Seoul - Day 3

I have to say that Seoul wasn't my favorite trip.  I think the others liked it for the shopping but for me, there wasn't much.  I didn't mind the cold but I really couldn't find much for us to do.
I found the culture more like China in that it was very tense.  We put together that the constant threat from the North made for a tense atmosphere.  A few weeks before we got there, North Korea set off some missles.  
When we were in the subway, we saw kiosks with gas masks and fire extinguishers.  In case of emergency (bomb) citizens are instructed to break the glass and distribute gas masks.  Once when we were getting off the train, all of a sudden this siren goes off and folks start headinng upstairs to the exits.    Then an announcement came and everyone went back to normal.  We figured it was a false alarm.  Wow. 
Even since we have been back in Oki the North has made more threats. Now we understand.
They had day tours to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) between North and South Korea.  I really wanted to go.  Bill did not, he said he needed a break from military.  I regret not going.  I think I would have liked the trip more if I had.  
Believe it not, some in our group had never been to TGIFridays so that was a stop dinner.  Again, we try to find familiar food (not Japanese) whenever we travel.

 OK, this day was just so amazingly cold.  We went to the museums and Palaces. I had to try to get some culture in.  I am not really a shopper and I couldn't go the DMZ so I had to find something interesting.  This was neat but we were so cold that day!

I have to admit I can't remember what this was and what we were looking at, it was cold!

OK, so wherever we go Jared has to eat something amazingly spicy even though we warm him.  It is a tradition now.  We are a small (cold) restaurant in the museum.  I can't remember what he ate this time but here you go...

 

 Here they were doing a changing of the guard.  We had no idea and came right at the right time.  Actually though, they had to cancel the event half way through because it was COLD!

 Bill and I are in there somewhere....

We decided to stroll around the city center for a few minutes before we caught the train back.  As you can see, the sun was getting low and it was getting even colder.  I read in the paper the next day that it was 3 degrees that day.

 I can't remember who this guy is.  I used to know and should look it up but it is late here and...

 Heading back to the hotel!!