Stockholm 斯德哥尔摩

June 6: In Stockholm, the tourist pass works differently from all the European countries we have visited. There are two separate cards: the 72-hour tourist and transportation cards. We decided to get both, enabling us to make the most of our visit. Stockholm's unique geography, with its myriad of islands, meant that many attractions were accessible by boats and ferries. The city center boasted around twenty to thirty small docks, providing convenient connections for tourists to explore the various island destinations.

We arrived in Sweden yesterday and learned today was Sweden's National Day, officially designated as a public holiday only since 2005. Although the celebrations were not as elaborate as those in China or the United States, the city center was bustling with people, and some popular tours were already fully booked. We decided to start with a one-hour boat ride along the Royal Canal, followed by a three-hour excursion to the archipelago.

We noticed a gathering of people outside the Naval Academy between the boat excursions, so we joined in the excitement. They were all awaiting the twenty-one-gun salute at noon. After the salute, three groups of fighter jets flew over the palace, marking the official celebration of their National Day.

We also witnessed spontaneous celebrations in the city center, with many locals waving flags and heading to parks and museums. Initially, we had planned to visit the Royal Palace, but it was exceptionally crowded since it was open to the public for free on National Day. We decided to postpone the visit for the next day. Instead, we explored the Nobel Prize Museum nearby but found it relatively simple and lacking distinctive features.

The old town, a popular attraction, captivated us with its charm. After wandering through its streets, we found a delightful Italian restaurant where we enjoyed pizza and seafood pasta.

Satisfied and energized, we continued our journey to the Fotografiska. This venue regularly hosts world-class and unconventional photography exhibitions; a fine dining restaurant is also inside. However, due to the National Day festivities, the restaurant was closed. Several world-class exhibitions were on display. "Santa Barbara" by Diana Markosian explores the nature of an immigrant family from Russia and the American dream in a moving and fascinating film.

With daylight lasting until after 9 pm, we couldn't resist exploring the city and admiring its nighttime beauty. The bustling streets during the day transformed into a serene and beautiful historic town in the evening.

June 7: It was another beautiful day with clear skies. Early in the morning, we hurried to the Royal Palace just in time to witness the changing of the guards. After enjoying the ceremonial display, we bought tickets to enter the palace for a tour, and we found out that the 72-hour tourist pass we purchased yesterday did not cover some of the major museums, such as the Royal Palace. While the palace was grand, it didn't differ much from other European palaces we had visited before.

In the afternoon, we leisurely strolled along the waterfront to the City Hall, where we found a small café nearby for a simple lunch. Afterward, we boarded an afternoon boat cruise at 2 pm to visit the Queen's Palace outside the city. It was the third boat excursion in two days. The palace was stunning, and with only a few visitors, it was precisely to our liking. The well-maintained gardens exceeded our expectations. Interestingly, in 1753, the king secretly built a Chinese Pavilion and adorned it with items from China and other Asian regions as a surprise gift for the queen. At that time, Chinese items were considered high-end luxury goods, and to this day, the Chinese Pavilion still retains its original wallpaper and some artistic decorations.

Returning to the city, we found a fantastic Asian restaurant next to our hotel for dinner. The flavors and dishes surpassed all our expectations, leaving us thoroughly satisfied. After dinner, we took a bus to Royal Park outside the city center. As we meandered through the park's serene pathways, we were captivated by its picturesque and tranquil surroundings. The absence of crowds of tourists made the experience even more enjoyable and relaxing. We joyfully clapped our hands in the Echo Pavilion to try its acoustic magic. The royal family also owns a sizeable private palace inside the park, but the high walls and endless security cameras prevented us from taking any photographs. Overall, our evening in the Royal Park was a delightful escape from the city's hustle and bustle, offering us a chance to appreciate nature's beauty and cherish quiet moments together.

June 8: Our final day in Stockholm was dedicated to visiting three museums: the Nordic Museum, the Vasa Museum, and The Viking Museum. Among them, the Vasa Museum stood out with its fascinating history. The Vasa was an ancient warship constructed in 1628, personally designed by the king to be one of the most advanced warships of its time. However, the ship sank just ten minutes after its maiden voyage due to its high center of gravity and narrow hull. Despite the king's involvement in the ship's design, he couldn't be held responsible, and the incident was swept under the rug. The Vasa lay at the bottom of the sea for over 300 years until it was salvaged in 1961. Over 90% of its components were still original, making it one of the most complete ancient warships in the world.

Our train departed at 10 pm. The hotel allowed us to check out at 6 pm by paying an additional $30, and we could explore the museums during the day and rest in the hotel later. That is precisely what we did. After checking out, we left our luggage at the hotel and returned to the old town. The hotel staff recommended a Swedish restaurant in the old town, where we enjoyed an authentic Swedish meal of meatballs and salmon.

After dinner, we wandered around Stockholm's city center once again. At 9:30 pm, we arrived at the train station, and our train was already waiting for us. We had booked a small sleep compartment with three beds but decided to pay extra to secure the entire room for ourselves, providing more comfort in the tight space. The compartment had a small sink, which made washing up convenient. It was our first time experiencing an overnight sleeper train in a foreign country, and it felt a bit less luxurious than the Amtrak sleeper cars in the United States. Still, it was a new and exciting adventure nonetheless.

6/6: 斯德哥尔摩的旅游卡和交通卡是分开的，我们购买了7 2小时旅游卡和交通卡。斯德哥尔摩地区有无数个岛屿，许多旅游项目都与游船，渡轮有关，市中心有二，三十个小码头。

到瑞典后才知道今天是他们的国庆节，直到0 5年才正式法定为休假日。虽然他们没像中国和美国那样庆祝，但是今天市中心还是人山人海，有些旅游项目都满客了。我们先坐小船在皇家运河里转了一小时，之后又花了三小时来了趟群岛游。

在这二游船之间，看到许多人聚集在海军学院外，我们也过去凑个热闹，发现大家都在等午时二十一响礼炮。二十一礼炮响后，三组空军战机飞越皇宫在上空转了一圈，也算是他们的国庆官方活动了。在市中心还看到一些自发的庆祝活动，许多当地人都拿着国旗在街上走或者是去公园和博物馆。本来计划去皇家宫殿的，结果因为皇家宫殿今天免费开放，去的人实在太多，我们决定还是隔日再去。诺贝尔奖博物馆就在附近且关得晚，我们去那里看了一下，博物馆做的不是很好，很简单也没什么特色。

老城区是一个景点，在那里转转之后找了一家意大利餐厅，要了披萨和海鲜意大利面，很不错。吃饱喝足继续看，来到斯德哥尔摩摄影展览馆。这里常常举办世界级、不拘一格的摄影展览，馆内还有高级餐厅，可能是国庆节的缘故，今天餐厅没开。发源于这里的摄影展览馆开始向世界各地发展，据说准备在上海苏州河也开同样的摄影馆。

这里九点多才日落，回到酒店后看着天还很亮，又出去转转，看看夜景，街头游客寥寥无几, 白天喧闹的大都市又变成了安静美丽的历史古城。

6/7: 今天又是个好天气，晴空万里，一早就赶去瑞典皇宫, 正好赶上换岗仪式，我们就凑热闹看了一会儿。然后就买票进皇宫参观，发现我们买的旅游卡并不包括皇宫之类的几个大景点。皇宫不错，与我们去过的其它欧洲宫殿没什么大的差别。

下午沿着水岸漫走到市政府楼，在附近找了小餐厅吃了简单的午餐后，就上了下午二点的游船去城外王后宫邸参观，非常漂亮，去的人不多，正合我们的心意。花园修得很好，大大超出了我们的期望。当时国王在1753年还在那里偷偷建造了一栋中国楼，并用来自中国和其他亚洲地区的物品装饰一番，送给王后，给她一个大惊喜。看来当时来自中国的东西是高档奢侈品，中国楼至今还保留当时的墙纸和其他一些艺术用品。

坐船回到城里后，在酒店旁边找了一家亚洲餐厅吃晚餐，味道是我们这次行程中最好的。饭后又坐公交车去在市中心外皇家公园散步，环境优美。王室在公园里有一座很大的私人宫殿，围墙拦着，无数的摄像头，不让拍照。

今天一整天都在看宫殿，路走了不少，休息一下明天再接再厉。

6/8: 最后一天在斯德哥尔摩，又走了三个博物馆，Nordic, Vasa和The Viking 博物馆，其中Vasa较有意思。Vasa是一艘古老的军舰，建成于1628年，由国王亲自参与设计的当时最先进的军舰，但下水仪式十分钟后就沉落海底，原因之一是船设计的船高身窄，重心太高．大风一来船就翻了。当然国王参与的事是不能追究责任的，只能不了了之。船在海底睡了三百多年。1961年开始将这船打捞上来，百分之九十以上的部件是原始的，据说是世界上最为完整的古军舰之一。

今天我们乘坐晚上十点的过夜火车离开这里，酒店允许我们推迟到下午六点才退房，只要多付三十美金。这样我们白天可以安心看完博物馆，然后再回酒店休息一会儿。退房后将行李寄存在酒店，又回到老城区。酒店前台推荐了一家老城区的餐厅，我们在那里吃上一顿正宗瑞典菜，肉园子和三文鱼，很满意。

晚饭后又在斯德哥尔摩市中心转了转，九点半来到火车站，火车已等着我们了。我们订的是三床一间的卧铺小包间。多花了一点钱把第三个床位买下了，这样小房间就只有我们俩。房间很小，但里面有个小水池这样洗漱比较方便。第一次在国外坐过夜火车，有种新鲜感，但觉得比美国的Amtrak 卧铺车厢要稍微差一点。

Oslo 奥斯陆

June 2: We set off again before dawn, boarding another Emirates flight to bid farewell to Dubai. After a seven-and-a-half-hour journey, we arrived in Oslo, the capital of Norway. Compared to Dubai's airport, the immigration hall in Oslo was small and dim, quite outdated. We quickly reached the city center from the airport via a high-speed train departing every ten minutes. Within twenty minutes, we arrived at our hotel, conveniently located next to the central station.

Upon arriving in Norway, we were immediately struck by the fresh air and clear blue skies adorned with fluffy white clouds. After checking in and leaving our luggage at the hotel, we set off on foot towards Karl Johans gate. Along the way, we detoured to visit a charming Catholic church before continuing our stroll to the Royal Palace.

By sheer coincidence, we witnessed an important individual departing the palace, escorted by a police motorcycle. The Royal Palace's architectural style is simple but elegant, and a few guards stood beside simple sheds throughout the complex. The "Royal Palace Park" (Slottsparken), which surrounds the Royal Palace, has been a popular public park since the early 19th century. It is open year-round for visitors to enjoy its green spaces, sculptures, and serene ambiance. We were delighted to spend an enjoyable afternoon in the park.

Next, we visited the National Theatre, which boasts a history of over 120 years. At that time, a reading performance was taking place inside the theater. We obtained complimentary tickets to listen to the reading from a book, even though we didn't understand the language. It was an excellent opportunity to immerse ourselves in a foreign country's culture and admire the theater's beauty.

For dinner, we treated ourselves to a delightful outdoor dinner at a plaza just outside the City Hall, enjoying a selection of salads, sausages, shrimp, and cheese. This delicious Western meal perfectly suited our taste buds. After dinner, we took a stroll along the seaside to glimpse the beautiful surroundings, saving more detailed exploration for the next day. Oslo is situated close to the 60th parallel north. In June, the city experienced remarkably long daylight hours, with the sun rising as early as 4:07 am and setting at 10:23 pm, as an example today. The sky remained bright throughout the night, adding a unique charm to our experience in this vibrant city.

June 3: Oslo's Opera House is an iconic cultural building in Norway. It resembles a white sandy beach or a ski resort from a distance. In the morning, we took a leisurely walk on the roof, enjoying the panoramic view of Oslo's cityscape and the beautiful bay. We didn't spend too much time there as we wanted to visit the Munch Museum on the other side over a small bridge.

In the Munch Museum, we met with Edvard Munch's iconic masterpiece, "The Scream," one of the most famous and iconic paintings in art history. It is a powerful representation of the human condition and the artist's emotional turmoil. It was a breathtaking experience to stand before this renowned painting. Interestingly, there are four versions of "The Scream." The museum owns three versions: Tempera and oil on cardboard, 1910/ Litograph, 1895/Crayon on cardboard, 1893. To protect these priceless treasures, the museum displayed only one of the three different painting versions at a time for just one hour, and we stayed in the museum long enough to have witnessed two out of three versions during our visit.

It is fascinating to learn about Munch's other impactful works apart from "The Scream." The Monumental Collection Exhibition in the Museum showcases some of Munch's largest paintings ever created in a high-ceiling hall, making for an immersive experience. "The Sun" is one of Munch's most significant achievements in modern mural painting. It serves as a symbol of the power and ingenuity of life, incorporating elements of natural sciences, religion, and the birth of the universe. In contrast, "The Human Mountain: Towards the Light" leaves a haunting impression on our emotions, evoking profound feelings within us. Our museum visits have never yielded such a powerful emotional impact, making these experiences unforgettable.

As we exited the Munch Museum, we were drawn by the lively sounds of music nearby. It was a local marching band event with participants of various age groups. We sat at a nearby restaurant, ordering salmon sandwiches and a salmon Hawaiian poke bowl, and watched the performance. Both items were the most delicious raw and cooked salmon dishes we had ever tasted.

After lunch, we continued our exploration and visited the National Museum, a newly built institution with unique characteristics. The museum houses a substantial collection of artifacts and exhibits worth seeing, including the first version of "The Scream" and different versions of some of Munch's other works. Seeing the first iteration of such an iconic and emotionally charged painting was a remarkable experience that deepened our appreciation for Munch's artistic journey. Edvard Munch is the artist who created many versions of his substantial art masterpieces. The National Museum proved to be an exceptional venue to explore the nation's artistic treasures, and we left feeling enriched by the experience and grateful for the opportunity to witness these masterpieces in person.

Our next destination was Akershus Castle, once a magnificent royal palace for the Norwegian monarchy. Unfortunately, we reached there with only a little over half an hour before closing time, limiting our visit to a brief walk-through. The castle's architecture resembled other historic European castles we had previously seen, so we opted not to linger for an extended period. Nonetheless, the glimpse of its regal past left a lasting impression on our minds.

We then took a bus ride to Vigeland Sculpture Park, which contains 192 sculptures, 650 figures made from bronze, iron, and granite, reflecting the stages of human life from birth to death. The city government had given Gustav Vigeland this land and built a studio for him, and in return, he promised to donate all his works to the government after his death. He devoted more than 20 years to fulfilling this promise, and we all have the opportunity to experience his artwork. It is another emotionally disturbing visit to the art exhibition.

After a day of exploring, we were tired from all the walking, so we decided to rest and recharge at a highly-rated Italian restaurant. The sausages and pizza were indeed delightful, and the service was excellent.

June 4: Today, we took a ferry to the Norwegian Folk Museum across the city center. This museum is the world's oldest open-air museum and houses 160 buildings from various regions of Norway, relocated from different parts of Norway. As it was the weekend, we encountered many locals dressed in traditional costumes, playing musical instruments, and engaging in singing, dancing, and performances – truly a fascinating experience.

We visited two more maritime adventure museums in the afternoon – the Fram Polar Ship Museum and the Kon-Tiki Museum. The bravery and adventurous spirit of those explorers left us in awe.

Having spent two days in Oslo, we went to bed right before sunset each day. Tonight, we decided to have an extra cup of coffee and stay outside to witness the sunset. During the stay in Oslo, we purchased a 48-hour Oslo Pass, which includes museum tickets and serves as a transportation card – a truly worthwhile investment. It allowed us to visit as many museums as possible.

June 5: Today, we were leaving Oslo for Stockholm, Sweden. Before departing, we decided to explore a few more places. Unfortunately, it's Monday, and all the museums are closed. So, we headed to the botanical garden, which was impeccably maintained, and the tranquil atmosphere was only enhanced by the small number of tourists strolling around.

After checking out of the hotel, we left our luggage there and went to see the sculptures by the seaside. To our surprise, the statues were surrounded by young people basking in the sun, adding a touch of vibrant life to the art pieces.

As we walked, a craving for Japanese ramen struck, and we found a Japanese restaurant near the sculpture area. The scenery was fantastic, and the ramen and salmon sashimi taste also satisfied us.

We picked up our luggage from the hotel in the afternoon and eagerly stepped onto the express train destined for Stockholm, Sweden. Despite being called a fast train, sometimes we had to yield to freight trains. Our train carriage wasn't crowded; they even provided complimentary drinks, fruits, and chocolates throughout the journey. We enjoyed the food and the scenic views of the Norwegian and Swedish countryside along the way. After a short nap, we were refreshed and ready to document the memorable experiences of the past few days as we continued on our delightful journey. Time seemed to fly by, and before we knew it, we arrived in another new country, Sweden.

Our hotel in Stockholm is conveniently located next to the central train station. After checking in, we rested early, ready to embrace new adventures in a new country tomorrow.

6/2: 天没亮就出发，再次坐上阿联酋航空，和迪拜说再见。七个半小时后来到挪威首都奥斯陆。与迪拜机场相比，奥斯陆的入境厅又小又暗太落后了。从机场到市中心的高速铁路每十分钟一班，直达车二十分钟后就到了，我们住的酒店就在市中心车站旁边，非常方便。

来到挪威的第一感觉是空气好，蓝天白云。入住酒店放下行李后，就走去卡尔·约翰斯大道，顺便进了天主教堂看了一眼，然后一直走到挪威皇宫。正巧有车从里面出来，而且有警车带路，看来是重要人物。皇家宫殿外面看上去非常简单, 皇家公园是对外开放的。

来到有一百二十多年历史的国家戏院，当时剧场里正在朗读表演。可以拿免费的票进剧场听，虽然听不懂但感受了一下异国文化。

晚餐在市政府楼边上的餐厅，色拉，香肠，虾和奶酪等，西式饮食，非常享受，很合我们胃口。

饭后在海边走走算是先了解一下，明天再仔细游。挪威奥斯陆纬度接近北纬60度，日出是早上4:07; 日落是晚上10:23，而且整晚天都不暗的。

6/3: 奥斯陆歌剧院是挪威最有特色的文化建筑，远处望去像似白色沙滩或者是滑雪场，可以在屋顶上面漫步，饱览奥斯陆的市容和海湾美景。我们没在那里待太久，赶着去了小桥对面的蒙克博物馆。

在博物馆里，看到了爱德华．蒙克的绝作 - “呐喊”，总共有四个版本，馆里展示三个不同的版本，但为了保护这些无价之宝，每小时只显示其中一个版本，我们前后看到了二个版本，他的其它作品也同样扣动心弦。蒙克的许多作品都有几个版本，这也是他的一个特色。

走出蒙克博物馆后，被响亮的音乐声吸引过去，好像是当地行进乐队活动，有各种年龄段的。我们索性就在旁边一家餐厅坐下，要了三文鱼三明治和三文鱼夏威夷盖饭边看边吃，从来没吃到这么好吃的三文鱼，生的和熟的二种三文鱼都味道极佳。

吃完午餐继续逛，去了国家博物馆，是新建的，也有特色。馆内宝贝不少，展品值得一看。在那里，还看到了第一版本的＂呐喊＂，以及蒙克一些其它作品的不同版本。

阿克斯胡斯城堡曾经是挪威王室宫殿，到那里时还有半个多小时就要关门。这城堡与欧州其它的一些旧城堡相似，我们就走马观花转了一圈。

坐车来到维格朗雕塑公园，园内有 192 座雕塑，总计有由铜，铁和花岗石制成的650个人物雕像，反映从生到死的人生全过程。当时市政府给他的土地，为他造工作室，他答应死后把所有的作品捐赠给政府，他为此付出二十多年心血。

一天逛下来路走了不少有点累，必须休息一下补充点能量。选了家评价不错的意大利饭店，香肠和披萨的确不错，服务生态度也特别的好。

6/4: 今天坐渡轮去市中心对面的挪威民俗文化博物馆参观，该博物馆是世界上最早的露天博物馆，收藏了来自全国各地的1 6 0座建筑。正好是周末，有不少当地人身穿民族服装，带着乐器，在那里唱歌跳舞演奏，很有意思。

下午去了另外二个海上探险博物馆 - 弗拉姆极地船博物馆和康提基号博物馆，感叹那些探险者的勇敢和冒险精神。

来奥斯陆二天了，每天都是在日落前倒头就睡。今晚多喝一杯咖啡，硬撑着外出看太阳落山。我们购买了48小时奥斯陆旅游卡，包括博物馆门票，也可以用作交通卡，非常值得。

6/5：今天要离开奥斯陆，走之前又去踩点了几个地方。今天是周一，博物馆都关闭。我们就去了植物园，修整得很好，游客没几个，安静漂亮。

回酒店退房把行李寄存在酒店，然后走去看看在海边的雕塑，没想到在雕塑作品周围躺满享受日光浴的年轻人, 给那些雕塑艺术作品添加不同的色彩。

突然想吃日本拉面，就在雕塑区附近有家日本饭店，不光是风景好，拉面和三文鱼生鱼片的味道也都很满意。

下午二点半上了前往瑞典斯德哥尔摩的快车，七个半小时后达到目的地。说是快车，有时却要让路给货车。我们的车厢里人不多，还提供免费的饮料，水果和巧克力，有吃有喝，一路上还能看到挪威和瑞典乡村风光。时间过得很快，打个盹，抓紧时间把前几天游记记录下来。

斯德哥尔摩的酒店就在市中心火车站旁边。入住后早早休息，新国家新地方，明天继续。

Dubai 迪拜

May 30: We bid farewell to our family and left Shanghai. On our way to the airport, we chatted with our taxi driver, who was from Anhui province. He mentioned how challenging it was to get passengers from Pudong Airport these days. Often, he had to wait in long queues for hours before getting a customer at the airport due to the lack of international travelers to China. However, today was his lucky day. As we just arrived at the airport departure terminal, and we had not even exited the taxi yet, someone was already standing there and wanted to take our taxi. We were so happy for the driver and wished him good luck.

