Trip to the zoo!

Yesterday we went on a "big adventure". We had decided we wanted to go to the zoo, but we didn't want to tell the kids because we weren't sure we would be able to get there. The bus system doesn't seem too hard, but when you can't read the language on the maps and the bus schedules, it is a lot more challenging. So first, we set out to ride the bus, but we couldn't find a bus that left from our area and went to the zoo. We also weren't sure about where to get off to catch another bus. So we ended up riding the subway to the end of the subway station. This dropped us at a main terminal for the KTX, the bus system and seemingly endless routes.
We walked around for awhile, before finding a bus stop that we knew took us to the zoo because we had one book that at least told bus number with destinations. So we hesitantly got on a bus that we were pretty sure would at least take us to the zoo at some point on its route. We made it there and we were able to talk to a young couple who spoke very little english, but they told us they were also going to the zoo, so we would know when our stop was. (Just in case it wasn't obvious). All this time, the kids still didn't know where we were going. When we got off the bus and Peyton saw the sign, he figured it out and he got that excited little giggle. We had fun. While we were there, it seemed like we were part of the exhibit. People were paying less attention to the animals, and lots of attention to the kids. They kept touching both kids hair and the old grannies would pat Gracie on the bottom and giggle. It was really pretty funny! But Grace was getting tired of all the attention by the end of the day. (Imagine that!) Gracie with the bear statue. These bears were probably one of the most entertaining of the animals at the zoo. I put a video clip of them at the end of the blog.

They actually looked like people in bear suits the way they moved and interacted.

Here is at the entrance.

Oops, this is out of order. At the end of the day we found the right bus back to the area where we live. We didn't have to go back to the subway station, and catch it back. We got off at this restaurant where the school took us out earlier this week, called VIPs. It had Western style foods, and it was an all-you-can-eat buffet. We thought since it was Korean Thanksgiving, maybe we should celebrate too. Little did we know until we sat down and started eating, that the price also seemed to jump about double what it was when we went out earlier in the week. Well, too late, we just did our best to enjoy it and not think about the cost. It was good food. This picture of the kids was taken in the waiting area.
This was a pretty fountain in the central area around the entrance to the zoo.
This camel was really quite impressive. He was very large.
This jaguar just kept looking at us like this. We were thankful for the fence. Don't know if he was just checking us out like we were checking him out, or if he was thinking we looked like a good meal! :)
There were also some tigers, like this one the kids posed on. There were lots of monkeys, some wolves, grizzlies, polar bear, deer and goats, and elk family, little asian "raccoons", meerkats, penguins, a coyote, hyenas, walaroos, birds, owls, and lots of other creatures. There were rides at the park, but we only paid for the animals. That was a little tough for the kids to take, because they had to watch other kids on rides in that area, but they did enjoy the animals. We were all tired at the end of the day and ready for a nice rest.