghwamun Palace and it was really cool to walk around and take in the architecture and some historical facts about the place.  Buildings had names such as Geuneongjeon and Geonghoeru in case the initial name wasn't tough enough to try to figure out.  Anyway, I think that one of the coolest things for me is that the recorded history here goes back so far.  I would like to say that I do not like history per se but I have a certain appreciation for it.  In the US we don't receive much history of the Native Americans that inhabited the land prior to the Europeans coming.  Here on the other hand I am reading about Kings and such that were in the 300s!  I think that is pretty cool.  I'm sure if I went to parts in Africa to even earlier times I would be even more amazed.

Now these are pictures from the palace that was destroyed and rebuilt so many times I didn't count in my readings about the different dynasties and rulers and takeovers and such.  We got there just as they did the formal changing of the guard.



 Upon first walking in there are these guards that initially look like statues but are real men.

 I had very few opportunities to get pictures where there weren't people in them.

 Beautiful architecture, art, shape, etc.  I really liked this place.

I believe that this was the throne where king's were crowned.  We couldn't get inside.

"The Golden Dragon."  I'm not sure what that means but some man pointed it out to us.

There were several little buildings set up like this.  I am not sure what their purpose was... 

There were a lot of brick walls and then buildings.  I believe to section off various places but I don't know that for sure.

 

 These pictures are from the camera on my phone so the zoom is no good, I was trying to get a better shot of the roof/ceiling.

 Another building that I once again have no clue what purpose it served.

Nice scenery :-)

 

 I read something about diplomats that would come out on the water in small boats.

Somebody did not want me taking his picture :-[

 

 

While in the palace, it was cute because I was approached by a girl that was probably about 10 years old and she asked me if she could interview me.  She spoke in English as best as she could and her friend recorded us on a phone.  The questions were simple and it seemed like the purpose of the interview was for her to practice her English.  A couple of times she did not have the words and I would guess at what she was trying to say (it was almost like a game of charades at one point; she acted out and I guessed "darts" and we got the point lol).

 

Lots of love,
Camille