Our group in front of the Changdeokgung Palace gate We arrived in Seoul mid-afternoon on Monday exhausted by the long flight. We met our guide Ashley and arrived at the hotel, got money from the ATM, eat a light dinner and fell into bed exhausted.
We slept well and were ready to go the next morning. After breakfast at our hotel, we visited Changdeokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is one of the “Five Grand Palaces” of Korea’s longest ruling family, the Joseon Dynasty. The palace was designed to stand out by not standing out; the sloping hillside and woods around the palace site were largely left intact and the building was designed to nestle harmoniously within the setting.
We slept well and were ready to go the next morning. After breakfast at our hotel, we visited Changdeokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is one of the “Five Grand Palaces” of Korea’s longest ruling family, the Joseon Dynasty. The palace was designed to stand out by not standing out; the sloping hillside and woods around the palace site were largely left intact and the building was designed to nestle harmoniously within the setting.
 Stan's not going to miss a shot |  Mikey's not missing anything either |
 Inside the secret graden |  Lorrie and Sharon trying kimchee |
After lunch we enjoyed a walk around central Seoul and stopped at a local tea shop for light refreshment. A couple hours of leisure late in the afternoon and we rejoined for our Welcome Dinner of authentic Korean BBQ. We’ll raised our glasses and said “gunbae” (cheers) to our adventures ahead.
 Randy, Terri, Kathy, Mikey, Shirley and Stan enjoy a tea break |  Stan blows out the candles on his sweet potato birthday cake |
