7th Oct 08 - Seoul, South Korea

Arrived at the port of Inchon for a visit to Seoul.
Went to the Palace, the market, had a genuine Korean lunch and attended a Tea Ceremony at the Buddhist Temple. 

Korean musicians and dancers welcomed us on the quayside

Deoksugung Palace - where the Royal family lived (when Korea had one)

Namdaemun market. Fantastic area of narrow streets lined with market stalls selling everything - as you can see in the pictures above and below

Halloween market

Ginseng

Chilli

Not quite sure what was in the jars...

Lunch in a genuine Korean restaurant where we sat cross-legged on the floor. Must have had 30+ dishes!

Prayer lanterns at the entrance to the Jogyesa Temple

The Buddhist monk took us through a Tea Ceremony. Again, everyone sat cross-legged on the floor. We had to silently contemplate (for 15 minutes) what we had been before we inhabited our current bodies. An interesting question. Elizabeth thought of cats.

Shoes outside the Jogyesa Temple at prayer time.

Buddhas in Jogyesa Temple