Lions and Tigers and...African Zucchini?...oh my

I perused through Carolyn's gift today, the Lonely Planet: Korea, and decided to head to the National Museum of Contemporary Art. It is conveniently located on the light blue line, four stops from Beomgye, so it was a quick trip. Matt and I left around 1 pm, after a light lunch, and were really surprised that the stop, Seoul Grand Park, really lived up to its name.

Unlike most stations, located in the centre of a busy part of the city, this one opened up to a parking lot. Confused, we followed a small crowd to an entrance of The Seoul Grand Park. Oh. Of course, there were vendors on the path to the park, selling meat on a stick (I'm so grateful this is a Korean specialty...SUCH a perfect snack), doughnuts, and random toys and souveniers, the likes of which we have all seen at an amusement park. However, there were also palm and face readers (face readers? Yes.) waiting to tell us our fates. I thought the older gents probably only spoke Korean and since I don't, and didn't want to know that my future was being told to me in a language I couldn't quite grasp, I walked on, a little hesitantly. I can't say I wasn't tempted.

The main building of the Park was huge. I'm not sure what it contained, as we were taken by the huge map that was before us. But what really stole our attention was the Sky Tram above. It was a no-brainer that we would take the Sky Tram to the museum, as it was a perfectly sunny day for a view of this park. The gal who manned (womanned?) the ticket booth spoke just enough English for us to understand that we would have to purchase a one-way ticket to ride to the south entrance of the zoo (there's a zoo here too?!) and if we wanted to go further, would have to also purchase a two-way ticket in addition to a zoo ticket. Hey, for ten bucks, why say no, right?

The journey on the Sky Tram showed us the most beautiful vista I have seen in a long while. In fact, with the exception of the top of Mount Stanley and Dance Camp in Algonqin, I haven't seen a view this exceptional in a long, long while.

This was the view from the tram, just as the ride started. To the right, a bridge we would later walk over to get back home (remember zucchini...it'll be funny later); straight ahead was a glorious mountain, whose range spanned the whole vista; and to the left, an amusement park (out of this picture). Holy mackerel. It was SO worth the $10. Oh, note also that there is a safety net below us (sarcastically, I felt sooooo much safer. Yeah right).

This is the view from mid-ride, looking back. We were surrounded by mountains all day: what a wild ride!

This is the amusement park that was off to the left hand side, also surrounded by mountains.

Here is a grandfather with his granddaughter in tow...she looks thrilled to have her photograph taken :) Behind them is the National Museum of Contemporary Art. Did I mention we didn't quite make it there? After all the excitement of the ride up, and after the purchase of the zoo admission, it was a simple solution: we were going to the zoo!

The whole ride took about a half hour in total. We were moving at the speed of a turtle, so it makes sense that it took awhile. Plus, you don't really want to rush moving over a huge river with only a scant net "keeping you safe". The tram flew (flew! Hahaaha...more like meandered) over the entire zoo, so we got our first glimpse from above. I really don't like zoos as a general rule: I find it cruel and unusual that we cage and confine animals for our own pleasure. But then again, we do the same thing to cats and dogs when we keep them at home, and this zoo was very well taken care of...so I swayed a little in my convictions. When in Korea, do as the Koreans do, or so I've learned. Needless to say, nothing is more majestic than seeing a male lion lounging out on a hot day. They are such amazing creatures. And to see them from above? Magnifique!

Here is the rose garden, located in the Children's Zoo, on the left side of the Sky Tram. If you can fully appreciate that it is a full circle, with roses planted all throughout, you can perhaps understand the Koreans' obsession with beauty. Everything is carefully planned, executed, and maintained. After all, people WILL see it from the top, so it must be esthetically pleasing at all angles.

The real zoo adventure began when we landed from our Tram ride. After a quick stop at the rest room, we were off. We started with the descendents of dogs: coyotes, wolves, foxes. It was amazing. The zoo here, much like all of Korea, is compact and they have found really great ways to use space. Like not giving the animals any room to move around in. Honestly, I wanted to bust those wolves out of there. It must have been a full moon or close to feeding time: they were pacing like lunatics in their confined areas. Perhaps I should go back to my original zoo-stance? But I walked on.

The large cats came next: leopards (dad, it reminded me so much of that Robert Bateman painting: amazing), three kinds of tigers, and, of course, the lions. And then, all of a sudden, we were in Africa. I mean it. It wasn't just the animals either: there was a gift shop (the ONLY one we saw) that had all things African. Well, perhaps not ALL things African, but jewlery and art was actually MADE in Africa. I was confused. Doesn't Asia have any indigenous animals to gloat about? Strange. So when in Africa, do as the Africans do (?). That hardly sounds politically correct. Anyway, in "Africa", the elephants were bathing and eating...

Isn't that just magnificent? He was rolling around in the water too, splashing, having a hootin' hollerin good time :)

And lastly were the giraffes. They were in the middle of dinner and this was the funniest shot I could find...of me AS a giraffe (giraffes are to my right):

Just when the fun was over, we walked back through the vista again, looking back over the amazing mountains, through these beautifully-appointed pergolas...only to discover that they were covered in zucchini vines! And they had ZUCCHINI growing down from the tops. Only in Korea. You know at home how we wrap grape vines over large arches so the fruit grows down and is easily ready to pick? I guess they do the same thing here, only with huge gourds! What a riot. Oh phallic Korea...you do make me laugh.

I'm sure I'll get to the Museum at some point...I do have a year.