Labor Day Getaway

For a little mini-vacay, Andrew and I drove about two hours East of where we live into the mountains in the center of the Korean peninsula.  We spelunked (more accurately, we trekked through a big limestone cave) and hiked (well, for about twenty minutes until the park ranger stopped us).

First, Gosu Cave:

Andrew enjoying the stalagmites and stalagtites.  It took us about an hour to wind in, out, up, down, and through the cave.

The next day we prepared for a five hour hike to a peak in Seobaeksan National Park. It felt very Northwestern- lush green with a light mist.  After about twenty minutes up , a park ranger beckoned us into his station and typed the word "typhoon" into Google Translate on his computer.  He gave us the universal no sign (arms crossed in an X shape), meaning we had to turn around and go back.  Turned out no big storm ever rolled through, but we had a tasty lunch of trail mix and beef jerkey on our couch when we got home!

Also on Labor Day weekend, we found this little guy on our windowsill, croaking away.  How did this fella get his way up to our 2nd floor windowsill?  Each night as we fall asleep, we listen to a lullaby of crickets and frogs in the rice paddies nearby- one of the few things I'll miss when the weather finally turns to fall.