In the Fall of 2003 I had a short visit to Seoul, Korea. Unfortunately, it was just a stopover for a couple of days but I did get to enjoy myself a bit. Right across the street from my hotel was the Bongeun-sa Buddhist Temple situated on the largest grounds that I had ever seen for a temple. When I entered, I felt from the beginning how nice and receptive everyone was. This has not always been my experience with different religions so I was pleasantly surprised. I walked around from building to building and really enjoyed the statues of Buddha in different forms that they had on the property. I found a huge statue of Buddha in one of the courtyards that was in all white and so beautiful. I came upon a room in my exploration that had people kneeling in prayer. It was my first experience watching Buddhists pray and a calm sensation came over me and I felt very peaceful in that moment. It is funny how sometimes an experience affects you many years later in ways you never imagined. I really enjoyed my visit to Bongeun-sa and the experience started an understanding inside of me for a peaceful place. The next day I got a chance to sneak away to the Aquarium. The Coex Aquarium is the largest in Asia and was absolutely amazing. I love zoos but an aquarium brings you in contact with new species that you don’t normally get to see. I really enjoyed the jellyfish exhibit. The lighting was perfect to see the details that made such a simple life form seem not so simple anymore. I don’t believe I have been to a more amazing aquarium to date with such a vast array of species on display. I truly enjoyed it. It would have been nice to have had more time to explore the city in depth but I did enjoy what I did get to see and it was a worthwhile stopover.