Perhaps it was late at night, there were few flights, and Pudong Airport was relatively sparse with passengers. Not many people were in line for immigration either, and everyone was busy filling out the exit health declaration forms on their phones. It seemed an arbitrary policy to require travelers to fill out health declaration forms to leave the country. Surprisingly, just a few machines and QR codes were around, and no one seemed to supervise the process closely.

This trip marked our first time flying with Emirates Airlines. Upon boarding, we noticed a wet spot on one of our seats and informed the flight attendant. The attentive flight attendant from the Netherlands immediately replaced the seat cushion. Throughout the nine-hour flight, she took special care of us, sharing her life experiences and providing insights about Dubai. Before disembarking, she wrote down restaurant recommendations and popular attractions for us. Knowing it was our first time flying with Emirates, she took a photo of us using an instant camera and gifted us as a souvenir with good wishes.

The customs efficiency in Dubai was impressive, and their arrival hall was one of the best and most beautiful ones we had seen in any country we visited. It was evident that they put effort into attracting foreign tourists. After collecting our luggage, we hopped into a taxi and headed to our hotel in downtown Dubai. The taxi in Dubai is very credit card friendly, and every cab is equipped with a touch-free credit card reader. We felt like we were back in another world as our phones came back to life, and there was no more cash in our pockets. Everywhere we go, we just use the phone.

Having arrived at the hotel before 7 am (May 31), we were pleasantly surprised by the warm hospitality of the receptionist who allowed us to check in early, and the additional fee was just less than half a day's cost. To our delight, they also provided us with a complimentary breakfast. Once we had freshened up, we indulged in a delightful and hearty breakfast at the hotel restaurant, marking the beginning of our exciting first day in Dubai.

Our first stop was the Grand Bur Dubai Mosque. They allowed the visitors to enter the prayer hall outside prayer time. When we got there, an English tour just started. Ladies were required to wear traditional Muslim attire to cover the head. Fortunately, they provided appropriate clothing for tourists. Inside the men's prayer hall, we were impressed by the grandeur. Sitting on the floor, we listened to a Muslim devotee who shared insights into the Islamic faith and answered our questions, providing a valuable learning experience. The Dubai Museum is temporarily closed because the property is under restoration.

After the mosque visit, we headed to a nearby trendy restaurant, recommended by our daughter, and ordered a breakfast platter which tasted quite good, and the ambiance was delightful.

Next, we explored Dubai's old city, a well-preserved blend of old and new elements. It was nicely built, but we noticed there were fewer tourists. The scorching 40-degree heat made it challenging to walk around, so we hailed a taxi and left the place to visit the world's largest shopping mall, Dubai Mall.

Inside the mall, we experienced the luxurious shopping environment of a wealthy country. The place was packed with people, and almost every major luxury brand had multiple stores. Some top-tier stores had long queues outside. It was a rare sight to see so many customers inside one of the Louis Vuitton stores, and we were among the few casual onlookers. The mall not only had shops and restaurants but also featured attractions like an ice-skating rink, an aquarium, and an incredibly massive waterfall. Initially planning to explore the entire mall, we soon abandoned the idea and focused on finding food. We joined a long queue outside a fried chicken fast-food joint, trying their popular traditional fried chicken, which was quite delicious.

In the evening, we watched the stunning fountain light show with the world's tallest building, the Dubai Tower, in the backdrop. We noticed a Din Tai Fung restaurant nearby and decided to try it. We still remember waiting more than an hour for a seat at Din Tai Fung in Taipei, but there was no line there. Not too much surprise, the menu replaced all pork dishes with chicken options, as pork is not consumed in this Muslim country. Some items tasted quite different with the change of ingredients. Following our late-night snack, we strolled along the artificial lake and enjoyed the fountain show again, concluding our fulfilling first day in Dubai.

June 1: After having breakfast at the hotel, we visited the Dubai Tower, also known as the Burj Khalifa. We still took a taxi while the tower was near our hotel due to the scorching 40-degree Celsius heat. The Burj Khalifa stands as the tallest artificial structure in the world, with 160 floors and a height of 826 meters. The observation deck on the 124th/125th floors, at 450 meters, provided breathtaking views. However, we were disappointed to find that Dubai's air quality was relatively poor, and the visibility from the Burj Khalifa was limited due to the haze. Regrettably, the poor air quality in Dubai made it difficult to fully appreciate the splendor of the seven-star Burj Al Arab Hotel and the mesmerizing artificial islands in the sea.

After descending from the Burj Khalifa, we went to Dubai Marina, the world's largest artificial marina, which has been transformed into a fashionable leisure, dining, and shopping destination. In the scorching Dubai summer, we sought shelter indoors after walking just a few steps along the waterfront.

Our visit to Dubai Marina included a ferry ride around the famous Palm Jumeirah. Unfortunately, we were informed that the ferry couldn't take the regular route due to strong winds, so we had to take the inner bay route. The ferry ride got a bit rocky, and we experienced some seasickness. Nevertheless, we caught a closer glimpse of the iconic Burj Al Arab Hotel.

The ferry had two stops, and we got off at the first one since we visited the second stop area yesterday. To our surprise, we were the only passengers to disembark. The reason quickly became apparent – apart from a small ticket booth, the place was mostly deserted, surrounded by vast empty land, and inaccessible to taxis. The ticket attendant said he regretted working at that booth since it hardly saw any visitors. Fortunately, our experience living in Phoenix had accustomed us to the heat, so we took it in stride. The main road wasn't far away, and we strolled along the Dubai Canal for a while, even crossing the world's most beautiful twisted footbridge, the Dubai Twisted Footbridge, as Dubai seemed to have quite a few "world's bests."

Subsequently, we hailed a taxi to visit another of Dubai's remarkable landmarks - the Dubai Frame, acclaimed as the world's largest picture frame. Standing over 150 meters tall, the frame is a cultural landmark where old and new Dubai meet. Upon reaching the top, we stepped onto the glass floor at a staggering height of 150 meters, an exhilarating experience that was entirely novel to us.

Present

Past

We were off to a new country the following day, concluding our two-day layover in Dubai with a sense of satisfaction.

5/30: 与家人告别离开上海。在去机场路上，与来自安徽的出租车小哥聊了一会儿，他说现在从浦东机场接活不容易，常常要在机场排队等好几个小时才接上客户。可他今天很幸运，我们刚到机场还没下车，正好碰上有人等着要上他的车，我们为他好运降临而高兴。

也许是半夜出发班机不多，浦东机场里乘客稀稀拉拉，排队出关的也不多，大家都在手机上忙着填写出境健康表，没人管就放几个机器和二维码在那里。也不知为什么出境还要健康码，出关还算顺利，就是效率低一点。

第一次乘坐Emirates 航空，上了飞机后，发现我们的一个座位有湿水迹，空姐马上就把那个座椅垫换了。以后的九个小时飞行中，这位来自荷兰的空姐对我们特别照顾。谈谈她的人生经历，向我们介绍迪拜的一些情况。在下机前，还写下了推荐的餐厅名和景点，给了个小礼物。知道我们是第一次乘坐阿联酋航空，用即时相机为我们照相留念。

迪拜海关效率很高，他们的入境大厅是我们去过的国家中最好最漂亮的，看出来他们在吸引外国游客上下了功夫。拿了行李后，坐上出租去旅馆。这里的出租车有规定必须收信用卡。我们的手机也开始“复活＂了，又回到了另一世界。来到酒店已是5/31的早上，才七点不到，热心的前台让我们提早入住，只多付了半天不到的钱，还给我们免费早餐。梳洗完毕后去餐厅吃了个丰盛的早餐，开始了在迪拜的第一天。

我们先去清真寺参观，女士必须穿上穆斯林的服装，清真寺有为游客专门提供的服装。脱了鞋进入他们的男士祷告大厅，里面很壮观。大家席地而坐，一位穆斯林教徒向大家介绍穆斯林教，回答问题，我们学到不少东西。

参观后，来到附近不远的一家网红餐厅，是女儿推荐的。要了个早餐大拼盘，味道还可以，环境更胜－筹。

饭后去了迪拜老城，说是老城实际上是旧地新复古城。修建得很不错，但游客稀少。在40度高温下走一会儿有点撑不住，就叫了出租车去了世界上最大的购物中心 - 迪拜猫。在猫里，亲身体验到了一个富有国家的消费环境。那里人山人海，几乎世界上所有名牌在那里都有专买店，而且不止一个。有几个顶级店外面还排着长队，从来没有见过一个LV店里面有这么多顾客，而且我们这样的看客是极少数。猫里面不光有商店和餐饮，还有滑冰场，水族馆，巨大无比的瀑布等等。原来准备把猫走一遍的，没多久就放弃了这个目标，开始找吃的。看到一家快餐炸鸡店外排着很长的队，我们也去凑个热闹, 要了他们最热门的传统炸鸡，味道还真不错。

晚上在猫的外面，以世界最高的迪拜塔为背景的喷水池灯光秀值得一看。看完灯光秀，见水池边正好有鼎泰丰，进去试试。坐下一看菜单还真有不同，所有猪肉都被鸡肉代替了，我们完全忘记这里是不吃猪肉的。只是有些东西改了原材料后口味就完全不一样了。夜宵后，又在人工湖边走走，再次欣赏一次灯光秀，迪拜第一天就这样圆满结束了。

6/1: 在酒店用完早餐后，就去了迪拜塔，也称哈利法塔。塔虽就在我们住的酒店附近，但在40 C高温下，走过去是不行的，还是叫出租车。哈利法塔是世界上最高的人造建筑，一共160层，826米，观景厅在124/125层，450米。没想到迪拜的空气质量这么差，雾霾很严重，在迪拜塔上看远处的七星级的舨船酒店只是朦朦胧胧的依稀可见，海上那些人工小岛更是什么都看不清了，有点失望。

从哈利法塔下来后就去迪拜码头，世界上最大的人工码头，被打造成时尚，休闲、餐饮和购物场所。在炎热的迪拜夏天，在岸边没走几步就躲进了室内。

来迪拜码头另一目的是要乘坐渡轮围绕着著名的棕榈岛转一圈。可风云不测，晴空万里的城内，买船票时却被告知说海上有大风，船不能从外面绕棕榈岛了，只能走内湾。结果船开没多久还真的就开始左右摇晃的厉害，有点晕船。不过至少这次算是比较近距离亲眼目睹了著名的舨船酒店。渡轮一共有二站，终点站附近我们昨天已去过了，我们就决定在第一站下船，结果发现就只有我们俩。下船后就知道为什么没人从这站上下了，因为除了小售票亭，一眼望去整个一大片荒地，周围什么东西都没有，出租车也进不来。和售票小哥聊了聊，他说早知如此他是不会在这小亭子工作的。幸亏我们来自凤凰城，这点热没把我们打垮，既来之则安之，公路也不远，我们沿着迪拜运河走了一段，还上了被称为世界上最美的扭曲步行桥，反正在迪拜有不少世界之最。

接着叫车去了迪拜另一个之最，世界上最大的＂相框＂，迪拜相框，一百五十多米高的建筑物，成为新老迪拜交汇的一个文化地标建筑。相框一边是新迪拜另一边是老城区。坐电梯来到相框顶上，走在一百五十米高的玻璃地面上也是我们第一次。

明天一早就要去新的国家，做了二天的迪拜过路客还算满意。

Ningbo/ Shaoxing 宁波／绍兴

May 16: We took the subway to Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in the early morning to catch a high-speed train to Ningbo. These days, real-name authentication is mandatory for almost every activity in China. Entering/Exiting the railway station requires identification checks using either residence cards or passports for foreigners, and lines are always very long. Although we had already provided all the necessary passport information when purchasing the tickets, we still had to go through the passport verification at the station via a manual process handled by the security personnel, which surprised us. However, we found out later that the line for foreign passport verification always was the shortest. Nevertheless, after a journey of a little over two hours, we arrived safely in Ningbo.

Upon arriving in Ningbo, we immediately headed to a XiaoYang Pan-Fried Bun eatery located in a shopping mall just across the street from the train station to savor the famous pan-fried buns and a bowl of wonton soup to satiate our appetites. Then, we walked about 2 km to reach the hotel. To our surprise, the hotel we booked through Booking.com didn't accept foreign credit cards for payment. Despite the hotel not being an international brand, it had a significant market within China, with many locations nationwide. Cash was the only option for foreign guests without Alipay or WeChat Pay accounts. Luckily, we had brought enough cash to complete the check-in process.

In the afternoon, we visited Tianyi Pavilion, one of the oldest private libraries in the world. The scenic area was well-restored, but we felt like something was missing, as we didn't see any bookshelves, even in the most famous book collection building. After leaving Tianyi Pavilion, we visited Ningbo Tianning Temple, a Tang Dynasty tower. Initially, there were two pagodas, East and West, but now only the West Pagoda remains. Near Tianning Temple is the Drum Tower. Unfortunately, it was closed when we arrived so we couldn't go up. Despite this, we strolled along the vibrant pedestrian street adjacent to the Drum Tower, which brimmed with various food vendors, tempting us with different delectable treats.

Experiencing Ningbo cuisine is an essential part of our visit to Ningbo. Therefore, in the evening, we made our way to Zhuangyuanlou Restaurant to treat ourselves to an array of authentic Ningbo dishes. The restaurant not only delighted our taste buds with its delectable offerings but also impressed us with its top-notch service. It was indeed a culinary delight that left us with lasting memories of Ningbo's exquisite flavors.

Ningbo downtown was magnificent in the evening. We walked along the riverbank to the Old Bund, and coincidentally, there was a "Food Encounter" event taking place. The food festival on the riverside was bustling with people, offering various delicacies from different regions of Zhejiang and Central and Eastern European countries. Unfortunately, we were already full from dinner, so we could only enjoy the lively atmosphere. There were many street performers along the avenue, and we were especially drawn to the Yue Opera (Yueju), as it had been a long time since we last heard it. We sat nearby and listened for a long while; it was delightful.

As the night progressed, we hailed a taxi back to our hotel. The taxi driver shared that the crowd at the Old Bund would only grow more extensive and animated as the night wore on, especially after midnight. We couldn't help but feel a bit of regret for leaving the festivities earlier. However, not long after we returned to the hotel, heavy rain began to pour outside. Sometimes, as they say, quit while you're ahead. It was a memorable and eventful evening in Ningbo, filled with beautiful experiences and captivating cultural encounters.

May 17: We woke up to the gentle sound of raindrops in the morning. The rain continued throughout the day. Undeterred, we embarked on our adventure after enjoying a delicious breakfast at the hotel. We decided to take a taxi to Moon Lake Park, and perhaps due to the rainy weather, there were remarkably few visitors, creating an unusually peaceful atmosphere in the park. We strolled around the scenic Moon Lake to enjoy the beauty of a picturesque Jiangnan-style garden. Our next stop was the City God Temple, smaller and less populated than its Shanghai counterparts.

Not far from there is the modern and stunning Tianyi Square. Despite the downpour, we decided to brave the rain and explore the area further. We tried Zhoushan cuisine at a restaurant in Tianyi Shopping Center for lunch, which was quite good.

As we continued our exploration, we found Ningbo to be a city that beautifully blended modern sophistication with the captivating charm of Jiangnan cities of rich cultural heritage. Throughout the city, we were impressed by the high-quality street performances that added an artistic and vibrant touch to the ambiance. The elegant reading pavilions also gave us a glimmer of tranquility and culture, leaving a lasting and profound impression on us. Despite the rain, our day in Ningbo was filled with remarkable experiences that showcased the city's unique blend of tradition and modernity.

After we had visited some of the main attractions in downtown Ningbo, we spontaneously decided to visit the Hemudu Site, which is more than 20 kilometers outside the city. The Hemudu Site is an archaeological site dating back approximately 5,000 to 7,000 years, from the Neolithic period when our ancestors in Jiangnan started cultivating tea trees and rice. Most of the things we had seen during this trip before visiting Hemudu were replicas or restored, so witnessing authentic artifacts from 5,000 to 7,000 years ago was exhilarating. Connie's enthusiastic nephew accompanied us on the visit. After exploring the site, he attended us, walking over Langshu Bridge and visiting Qian Family Courtyard, Connie's dad's hometown, where her father spent his childhood. Although the ancestral home was now abandoned and in ruins, it still aroused our curiosity about the past. It was such an unfamiliar place for us, yet there was an inseparable connection to our existence.

Next, Connie's nephew drove us to Yuyao City, about 20 minutes away, and treated us to an authentic meal. We found the Yuyao cuisine more to our taste – fresh and not too greasy – and we had the chance to try many dishes for the first time. After bidding farewell to Connie's nephew, we took a 30-minute train back to Ningbo.

May 18: After having breakfast at the hotel, we boarded a high-speed train to leave Ningbo for Shaoxing. It took about 45 minutes to reach Shaoxing. When we checked into our hotel, we encountered the same issue of not accepting foreign credit cards. For lunch, we dined at a restaurant recommended by our taxi driver called "Xun Bao Ji," where we ordered local dishes, including "Qian Dao Rou Zheng Mei Qian Zhang," which the server warned us that this particular dish was very pungent and asked if we could handle it. We wanted to try it out since it's a famous local dish. Shaoxing rice wine is renowned for its aroma, but Shaoxing's pungent food is also well-known. The dish, "Mei Qian Zhang," is made from soybean sheet (百叶) soaked in stinkweed juice. We found it acceptable.

After the meal, we visited Lu Xun's former residence, ancestral home, memorial hall, and Sanwei Bookstore. Although the entrance to these sites was free, we had to register and make reservations through WeChat by scanning QR codes using mobile phones with real-name authentication. This process is not very user-friendly for visitors with foreign passports. Perhaps due to the large number of visitors or the smell of stinky tofu throughout the area, our impression of the Lu Xun Memorial Area was not very positive – it felt too commercialized and chaotic. We returned to the hotel for a rest after a long walk.

At night, we visited another restaurant the taxi driver recommended, "Xiao Shaoxing." The food was decent, but we felt that the "Xun Bao Ji," the restaurant we had for lunch, was better in taste and service. After dinner, we walked along the pedestrian street nearby, where there were many stinky tofu booths, but we didn't try. Instead, we had a bowl of sweet fermented rice. Wow, it was sweet and much better than what we found at Asia store back in the U.S. We also found a small coffee shop selling Latte with fermented rice, which caused our curiosity about its taste. We tried it and found it was pretty good, significantly when we added some of the sweet fermented rice we had just bought – it enhanced the flavor even more. Many coffee shops throughout the city sell Yellow Wine Coffee, like Irish Coffee but with the famous Shaoxing rice wine. Yellow Wine is a traditional Chinese fermented wine that originated in Shaoxing. But we didn't try it.

May 19: It was time for us to return to Shanghai. Perhaps because it was the weekend, getting train tickets back to Shanghai was challenging, and we could only get tickets for the 5:30 pm train. On the positive side, it gave us more time to explore Shaoxing. Early in the morning, we took a taxi to Lanting – the "Holy Land of Calligraphy" – outside Shaoxing. The park is situated at the foot of Mount Lanzhu, and alongside the scenic area, the park staff and tourists reenacted the scene of the great calligrapher Wang Xizhi and scholars drinking and composing poetry together, which was quite interesting. Of course, the "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion" by Wang Xizhi was everywhere. A short distance from the calligraphy park, inside the beautifully reconstructed Tianzhang Temple, we saw the ruins of the Song and Ming dynasties, which was a pleasant surprise. The Lanting Scenic Area is undoubtedly worth a visit.

After exploring the Lanting Scenic Area, we took a taxi to Keqiao Scenic Area. We first had a small meal at a local restaurant in Lutown, ordering braised duck and stir-fried lettuce. Lutown is a theme park in the scenic area, mainly centered around Lu Xun, one of the most influential figures in modern Chinese literature, but it's all newly constructed. It was popular with local and outside tourists.

After strolling around the town, we still had some time to spare before boarding the train, and we decided to visit the ancient Keqiao Stone Quarry from the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) nearby. It is a theme park, including the artificial giant Buddha, cliff carvings, the Puzhao Chan Temple, etc. Each destination possessed its distinct charm, and we were delighted to find that the place was not overrun with visitors, allowing us to immerse ourselves fully in its uniqueness. We were the only two people in the temple.

Our late afternoon train back to Shanghai was packed, and even the connecting spaces between the carriages were filled with people. Several earlier trains had even sold out their standing tickets. When we finally arrived at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, we were taken aback by the large size of the crowd. The station seemed to overflow with passengers, and the usual exit checks were waived to expedite the departure process for the travelers.

