A day exploring museums in Seoul

After JM's visit to the dentist, we decided to tour some museums in Seoul. We had taken an early train in and booked the last train back to Cheonan.

The first stop was the National Museum of Korea. There were many ancient artifacts, including rock tools and jewelery made of jade, and even old graves and bones. JM really liked the paintings. With free entry, you can't go wrong!

JM with some roof tiles

A really old compass

Room dividers that we want in our apartment

Next, we headed off to the war memorial of Korea. Not just a memorial, but a full museum, we were pleasantly surprised with all the information about Korean history and the full sized replicas of the turtle boats. Turtle boats were used to defend against the Japanese invasion in the 1590s. Admiral Yi Sun Shin was in charge of these boats and even though he was severely outnumbered, his men won the battle of the sea because of the innovative design of the boats. Outside of the museum was a display with fighter jets and tanks, many of which were open for the public, especially children, to climb aboard.

Panoramic view of the front of the war memorial

Turtle Boat

JM hanging onto a rock

We then went to Itaewon to try a new taco place, Vatos, for dinner. While we had to wait 2 hours to get a table (we headed back to the Canadian bar for some cider to pass the time), the tacos were quite delicious. Next time we'll make sure to come on the off hour or for lunch.

We finished our day with a trip to the Lotte Mart right near Seoul station. We were in search of some padding for the spare bed before JM's parents arrive in 2 weeks. We did not find what we were looking for, but, quite fortunately, we did find the massage chair section. With 30 minutes to kill before the train, JM and I took full advantage of some expensive chairs. he he.

Adios amigos, until next time ...

Jennika

Saipan Day 8 - Spa Day

Day 8 - January 5
Our last day in Saipan was spent relaxing at a spa!! Jean-Marc and I treated ourselves to a couples package at a legit spa. In Saipan there are so many 'massage' places open until 4am, I question the legitimacy of them. My criteria was whether or not they closed before midnight and if the ladies wear appropriate clothing/footwear.

So we found the Hanamitsu Spa from one of the advertisements on our handy tourist map. We went in and purchased a 5 treatment couples package, including a facial, foot and whole body massages, an Indian oil hair treatment, and a body wrap. Finishing it off was a private jacuzzi tub where we relaxed in the hot water and steam. It was a little taste of heaven and a great way to not only finish off our fantastic vacation, but to relax before the long flight home.

(These pictures were borrowed from the spa website)

We actually had side by side massages!

Indian oil treatment



Private jacuzzi

Following our delightful afternoon, we headed back over to Cafe at the Park for our last Saipan dinner. Isn't our skin glowing?

We'll be back to real life soon. Thanks for following us on our Pacific adventure! We <3 Saipan!

Team JMS

 

  

Map of Saipan with the Hanamitsu Spa highlighted