We had another fun and exciting weekend. We were able to meet up with Pete, Kelly, Reuben, and Eric to go caving. The weather was gorgeous even with the yellow dust haze hanging in the air, and the company was fantastic. We had so much fun! Pete, Kelly, and Reuben are all from Bethel and Reuben and Kelly are even from Iowa. Reuben is so in love with Iowa and all it is famous for he brought a can of corn for lunch. It was pretty hysterical to see him bust open a can of corn on the top deck of our ferry boat and just sit there eating corn in the sun.
We woke up early (5am)in order to make it to Express Bus Terminal where we met up with the Adventure Korea Crew. There were two buses for this trip and sadly the rest of our group was on the other bus...but Kaley and I passed the time on the bus quickly by watching a movie on her IPOD touch...gotta get one of those things...seriously sweet. It took us about 2 hours to get to the ferry. We loaded onto the ferry for what was to be "a 2 hour tour...a 2 hour tour" Thankfully there were no Gilligans on our boat...we reached our destination with out mishap. The scenery from the boat was quite beautiful...and I would love to show you some pictures...but alas these days I am pretty much relying on Kaley's camera because mine has decided to stop taking nice pictures...it takes grainy nasty ones instead...sigh...
We got to the caves and it was very crowded...We pretty much walked in a line the whole way through...It was also pretty touristy with the walkways and lights everywhere but it was fascinating. God's creation continues to amaze me! So many different things to see in this world! Talk about creativity.
Some areas in the cave were particularly tight...Or as Kelly would say.."This is kind of squeezy!"
The three gal pals! LOVE THESE GIRLS!!!
This was our second stop...This is famous because apparently know one really knows how these three giant rocks got in the middle of this river...The area around the rocks and river is not really that mountainous...it was a very serene...Being that we were with a whole slew of English speakers we were able to ask one of them to take our picture with out miming our request!
We also decided to make the trek up a mountain of stairs to see the stone arc bridge. It was really pretty. We were not as fearless as two boys who decided to go rouge and walk over the ropes in order to cross the bridge...I was envious of the pictures they were getting but I couldn't bring myself to break the law...that fear of getting in trouble really keeps me in check!
When we got back we hit up a Galbi restaurant with Pete, Kelly, Reuben, and Eric. It was delicious and since Eric speaks Korean we had no trouble ordering! That was amazing!
I am continued to be amazed at how blessed I have been, being able to see and experience as much as I have. I am so happy to have met Kaley. She has definitely been a source of sanity for me and has become a forever friend...I got a letter the other day from a woman from my home church who has faithfully written to me every month. I have known her for years but have never truly crossed into the friendship realm. I consider her to be a mentor. I always look forward to her letters and am happy to call her my friend. She is always extremely encouraging to me and her letters often come on just the right days...the ones where I need a little extra gas in my tank or pick me up. I got a letter the other day and she said, "You have really bloomed where you have been planted." That really hit me because I feel so often that I have a complaining spirit. That I am not patient enough, thankful enough, compassionate enough...I feel that sometimes I am down right negative...I do not like that feeling...But looking back I also see times where I have bloomed where I have been planted. I have put myself out there. I have tried new things. I have sought out new adventures and opportunities. Kaley and I were talking about all the things we still want to do and we quickly realized we might run out of time! That seems crazy...but it may be true. Please pray that I can appreciate the time I have left in Korea...that I can continue to bloom.
Passport...believe it or not my passport expires this year...Wow! I can't believe that it was 10 years ago that I got my first passport in order to go to Nicaragua for a missions trip. My passport still has some blank pages...but not many...those African countries like to use a lot of stamps!~ I want to go to China this July when Mom and Dad are here and in order to do that I need to get a Visa...In order to get a Visa I need to have 6 months validity in my passport...I only have 5 so I needed to get a new one. I made the 2 hour trek to the Embassy all the while praying that they would accept my passport picture that I had taken in Korea...I was told I had to bring 2 pictures and I only had 1 left from Wallgreens state side...I went and got my pictures taken and even had Lucy write it down in Korean that I needed them to be a specific size...low and behold...they were not the right size! But I had a coveted appointment at the Embassy so I HAD TO GO! I took my Wallgreens photo with me just in case. I waited and waited and waited for my name to be called...my appointment time came and went...I sat there and mustered up the courage to go and ask what was going on. I got to the window...gave her my application...she asked for 1 picture! My breath caught in my chest....I pulled out my Korean picture she said "too small!" I thought "Rats." I pulled out the Wallgreens picture...gave it to her...My hair is significantly shorter in this picture than it is now and she looked at is skeptically...I held my breath...She said "is this in the last 6 months?" "errr...gulp...yes" I squeaked out..."Okay,go to window 105 pay your $75 and come and pick it up in 2 weeks!"...Blood rushed back into my knees and I could stand again and breath...Hallelujah! I won't have to come back 2 times! I will only have to come back once! Wahooooo!
On my way home I saw many amusing things...the thing that tickled my funny bone the most however was this 70 year old man wearing a Boyz II Men baseball hat! That just cracked me right up....
Well sorry for yet another book! Enjoy!
Holly
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