5/16: 一早乘坐地铁去虹桥火车站赶高铁去宁波。现在什么事都是实名制，进出火车站的第一步就是查证件。持外国护照的乘客必需由安检人员人工核检。实际上，我们在买票时已经提供全部的护照信息，不知为什么每次进出车站都还要再次人工核检。

二个多小时后顺利达到宁波。先在车站附近的小扬生煎吃上二客生煎包和一碗小馄饨垫垫肚子，然后再去酒店入住。出人意料的是我们在国外网站上订的酒店居然不收国外信用卡。虽说酒店并非国际品牌，但在中国也不算小，遍布全国各地。对国外来的客人如果不能用外卡，又没有国内实名认证支付宝或者微信支付，就只剩现金支付了。亏得我们带了现金才办妥入住手续。

下午先去天一阁 - 世界上最古老的私人藏书楼之一。整个景区修复得不错，但总觉得缺少点什么东西，在最著名的藏书楼里连藏书架都没看到。 出了天一阁，来到中山路上的宁波天宁寺，这是一座唐代的塔，当时有东西二座塔，如今只剩西塔。天宁寺不远处便是鼓楼，只可惜刚到鼓楼就已是关门的时候了，没能上去。在鼓楼旁的步行街走一走，满街都是各种小吃。

来宁波吃宁波菜是必需的，晚上来到状元楼美餐一顿，品尝品尝宁波美食。这家饭店不仅菜做的好，服务也一流。

晚上的宁波市中心非常漂亮，我们沿着江边走到老外滩，正赶上“舌尖上的相遇”活动，沿江大道上人山人海，有来自浙江各地的美食位摊和中东欧国家的美食美酒。实在太可惜我们已酒足饭饱，只能看个热闹。在大道边，还有不少街头表演者，最吸引我们的是越剧，好久没听到越剧了。我们坐边上听了好久，真好听。坐出租车回酒店的路上听司机说老外滩那里越晚人越多，半夜过后才进入高潮，我们有点后悔是否回酒店太早了。结果到酒店后没多久，外面就下起倾盆大雨，有时还真该见好就收。

5/17: 清晨被雨声吵醒。今天一整天下雨，在酒店里用完早餐后就坐出租车去月湖公园。可能是因为下雨天，公园里游人寥寥无几，显得异常清静。公园是典型江南园林，沿着月湖转了一大圈后来到城隍庙，比起上海的城隍庙要小得多了。现代的天一广场也不远，很漂亮，我们冒着大雨去那里转了一圈。我们对宁波的印象是整洁，有现代化都市的气派又有江南水乡的风情人文。高水准的街头表演和雅致的读书亭都给我们留下了深刻的印象。

中午在天一购物中心里一家餐厅品尝了舟山菜，也不错。到此为止我们已在宁波市中心一些主要景点打了卡，我们临时决定下午去宁波城外二十多公里处的河姆渡遗址。河姆渡遗址是距今约五到七千年前，新石器时代，江南人类祖先居住的遗址。1973年才刚刚发现发掘。博物馆里展出了河姆渡和田螺山发掘出来的无数件史前的植物和陶器。六，七千年前，我们的祖先早已开始种植茶树和稻谷。这几天我们常说所看到的东西大多数都是复制的，今天能目睹了五到七千年前的真品有点兴奋。佩民热心的表侄子特意去遗址陪我们参观。看完遗址后，又带我们走过浪墅桥，走进一溪之隔的钱家大院，佩民的故乡，她爸爸的童年在那里渡过。老家虽早已人走楼空，只剩下破砖残瓦，却唤起我们对过去的好奇。对我们来说这是个多么陌生的地方，但又与我们的存在有着不可分隔的关联。

看完老家，佩民的侄子又开车带我们来到余姚请我们吃了一顿地道的余姚菜。我们觉得余姚菜更合我们的口味，鲜而不腻，品尝到不少第一。告别侄子，我们坐三十分钟的高铁回到宁波。

5/18：在酒店吃完早餐后便乘坐高铁离开宁波前往绍兴。大约45分钟左右我们就来到了绍兴。在入住旅馆时，再次遇上了不收外卡。中午在出租车司机推荐的寻宝记饭店用餐，点了本地菜，其中一道叫千刀肉蒸霉千张，服务员特地告诉我们非常臭，问我们是否能受得了。我们是闻名而来，就想试一下。绍兴的酒是香的，但绍兴的臭也很有名。臭苋菜梗是绍兴臭之最，霉千张是泡过臭苋菜梗的百页，我们觉得这菜还能接受。

饭后去参观了鲁迅故居，祖居，纪念馆和三味书屋。门票虽是免费的，但必须微信扫码登记预约，对国外来的游客来说很不方便。也许是参观的游客太多，也许是满街臭豆腐的味，对鲁迅纪念区的印象不是很好，太杂太商业化了。我们走得也很累，回旅馆小休后就去出租车司机推荐的另一家饭店-小绍兴吃晚餐，味道还行，但感觉中午的寻宝记饭店在口味，服务上很胜－筹。

饭后去附近的步行街走走，好多臭豆腐店。闻到了酒酿香，很小的一个摊位，要了一碗，非常甜。又看见一家小咖啡馆卖桂花酒酿拿铁，好奇会是什么样的口味，来上一杯，味道还真不错，尤其是我们自己又再多加了些刚买的甜酒酿，味道更好。

5/19：今天打道回府。也许因为是周末，回上海的车票一票难求，只能买到下午五点半回上海的高铁票，倒也正好让我们多些时间再看看绍兴。 一大早打车去绍兴城外的兰亭 －＂书法圣地＂。在兰渚山下，曲水流觞景点边，园区工作人员和游客们一起重现书圣王羲之和学士们饮酒作诗之景，有点意思，当然王羲之的兰亭集序到处都是。在造建优美的天章寺里，看到了宋，明朝代的遗址也算是一个惊喜。兰亭景区非常值得一去。

走完兰亭风景区后，又打车去柯岩风景区，先在鲁镇上小餐馆点上二个菜，鲁镇酱鸭和炒莴笋。鲁镇是在风景区里以鲁迅为主的主题公园，都是新建的，碰到不少旅游团队。在镇上转了一大圈后，看时间还有多，就去了边上的柯岩 - 汉朝采石遗址，人工大佛，摩崖题刻，云骨和普昭禅寺等景点都有点特色，游人也不多。

傍晚回上海的火车爆满，车厢连接处都站满了人，下午早些时候有几班火车连站票都售罄。到上海虹桥火车站时更是吓了一大跳，人山人海，车站挤满了乘客，人工检票出站通道直接免检放客了。

我们玩得开心，但没有老爸的文学造诣，我们就请ChatGPT为我们宁波、绍兴行作七律诗一首，经过几次磋商和修改，在此分享：

梦中常作绍甬游，初探风情足迹留。天一阁里览珍献，月湖烟波风拂柳。

天宁古塔耸犹在，外滩夜市灯火流。鲁家故园唤思绪，兰亭风韵泛诗愁。

河姆遗址悠远存，钱家大院驻心头。状元楼上共欢饮，珊瑚情缘永不休。

Zhenjiang/Yangzhou 镇江/扬州

May 9: Chenggang's dad always talked about wanting to visit Zhenjiang and Yangzhou with us. Today, his wish finally came true. Early in the morning, a Ctrip chauffeured car came to pick us up at home. We hired a private driver for 10 hours and 300 km for today’s one-way trip to Yangzhou. The weather was beautiful, and everyone in the family was thrilled as the five of us, including Chenggang's parents and his sister, set off on our journey.

We made a short stop at the Yangcheng Lake service area, which is like a rest area along the highway in the US but much fancier. The luxurious amenities, including specialty restaurants, shops, and a traditional Chinese garden, surprised us. It exceeded the typical pit stop and provided a delightful break during our journey.

Then we headed to Zhenjiang's ancient Xijin ferry terminal. It is a famous historic ferry crossing over the Yangtze River. Near the crossing site was a bustling old town for people to trade, eat and shop in those days. However, today the actual ferry crossing site is buried under the ground and is separated from the river by a comprehensive four-lane road. We could still see the ancient ferry site through the glass panel protection at several locations. But the old town area thrives more than ever. It has undergone a revitalization, embracing traditional-style architecture for its shops, restaurants, and historical buildings.

It was lunchtime, and our driver suggested a restaurant, and he only indicated a general direction for the restaurant. Following his advice, we leisurely walked along the old town's main street, which had a slight up Incline. We worried about our 90-year-old parents and whether they could handle it since it was the first real trip in 4 years. But they were in high spirits and determined to proceed. Google Maps showed us that the restaurant was not too far away, but we couldn't see the restaurant nearby. As we looked down over the cliff, we noticed a flat plaza approximately 20 meters below where the restaurant was situated. To reach it, we had two options: either walk down about sixty steps or return the way we came. Surprisingly, Mom and Dad, who don't usually venture out much, effortlessly descended sixty steps, which both worried and amazed us. Their energy and enthusiasm were admirable. Eventually, we arrived at the restaurant and relished our first taste of Zhenjiang Cuisine, which turned out to be absolutely delicious.

After being satisfied with the delicious lunch, we walked to the Old Wharf Cultural Park, near the restaurant where we just had lunch. It was a beautiful area with statues and the ancient ferry site protected by glass panels.  

Before we drove over the bridge across the Yangtze River to YangZhou, we asked the driver to take us to another popular tourist attraction, Jinshan Park. Unfortunately, the nearest parking lot was full, so the driver dropped us at the front entrance. After a glimpse of the park map and the park at the gate, we felt it might be too much walking for our parents to reach the Jinshan Temple, a renowned Buddhist temple. We decided to skip this park and continued our journey to Yangzhou after captured a few pictures. We crossed the Yangtze River to reach Yangzhou Geyuan, a traditional Chinese rock garden. The garden features various pavilions, halls, rocks, and a lot of bamboo. The Chinese Character, Ge (个), symbolizes the bamboo leaf, and GeYuan in Chinese implicitly means Bamboo Garden. But unfortunately, the inside of the garden was overcrowded, and we didn't stay long and quickly exited the park.

At 5:30 pm, we checked in at Slender West Lake Hot Spring Resort. The dinner was at the Yangzhou Banquet next to the hotel, and we enjoyed Huaiyang cuisine with the accompaniment of guqin music.

May 10: Two of us got up early and explored the nearby area around the resort. The streets were sparsely populated, and it was evident that the local government had put considerable effort into building this culturally rich food street. After a thorough stroll, we headed to Yangzhou's top-rated breakfast spot, Qu Garden Tea House, where we had to wait for nearly an hour before being seated. Unfortunately, the food quality and service of the breakfast were a bit disappointing.

After breakfast, we explored the renowned Slender West Lake scenic area. Dad was particularly excited to visit the Twenty-Four Bridges mentioned in Du Mu's poem. The arched bridge had been recently reconstructed with a modern creative imagination deviated from the ancient bridges from the region. Again, it required many steps to climb over the bridge. Despite our initial hesitation, Dad's enthusiasm was unwavering, and he insisted on crossing it. To our surprise, Mom and Dad confidently walked over the Twenty-Four Bridges and struck another small bridge to reach the boat dock. Their energy and spirit amazed us, making the visit more memorable and enjoyable.

We took a boat ride on Slender West Lake through the Wuting Bridge and arrived at the South Gate. Again, Dad and Mom walked up the hill. From there, we boarded a sightseeing car to White Tower, where we took a break and got ice cream for Mom and other snacks for the rest. Then we strolled through the Wuting Bridge. We truly admired Mom and Dad for their efforts in going through all the climbing ups and downs of the bridges and hills. After all, they seemed thrilled since it was their first trip in four years.

We continued our journey in the park as Mom and Dad returned to the hotel with Chenggang's sister. Away from the popular tourist attractions in the park, there were fewer tourists, and we were immersed in the natural beauty of landscapes combining land and water, presenting a beautiful painting of nature. The scenic area was stunning, and we wish we could spend more time there.

After finishing our exploration of the Slender West Lake, while Mom and Dad rested in the room, we went to soak in the hot springs to relax. For dinner, we sought the advice of the hotel's driver and went to the restaurant he recommended in the city center. It turned out to be fantastic, with excellent value for money.

May 11: Today, we headed back home from Yangzhou. Our train was in the afternoon. Since Mom and Dad were still in high spirits after breakfast, we strolled around the nearby Qu Garden scenic area for another hour. For lunch, we had a delicious meal at the Tea House before taking the high-speed train back to Shanghai.

Dad had a great time, and his poetic inspiration flourished during our trip to Zhenjiang and Yangzhou. He composed a poem in a seven-character rhythm to share his feelings. We asked ChatGPT to translate it into English. Here it is:

In this fleeting world, so vast and wide,

In the twilight years, we seek Yangzhou's side.

At Xijin Ferry, history we trace,

Stroll Twenty-Four Bridges with easy grace.

A spring breeze caresses Yang's pathways wide,

Our cherished kinship, love does reside.

With joy and harmony, age turns young,

As blessings from above, like stars, are flung.

(Note: The translation maintains the essence and meaning of the original poem while adapting it to English. Chinese poetry often relies on the natural rhythm and beauty of the Chinese language, which can be challenging to capture fully in translation.)

5/9: 老爸常说要带我们去镇江扬州看看，今天终于如愿以偿。好天气，好心情，一家人高高兴兴去旅行。一早携程专车来家接我们，先到阳澄湖服务区小休一会儿，然后来到镇江西津渡走走，在司机推荐的周家二小姐的菜餐馆品尝镇江佳肴。平时已很少出门的老爸老妈居然轻松地直下五，六十级台阶，着实让我们又担心又惊喜。跨过长江来到扬州个园，小小的竹园应该说是很漂亮，可惜里面游客人满为患，没待多久就匆匆离去 。入住瘦西湖温泉度假村，已到晚餐时间，来到酒店旁的扬州宴，在古琴乐的伴奏下享受着淮扬美食。

5/10: 大清早我们俩先去度假村附近走走。街上行人稀少，看得出来当地政府花了不少精力建造了这条文化美食街。转完一大圈后就去酒店附近的扬州顶级早点店－趣园茶社拿号，人还真不少，我们等了近一小时后才入坐。可能是期望太高了，我们对这家店的扬州早点的质量和服务都有点失望。

早餐后，来到著名的瘦西湖风景名胜区游玩，按老爸的意思我们直奔杜牧诗中的二十四桥，但新建的这座桥完全是现代人的想象。到了桥边，看着台阶再看着二老，我们有点犹豫，但老爸却来了兴致，坚持要上。二老不仅轻松地走过二十四桥，过桥后又走过另一小桥来到船码头。我们坐游船穿越五亭桥来到南大门，又从南大门坐观光车来到白塔，在那里小休后，又徒步过五亭桥。今天真佩服二老，上上下下走了不少。看得出他们很兴奋，毕竟四年来第一次外出旅行。整个景区很漂亮，陆路和水道并行，到处都是一幅美丽的山水画卷。

游完瘦西湖后，二老回房休息，我们去泡温泉轻松一下。晚餐请教了酒店的司机，去了一家他推荐的餐厅，果然不错，价廉物美。

5/11: 今天从扬州打道回府，因为是下午的火车，吃完早餐后，二老依然游兴未尽，又去酒店附近的趣园景区里整整走了一个小时。中午在乐园茶社美餐一顿后，坐高铁回上海。

老爸玩得开心，诗兴大发，为镇江，扬州行作七律诗一首，在此分享：

自叹尘世忽悠悠，暮年时节访扬州。

西津渡口探幽古，二十四桥漫步走。

十里春风润扬路，百般呵護亲情郁。

其乐融融老变小，胜如上苍许赐佑。

Taipei 台北

April 26: It's been nearly a month since we set foot in South Korea on April 1, and today we embarked on a flight from Seoul to Taipei. After checking out of our hotel in the morning, we arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Before proceeding to the gate, we enjoyed noodles and steamed dumplings at the airport restaurant. While contemplating how to make the most of our time, we suddenly remembered having access to the Priority Lounge. The lounge offered plenty of food and drinks. Since we just ate, we decided to skip all the delicious food items and take a break in the lounge with just a cup of coffee. Hours later, we finally indulged in some light snacks before departing. We came to the gate, and when we lined up for boarding, we encountered an unexpected obstacle – we were asked if we had tickets to leave Taiwan. Our initial plan was to purchase tickets to Shanghai after arriving in Taipei, but we were not allowed to board the flight without tickets. Consequently, we had no choice but to purchase two tickets from Taipei to Shanghai on the spot, at the gate, then proceed with boarding.

Upon arriving at Taoyuan Airport in Taipei, we took the airport metro to the city center, which was fast and convenient. After getting off at Taipei Station, we took a taxi to our hotel, the Taipei Garden Hotel. Though the flight from Seoul to Taipei was only a little over two hours, the journey from leaving the hotel in Seoul to checking into the hotel in Taipei took almost twelve hours.

Since we didn't eat anything on the plane, after a short rest at the hotel, we quickly went out to the nearby Taipei Huaxi Night Market, also known as Longshan Temple Night Market, one of Taipei's most famous night markets. It's located near Longshan Temple and is a popular spot for tourists and locals. This night market is renowned for its long history and abundant variety of delicious food. The atmosphere was lively, brimming with unique Taiwanese culture and flavors. Huaxi Night Market has many authentic Taiwanese delicacies, including snacks, barbecues, seafood, fried chicken cutlets, tofu pudding, and pastries. We noticed a long queue outside Yuanfang Guabao, a shop that claimed to be listed in the Michelin Guide. We joined the crowd and waited in line to try their guabao, a traditional Taiwanese dish called "pork belly bun." It consists of a tender pork belly, crushed peanuts, and pickled vegetables sandwiched in a soft and chewy bun—a truly rich and delicious flavor. We couldn't resist trying stinky tofu, a beloved Taiwanese delicacy. The distinct aroma permeated the air as we wandered through the night market. While the taste was enjoyable, it didn't match the flavors we fondly remembered from childhood. We then headed to the seafood area, where various stalls displayed an assortment of seafood and vegetables cooked right on the spot. We chose a relatively clean stall that offered pea shoots and clams, which we ordered. It had been a long time since we had such delicious garlic pea shoots and stir-fried clams.

April 27: We woke up early and craved salty soy milk and fried dough sticks, our favorite Chinese breakfast. We selected a nearby breakfast shop based on online reviews. The shop was small and old, but the salty soy milk and fried dough sticks were decent. After breakfast, we called a taxi and went to the National Palace Museum. The museum houses a vast collection of precious Chinese cultural artifacts, including paintings, porcelain, jade, and calligraphy, all brought to Taiwan by the Kuomintang. Many valuable items were on display, and we simply enjoyed the spectacle since we were not experts. It was a pity that the most popular Jadeite Cabbage was on exhibit in Tainan, but the Meat-shaped Stone, a jade carving resembling braised pork belly, was still there.

We had our lunch at the museum's restaurant. After the meal, we took a taxi to the Shilin Palace, which was the official residence of President Chiang Kai-shek during his time in Taiwan. The garden landscape surrounding the Shilin Palace was gorgeous. It was adorned with meticulously trimmed flowers, plants, and picturesque small bridges with flowing creeks, making it a perfect place to unwind and relax. Especially noteworthy was the well-maintained rose garden inside the park. The palace building itself might be considered relatively simple by today's standards.

When we arrived, the ticket office staff was on their lunch break, so we first took a stroll around the park. Inside the Shilin Palace, visitors can explore the interiors of the presidential office, drawing room, banquet hall, and other official residences, gaining valuable insights into Taiwan's history and politics. However, it's worth noting that the entire tour seemed to revolve around trivial aspects of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling's love affair rather than delving into their profound influence on Taiwan. Despite this, the experience provided a unique glimpse into the past.

Then we took a taxi to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. Inside the memorial hall, there was a changing of the guards' ceremony. After watching it, we visited Liberty Square outside the memorial hall. The Memorial Hall and the entrance archways on Liberty Square combined Western and Chinese architectural styles, characterized by white buildings with blue roofs, exuding a sense of solemnity. In contrast, the National Theater and Concert Hall on both sides of the square were completely Chinese-style, with yellow tiles and red columns, representing a vibrant and lively atmosphere, contrasting with the dignified and clean Memorial Hall.

Dining in Ding Tai Fung when in Taipei is a must-do thing. This world-famous chain is known for its steamed dumplings, and Taipei is its birthplace. We went to the Ding Tai Fung near the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, which was packed with people. We got our ticket, waited for more than an hour before being seated, and tried the steamed dumplings and other items. The taste was similar to the Ding Tai Fung in the United States, so it was a satisfying experience. Afterward, we returned to the Memorial Hall, which had already closed for the day, so the Liberty Square was empty and serene. We walked around a small park nearby, where the bridges and flowing water looked stunning in the evening glow of the sunset.

We went to Ximending Night Market in the evening, which was bustling with people. We couldn't miss trying the famous Boba milk tea from the Happytahn tea shop. After watching how they made the tiny Boba, we had our Boba milk tea. The freshly made ones tasted different and delicious. Then, we tried to get an egg pancake at another popular shop, which also waited a long time. The Ximending market was filled with young people.

April 28: We started the day by visiting the Presidential Office Building near our hotel. As we went early, there were few tourists, but many primary school students were on field trips. Next, we went to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and explored the exhibition about Sun Yat-sen's life, learning a lot from it. The hall also had several exhibitions of calligraphy and paintings by locals, from experts to school students, and we admired the artistic talents of Taiwanese people.

Next, we went to Taipei 101 but didn't go to the top. Instead, we had a simple lunch there, trying the famous one Michelin star Oil Chicken Rice. It tasted decent. After just a few days in Taiwan, we noticed that there were quite a few Michelin-rated small shops in Taipei.

