Seoul Zoo!

9/21/2010
Today I went to a far away place called Ansan. There is a Multicultural Food Market there that was filled with hungry people. I found it a little crowded, like most of Korea, so I hopped back on the subway with no direction in mind. I stumbled upon the Seoul Zoo and Seoul Land(a theme park much like Disney Land) when I was checking out some pictures in the subway map. Unfortunately it was raining cats and dogs and so I wasn't able to enjoy the full effect of it's absolute beauty. In the far distance are tree covered mountains. The animals seemed to be kept in very clean and friendly environments, unlike many of the zoos we have all seen in the US. The best part was a chimp nursery, I will call it, where they kept two furry little guys that seemed to be mentally handicapped. In the nursery was a crib, a bed, a dresser, and other pieces of furniture that I don't even have in my apartment. I could walk right up to the glass and touch their hands when they came jumping over to show off. Their handicap was causing them to move in all sorts of strange ways including a deliberate attempt to break through the walls, each time leaving them with a bruised head, which they would rub for a few seconds before getting right back at it. Adorable. There were gators, camels, tigers, gorillas, ostriches, zebras, and so many more animals that are never visible in the zoos back home because they are either "sleeping" or being cleaned. The rain started coming down really hard and I forced myself to leave in order to make it home in one piece. Back on the subway I went until suddenly the train came to a stop in a place called Sagang. Never heard of it but I quickly became familiar because everyone was rushed out of the station as we watched the stairwells become flooded with water. Close to two hours later and no food in my belly, I was still wandering the streets. I forgot to mention today and tomorrow are Korean Thanksgiving and people have been frantically trying to make it to their family's homes to spend a few days enjoying each other's company. So aside from the fact that I am white and cabs don't normally stop for me, each cab was packed with bodies and speeding by me with no regards for my sad helpless appearance. I began to walk and eventually came across anothr station that wasn't flooded. So my lovely day of travels turned into an exhausting nightmare. But I made it home in one piece with no pictures to show. Thanks for reading!