Weekend in Ulsan (26.-28. Jan. '18)

A while back, one of my adult students at SDALI SeoCheonan invited me to stay with him and his family in Ulsan for a weekend. The final weekend of January suited us both.

I arrived on the evening of Friday, January 26th. I met his wife and daughter. His son was away with friends for the weekend. The wife prepared an excellent dinner. Everything was soooooo delicious! That family is so fortunate to have a superb cook for a wife and mother!

Saturday, 27. January

First stop: Taehwagang River Park
The family took me to Taehwagang (Taehwa River) Park. It was vast and mostly empty, but just perfect for me. At the edge of the river is a 4km-long bamboo forest, Taehwa River Seepri Bamboo Grove.

Like being in a dream.

Clear curvy path

I couldn't walk the entire length, but being in it for a spell was good enough. I almost wished I lived in Ulsan . . . Almost.

Second Stop: Ulsan Bridge Observatory

After the park, we drove along the harbor until we reached Ulsan Bridge Observatory.

Once you park your car, you walk up a road for just shy of a kilometer. The hike was not challenging, even for my plantar-fasciitis-ailed right foot.

A sign to point you in the right direction (no pun intended).

Inside the elevator.

Inside the elevator, you can view the outside on every floor (4 floors). You also see signs that tell you how high you are and how many more meters you have before reaching the top.

Panoramic view of Ulsan Bridge and Harbor.

Panorama of the city that was established, thanks to Hyundai Motors (right).

In case you wondered about which direction you faced.

Third stop: Jujeon Mongdol Beach

After checking out the heights of Ulsan Bridge Observatory, we drove along the black pebbly coast of Jujeon beach. We got off for a bit to enjoy the sound of the crashing waves (which were very high and strong that day) and the fresh air of the sea.

Oh, hashtags.

I thought a video would be a better representation of this beach than a few pictures.

A wave that scared my student and his family. Priceless moments.

Thank you, come again.

We went to a nearby restaurant and had a spicy fish dish (honestly don't know what it was called). It was great!
After this, we returned home and spent the rest of the day relaxing.

Sunday, 28. January,

The family took me on another outing--and from there, to the bus terminal, so I could catch a bus back to my city. However, before I show you those pictures, I gotta show you this from when we left the apartment:

McDelivery!

McDelivery is EVERYWHERE in Korea.

Alright, now to the highlight and main stop of the day: Daewangam Park.

The legend in Korean, English, & Japanese.

My former-student and his wife looking at the open-air restaurant on the shore.

Panorama of the main attraction: King Munmu's Underwater Tomb.

Sorry for the botched model in the foreground.

A fleet of ships in the background (not military).

The path to and from the rest of the park.

Kitty!

One more look at the main bridge.

One more look at the boulders in the sea.

Thank you so much, Charlie (not real name) and family! I really enjoyed my time with you all! The food, places, and weekend, in general, were all wonderful. I need to try to return sometime!