Guangzhou Street is not far from our hotel. Behind Guangzhou Street is a lane known as the Bopiliao Historic Block. During the Japanese colonial period, this area was called "Bopiliao" because it was filled with leather workshops, and "Bopiliao" means "peeling leather." It is one of Taipei's best-preserved and most representative historical neighborhoods, featuring rich historical buildings and cultural heritage, including old houses, shops, temples, and community facilities. What caught our attention was a display about healthcare workers and volunteers fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. It deeply moved us to see that people were preserving these unforgettable memories. Although this place might not be on the top tourist destination list, we found it to be a very worthwhile place to visit.

Longshan Temple, also known as Huaxi Temple, is a famous Buddhist temple in Taipei and one of the city's oldest and most representative temples. It attracts many tourists and devotees for worship and visits. The temple's architectural style combines Southern Chinese and Fujian styles with exquisite decorations and elaborate carvings. Devotees were seen purchasing bags of rice and fruits to offer. When we arrived at Longshan Temple, we were lucky to witness the faithful reciting scriptures in a loud and synchronized manner, creating a profound and touching experience in the temple.

Shilin Night Market is Taipei's top-ranked night market and a tourist must-visit spot. We took the metro to the night market and tried fried fresh milk, spicy cold noodles recommended by Michelin, and Shanghai-style pan-fried buns. After exploring the night market, we took the metro back to the area near the Presidential Office Building, passing through the 228 Peace Memorial Park and enjoying the nighttime scenery.

After returning to the hotel, we felt we hadn't eaten enough tonight. We sneaked out and found the same restaurant we had visited a few days ago at Huaxi Street Night Market. We ordered the same dishes, garlic pea shoots and stir-fried clams, and also had a bottle of beer, celebrating our soon-to-end Taiwan trip.

April 29: The day has finally come. Today, we are leaving Taipei and flying to Shanghai to reunite with our family. Our hearts are filled with excitement. After breakfast, we called a taxi to Taipei Main Station and took the airport express to Taoyuan Airport. We still had some time to spare upon arrival, so we went to the Priority lounge, had a latte, some snacks, and rested while closely watching the flight information, but the boarding process was delayed. Finally, the announcement for boarding was made, and we hurried to the boarding gate. As we were rushing to the gate, we heard the announcement for the final boarding call, making us anxious. We quickly made our way to the gate. The boarding gate was empty except for the two of us. Whatever the reason was, we hurriedly boarded the plane. Once on board, we discovered that the aircraft had only around twenty passengers, and in the back section where we were seated, it was just the two of us and one more passenger. The flight attendants were very attentive and had little to do. Two hours later, we successfully arrived at Shanghai Pudong Airport and quickly passed through immigration. We could sense the impact of the pandemic, as there were few planes and even fewer passengers, with very few foreign tourists.

We were going home, finally. Chenggang wanted to give his parents a surprise. Unfortunately, the driver did not accept cash when the taxi arrived downstairs at his parents' apartment because he had no change. Without other payment methods, such as WeChat Pay or Alipay, Chenggang had no choice but to call his parents to come down and pay for his taxi fare. What a true "surprise." Separated for over three years due to pandemic restrictions, we had longed for each other and were also filled with regret. Finally, we could embrace each other with joy and touching emotions, hoping the relentless separation would not happen again.

4月26日: 来韩国已近一个月，今天从首尔飞去台北，上午退房后就早早去了机场，先在机场的餐厅吃了点面条和蒸饺后，就去了侯机厅。离飞机起飞还有好几个小时，正琢磨着怎么打发时间时，突然想起我们还有贵宾休息室的票。来到休息室，里面有吃有喝的，可惜我们刚在外面吃完，那就先好好休息一下，直到离开前才稍微吃了点零食。到了登机口排队登机时居然被拦下来，问我们有没有离开台湾的机票。我们原本准备到了台北之后再买回上海的票，结果没票不让上飞机，没办法只好在登机口临时买了两张台北飞上海的机票这才让我们登机。

到达台北桃园机场后，乘坐机场到台北城中心的地铁，又快又方便。在台北车站下车后，叫了辆出租车来到我们的酒店 - 台北花园大酒店。其实从首尔飞到台北才二个多小时，但我们从离开首尔的旅馆一直到入住台北的酒店，前后总共花了近十二个小时。

在飞机上我们没吃任何东西，入住台北的酒店，稍微休息一下后， 就赶紧外出去了附近的台北华西街夜市（Taipei Huaxi Night Market），又称龙山寺夜市，是台湾台北市最有名的夜市之一。它位于龙山寺附近，是游客和本地居民喜欢光顾的热门地点。这个夜市以其悠久的历史和丰富的美食而闻名。夜市非常热闹，充满了独特的台湾文化和风味。在华西街夜市，你可以品尝到各种道地的台湾美食，包括小吃、烧烤、海鲜、炸鸡排、豆花、糕点等。看到在源芳刈包店外排着长队，门口挂着牌说这店上过米其林榜，我们也凑热闹排队来一份。刈包是台湾的传统美食，也被称为割包。它是用软糯的包子皮夹着红烧肉、花生粉、腌菜等配料而成。口感丰富，味道的确鲜美。台湾的臭豆腐也是不能不吃的，一路走着都能闻到香味。味道不错，但总觉得与记忆中儿时那种味道相比较，还是少了点什么。接着来到海鲜区，每个摊位将各种海鲜以及各种蔬菜摆放在那里，旁边放个炉子，现点现做。我们选了家稍干净的摊位看到有豆苗和蛤蜊，便坐下各叫了一份。真是好久没吃到这么好吃的蒜茸豆苗和炒蛤蜊了。

4月27日: 一早起来想吃豆浆油条，便去附近找早餐店。看了网上的评论，来到一家又小又破旧的店，各要了一碗咸豆浆和油条，味道还算可以。之后叫了一辆出租车前往故宫博物馆。博物馆收藏了大量珍贵的中国文物，包括绘画、瓷器、玉器、书法等，都是当时国民党来台带过来的，好东西不少，当然我们是外行看热闹。很可惜最热门的翠玉白菜正在台南展出, 没看到，但肉形石, 一块外形酷似红烧肉的玉石雕刻, 还在那里。

午餐我们就在博物馆里的餐厅里解决了。饭后坐出租车去了士林宫邸, 是蒋中正总统在台湾时期的官邸。士林宫邸周围的园林景观非常优美，有精心修剪的花草植物和小桥流水，是一个放松身心的好地方，特别是里面的月季花园修的不错。宫邸建筑按照现在标准的话，算是比较简陋了。我们到那里时票房工作人员正好午休没在，我们就先在公园转了一圈。在士林宫邸，你可以参观总统办公室、会客厅、宴会厅等官邸内部，了解台湾的历史和政治。但整个参观过程都围绕蒋介石和宋美龄夫妻相爱琐事展开的，避开他们夫妇俩对中国台湾的影响。

看完士林宫邸，又坐地铁去了中正纪念堂。进入纪念堂大厅正好碰上换岗仪式，看完之后来到纪念堂外面的自由广场。中正纪念堂及自由广场牌楼都是中西融合的建筑，白色为主体加以蓝顶，非常的庄严肃静。而在自由广场上两侧的国家戏剧院和音乐厅就完全是中国式的黄瓦红柱，华丽活泼，与庄严洁净的纪念堂有着明显对比。

都说来台北一定要尝尝这里的鼎泰丰。这家以卖小笼包享誉世界的连锁店，台北是它的发源地。来到中正纪念堂附近的鼎泰丰，慕名而来的人真不少。拿号等座，足足等了一个多小时才入座，味道与美国的鼎泰丰没区别，反正也算是了却了一个心愿吧。吃完又走回到中正纪念堂，因为纪念堂已关门，整个自由广场空空荡荡。我们在边上的小公园里走走，小桥流水在夕阳映照下非常漂亮。

晚上去了西门町夜市，那里是人山人海。幸福堂珍珠奶茶店门口人挤人，我们先是看一粒粒小珍珠是怎么做出来的，然后再买上一杯奶茶。现做的小珍珠就是不一样，味道好极了。接着又在另一个网红店要了份鸡蛋饼，也是等了好久。这里是年轻人的世界。

4月28日: 今天先去酒店附近的总统府，因为早去，游客不多，但有很多小学生在那里参观。然后就去了国父纪念堂，仔细参观了孙中山生平事迹的展览，了解了不少。纪念堂大楼里还设有不少书画展览，我们在那里欣赏台湾同胞们的艺术才华。

接着去了台北101，没上楼顶，就在那里吃了一顿简单的午餐。尝试了一下号称世界首家米其林一星小贩的油鸡饭，味道还行。才来台湾几天， 感觉台湾上米其林榜的小店不少。

回到离住的酒店不远的广州街，在广州街后面，有一条巷子是剥皮寮历史街区（Bopiliao Historic Block）。在日治时期，这个街区被称为“剥皮寮”，因为当时有许多制革作坊，而“剥皮”指的是制革的过程。这是台北市保存最完整、最具代表性的历史街区之一，保留了丰富的历史建筑和文化遗产，包括古老的街屋、商铺、神庙和社区设施等。最有意思的是，在这个历史街区中，还展示了当时台湾医护人员和志愿者们抗击新冠疫情的情景，让我们深受感动。这是我们第一次看到人们已经开始将这段涉及到世界每一个人的难以忘怀的历史以实体方式保留下来。尽管这个地方不在那些首选旅游目的地的榜单上，我们觉得这是一个非常值得一游的地方。

华西寺（又称龙山寺）是台湾台北市著名的佛教寺庙，也是该市最古老且最具代表性的寺庙之一。它吸引着众多游客和信徒前来参观和参拜。寺庙的建筑风格融合了南洋与福建的传统风格，装饰精美，雕刻华丽。信徒在寺庙里购买大包小包的大米和水果供奉。我们到龙山寺时，恰好看到全寺庙的信徒们在大声朗诵经文，那宏亮且齐声的声音在寺庙中回荡，非常震撼和感人。

士林夜市是台北排名第一的夜市，是来台北观光必去的地方。我们坐地铁前往夜市，尝试了炸鲜奶，品尝了米其林推荐的麻辣凉面，还试了一下上海生煎包。夜市逛完后，坐地铁回到总统府附近，还顺便穿过228和平纪念公园，欣赏了一下夜景。

回到酒店后，总觉得还没吃够。晚上我们又溜出去，在华西街夜市里找到了前几天去过的小店，点了同样的菜——蒜茸豆苗和炒蛤蜊，再加上一瓶啤酒，庆祝一下即将结束的台湾行。

4月29日：这一天终于到来了。今天要离开台北，飞往上海与家人团聚，心情非常激动。上午吃完早餐后，我们叫了出租车去台北火车站，然后乘坐机场专车前往桃园机场。抵达机场时，还有一些时间，于是我们前往贵宾候机室，喝杯拿铁，吃些点心，稍作休息，同时一直密切关注航班信息，但登机却迟迟未开始。终于宣布开始登机，我们赶紧前往登机口。急匆匆走着，才几分钟就突然听到广播喊着最后登机，让我们非常着急，飞快赶到登机口。登机口空无一人，只有我们两人。不论原因何在，我们匆忙登机。上了飞机后才发现整个大飞机只有二十多位乘客，我们所坐的后半部分飞机只有我们俩和另外一位乘客。乘务员们闲得没事干，非常热心，不停地问我们需要什么。两个多小时后，我们顺利抵达上海浦东机场，很快过了海关。能感受到疫情的影响，飞机少，乘客少，外国游客更是寥寥无几。

终于要回家了，成刚原本想给爸妈一个惊喜，可出租车到了楼下，司机却说不收现金因为没零钱找，而成刚又没微信支付或支付宝，没办法只能打电话让他爸妈下楼帮忙付车费， 还真是一个”惊喜” 了。由于新冠疫情的限制，三年多的分隔，有着无丝的思念牵挂和遗憾。终于能再次团聚，给爸妈一个深情的大拥抱，充满喜悦和感动的时刻，也希望这无情的分隔不会再来。

Another week in Seoul 首尔，又一周

April 19-26: There is a Chinese saying – Plan can't keep up with changes. Our planned two-week South Korean trip became three weeks. Now it got extended again, and we are in week four. We didn't move this time and stayed at the same residence hotel in Seoul. We slowed down and relaxed but not completely rested. We visited several places, including the National Museum of Korea and the Leem Museum. In this post, we asked ChatGPT to write a brief description of each place we visited, matching the pictures we took. The following paragraphs were a copy and paste of the answers provided by ChatGPT as the response to our request.

National Museum of Korea：A must-visit for history and culture enthusiasts, as it houses an extensive collection of artifacts and exhibits representing Korean history and heritage.

The War Memorial of Korea: This is a significant place to understand Korea's military history and pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives during wartime.

Leem Museum: This museum is known for its collection of contemporary art, specifically focusing on fashion and textiles. If you have an interest in fashion and design, it could be an inspiring visit.

Hyundai Department Store: One of the largest and most famous department stores in Seoul, it offers a modern shopping experience and a wide range of products, from luxury brands to local favorites.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza: This iconic landmark is an architectural marvel and a hub for design and fashion-related events. It's an excellent place for photography and experiencing Seoul's modern side.

Gyeongdong Market: Visiting local markets like Gyeongdong can be a fantastic way to immerse yourself in traditional Korean culture. You'll find various street food, snacks, and various goods.

Jungnang Rose Park: A serene and beautiful spot to relax and enjoy nature, especially if you visit during the blooming season.

On the evening of April 26, we returned to the same all-you-can-eat Korean grill restaurant nearby to celebrate and enjoy another delicious Korean feast. Our four-week-long Korean tour came to an end, and we had so many great memories from this trip.

首尔 - 又一周

4/19 - 4/26：中国有句俗语——计划赶不上变化。原本计划的两周韩国之行变成了三周。如今再次延长，我们已经到了第四周。这次我们没有再挪地方，继续住在首尔的同一家公寓酒店。我们放慢了脚步但并未完全休息。参观了几个地方，包括韩国国立博物馆和李姆博物馆。在这篇帖子中，我们请ChatGPT为我们访问的每个地方写一个简短的描述，并与我们拍摄的照片相匹配。以下段落是ChatGPT提供的回答:

韩国国立博物馆（National Museum of Korea）： 是韩国最大、最重要的博物馆之一，位于首尔市中心的延世大学附近。该博物馆是韩国的国立博物馆，其使命是收藏、保护、研究和展示韩国和其他亚洲地区的文化和历史遗产。

韩国国立博物馆成立于1945年，最初名为“李王博物馆”，后来改为现在的名称。它的馆藏涵盖广泛，包括考古文物、历史文物、艺术品、民俗文物等。博物馆内的展品遍及韩国历史的各个时期，展示了韩国的古代文明、历史文化、艺术和技术成就。

韩国战争纪念馆（Korean War Memorial）： 位于韩国首都首尔，是一个为了纪念韩战（朝鲜战争）而建立的重要历史纪念地。韩战于1950年至1953年爆发，涉及韩国、朝鲜以及国际社会的多个国家，是一场影响深远的战争。

三星博物馆 (Leem Museum)： 是韩国首尔市的一个艺术博物馆，成立于2005年。该博物馆致力于展示来自韩国和国际艺术家的各种艺术作品，涵盖绘画、雕塑、摄影、装置艺术等不同形式的艺术品。它是一个重要的文化机构，为公众提供了一个欣赏和学习艺术的场所。

三星博物馆的收藏包含了大量优秀的艺术品，既有现当代艺术家的作品，也有历史上重要艺术家的作品。博物馆经常举办特展和文化活动，吸引了众多国内外观众和艺术爱好者。

现代百货公司 （Hyundai Department Store:）：首尔最大最著名的百货公司之一，提供现代化的购物体验和从奢侈品牌到本地喜爱的商品的各种产品。

东大门设计广场（Dongdaemun Design Plaza，简称DDP）： 是位于韩国首尔市的一个现代建筑和文化中心。它是一个综合性的建筑群，由韩国建筑师崔斗谦（Zaha Hadid）设计，于2014年竣工。DDP的设计极具现代感，以其流线型外观和独特的建筑结构而闻名。它是韩国历史悠久的东大门区域的一部分，曾是传统的购物和贸易中心。然而，随着城市的发展，DDP的建筑作为现代化的文化和商业中心出现，成为了一个热门的旅游目的地。

DDP内部设有展览馆、设计商店、艺术工坊、咖啡厅、图书馆等多个设施，以及一个可供公众参观的展览空间。这个建筑群不仅举办各种文化活动、艺术展览和设计展示，还经常举办时装周、设计节和其他国际性的活动。因此，DDP在韩国和全球的设计和文化界都享有很高的声誉。

庆东市场（Gyeongdong Market）： 是位于韩国首尔市的一个传统市场，也被称为"庆东药材市场"。它是首尔最大的药材市场之一，主要经营药材、中药材、天然药物、保健品和其他相关产品。庆东市场成立于1960年代，至今已有数十年的历史。它是韩国传统中药材市场的代表之一，吸引了许多寻求天然疗法和中药材的居民和游客前来购买。在这里，您可以找到各种各样的草药、树皮、根茎、植物、花草、虫草等，这些东西在传统中医疗法中被认为具有药用价值。除了药材，庆东市场还提供一些传统的韩国食品和商品，是一个了解韩国传统文化和药物文化的好地方。

中央玫瑰公园（Jungnang Rose Park）： 是位于韩国首尔市的一个美丽的玫瑰花园。它位于首尔市的中央地区，是一个以玫瑰为主题的公园，提供了欣赏各种品种的玫瑰花和休闲散步的场所。中央玫瑰公园是一个广受欢迎的观赏花卉的地方，特别是在玫瑰盛开的季节，通常在春季和夏季。公园内种植了大量的玫瑰花，不同颜色和品种的花朵在盛开时营造出绚丽多彩的景象。

在这个公园里，游客可以漫步在花海中，欣赏美丽的玫瑰花朵，同时也可以在公园的座椅上休息，享受宁静的时光。许多人喜欢在这里与家人、朋友一起度过一个愉快的下午，还有一些人会选择在这里拍摄美丽的照片，留下难忘的回忆。公园内通常会有一些设施，如咖啡馆、休息区和洗手间，为游客提供便利。而且，公园周边可能还有其他的景点和活动，让您可以更好地享受这个地区的美景。

四月二十六日晚，我们来到旅馆附近的同一家自助式韩国烧烤餐厅，再次享用了一顿美味的韩国盛宴。四周的韩国之旅结束了，此行给我们留下了许多美好的回忆。

Nami Island and Dakgalbi 南怡岛和春川鸡排

April 18: We were tired of the big city and decided to take a day trip to visit Nami Island outside Seoul. We embarked on Gyeongchun Line to Gapyeong station and then took a taxi to the Nami Island ferry terminal. Nami Island is a picturesque island famous for its tree-lined paths, beautiful gardens, and scenic landscapes. It gained international fame after being featured in the popular Korean drama "Winter Sonata," as we were told. Although we did not know about the show before the trip, we went there anyway.

We rode a small ferry to Nami Island, also called the Naminara Republic of Korea, a self-proclaimed micronation within South Korea created by the founder of Nami Island. The unique and whimsical concept of a fantasy nation enhances the Island's appeal as a tourist destination. As we stepped onto the land of a republic, we were greeted with a giant statue of books, a post office, a general store, and a coffee shop.

After one hour of public transportation ride, we craved a cup of coffee and took a break, but the workers at the coffee shop were on lunch break. With no place to get coffee or any hot drinks, we moved on and walked on a trail along the island's edge, which circles the entire Island. There are many charming cabins along the path next to the river. An array of captivating art installations, gardens, and sculptures are scattered across the Island, blending human creativity seamlessly with the surrounding natural beauty. We took a few pictures of cute ostriches. Fortunately, the pink Cherry Blossoms were still in the last stage in the park. Despite the overcast weather, our time meandering through the Island was nothing short of pleasant and relaxing—a testament to the thoughtful curation of this enchanting place.

As we walked towards the end of the island, where a hotel and resort villas are nested, we didn't forget we still needed a cup of Latte. We stepped into a hotel and ordered a cup of Latte. The view was great, but the coffee was expensive, $7, the most expensive one in Korea. There were so many art installations within the park to explore. Then we arrived at the center of the Island, where many restaurants, gift shops, and museums are. A few peacocks were roaming freely in front of the stores. We even caught a picture of a fly peacock. We passed through the most pictured tree-lined path on the Island and returned to the ferry terminal to return to the mainland. We thought visiting Nami Island was undeniably worthwhile, and the experience provided a glimpse into South Korean culture and art creativity.

After enjoying the serene beauty of Nami Island, we were hungry but didn't want to eat too much in the sit-down restaurant since we had something else in mind. So we had our simple lunch at the 7-11 convenience store near the ferry terminal. Unlike 7-11 stores in the States, the store here has a good size sitting area with a microwave, hot plate, and hot water. For our modest meal, we opted for two triangle rice cakes and an instant noodle, finding the experience to be another delightful Korean tradition we could cherish.

Then we hopped on a taxi to the subway station and continued our journey to Chuncheon. Stepping out of the station, we didn't immediately go to the city center. Instead, we strolled over the Chuncheon Bridge on the scenic Gongjicheon Stream a few hundred meters from the station. The bridge leads only to the Island Legoland Resort is located. Since Legoland wasn't busy, hardly any cars were driving over the bridge. Our walk was pleasant, and the panoramic view of the city and the surrounding area was magnificent.

Our primary reason for visiting Chungcheon was to savor their renowned specialty, Chuncheon Dakgalbi. This flavorful chicken dish is prepared with vegetables and rice cakes, cooked in a spicy chili paste sauce. Along Chuncheon Dakgalbi Street, numerous restaurants offer this mouthwatering traditional delicacy at similar prices, making it a must-try experience. After strolling along the vibrant street, we finally settled in a restaurant that seemed to attract more customers than the others. Dakgalbi has two cooking options: grill or stir-fry. We opted for the latter. The preparation process was interactive and communal, as the dish was cooked at our table on a large, flat pan. The waitress poured the ingredients onto the sizzling hot pan, including chicken, cabbage, sweet potatoes, rice cakes, and others. From time to time, she came to the table to stir the chicken and vegetables, ensuring they absorbed the rich flavors of the sauce. After 10-15 mins, she told us the chicken was ready to eat, and then we were at our own pace to continue to cook and eat. The entire experience was enjoyable, leaving us with an authentic and unique culinary memory. So far, we have tried both Andong Jjimdak and Chuncheon Dakgalbi and were more inclined towards the latter.

南怡岛和春川鸡排

4月18日：我们决定去首尔周边的南怡岛看看。南怡岛以其林荫小径、美丽花园和景色优美而闻名，是一个风景如画的小岛，据说它因韩剧《冬季恋歌》的拍摄而走红国际舞台。尽管我们对这部影剧并不了解，但我们对那里还是充满了好奇。南怡岛创始人称小岛为韩国南麻立共和国。 这种奇特岛名也为这个旅游胜地增添了些吸引力。

我们搭乘京春线前往加平车站，然后坐出租车前往南怡岛渡轮码头，再乘坐小渡轮抵达南怡岛。一踏上小岛迎面而来的是巨大的书籍雕像、邮局、杂货店和咖啡店，欢迎来自远道而来的游客。

经过一个多小时的火车、出租车和渡轮旅程，上岛后我们第一件事就是渴望有一杯热咖啡，但不巧咖啡店的工作人员正在午休。于是我们决定先沿着环岛的小径走。沿途有许多专为出租的漂亮小木屋，就建在河边。一路还有各种艺术装置、花园和雕塑，与周围的自然美景融为一体。可爱的鸵鸟们给了我们惊喜，更幸运的是公园里的粉红樱花还在盛开，为小岛增色不少。尽管天空多云，但我们的游兴丝毫未减。

终于走到岛尖的酒店和度假别墅区，我们还是念念不忘那没喝到的咖啡。于是直奔酒店的咖啡厅点了拿铁。咖啡厅环境虽美，但这杯咖啡实在贵，7美元一杯，是我们在韩国喝到的最贵的一杯。接着我们来到岛的中心区，那里有许多餐厅、礼品店和博物馆。在商店前，几只孔雀悠闲地走着，我们甚至拍到了孔雀飞翔的照片。度假村附近以及中心区都有许多艺术装置可供欣赏，让我们感受到了岛上的独特艺术氛围。穿过岛上最有名的水杉木林大道，我们最终返回渡轮码头。南怡岛的确是一个值得一游的地方，在这里可以体验一下韩国的文化和艺术创意。

享受了南怡岛宁静美景后，我们想找个地方充饥，但又不想花太多时间在餐厅里。在渡轮码头附近有个7-11便利店， 于是我们决定在那里简单用餐。与美国的7-11店不同，这家店有一个相当大的休息区，配备了微波炉、热板和热水设施，为顾客提供便利的用餐环境。我们选择了两个三角饭团，这是一种将米饭与各种馅料包裹在三角形状的海苔片中的传统小吃。每口咬下去，都能感受到饭团内馅料的美味。自从来到韩国之后，我们喜欢上了这种三角饭团。另外我们还点了一碗泡面，韩国泡面以其独特的辣味和丰富的配料而闻名。那热腾腾浓郁的汤汁和劲道的面条，再咬上一口饭团， 虽简单却相当满足。

午餐后我们乘坐出租车回到地铁站，然后坐地铁前往春川。到达春川地铁站后，我们没有立即前往市中心，而是来到风景如画的宫脊河大桥。这座美丽的桥距离地铁站只有几百米远，它通向乐高乐园度假村。由于乐高乐园游客不多，几乎没有车辆驶过桥。漫步在大桥上可以欣赏到城市和周围地区的美丽全景。

我们来春川此行的主要目的是品尝他们著名的特色菜 - 春川明洞鸡排。这是一道用蔬菜和年糕炒制的美味鸡肉菜肴，调以辣椒酱。在春川明洞鸡排街上，许多餐厅以类似的价格供应这种美味的传统美食。先沿街走一下，最终我们选择了一家比其它餐厅有着更多顾客的餐厅。鸡排有两种烹饪方式：烤或炒。我们选择了后者。在我们的桌子上放了一个大平底锅，女服务员将包括鸡肉、白菜、红薯、年糕等各种配料倒入炙热的平底锅中，她时不时地回来搅拌鸡肉和蔬菜，确保它们充分吸收酱汁的浓郁味道。大约10-15分钟左右，服务员告诉我们鸡肉已经熟了，我们可以按自己的节奏继续烹饪和享用。整个过程非常愉快，给我们留下了独特的美食记忆。这次来韩国，我们已尝试过安东炖鸡和春川明洞鸡排，我们更偏爱春川明洞鸡排，它也绝对成为了我们韩国行的一大亮点。

Seoul's Park and Palace 首尔的公园和宫殿

April 16: We visited Seoul Olympic Park today. Olympic Park in Seoul is a sprawling recreational area built to commemorate the 1988 Summer Olympics held in the city. It covers an extensive space and features various facilities and art installations. As we entered the park, our attention was immediately drawn to a series of captivating portraits adorning the sides of the main walkway. We had no idea who they were and why. As we walked closer to the stadium, we encountered an even greater display of posters. Curiosity got the best of us, prompting an impromptu Google search on our phones. A popular South Korean girl group, TWICE, had an opening concert of their 2023 World Tour – "Ready to Be" at the stadium tonight. In the morning, 10 hours before the opening of the "Ready to Be" tour, fans, both girls and guys, were already queuing up outside large tents, eager to procure souvenirs. Such a scene gave us a fascinating glimpse into the world of dedicated fans we weren't familiar with.

The park boasts beautifully landscaped gardens, walking paths, and open spaces for leisure activities. We strolled on the meandered walking paths, went around the tranquil pond, and took many pictures.

From the Olympic Park, we could see the Lotte World Tower, an iconic landmark in Seoul, in the distance. The tower is part of the larger Lotte World complex, which includes the popular Lotte World theme park, shopping malls, hotels, offices, and other entertainment facilities. We went to the shopping mall first to have lunch there. Due to the weekend, the mall was crowded with tourists like us and the locals. Outside the mall was a giant pink bear, a 15-meter tall Bellygom created by the Lotte World to celebrate its 5th-anniversary last year. Many locals took pictures with the giant bear, enjoyed the concert, and bought little bears from the Bellygom store. Witnessing the zeal and enthusiasm of so many young individuals towards a character created primarily for marketing purposes left us amazed.

Bongeunsa Temple is a Buddhist temple in the heart of Seoul, near the bustling Gangnam district. It offers a serene and spiritual retreat from the city's fast-paced environment. Colorful paper lanterns hung over the courtyards through the temple. The visitors could pay to place a prayer note under a lantern. We had to take our shoes off to go inside the halls. In the shrine halls, small statues of Buddha are placed by people who pay tribute to the deceased relatives and friends, a traditional way of remembrance in Asia. The massive twenty-three-meter-tall statue of Maitreya Buddha (The Future Buddha) was impressive. An open Mireuk-jeon Hall of many smaller-size Buddha statues surrounds the tall statue. The temple was well-renovated and provided a unique experience in Buddhist culture in Korea.

Back to the hotel for a short break, then we went to a Sushi place nearby and had sashimi and tempura for dinner. The restaurant was very local, with no one speaking any English. After we placed the order, a robot carried a fried fish dish to our table. We were confused, looking at each other, since we didn't order the dish. The customers on the other table waved a hand gesture that it was okay to pick up. It turned out to be a free appetizer. We enjoyed the fried fish, sashimi, and tempura very much.

April 17: We needed free admission tickets to visit the presidential residence in South Korea called The Korea Blue House. Foreigners are not allowed to book the tickets online. We left the hotel early to ensure we could secure the tickets and took the subway to the Blue House. Although many local tourists were there already, the ticket line for foreigners was nonexistent. Showing the passports and receiving the tickets, we walked into the campus and were greeted by the traditional blue-tiled roofs of the presidential residence building. The current president no longer lives and works there since it became a public park in 2022. The rooms inside the buildings were spacious, and the tour provided insight into the nation's governance and history. The palace ground was on the ancient palace site with historical markers and scenic walking paths. We wandered every corner of the compound and considered it the best public park in Seoul.

After visiting the Blue House, somehow, we made our way to a buffet café in a skyscraper office building. To our surprise, this buffet café was quite different from the usual ones we were accustomed to. It resembled more of a company cafeteria, offering a limited selection of food items, including meat, vegetables, and soup. What caught our attention was a kitchen table in the corner of the room, equipped with several portable stoves, where people were cooking eggs on their own. Feeling intrigued and eager to immerse ourselves in the local customs, we followed suit and cooked two eggs ourselves, a refreshing change from the typical buffet experience. Some individuals were also opting to cook instant noodles, a popular comfy food for Korean. The atmosphere allowed us to feel like locals, providing a glimpse into the everyday lives of working people in Seoul. The experience was delightful and added a unique touch to our dining adventure.

Gyeongbokgung Palace, located in Seoul, is Korea's largest and most iconic royal palace. It was the main palace during the Joseon Dynasty and is renowned for its stunning architecture and picturesque surroundings. We were just in time for the guard change ceremony. The guards, dressed in traditional Joseon Dynasty costumes, performed a series of choreographed movements and marches with colorful flags, traditional weapons, and drums. We enjoyed the showcase.

The palace complex features various buildings, including the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, Geunjeongjeon Hall, and the National Palace Museum of Korea. The locals and foreigners, dressed in rented traditional hanbok attire, filled the palace ground. The vibrant colors and intricate designs of the hanbok attire added a sense of elegance and historical charm to the atmosphere.

To add another touch to our Korean historical and cultural tour in Seoul, we visited Bukchon Hanok Village, a residential area of well-preserved Hanok houses near the Gyeongbokgung Palace. Strolling through the narrow alleyways and quaint streets of Bukchon Hanok Village, we appreciated the beauty of the Hanok architecture and experienced the ambiance of ancient Korea. But we felt the area was too crowded and too "new" compared to Andong Hanok Village.

The dinner at the all-you-can-eat Korean grill was something we had been eyeing for a while. Every time we passed the restaurant, it seemed to be bustling, with customers enjoying the delicious grilled pork belly and chops. Peeking through the window, we couldn't help but feel envious of their dining experience. So, we made a promise to ourselves that we would give it a try at least once. Last night, we had attempted to dine there, but the wait for a table was too long, and we didn't want to wait. Determined to try it today, we arrived early and were thrilled to get a table immediately. As we settled in, the waitress came and said something to us. We had no clue what she had just said, and she didn't understand English either. Luckily, the table next to us was a young couple from China, and they did the translation for us. We were very grateful. The buffet included many traditional Korean dishes, but most important, the meat. We grilled beef, pork, and chicken ourselves, which were delicious. It was a feast, and we ate way too much. Now we understand why the restaurant was always crowded.

首尔奥林匹克公园和总统府

4/16：今天我们参观了首尔奥林匹克公园。该公园是为1988年首尔夏季奥运会而建，它占地广阔，拥有各种娱乐设施和户外艺术作品。当我们一进入公园时，我们的目光就被步道两侧的一系列迷人肖像所吸引。她们是谁我们一无所知。走近体育场时，我们看到更多更大的海报。好奇心促使我们在手机上进行了即兴的谷歌搜索。原来她们是著名的韩国女子组合TWICE今晚将在体育场举行她们的2023世界巡演——“Ready to Be”的首场演岀。距离“Ready to Be”巡演开场还有10个小时，但男男女女年轻的粉丝们，已经开始在大帐篷外排起长队，购买纪念品。这样的场景让我们见证了粉丝世界的狂热，对我们来说是这一个陌生但又好奇的领域。

奥林匹克公园拥有美丽的景观花园、蜿蜒的步道和开阔的休闲空间。我们在迂回曲折的步道上漫步，绕过宁静的池塘，拍摄了许多照片。

从奥林匹克公园可以看到首尔标志性的乐天世界塔。这座塔是乐天世界综合体的一部分，包括深受欢迎的乐天世界主题公园、购物中心、酒店、办公室和其他娱乐设施。我们先去了购物中心，因为周末，购物中心挤满了像我们这样的游客和当地人。购物中心外展示着一只巨大的粉红色大熊，称为Bellygom，15米高的大熊是乐天世界为庆祝开业五周年而制作的。许多当地人都围着这只巨熊合影，在专卖店外排着长队购买了小熊作为纪念品。看到这么多年轻人对一个主要用于营销目的的角色如此热情，让我们感到惊讶。

奉恩寺是位于繁忙的首尔市中心江南区的一座佛教寺庙。寺庙的庭院上悬挂着色彩斑斓的纸灯，游客可以支付一定费用后在灯笼下放置祈愿纸条。我们需要脱鞋进入大殿。在神殿里，人们会为已故的亲戚和朋友放置小佛像，这是亚洲传统的纪念方式。巨大的二十三米高的弥勒佛（未来佛）雕像令人印象深刻。围绕着高大的雕像放置许多尺寸较小的佛像，形成开放式的弥勒殿。

回到酒店休息片刻，然后我们去附近的一家寿司店，晚餐点了生鱼片和天妇罗。这家餐厅非常地道，但没有人会说英语。我们点完餐后，一个机器人将一道炸鱼小菜送到了我们的桌子边。我们相互看看，因为我们并没有点这道菜，正在不知该拿还不拿时，隔壁桌的客人示意我们可以拿走，原来这是一道免费的开胃菜。我们非常喜欢这道炸鱼、生鱼片和天妇罗。

4/17：韩国的总统府, 又称青瓦台, 对外免费开放参观，但需门票。外国人不能在线预订票，必须亲自前往门口领取。为了确保能够获得参观票，我们早早离开了酒店，乘坐地铁前往青瓦台。虽然到达时已经有不少当地游客，但外国游客寥寥无几，没人排队。我们出示护照领取门票后，踏进了总统府大院，迎接我们的是总统府大楼上传统的蓝色琉璃瓦顶。自从2022年成为公共公园以来，现任总统不再住在这里工作居住。建筑内的房间宽敞，参观让我们对韩国的治理和历史有了更多的了解。宫殿的场地建在古老的宫殿遗址上，我们沿着设有历史标志和风景优美的步行道漫步，尽情游览了总统大院的每一个角落，我们觉得这里是首尔最好的公共公园之一。

参观完青瓦台后，阴差阳错我们来到一座摩天大楼办公楼里的自助餐厅。让我们惊讶的是，这家自助餐厅与我们通常习惯的自助餐有很大不同。它更像是一家公司食堂，提供有限的食物选择，包括肉类、蔬菜和汤品。引起我们注意的是房间角落里的厨房桌，上面配有几个便携式炉灶，人们可以自己煎鸡蛋。我们感到好奇，当然不会放弃这个机会，于是也自己煎了两个鸡蛋，这给了我们一种与典型的自助餐不同的新鲜感。有些人还选择自己煮方便面，韩国流行的舒适食品。这种氛围让我们感觉像当地人，瞥见了首尔上班族的日常生活。这个经历非常愉快，并为我们的用餐探险增添了独特的乐趣。

位于首尔的景福宫是韩国最大、最具代表性的皇宫。它在朝鲜王朝时期是主要的宫殿，因其壮丽的建筑和优美的环境而闻名。我们恰好赶上了换岗仪式，看到身着传统朝鲜王朝服装的卫兵们手持五颜六色的旗帜、传统武器和鼓表演了一系列编排精妙的仪式。与其他换岗仪式相比，我们觉的这次表演是最好的。

欣赏完仪式后，我们继续探索景福宫内的建筑和庭院。其中一些建筑物已经有数百年的历史，但修复得十分完好。景福宫金碧辉煌的建筑群包括景福阁、勤政殿和韩国国立宫殿博物馆等建筑。当地居民和外国游客身着租借的传统韩服（hanbok），鲜艳的颜色和精美的设计让传统韩服散发出优雅的历史魅力，也为宫殿的场地增添了一抹缤纷色彩。

接着，我们前往位于景福宫附近的北村韩屋村，这里是一个保存完好的传统韩屋居住区。漫步在北村韩屋村狭窄的小巷和古朴的街道上，我们欣赏到了传统韩屋建筑的美丽，并感受了古代韩国的氛围。 我们不时能看到一些当地居民穿着传统韩服，给整个村落增添了一份活力。不过与安东韩屋村相比，我们觉得这个地方有些拥挤，也显得有些过于“新”。

我们住的旅馆附近韩式烤肉店，每次经过这家餐厅，总是看到客人在享受美味的烤五花肉和排骨。透过窗户窥探，那种无限量自助韩式烤肉的用餐体验太吸引人。我们决定至少要尝试一次。昨晚我们试图在那里用餐，但餐厅客满，等位的时间实在太长，我们不想等那么久，便找了家寿司店。但决定今天一定要再试试，于是早早来到餐厅，非常高兴没等，立即入座。坐下后，女服务员过来和我们说了些话。我们根本不懂她说了什么，而她也不懂英语。幸运的是，隔壁桌的一对来自中国的年轻夫妇为我们做了翻译。我们非常感激他们的帮助。自助餐包括许多传统的韩国菜，但最重要的是肉类。我们自己烤牛肉、猪肉和鸡肉，每一道都非常美味，感受到了传统韩国烤肉的独特魔力。也明白了为什么这家餐厅总是这么挤。

Seoul - 中浪川河, 王陵

April 12: We had our morning breakfast, packed our luggage, and checked out of the hotel around noon. We moved from the bustling Myeongdong area to a spacious accommodation in the Jungnang district in Seoul, away from the tourist-concentrated city center. It's a perfect place to experience authentic local Korean life and culture. The metro system in Seoul is very well built, and with the T-money card in hand, it was pretty easy to go around the city. Our new residence hotel offers ample space with a bedroom, a living room, a convenient kitchen, and, best of all, an in-unit washer.

Once we settled in, we took a trip to nearby Costco, just a 15-minute walk from our hotel, to stock up on groceries. There were so many Korean products in Costco, but Costco's famous rotisserie chickens and hotdogs were still there. We ate the famous Costco hotdog for lunch and tried the Korean bulgogi pizza. The hotdog was no different from the ones in the U.S., but the taste of the bulgogi pizza was interesting. We probably would prefer the traditional pepperoni pizza.

We made our own dinner tonight and had Chinese bok choy and tasty Korean short ribs. While we didn't partake in any sightseeing activities today, we thoroughly enjoyed unwinding and familiarizing ourselves with the neighborhood, stepping away from the usual tourist attractions.

April 13: Breakfast was the dumplings we bought from Costco, and they were outstanding. Not far from our hotel was the Jungnangcheon stream. The Jungnangcheon stream was said to have most water flowing to the Han River. The stream was very long, more than 20+ miles. We discovered various sports facilities along the stream's banks, such as walking/biking lanes, basketball courts, swimming pools, tennis courts, and a mini-golf course. We decided to go in one direction first (north) and would try the other direction (south) on another day.

The walking/biking lanes were very well built, but only a few people used them. The sports courts were empty. The two of us just enjoyed the peacefulness, as well as the scenic view. After walking for about an hour, we left the stream bank and found ourselves walking on another trail, still parallel to the stream, just a little away from the bank and above the flood protection walls. It was a nice walking trail with many trees, flowers, and small rose parks. There was even exercise equipment on the path, an excellent place for the locals to enjoy outdoor activities. These sports facilities and gardens left a lasting impression on us.

Several farmers' markets were near our hotel. The Dongbu market was just about five minutes walking distance. We could find fresh veggies, fresh fruits, and other products there. Small restaurants were selling many traditional Korean food we loved. The coffee shops always had promotional deals, and we visited them often. We enjoyed walking around the market very much.

At night, many street vendors set up booths along the road selling all kinds of Korean snacks. Our favorite one was the Korean glutinous corn. This corn tasted so much better than the corn in the U.S., and it's cheap too.

April 14: We did the north direction of the Jungnangcheon stream yesterday and had a wonderful time. We decided to head south today after breakfast and embarked on a very long walk following the Jungnangcheon stream all the way to the Seoul Forest Park, where the Jungangcheon stream meets the Han River. Like the ones, we saw yesterday, walking/biking lines and various sports facilities along both sides of the stream's banks. The newly created "Gwangjin Rose Garden" had 30 different kinds of roses planted with a boat sculpture symbolizing the waterside city. Although it was a bit early for the roses to bloom and too late to witness the cherry blossoms, the place was still beautiful, and we could easily spend more time there.

When we finally arrived at Forest Park, we were delighted by the vibrant blooming tulips in the park. There were a lot of picnic tables there which is very convenient for the locals to come here to relax and enjoy nature. While there, we noticed some government officials inspecting the park, as locals recognized and eagerly approached them for handshakes and photos. Despite our curiosity, we couldn't identify who the official was, even after conducting a Google search.

The scenery stroll along the river and stream left us both satisfied and tired. We left the hotel almost four hours ago. To reward ourselves, we enjoyed a late lunch at a seafood restaurant. The octopus was very delicious, but the spicy fish stew tasted too spicy for us.

We took the metro back to our hotel. After some rest, we went to the nearby mall, where we found many restaurants there. One restaurant that serves all kinds of seafood bibimbap got our attention. We ordered the cockle bibimbap, and it was one of the best dishes we had in Korea.

April 15: We took another extensive walk to visit two majestic royal tombs, Taereung and Gangleung. As we walked on the street, some area of the sidewalk was under construction, and the workers not only put the sign but also covered the dirt surface with the mat. This considerate gesture left a lasting impression on us and demonstrated their commitment to safety and the convenience of pedestrians. Along our journey, we made a delightful pit stop at Hwarangdae Railway Park, located adjacent to Korea Military Park. The thoughtfully designed park offers a unique experience, showcasing various trains and railroad-related exhibits. We don't remember we have seen similar public parks in other places. When we decided to take a moment to relax and enjoy a cup of Café Latte, to our astonishment, our drinks were delivered to our table whimsically and delightfully—by a toy train! It was a charming touch that added an extra element of joy and uniqueness to our visit.

We visited the Royal Tomb Museum of the Joseon Dynasty at the Taereung Royal Tomb site. The museum provides insights into the royal burial customs, rituals, and traditions of the Joseon Dynasty, the last dynasty of Korea that ruled from 1392 to 1897. Visitors can explore the exhibits showcasing various artifacts excavated from the royal tombs, including pottery, jewelry, clothing, and other cultural relics. Then we walked to the Taereung Royal Tomb mound. Taereung Royal Tomb has been preserved without damage for nearly 500 years, a miracle under many wars. It is the royal tomb of Queen Munjeong, the second consort of King Jungjong (11th king of Joseon). There were not many tourists or locals at the site. Because the visitors were not allowed to enter the burial mound, we didn't see the elegant details of the tomb too much.

King Myeongjong (13th king of Joseon) and his wife, Queen Insun, were buried at Gangneung Royal Tomb. Both Taereung and Gangneung Royal Tombs are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. An intriguing 1.8 km hiking trail meandering through the forest connects these tombs, providing an opportunity to appreciate the surrounding natural beauty. Unfortunately, during our visit, the path was closed.

After touring the tombs, we took the bus back to the hotel. Dinner was at another seafood restaurant with seafood pancakes which we enjoyed very much.

4/12: 早餐后，我们整理好行李，大约在中午左右退房。我们离开了繁华的明洞地区，远离游客聚集的市中心，搬到了位于首尔中南区的宽敞住宿。这样的安排让我们能更好地体验当地人的生活和文化。首尔的地铁系统非常便利，我们购买了T-money卡，使用起来非常方便。我们入住的公寓式酒店房间宽敞，有卧室、起居室和厨房，并且还配备了一台单元内洗衣机。安顿下来后，我们前往附近的Costco，只需步行15分钟，购买了一些食品。Costco有许多韩国产品，当然著名的Costco烤鸡和热狗肯定有。午餐时，我们要了Costco的热门热狗，尝试了韩国烤肉披萨。热狗的味道与美国的相似，但韩国烤肉披萨的味道颇有趣。或许我们更喜欢传统的意大利辣香肠披萨。

晚上，我们在住处自己做了晚餐，炒了上海小青菜，烧了韩国排骨，味道不错但排骨有点甜。虽然今天没有参加任何观光活动，但远离市中心繁忙的旅游景点，能让我们更加自在地感受当地人的日常生活，了解他们的生活起居和文化习惯。这样的旅行体验让我们感受到了与众不同的魅力，也为我们的旅程增添了独特的记忆。

4/13：今天的早餐是我们昨天从Costco买来的饺子，美味极了。我们的酒店离中浪川河不远，这是汉江的主要支流，河流长达二十多英里。沿着河岸边有各种体育设施，包括步行/自行车道、篮球场、游泳池、网球场和迷你高尔夫球场。我们决定先向北走一段路，计划着改天再换个方向。这些步行/自行车道建造得很好，但只有少数人在使用，整个运动场上也空无一人。这对我们来说是好事，既宁静又不缺风景，两个人自由自在非常享受。大约走了一个小时后，我们离开了河岸，转入一条位于防洪墙上的优美步行道，它与溪流平行，离河岸不远。沿途有许多树木、鲜花和小玫瑰公园。路上甚至还设有健身器材，成为当地居民户外活动的好去处。漂亮的步行道及这些体育设施和花园给我们留下了深刻的印象。

我们酒店附近有几个农贸市场，其中东埠市场只有五分钟的步行路程。在那里，我们可以找到新鲜的蔬菜、水果和其他产品。小餐馆供应许多我们喜欢的传统韩国美食。而咖啡店总是有一些不错的打折活动，我们常常在那里享用一杯拿铁。到了晚上，我们喜欢在市场里漫步，因为很多街头小贩在人行道上摆摊，出售各种韩国小吃。我们最喜欢的是韩国糯玉米，这种玉米的味道比美国的玉米更美味，而且价格也很实惠。

4/14：昨天沿着中浪川河往北走，河岸周边的城市建设让我们赞不绝口。今天早餐后，我们决定向南走，沿着中浪川河一直走到它与汉江交汇处的首尔森林公园。像昨天一样，沿途两岸有着沿着溪流的步行/自行车线和各种体育设施。其中新建的“广津玫瑰园”种植了30多种玫瑰，并且还有象征水边城市的船雕。尽管玫瑰花还未开放，樱花季节也已错过，但公园仍然非常漂亮，我们在那里度过了愉快的时光。

终于到达森林公园时，我们被公园里盛开的郁金香所吸引。在公园里，我们注意到有政府官员正在检查工作，当地居民认出他后，热切地向他走近，握手并合影。虽然我们很好奇，但即使在进行了谷歌搜索之后，我们也无法确定这位官员的身份。

沿着河流和溪流漫步让我们感到既满足又有些疲劳，因为我们从早上离开酒店到现在已经走了近四个小时了。需要犒劳一下自己，午餐我们在一家海鲜餐厅享用了美味的海鲜。章鱼很好吃，但炖辣鱼对我们来说太辣了。

回到酒店稍作休息后，我们前往附近的购物中心，那里有许多餐馆可供选择。一家供应各种海鲜石锅拌饭的餐厅引起了我们的兴趣。我们点了蛤蟆拌饭，这是我们在韩国吃过的最好的菜肴之一。今天的美食之旅让我们的味蕾得到了极大的满足。

4/15：今天再接再厉，又来一次长长的徒步旅行。参观了两个壮丽的皇家陵墓 - 泰陵和甘陵。在前往陵墓的途中，我们顺便在毗邻韩国军校的花剌台铁路公园逛了一圈。这个精心设计的公园提供了独特的体验，展示了各种火车铁路相关的实物。我们感觉在其他地方很难找到类似的公园。当我们准备放松一下，品尝一杯拿铁咖啡时，我们的咖啡竟然被玩具火车送到了我们的餐桌上！给我们增添了额外的惊喜和欢乐。

我们首先参观了位于泰陵皇家陵墓遗址的朝鲜王朝皇家陵墓博物馆。该博物馆向我们展示了朝鲜王朝（1392年至1897年统治韩国的最后一个王朝）皇家葬礼习俗、仪式和传统。在博物馆中，我们看到了从皇家陵墓出土的各种文物，包括陶器、珠宝、服饰和其他古董，深入了解了朝鲜历史文化。

接着我们来到了泰陵皇家陵墓，这个陵墓保存了近500年，没有受到破坏。它是贞宗王（朝鲜第11任国王）的第二任王后文贞王后的皇家陵墓。由于不允许游客进入陵墓，我们没有看到墓葬的优雅细节。同样，江陵皇家陵墓也是明宗国王（朝鲜第13任国王）和仁顺王后的安息之地。泰陵和江陵皇家陵墓都被联合国教科文组织指定为世界遗产。尽管连接这两座陵墓的1.8公里徒步小径被关闭，但我们还是有机会欣赏到周围自然美景。

参观完陵墓后，我们搭乘巴士返回酒店，并在另一家海鲜餐厅享用了晚餐，品尝了美味的海鲜煎饼。

Seoul-首尔塔，德寿宫

April 9: We left Jeonju and returned to Seoul today. We could only secure two standing tickets for the early morning return train two days ago when we arrived in Jeonju Sation. Last night we informed the host that we wouldn't have time for breakfast as we needed to catch the train early. As we walked through the quiet and empty streets of the village, we managed to find a taxi to take us to the train station. We savored a coffee and a pastry at the station before proceeding to the platform to wait for the train, where we joined many other tourists.

Passengers with standing tickets can only stand between the train cars. From previous train rides, we knew that there were two small foldable seats in that area. But we were unsure if we would be fortunate enough to secure them since our station wasn't the train's starting point. Fortunately, we were lucky enough to find seats unoccupied when the train arrived. Happily, we sat in the connecting area between the train cars for the two-hour journey back to Seoul. It felt like our private compartment, and we needed to get up at each stop to accommodate other passengers to get on and off the train.

For the second time in Seoul, we opted for a different hotel in the middle of the bustling Myeongdong. Since we arrived at the hotel before the designated check-in time, we stored our luggage and ventured out. First, we had our favorite Bibimbap and Korean spicy rice cake for lunch, and then we decided to walk to Namsan Park and see the iconic N Seoul Tower. It was a long walk from our hotel to the tower, but the park's natural beauty and serene atmosphere offered a delightful escape from bustling city life. We had our coffee and sweets at the Tower Plaza, where several shops and café located, but we didn't go up to the top of the Tower to avoid crowded indoor spaces. One of the well-known attractions at the Tower is the love locks. So many love locks in all shapes and colors are hanging at every railing at the base of the Tower, providing a pretty unique scene. We walked back to the hotel, accumulating 17,000+ steps in total.

April 10: We got exhausted yesterday from the early morning train ride and afternoon hiking, so we decided to slow down and take it easy today. The street in the early morning was tranquil, and most shops were still closed. We visited the nearby Myeongdong Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Church of St. Mary the Virgin, a significant religious and historical landmark in the heart of Seoul, South Korea. It holds great importance as the first Catholic church established in Korea. The cathedral is an impressive cityscape structure with its Gothic Revival architectural style. The underground shopping center hosting various coffee shops and restaurants is underneath the church. We took a leisurely stroll around the area dotted with numerous banks and financial institutions, spending a couple of hours exploring before heading back to the hotel to unwind and rest.

In the afternoon, we walked around the Myeongdong area and went to the Lotte Mall, not to shop, just to have dinner there. We stopped by the food court, which was huge with so many different vendors. We ordered the food from two separate booths, and each gave a location tag. We settled at a table, and the waitress soon brought the dishes to us since they knew where we sat by tracking the location tag. It turned out to be an incredibly gratifying dinner experience.

April 11: After relaxing and light in activity yesterday, we ventured out to the Cheonggye Plaza area early in the morning. The weather was overcast and occasionally dripping a little. We took the subway to the City Hall first. The streets were quiet, and not too many pedestrians. Existed from the subway station, the first encounter on the road was a temporary white tent next to the city hall. It was a memorial and protest site dedicated to the 159 young people who tragically died in the Halloween tragedy in Seoul last year.

The Deoksugung Palace was built during the Joseon Dynasty, a historical palace near the city hall in the center of Seoul, South Korea. Because of the weather, there were not many visitors. During the late 19th century, it became a royal residence and administrative center for the Joseon kings. What is unique is that the palace grounds feature traditional Korean architecture and Western-style buildings, reflecting its particular Joseon period, which we were unfamiliar with. Near the end of the Joseon period, Korea opened up to the influence of Western countries. There is a Daehan Empire History Museum inside the Palace. Tours are available in Seokjojeon Hall, a royal residence built for the emperor and empress. Since we didn't want to wait hours for a tour in English, we joined the tour in Korean with the help of an Audio guide instead. We had a great time in the museum and learned a few bits about the Joseon Dynasty.

4月9日回首尔。二天前只买到二张一早回首尔的站票。走的前一天也和女主人打了招呼，我们要赶火车，等不到吃早餐了。大清早街上没人，非常安静。我们稍微走了一小段路才叫到出租车去火车站。在车站里喝杯咖啡吃个面包后，就去车台等车。在车台上，游客不少。我们知道火车两节车厢之间在上下门的地方会有两个小折座椅供站票旅客使用，因为我们这里并不是火车的起点站，我们担心这两个座位是否还在。火车来了，很幸运，就我们俩是站票。高高兴兴坐在车厢连接区回首尔，二个小时感觉像包厢似的，只是每到一站必须站起来让其他旅客上下火车。

再次回到首尔，这次我们换了个旅馆，同样还是在最热闹的明洞区，位置更中心。我们选择了一家位于繁华的明洞中心的酒店。由于抵达酒店的时间比指定的入住时间早，我们寄存了行李，然后徒步外出。正好是午餐时间，我们品尝了我们最喜欢的韩国美食--石锅拌饭和韩国辣年糕。接着，我们步行前往Namsan公园，那里有标志性的首尔塔。从我们的旅馆到公园路挺远的， 好在公园沿途风景不错。因为不想往人堆里挤就没上塔顶，而是在塔的底层喝了咖啡吃了甜点休息一下。首尔塔还有一个著名景点是爱情锁，每个栏杆上都挂满了形状各异、颜色斑斓的爱情锁，呈现出一个非常独特的场景。最后，我们步行返回酒店，一天累积了17,000+步。

4月10日：昨天因为大清早赶火车和下午徒步去首尔塔，我们觉得有点累，所以今天就放松一下。清晨的街道非常安静，大多数商店仍然关门。我们参观了附近的明洞大教堂，也被称为圣母玛利亚大教堂，是韩国首尔市中心的重要宗教和历史地标。它是韩国建立的第一个天主教堂，具有重要意义。凭借其哥特式复兴建筑风格，大教堂在城市景观中是一个令人印象深刻的建筑。拥有各种咖啡馆和餐馆的地下购物中心位于教堂下方。周围地区有许多银行和其他金融机构，我们悠闲地逛了二，三个小时之后返回酒店休息。

下午，我们继续在明洞地区走走，来到Lotte购物中心。并不是想购物，而是在那里用晚餐。购物中心地下的美食广场非常大，有许许多多不同的供应各种美食的摊位。我们从二个摊位点了不同的菜，然后找了一张桌子坐下，几分钟后工作人员将食物送到我们的桌子上。 这一顿吃得非常满足，很享受着各种美味的韩国美食。

4月11日：经过昨天的小憩后，我们一大早就前往Cheonggye广场地区。天空阴沉，偶尔还下几滴雨。我们乘坐地铁前往市政厅。街道照旧是非常的安静，行人稀少。从地铁站出来，我们首先看到的是市政厅旁边的一个临时白色帐篷。这个帐篷是一个纪念和抗议场所，用于纪念去年在首尔万圣节悲剧中不幸死亡的159名年轻人。

德寿宫（Deoksugung Palace）是一座位于韩国首尔市中心市政厅附近的具有悠久历史的宫殿，建于朝鲜王朝时期。在19世纪后期，它成为朝鲜国王的皇家住所和行政中心。该宫殿独特之处在于融合了传统的韩国建筑风格和西方建筑风格，展现了朝鲜时代我们不太熟悉的一面。而在朝鲜时代的末期，韩国开始受到西方国家的影响，这在宫殿的设计中也可见一斑。由于天气原因，游客并不多。德寿宫内设有大韩帝国历史博物馆，而石祖殿（Seokjojeon Hall）则是为天皇和皇后建造的皇家住所。可以进石祖殿参观，但以韩语为主。由于我们不想等几个小时参加英语导览，我们加入了韩语组，依靠语音指南跟着导游走。博物馆值得一看，我们也学到了一些关于朝鲜王朝的知识。

Jeonju 全州

April 7: We originally planned to take a bus to Jeonju, but we changed our plans at the last minute and took a morning train instead. However, we couldn't find the express train tickets online, so we went to the train station in person to only get the tickets for non-direct rides. We had to transfer trains; unfortunately, the second-leg train was almost fully booked. Our seats were not even in the same train car. Initially, we were unaware of this situation and thought there was just an aisle separating us. However, after boarding the train, we noticed someone had already occupied one of two seats, and we assumed it was a mistake on their part. Even the train staff were initially confused and took a while to realize that one of our seats was in a different car. After experiencing the difficulty of buying train tickets today, our first task upon arriving in Jeonju was to secure our tickets back to Seoul two days later. To our astonishment, almost all the train tickets for that day were already sold out. There are more than ten trains going to Seoul every day, but only the earliest two trains in the morning had tickets left, and they were only standing tickets in the connecting area between two train cars. With no other choice, we quickly bought the tickets.

The most famous attraction in Jeonju is the traditional Hanok Village, so we decided to stay in a Hanok house to experience it fully. Finding a room in the village wasn't easy, but we found one smaller than two beds combined with a private bathroom. With the absence of conventional beds and chairs, we knew that sleeping on the blankets on the floor might be challenging for us. We hope our stay in the Hanok house will give us a unique and immersive experience. The Taxi ride from the train station to the village was quick, and we found our Hanok house without much trouble. The host welcomed us warmly and explained some rules we had to follow when staying in a Hanok house, such as taking shoes off before entering the building, wiping off the suitcase's wheels before taking it inside the room, etc.

After dropping off our luggage, we went to find something to eat. We went to a restaurant recommended by our host and ordered Tteokgalbi and Bibimbap in a hot stone bowl for two. Tteokgalbi is a popular Korean dish made from ground pork ribs like burger patties in the U.S., seasoned with various ingredients such as soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and spices, and then grilled over charcoal. It was delicious.

The Hanok Village has two bustling main streets filled with a vibrant atmosphere. You'll find numerous food stalls, restaurants, and souvenir shops along these streets. The roads are often crowded with locals and tourists exploring the area and enjoying the cultural offerings. Many rental shops offer traditional costumes. These shops allow visitors to immerse themselves in the culture by dressing in beautiful hanbok (traditional Korean clothing). It's a lovely sight to witness people of all ages, both locals and tourists, strolling through the village in conventional attire, capturing pictures of timeless moments and creating a captivating atmosphere. It may also allow Korean people to preserve and celebrate Korean cultural heritage in the village.

We first visited Gyeonggijeon, the most famous tourist attraction in the village. Gyeonggijeon, built in 1410, was dedicated to enshrine the portrait of King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty. The portrait hanging in the main hall now is a replica, while the authentic one is kept in the Portrait Museum, which was closed for renovation. In Gyeonggijeon, Koreans dressed in traditional costumes took photos and made timeless memories. Some places had long queues for taking pictures because they appeared in many historical Korean movies and TV dramas. Since we were unfamiliar with Korean history or dramas, we just walked around casually, enjoying the lively atmosphere.

More people were on the street when we came out from Gyeonggijeon. Some shops had long lines. We took a coffee break at one popular café, did some people-watching, and just enjoyed the afternoon. 

In the evening, we went to the night market and joined the locals in queuing for a famous thin meat pancake featured on a reality TV show. It tasted excellent. We also tried different flavors of steamed dumplings, red bean buns, and grilled pork belly skewers. Each food stall at the night market sold something different, so we had the opportunity to try various dishes.

April 8: How was our sleeping on Yo, the traditional Korean-style bedding, last night? The experience of sleeping on the floor varied for each person. Chenggang found sleeping on his back the most comfortable position during the night on the floor. The heated floor provided warmth and coziness, enhancing the sleeping experience. However, there were certain inconveniences, particularly when it came to using the toilet during the night.

On the other hand, for those who preferred sleeping on their side or had joint and back issues, the experience was quite uncomfortable. Within half an hour, Connie started experiencing pain and discomfort. Additionally, getting up from the floor posed a challenge due to the absence of furniture or support. It often resulted in straining the back again. It took some time for her to stand straight, and she felt that she had become one of those hunchbacked old ladies we had seen on the streets of Korea. After a restless night and waking up with pain all over her body, Connie vowed never to stay in such accommodations again in the pursuit of experiencing local life. But we hope the memory will be short, and we will put experience over short-term discomfort again.

In the morning, a simple breakfast was served in our room. The host lady brought a tray for each of us, consisting of two slices of toasted bread, jam, a few apple slices, and two bowls of sesame porridge. The room was tiny, and there was only a little space left near the entrance since the blankets were spread out and covered most of the floor. The host told us to fold the blankets, put them aside, and have breakfast where we slept. It was indeed a multi-purpose floor. It looked like it was covered with a floorboard, but it was traditional Korean paper. That was why when we arrived yesterday, the host specifically asked us to clean the wheels of our luggage before bringing them into the room to prevent the paper from getting dirty and damaged.

The compactness of the Hanok house and the minimalist furnishings reminded us of the simplicity and elegance of traditional Korean architecture. The small bathroom, although essential, served its purpose adequately. We appreciated the effort to maintain the conventional design even in the bathroom, adding to the overall authenticity of the Hanok house experience. Staying in a Hanok house was a departure from the usual hotel accommodations, which may not be comfortable. Still, the overall experience gave us a deeper appreciation for the rich cultural heritage of Jeonju.

After breakfast, we walked across a bridge to venture out of Hanok Village and had a cup of morning Latte in the art district. In the neighborhood, we encountered an artist who had set up a small art garden decorated with beautiful pinwheels on the street. He enthusiastically invited us to take photos in front of his artwork and encouraged us to post them on social media to give him a thumbs-up. Then we walked along the river and over the bridge to the Nambu market, just missing the weekend market.

We didn't stay too in the market. We ventured near the city gate, where a Korean youth dance competition was scheduled. We were excited to witness the vibrant performances of the young participants. However, despite waiting patiently for over half an hour, the competition had not yet commenced. Realizing it might take longer, after seeing a short practice run, we decided to leave the area and explore other parts of the village.

When it was time to satisfy our hunger again, we went to a place we had an eye on it yesterday. Jeonju is Bibimbap's birthplace and is one of our favorite Korean dishes. In the United States, we call it stone pot rice because the rice and vegetables are served in a hot stone pot. After coming to Korea, we found that most restaurants only serve it in stainless steel bowls, and although the taste is still good, it doesn't have the same sizzling flavor as when served in a hot stone pot. We decided to try it today when we passed a restaurant yesterday and saw they did Bibimbap in a hot stone pot. The stone pot Bibimbap was better than the stainless steel bowl version, but we still felt the ones in the U.S. suited our taste better. We also ordered a small pork rib soup, which tasted good. On Saturday, the streets were filled with visitors, most locals, and the cars were not allowed to enter the village.

After a satisfying meal, we climbed to Wansanhilbong Peak in Wansan Park. The mountain has historical significance in Korean history. At the top, we had a panoramic view of the Hanok Village and Jeonju.

Walking down from the park, we went to the mural village outside of Hanok Village. In the mural village, the exterior walls of every house were painted with various colorful murals, bringing new life to the originally old and simple dwellings.

Back in Hanok Village, we returned to the area near the city gate where the dance competition had started. We watched for a while and then went to the nearby night market. We ordered another portion of the thin meat pancake we had just eaten the previous night, and a large box of fried mini crabs served as our dinner. We didn't finish fried crabs; just too much grease food today.

Tomorrow we will return to Seoul, and our journey of exploring Korean cuisine and experiencing the local culture will slowly end. Our daughter summed up our trip to Korea quite well: EAT, EAT, EAT.

4/7: 原本准备乘坐大巴去全州的，临时改坐上午的火车去那里，网上没法买到我们想坐的快车，我们就直接去车站，买到车票但需要中转一下。中转后那一段的火车满座，我们俩座位还不是在一个车厢。开始我们还没认识到，以为只是隔了个走道。上车后看别人已坐在其中一个位子，以为别人坐错了。车上工作人员开始也没搞懂，看了老半天才发现我们的一个位子是在另外一个车廂。有了今天火车票难买的经历，到了全州后在火车站第一件事就是把二天之后回首尔的车票先搞定。一问吓一跳，那天的火车票几乎已全部卖完。每天有十几班火车去首尔却只有早上最早的二班还有票，且只剩站票，只能站在二节车厢的连接区。没别的选择，我们就赶紧把票买了。

全州市里最著名的就是传统的韩屋村，去韩屋村玩就该试一下住韩屋里。房间不容易订，我们这次订到了一间几乎比二个床还小的房间，没床没椅子，被子就放地上，晚上摊开就直接睡地上。还好小房间有个小卫生间。今晚睡在地上不知会怎样的感觉。

放下行李后，先去找东西吃。在房东推荐的一家饭店里要了两人份的Tteokgalbi+石锅饭。Tteokgalbi是用猪排肉做的肉饼，是当地特色，非常好吃。

然后就开始在小村里逛。整个韩屋村有二条大街，两旁有不少小吃店，饭店和纪念品专卖店，街上挤满了游客。到处都是出租传统服装的店，租的人还真不少。路上到处都是穿着漂亮传统服装的人，看着很养眼。我们先来到庆基殿，也是小村里最有名的旅游景点。修建于1410年的庆基殿是为了供放朝鲜开朝皇帝李太祖的遗像。现在悬挂在真殿里的太祖遗像当然是假的，真品在肖像博物馆里，但博物馆正在修整没开放。在庆基殿里，韩国人穿着传统服装在那里拍照留念。因为这地方出现在许多历史电影及电视剧中，所以有些地方排长队照相。我们不熟悉韩国的历史和韩剧，就随便走走看看热闹了。

晚上去夜市场跟着当地人排着长队要一份上过电视节目的薄肉蛋饼，味道的确不错。又吃了不同味道的蒸饺，豆沙包子，还有烤五花肉串。觉得这个夜巿场各个摊位卖的东西都不太一样，这样我们就可以多吃点。

4/8: 昨晚睡地上的感觉因人而异。我觉的还可以，朝天睡是最好姿势。地是加热的，睡在地上暖呼呼，就半夜去厕所有点麻烦。但有人是喜欢侧睡的，且关节和腰都不好，那就不是一点点受罪了。不到半小时就已经疼得不行。腰不好的她从地上爬起来也难，没家俱也就没个搭手的地方，很容易再闪着腰。好不容易爬起来了，却半天也直不起腰，自嘲像极了街上那些驼背弯腰的韩国老太。她一晩上几乎没怎么睡着，早上起来浑身上下都痛，发誓以后再也不住这样的旅馆跟着体验生活了。

一早女房东就送来了简单的早餐，二片烤面包，一点果酱，几片苹果和二碗芝麻糊。房间实在太小，被子铺开就只剩下门口一点点的空间了。女主人告诉我们把被子折起来放边上，在睡觉地方吃早餐。还真是一地多用。地上看着像铺了地板，但其实是一种韩国传统的纸。昨天刚来的时候，主人特地让我们把行李箱的轮子都擦干净后才带进房间，怕弄脏弄坏了这层纸。

上午去韩屋村周围转转，在艺术家小村里碰到一位艺术家在街头搞了个小艺术花园，热心地拉着我们在他的艺术作品前拍照，可放在社交媒体上，为他拉点赞。来到城门楼旁，那里正在举行韩国少年舞蹈比赛，小年轻们都在那里准备，都是那种街头舞，等了半个多小时也没见正式开始。

又到找地方垫肚子的时候了，今天去的地方是昨天就选好的，全州是Bibimbap 的发源地，又是我们最爱韩菜之一，在美国我们叫石锅饭，饭和菜放在滚烫的热石锅里。来韩国后，发现大多数餐厅只卖放在不锈钢碗里那种，味道虽可以，但就没有石锅里吃得香喷喷，所以昨天路过这一家饭店看见有这种热石锅的，就说今天来这里试试。这热石锅拌饭就是比不锈钢碗里的好，但还是觉得美国的更合我们口味。还叫了小排骨汤，味道不错。

酒足饭饱后又徒步去了韩屋村外的壁画村。在壁画村里，家家户户的外墙上都画着各色各样的壁画，给原本破旧简陋的小屋带来新的生机。

回到韩屋村内，再次来到城门楼旁，舞蹈大赛已开始，凑热闹看了一阵之后便去了附近的夜市。又要了一份昨晚刚吃过的肉蛋薄饼，再加一大盒油炸小蟹算是今晚夜餐，油炸食品吃多了会腻，油炸小螃蟹居然没吃完。

明天要启程回首尔了，品韩菜看热闹之行就要慢慢地拉下帷幕。女儿对我们这次韩国游总结得很好：吃，吃，吃！

Busan/Gyeongju 釜山/庆州

April 4: Upon arrival in Busan, our hotel room wasn't ready, so we left our luggage there and went to the nearby Bupyeong KKangtong Market to search for local snacks. It was a big market, and we quickly got lost there. We tried a few snacks, including spicy rice cake, fried squid, chive pancakes, and unique green rice balls wrapped with red bean paste.

Following a satisfying lunch, we returned to the hotel for a brief rest before exploring the renowned Gamcheon Culture Village. This picturesque locale, characterized by its colorful houses and narrow alleyways, was a must-visit destination. We went up and down through alleyways and enjoyed the excursion. We climbed up the “Stairs to See Stars”, felt a little tired but not dizzy. Many tourists waited in line to take photos with the statue of the Little Prince and the fox overlooking the whole village, a Social Media hotspot.

We returned to the city for dinner and enjoyed a delicious Korean barbecue feast. The flavorsome grilled meats were accompanied by an array of traditional side dishes and a delicious crab and clam soup. With our appetites satiated, we revisited the market from earlier in the day, taking advantage of its convenient proximity to our hotel. The evening market had transformed, featuring numerous mobile food stalls offering a variety of tempting snacks. Despite their attractive appearances, we decided to save these treats for the following night.

April 5: Busan greeted us with a continuous downpour. Undeterred, we remained committed to our original plan of taking a bus to Gyeongju, the ancient capital of Korea, located one hundred kilometers away. Unfortunately, the inclement weather persisted in Gyeongju, with strong winds adding a chilly touch. After reaching our destination, we boarded a local bus to Bulguksa Temple. Before immersing ourselves in its tranquil ambiance, we savored a delicious Bulgogi set meal nearby. This particular style of Bulgogi differed from the grilled version we had encountered in the U.S., as the ingredients were boiled in water, resembling a hot pot with less broth. Nevertheless, the flavors were still exceptional.

Notably, Bulguksa Temple differed from other temples in its lack of burning incense, and visitors were required to remove their shoes before entering the temple halls. As we made our way towards the temple, cherry blossom trees adorned the surroundings; however, the heavy rain and wind had unfortunately damaged most of the blossoms.

After visiting Bulguksa Temple, we opted to take a taxi to the East Palace and Moon Pond, which was reconstructed in recent years. Given the wet and cold weather conditions, our enthusiasm for exploring further waned, leading us to return to Busan via train.

Outside Busan Station, we went to a renowned fish cake shop, Samjin Eomuk, offering a diverse selection of fish cake products. Curiosity piqued, we sampled rice cake/fish cake, and green pepper fish cake. While the rice cake/fish cake didn't leave a lasting impression, the green pepper fish cake stood out with its delicious filling of various meats and shrimp. Busan's streets and markets are packed with fish cake vendors, offering locals a satisfying and convenient snack.

We revisited the nearby market for dinner, only to realize that the mobile food stalls from the previous night had yet to arrive. It appeared they were exclusive to the late-night market. Nonetheless, the permanent stalls remained open, allowing us to indulge in local food. Our feast consisted of deep-fried delicacies such as cuttlefish, shrimp, fish sticks, mixed noodles, spicy rice cakes, and fish cakes. After several days of culinary indulgence, it was safe to say our blood sugar levels were likely to rise.

April 6: We had been away from home for a whole week and had been busy every day since, so we decided to take a well-deserved rest. In the morning, we explored the vicinity of our hotel in search of a typical local breakfast but were disappointed to find nothing exceptional. Undeterred, we went to the nearby market and found that most stalls were still closed. We continued our search. Fortunately, the weather was favorable, offering ideal conditions for outdoor activities. We first visited the renowned Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) street and were pleasantly surprised to find a few mobile food stalls open. We couldn't resist indulging in delicious steamed buns that resembled steamed dumplings. Subsequently, we made our way to the Jagalchi seafood market. Unfortunately, the indoor area was undergoing renovation, discouraging us from venturing inside. However, the outdoor stalls stretched endlessly, showcasing an astonishing variety of seafood we had never encountered before in the morning. Continuing our stroll along the seaside, we eventually reached Lotte Mall, a large shopping center resembling those in other parts of the world.

After briefly exploring the mall, we ascended to the top floor, discovering a specialized Bulgogi restaurant. The menu presented four different types of Bulgogi, yet we struggled to fully grasp the distinctions despite our attempts to communicate with the waitress.With her phone's translation feature, the waitress explained that one version came with soup while the others did not. Intrigued, we opted for the soup option. Relying on our phones for further translation, we uncovered that two varieties featured Korean beef, while the remaining two offered American beef. We naturally opted for Korean beef. It wasn't until the dishes arrived that we realized the key difference between the soup and non-soup versions was the marinade. Adding to the amusement, we discovered that the disparity between Korean and American beef lay not in the type of beef itself but rather in the grilling method. Korean Bulgogi was traditionally boiled, while the American version aligned more closely with what we had experienced in the U.S., being grilled. Unfortunately, the translation apps on our phones struggled to provide accurate assistance during our time in Korea, and the live translation earphones we had bought before the trip was a total failure.

After lunch, we ascended to the rooftop garden. This beautifully designed and expansive space offered panoramic views of Busan, leaving a lasting impression.

Upon descending from the garden, we made our way to the famous Busan Tower, conveniently located not far from the mall. Continuing our leisurely walk, we passed the seafood market again, realizing we had only explored a small section in the morning. To our surprise, the market stretched far and wide, not only offering fresh seafood but also a variety of dried goods in Nampo-dong Dried Fish Wholesale Market nearby. Adjacent to the market, modest seafood stalls housed within large tents made of plastic sheets for protection. With the coal-fired barbecue grills outside, tables and chairs were arranged inside the tents, inviting visitors to relish the abundance of fresh and raw ingredients.

As we made our way back, we found ourselves passing through BIFF Street once again. Now there are more vendors on the street. This time, we couldn't resist trying a unique dish called Korean pancake with melon seeds. While Korean fried chicken, highly praised in the U.S., was not as popular as anticipated, we did come across a few places offering it. Since we had a heavy lunch, we visited a chain restaurant, Lotteria, for dinner. We ordered chicken wings that surpassed our expectations, surpassing even the renowned KFC.

Tomorrow a new adventure is waiting for us.

4/4: 上午坐火车去釜山市，韩国第二大城市。在坐Taxi去火车站之前在旅馆旁边的安东老城及传统文化博物馆区转了一圈，那里的建筑非常漂亮。从安东去釜山的火车三个半小时左右，没有快速子弹车，不过一路还算舒服。到了釜山，旅馆的房间还没好，我们把行李寄放在那里就匆匆去附近的集市找小吃。要了鱼饼辣年糕，炸尤鱼，韮菜葱油饼和豆沙青团。他们的豆沙青团是青团包在豆沙里。集市非常大，走进去会迷路的。

午餐后回到旅馆小息后就去甘川文化村，那里有色彩鲜艳的小屋和狭窄的小巷，是值得一去的地方。有个什么网红点在最上面，好多人排着长队等着和小王子拍照。

晚饭回城里吃韩国烤肉，除了有韩国小菜外，还给螃蟹蛤蜊汤，味道都不错。吃饱喝足又再次来到中午刚去过的集市，因为就在住的旅馆旁边，太方便了。晚上的集市多了许多卖不同小吃的移动摊位，看着嘴馋，可实在吃不动了，留着明天晚上再来吧。

4/5: 今天的釜山一整天都在下雨，我们还是按原计划坐大巴去一百公里外庆州，朝鲜的古都。庆州同样是下雨天，风还特别大，特别冷。到了庆州后又乘坐当地公交车去城外的佛国寺，先在寺庙旁的小镇上要了Bulgogi套餐为午餐，这里的Bulgogi不像美国的那样烤的，而是放在水里煮的，有点像吃火锅，但没那么多汤水，味道还算可以。佛国寺与国内的寺庙不同的地方就是没见人烧香，另外必须脱鞋进寺堂。一路走到佛国寺，周边全是樱花树，只可惜我们错过了，这场大风大雨将樱花打得所剩无几。参观完佛国寺，我们叫了出租车去东宫和月池，很漂亮但都是近年复造的。参观这二处古迹后，因为天实在是又湿又冷，没了兴致再去看其它的，我们便坐火车回釜山。在釜山站外去了一家有名的鱼饼店，店里各色各样鱼饼食品，我们要了年糕鱼饼和青椒鱼饼，年糕鱼饼没什么特别，但青椒鱼饼昧道很不错，里面塞了各种肉，虾之类的。在釜山这里到处都是卖各式鱼饼的，集市里，马路上全都是，吃上一串鱼饼就算垫饥了。

晚饭又去了附近集市，发现昨晚上看到的移动摊位一个都还没来，还真只做夜市的。固定摊位还都在，我们就继续吃当地的小吃，各种油炸的尤龟，虾，鱼条都试试，拌粉条，当然还有辣年糕和鱼饼。估计这几天下来，血糖指标要直线上升了。

4/6: 离家整整一个星期了，每天都在不停地赶东赶西，有点累，今天就休息一下。一早先去旅馆周围看看有什么当地的特色早餐，很失望啥都没见着。又去旁边的集市看看，好像韩国人不早起，大部分摊位还没开，两人只能继续找。正好今天天气不错，适合在外面走走。先来到有名的BIFF（釜山国际电影节）街上，很意外地发现有几个移动摊位已经开始营业了。买了份蒸包子，应该说更像蒸饺子，好吃。接着走去海鲜市场看看，室内区在装修，我们没进去，外面的摊位一眼望不到头，有些海鲜从来没有见过。继续沿着海边散步，不一会儿就来到Lotte 商城，感觉和中国的大商城很像。走马观花看过便来到十楼的餐厅层，又找了一家做bulgogi的饭店。菜单上有四种不同Bulgogi，与服务员说了半天也没搞懂。她用手机从韩文翻译成英文，说是一种有汤一种没汤，我们觉得奇怪，什么叫一个有汤一个没汤呢，那就要有汤的。我们也用我们的手机把菜单翻了一下，两个是韩国牛肉，两个是美国牛肉，到韩国当然要吃韩国的牛肉。当上菜后我们才恍然大悟，有汤没汤就是腌没腌，最好笑的是韩国牛肉和美国牛肉的差别不是牛肉而是不同的烧烤方法，韩国Bulgogi是水煮的而美国的才是烤的，就像在美国吃到的那种，这次来韩国翻译软件不太管用，临行前特地买的翻译耳机更是失败。

饭后来到屋顶花园，花园造得很别致，大得离谱，在上面可以看到釜山的全景。下了花园便来到离商城不远的釜山一景的塔和公园，也算是到此一游。左转又转又来到海鲜市场，发现上午我们才走了一小段，基本以新鲜的海产品为主。而整个海鲜市场其实大得惊人，不只卖新鲜的，还有干货。两旁还有破陋的海鲜小吃摊，用塑料布做的大帐篷，中间放桌子和椅子，外面放一个用煤的烧烤炉，反正原材料到处都是，而且还新鲜。

往回走时又路过BIFF街，来了份油煎饼夹瓜仁，很特别。在美国，都说韩国炸鸡很好吃，来后也看到几家卖炸鸡的，但并非到处都是。中午吃多了，晚餐就去一家连锁店要四个炸鸡翅，味道比KFC上口。

Andong 安东

April 3: In the early morning, we departed from Seoul by taking South Korea's state-of-the-art high-speed train to reach the ancient central city of Andong. After storing our luggage at the bus station, we went to the tourist office at the station to find out the information on the local transportation to the Andong Hahoe Village. Knowing that we won't be able to catch the bus to Hahoe Village in a few minutes, we went to the café in the station for a cup of Latte and a pastry and took a rest. We hopped on a local bus one hour later. In most cities in Korea, we can use T-Card we bought in Seoul for public transportation. We got off at the ticket office of the village, purchased the tickets, and boarded the free shuttle taking us to the village.

Once we got off the shuttle, we were greeted by a breathtaking display of cherry blossoms on the causeway stretching alongside the river. Our timing was impeccable, as it was spring, and the cherry blossoms had bloomed in their full glory. Rather than heading directly to the village, we decided to take a stroll along the walkway. The beauty of the cherry blossoms washed away any fatigue accumulated from our long journey, leaving us rejuvenated and captivated by the enchanting scenery of Korea's renowned cherry blossoms.

The Hahoe Village is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hahoe Village was established in the 14th-15th century by the Ryu clan, a renowned Korean family that produced prominent scholars and statesmen. With the village surrounded by water on three sides and backed by the scenic Flower Mountain, it truly is a place of excellent Feng Shui. The village's traditional tiled and thatched houses have been remarkably well-preserved to this day, and there are still a few residents living there. As we explored the village, we were pleased to see the meticulous restoration work, resembling what we had seen in Korean dramas. There were not too many tourists, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere. Our impression of Hahoe Village was quite positive, and it is definitely worth a visit.

After we visited Hahoe Village, we took the bus back to the bus station, picked up our luggage, and hopped on the taxi to go to the city center of Andong, where our hotel was located. After a brief rest, we headed to the nearby market in the old town.

The most famous Andong dish is Andong Jjimdak, a savory stewed chicken. Next to the market, an entire street is dedicated to serve the chicken dish, named Andong Jjimdak Street. This street is lined with over a dozen restaurants specializing in this dish. The stewed chicken was essentially braised chicken pieces with a few potatoes, carrots, and plenty of potato noodles. Each restaurant had several stoves set up outside for on-the-spot cooking. We ordered a small portion, but to our surprise, it arrived in an enormous pot that startled us. We couldn't even imagine what the large portion would look like. It felt like each portion was equivalent to a whole chicken. The taste was truly delightful, with a hint of spiciness and sweetness. In addition to the stewed chicken, Andong cuisine featured fried salted fish and Soju (Rice Wine). However, the shops only sold chicken and had no salted fish. While they did have rice wine, a bottle of it would be way too much for the two of us to handle, who don't drink alcohol. So we decided not to order it. We'll have to seize another opportunity to try salted fish in the future.

April 4: Before leaving for the train station, we took the opportunity to explore the captivating Andong Old Town and Traditional Cultural Museum near our hotel and see a Buddhist temple in the morning. The street was quiet, and we took pictures of the mural along the road. Then we called a taxi to the train station, had coffee and huge egg tart at the station cafe, and embarked on a morning journey to Busan, South Korea's second-largest city.

4/3: 一早离开了首尔乘坐韩国最先进的高速火车来到中部古城安东，把行李寄放在公交车站里之后，乘坐当地的公交车来到被列为世界遗产名录的河口村参观。春暖花开，正好碰上樱花盛开的时候，两人慢步在长堤上把这几天长途旅行带来的疲劳抛在脑后。河口村是建于公元十四 - 十五世纪的韩国柳氏家族的村落，在那里出了大儒家和宰相。这小村三面环水，背靠花山，真是风水宝地。村内的瓦房和草房均完好保存至今。现在还有少许人住在那里。我们在村里走走，小村修复得不错，就像韩剧中看到那样。游客不算多，非常安静。对河口村印象挺好，值得一去。

参观完河口村后，坐公交车回车站取了行李， 叫了出租车来到安东城中的旅馆。

小息后，去旅馆附近的安东炖鸡小街上吃韩国有名的美食 - 安东炖鸡。这条街上有十几家专做炖鸡的店，我们点了份小的炖鸡，结果上来一特大盆，吓我们一跳，真不知道点大份的会是什么样的盆。炖鸡实际上就像是红烧鸡块，加少许土豆，胡萝卜，还有许多红薯粉条。每家店外放几个炉子，当场现烧。感觉每份就是一只鸡，估计我们要了一只小鸡，吃了不少，味道还真不错，有点小辣有点甜味。除了炖鸡，安东美食还有炸咸鱼和烧酒，店里只卖鸡没有咸鱼，烧酒倒是有，可一瓶烧酒对我们二个不会喝酒的人来说肯定喝不完，所以就没点。咸鱼也只能以后有机会再尝试了。

4/4: 上午坐火车去釜山市，韩国第二大城市。在坐出租车去火车站之前在旅馆旁边的安东老城及传统文化博物馆区转了一圈，那里的建筑非常漂亮。在火车站的咖啡馆吃了早点之后， 登上去釜山的火车。

DMZ, Korean 非军事区

April 1: We left home on March 31 and flew to Seoul, South Korea, with a layover in Honolulu. Direct flight from the U.S. mainland to Asia usually takes between 12 to 15 hours these days, which becomes too long for our aging bodies. We tried to find a better way to handle the long journey. We booked Hawaiian Airlines in Economy Cabin but upgraded to the exit row with extra legroom. The wide-body jet usually has ample open space at the exit door. The flight was still long, about 7~8 hours for each segment, but since we had a stop at Honolulu in the middle of the flight and with the extra legroom, the flight was not too bad.

After a 23-hour-long journey, we finally arrived in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, on the evening of April 1. Our hotel was in Myeongdong district, the city center, but the Incheon International Airport was far away from the city. The express train from the airport to Seoul Station was convenient. The hotel reception was entirely replaced by robots, not a single person in sight. We checked in with the robot and our room was the smallest hotel room we ever had stayed. After dropping off our luggage, we ventured out to the nearby Myeongdong Night Market. We ordered grilled octopus, grilled beef, and stir-fried potato noodles, and although the taste was good, the prices were a bit higher than the dishes in the nearby small restaurants.

April 2: We had to wake up early before 6 am and boarded a tourist bus to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the 38th parallel. When we booked the tickets, the meeting time was initially scheduled for 7 am, but it was changed to 6 am after payment. We arrived at the Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park a little after 7, and already more than a dozen buses were parked in the parking lot. It seemed that others had woken up even earlier. We met a Dutch couple who said they gathered to leave the city at 5 am. The tour guide collected our passports and rushed to the ticket office to buy tickets. After thirty minutes, he returned and said the tickets were purchased and we would enter the DMZ at 2:30 in the afternoon. However, the ticket office wouldn't open until 9 am, so he must have arranged for someone to queue up and buy tickets for us.

Before heading to the DMZ, we had six hours to spare. We first strolled around the Imjingak part of Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park, the memorial area, and had breakfast. Imjingak Park has many statues and monuments regarding the Korean War, including Mangbaeddan, Monument to US Forces in the Korean War, Peace Train, and a bunker. There is also a selection of restaurants and an observation deck.

Then they drove us to the nearby Suspension Bridge Park to enjoy the beautiful scenery. We made a short stop at the Gloster Hill Memorial Park, commemorating the Gloucestershire Regiment's actions during the Battle of the Imjin River during the war. The original memorial and the recent expansion of the park are both thoughtfully designed and emotionally stirring.

Another memorial dedicated to the Gloucester Regiment, Gloucester Heroes Bridge, is not too far from the Memorial Park. The suspension bridge, which is over 220m long and 10m high, is the longest in South Korea. A small but quite beautiful Buddhist temple is on the hill at the end of the bridge. We did manage to climb up the mountain to visit the temple and back down to board the bus on time.

Returning to the park, we had lunch and continued leisurely walking on the other side, Pyeonghwa Nuri Park, also known as Peace Nuri Park. It is an extension of Imjingak Park and focuses on promoting peace and reunification. It features sculptures, art installations, and exhibition halls conveying peace and unity messages. We were fortunate to have good weather, with many people flying kites, young people camping and having picnics on the lawn, and even a music concert and amusement park. The colorful pinwheels were enjoyable to see. We sat there, drank coffee, and enjoyed the lively atmosphere.

The tour guide repeatedly emphasized the importance of returning to the bus on time for the DMZ. Finally, we arrived at the entrance of the DMZ. South Korean soldiers boarded the bus and checked our passports before the bus entered the control area. Our first stop was the Third Tunnel. It is said that North Korea had prepared sixteen tunnels to invade South Korea, and four of them have been discovered. The Third Tunnel is open to the public, and the tour guide jokingly mentioned that North Korea was so poor because they spent so much money on digging the tunnels, only for others to profit from them. Inside the tunnel, taller individuals had to stoop while walking, and we could constantly hear the sound of safety helmets hitting the ceiling. Chenggang was one of the victims. After the tunnel visit, we visited an observatory on the mountaintop to glimpse North Korea on the other side. With the clear weather, we could see people walking around the North Korean town through the telescope. Finally, in the Unification Village, we enjoyed some local soy milk ice cream, which tasted delicious.

The tour guide was amiable and well-informed, providing insightful information throughout the trip. However, he had a persistent cough that continued throughout. We sat in the front row, right beside him. During the return journey, he confided in us, revealing that he had contracted Covid a month ago and was still struggling to recover fully, mainly because he had lost his sense of smell. This revelation left us uneasy, but we allowed ourselves to relax a bit, assuming that we were adequately protected by our vaccination shots and had yet to contract the virus. We believed that we were somehow immune to the dangers of Covid.

After returning to Seoul, we went directly to a park along the Han River to see the cherry blossoms. Upon exiting the subway station, we found the place crowded with people. The lawn were fully occupied, and there were long queues to buy snacks. Young people stood in line to buy a bowl of instant noodles and sat on the ground to eat, embracing the ambiance. As elderly folks, we decided not to join the crowd and quickly returned to Myeongdong. We found a small restaurant near our hotel and enjoyed our favorite hot stone pot rice, seafood pancakes, and tofu soup. After the meal, we returned to our room to rest, knowing we had to wake up early the next day to continue our journey.

4/1: 经过整整二十三小时长途旅行后，在四月一号晚上到达韩国首都首尔。入住旅馆的前台完全被机器人代替了，一个人影都没有。放下行李后便马不停蹄地去了附近的明洞夜市，烤章鱼，烤牛肉和炒粉条各要了一份，味道还不错就是价格高了一点，比附近的小饭店里的菜还要贵。

4/2: 早早起床六点就上了旅游大巴去三八线的非军事区（DMZ)参观，订票时说是七点集合，钱付完后改成六点了，说是为了赶着买进非军事区的票。我们七点多一点就到和平公园，停车场上已经有十几辆大巴，看来别人比我们还早起，碰到一对荷兰的老外说他们五点集合离城的。导游把我们护照收起，赶着去售票处买票。过三十分钟后他回来说票买好了下午二点半进非军事区。但是售票处要九点才开，估计他肯定是找黄牛排队买票的。

在去非军事区前我们有六个小时打发，先在和平公园的纪念区转转，吃了个早点，然后去附近的吊桥公园看看，风景不错，我们还爬山去了山里的寺庙。再次回到和平公园，吃个午饭，接着在公园另一边走走，那里主要是当地人带孩子们休息玩耍的地方。正好赶上个好天气，好多人在放风筝，年轻人在草坪上搭上帐篷露营野餐，还有音乐会，游乐场。我们就在那里喝咖啡看热闹。

导游一再强调我们必须准时回大巴前往DMZ。终于来到非军事区的入口处，韩军小兵上车检查护照后，我们先去了第三隧道参观。据说北朝为了攻克南朝一共准备挖十六隧道，到目前为止已发现了四条。第三隧道对外开放，导游开玩笑说北朝所以穷就是花了那么多钱挖隧道，结果都让别人用来赚钱了。隧道里人高的必须弯腰走，一路就听见安全帽撞击的声音。隧道岀来又去山顶上的望远楼看看北朝鲜那一边。天气好，从望远镜里可以看到对面北朝鲜小镇上人走来走去。最后在统一小镇上吃上当地大豆冰淇淋，味道不错。

回到首尔后又直接去了汉河边的公园看樱花。出了地铁站后发现那里人山人海，草地全坐满人，买小吃都要排长队，年轻人排着长队买一碗泡面坐地上吃，他们要的是情调。我们老头老太就不凑热闹了，赶回明洞区，在旅馆边找了家小店，吃我们喜爱的石锅饭，海鲜饼和豆腐汤。饭后回房休息，明天又要早起继续我们的旅程。

Cancun 坎昆

Feb. 20-23: Over a week ago, due to the political turmoil in Colombia, we had to make a last-minute decision to cancel our plans to visit the country. Instead, we decided to head back home directly from Costa Rica. However, we didn't cancel our planned last stop on our Central America trip, Cancun, Mexico. Instead of flying from Bogota, Colombia, to Cancun, we needed to fly out from Phoenix. We booked the one-way tickets right after we arrived home from Costa Rica. After a week at home, we flew to Cancun on the 20th.

We booked a three-night all-inclusive vacation package from Costco Travel. We waited more than one hour at the Cancun airport to be picked up and transferred to Wyndham Grand Cancun Resort and Villas. The experience wasn't pleasant. Since we would arrive in Cancun with different airlines and flight numbers, we updated our flight information with Costco Travel right after buying new tickets. We were unsure what caused the delay; we checked with the local company at Cancun Airport that handles the transfer, and our names were on the list. We finally arrived at the resort after a long wait. The dinner was a simple buffet at the resort since we were too late to book the specialty restaurant.

We started our morning with breakfast at the resort's beachside restaurant the following day. It was a beautiful scene, and it just couldn't get any better. The ocean was calm, although small yellow and red flags scattered along the beach indicated various safety conditions. After breakfast, we took the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, which starkly contrasted with the Pacific Ocean on the opposite side of the continent.

Unfortunately, the weather became windy as the days passed, and the waves grew rough. Small red flags replaced yellow ones, signaling risk warnings, and were all over the beach, making us hesitant to venture into the water. Our plans to go on a bird-watching tour to an island had to be canceled as all boat trips were suspended due to unfavorable ocean conditions.

Despite the unforeseen changes, we made the most of our time in Cancun. Each morning, we indulged in the tranquil beauty of the beach, witnessing breathtaking sunrises while enjoying breakfast. Afterward, we ventured outside of the resort to explore the surrounding area. One afternoon, we had a wonderful time capturing numerous photos of the pelicans on the beach.

Our hotel offered various dining options, including Japanese sushi, Italian and Brazilian restaurants, a buffet, and small Mexican eateries. However, we were disappointed with the Mexican food as it didn't meet our high expectations as a local food. The Brazilian restaurant was the best, and the Italian restaurant came second. The overall dining experience was average at best, and we couldn't help but feel it fell short of our previous experiences. Several pools at the resort were not crowded, but the continuous music playing from morning to night was a constant presence. We had been dreaming of visiting Cancun for years, many others considering it a dream tourist attraction, but unfortunately, it didn't become our favorite place.

The following paragraphs are the Chinese version of the travel journal.

2/20 - 2/23：一个多星期前因为考虑到哥伦比亚政局动荡，我们在最后一刻取消了去哥伦比亚的计划，买票直接从哥斯达黎加打道回府，但我们俩并没有取消这次旅程的最后一个热点-墨西哥坎昆。从哥斯达黎加回到家第一时间就买了飞坎昆的机票。在家休整一周后，20号飞到坎昆。

我们通过好市多旅游预订了三晚的全包度假套餐。在坎昆机场等待了一个多小时后，我们被接送到温德姆至尊坎昆度假村和别墅。晚餐只能在度假村内的简单自助餐厅就餐，因为我们未能提前预订特色餐厅。

 第二天，海上有些小浪，但还算平静，海滩上小黄旗中参杂着些小红旗。我们下了海，体验了一下加勒比海水的暖，的确与前几周的太平洋海水有很大不同。后面几天变得大风大浪，海滩上一眼望去小红旗到处都是，没敢下水。在坎昆的几天没有任何特别的活动，原本想专门跟团去岛上看鸟也因为风浪太大，所有船都取消。

 每天早晨，我们在海滩边的餐厅里享用早餐，欣赏令人叹为观止的日出，沉浸在宁静的海滩美景中。吃完早餐后，去大街上走走，下午去海边给鹈鹕们照像。酒店包一日三餐和各种酒水。有日本寿司，意大利和巴西餐馆，自助餐，还有墨西哥小餐厅，但这次墨西哥菜是有生以来最难吃的。巴西餐馆最好，意大利餐馆其次，总的来说只能说是马马虎虎。酒店的几个游泳池人并不满，但音乐声从早到晚不停，也许喜欢爬梯的人很开心，我们俩却觉得有点吵。要来坎昆玩已经说好几年了，一个对好多人来说梦寐以求的旅游景点，可惜这不是我们的＂菜＂。

Costa Rica 哥斯达黎加 (2)

Feb 5: On the way to Manuel Antonio National Park, we stopped briefly by the beach along the road. We saw beautiful red Macaw, but what attracted us more was the small fish stall of the locals on the beach, cleaning the fish just caught from the sea, putting them in bags according to the size, and marking the price.

Lunch was seafood at a seaside restaurant, La Parcela, recommended by the host. The sea was on both sides of the restaurant, and the view was beautiful.

Around 3 pm, we arrived at the Hotel San Bada next to the national park entrance, and the town was full of traffic, like a lively tourist town. After settling in, the two of us went to the top-floor restaurant for a cup of coffee and watched the beautiful sunset. Soon attracted by a roar, several howler monkeys played in the trees beside the hotel. The sound was a little frightening. It was getting dark, and no photos could be taken.

Too full from the big lunch, our friends decided to skip the dinner, and two of us had a simple dinner at the Japanese restaurant on the hotel's rooftop in the evening, and the food was delicious.

Feb 6: After breakfast, we went to the beach first. In addition to being right next to the national park's entrance, the hotel was not too far from the beach. We did not dare to go into the sea at the beach with big waves. We just rented an umbrella and sat on the beach for a while. When the waves hit the beach, the water carries a lot of fine sand onto the beach, so the water is very muddy, and walking on the beach is not too comfortable.

Back at the hotel, we had lunch at one of the hotel's restaurants. Then we joined the tour group to Manuel Antonio National Park. We were supposed to buy tickets online with real names to get inside this national park. However, no tickets were available online, but local travel agencies had all the passes. So for us, the only way to get into the park was to join their tours. We bought our tickets through the receptionist at the hotel shortly after we arrived yesterday. The morning tours were all sold out, and we only got the day's last tour, starting at 1 pm. The park closed at 4 o'clock, so we only had two to three hours to explore. For each tour, about every ten tourists were accompanied by a tour guide who carried a high-powered telescope, and he stopped from time to time to show us animals through the telescope, which we could not see with the naked eye, such as spiders, bats, sloths, and more. The tour guide didn't give us much time, and often we rushed through the park. When we came to the beautiful beach in the park, we didn't even have the opportunity to get our feet wet, only time to take a few photos because the beach closed at 3 o'clock. Maybe we had seen too many animals in Panama and at Jim's house before, perhaps we had too high expectations for this national park, or maybe the park had too many guides with high-powered telescopes leading tourists like us. We felt that today's group tour was not impressive and worthwhile.

After walking in the park for 3 hours on a hot day, everyone was a little tired, so we returned to the hotel for a short rest and then to the Japanese restaurant on the top floor for dinner. In fact, outside the park gate, there are many restaurants near the hotel, but they only do the business of daytime tourists. After the park closes at 4 o'clock, most shops are closed, the lights are turned off, and the whole street is deserted at night.

Feb 7: Manuel Antonio National Park closed its doors on Tuesday, and of course, the town was deserted, and there were few tourists. Today we were heading for our next stop, La Fortuna. Along the way, we stopped at Esterillos Oeste beach near Jaco when the tide was low. The fine sand beach stretches far into the sea. The four of us leisurely strolled on the tranquil beach with only a few small empty boats parking there. It was a pleasant and peaceful experience. After leaving the beach, we stopped at a street vendor in Jaco Town, having an iced-cool fresh coconut for two dollars, which was very delicious. Lunch was at Amara in town, and then we headed to the Crocodile Bridge to see crocodiles. Two of us came here on a local crocodile tour last month during our cruise trip, but we did not stop at the bridge and went directly to the touring boat. We only saw a few small crocodiles in the river that day during the tour, and we were very disappointed then. Today we walked onto the bridge, looked down, and nearly twenty large crocodiles were lying there. The best part, it was free of charge; we didn't need to pay for any guided tour.

Before dark, we arrived at the Baldi Hotels Hot Spring Resort and were greeted with a refreshing cocktail. We dropped off our luggage in the room and went directly to soak in the hot springs at the resort. Over two dozen hot springs have different water temperatures on the resort campus. We would stay here for three days, and my friends joked about soaking in every one of the two dozen hot springs to get our money's worth. Dinner was a simple Pizza, salad, and shrimp fried rice at the hotel.

Feb 8: After breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we drove to the Arenal Volcano National Park, and there was a long line of cars waiting to enter the park at the entrance. In the park, we chose a slightly longer and more challenging hike. The trail was not steep, but it was very muddy. On the path, we saw the 400-year-old Ceiba trees, the only plants that survived the 1969 volcano eruption.

At the volcano observation point, the weather change on the top of the mountain is unpredictable; most of the time, the top is covered by clouds. We waited more than 30 minutes but did not see the Arenal peak. On the way back to the hotel, we went to a Korean restaurant and had bibimbap, which tasted good.

Back to the hotel, we went to the hot springs again, hopping from low temp hot springs to high temp ones to relax after strenuous hiking in the morning. In the evening, we went to a small restaurant, Marisquerias Snapper, in the town, recommended by a friend; we had fried whole fish, seafood soup, etc. The food tasted great, and the place was highly recommended.

Feb 9: Our plan today was to go to La Fortuna Waterfall, a private park owned by an American, a must-visit place in La Fortuna. Tickets are not cheap, but the park is very well-built. The waterfall accessed by climbing down 543 steps is indeed lovely and spectacular. It's easy to go down but hard to walk up. We were a little breathless, walking up from the bottom, and had to stop many times. At noon, we found a small restaurant next to the bus terminal in the town, where many locals ate. A simple plate of fried rice with shrimp and pork ribs was cheap and delicious.

After returning to the hotel for a short nap, we returned to the hot springs. Connie got so many bug bites in the last two days while at the hot springs she refused to go there anymore. In the evening, we returned to the town center and found a small café, Travesia, serving beef soup. In Costa Rica, we found their local beef/beef bone broth to be very delicious and similar to our Chinese beef soup but with a lot of potatoes, corn, and melons.

Feb 10: This morning, it had been raining heavily in Fortuna, and we were leaving for San José, the capital of Costa Rica. The 120-kilometer road took us more than four hours to drive by trying to avoid the highways with 700 numbers, which is very difficult to navigate as told, and it twists up and down very much. We were not sure that was a wise decision. We could better plan the trip to San Jose to see more places along the way. The roads we drove on were not easy, plus the road had a lot of potholes. One of us got motion sickness all the way. Along the way, we bought some local fresh strawberries from the small shop on the street, and these were the best strawberries with a strong flavor.

Before arriving in San José, we stopped by Alajuela, the third largest city in Costa Rica. We found our beloved beef/beef bone broth in their central market. Having a large bowl of beef soup and pork Tamale (pork corn dumplings) for lunch was very satisfying. The beef broth was thick and fragrant, and it was the best one so far. Tamales were also tastier than the ones in the United States. After lunch, we visited the Catholic Church and Square Park, then drove back to the rental center to return the car, and our first rental car abroad (not counting in Canada) ended successfully.

An Uber took us to our Airbnb rental. It was a three-bedroom unit with a kitchen, a living room, two bathrooms, and a work area. It was clean and spacious. After a short rest, we went to a Cantonese restaurant, Mulan, for dinner. We had eaten a lot of fresh seafood these days, so we ordered ground beef soup (West Lake beef soup in Chinese), fried noodles, two portions of green leafy vegetables, and a large pot of salted fish clay pot rice, which all tasted very good. We could not finish the steamed rice with salted fish and saved the rest for the next day.

Feb 11: We had a full day in San Jose today and no particular plans to visit any places. A fruit and vegetable wholesale market near our rented unit is open from 10 pm to 2 pm the next day. We went there early in the morning to buy fresh strawberries, pineapples, papayas, and watermelons. We also tried a cup of freshly squeezed sugarcane juice and coconut. Sugarcane juice is super sweet, and pineapple is also sweet, much better than those in the United States.

After breakfast, we strolled towards the city center and toured the central market with many snack bars. The downtown area filled up with many local pedestrians but few foreign tourists. Lunch was DIM SUM at a Chinese restaurant in the downtown area, then we returned to our Airbnb and went online to work on the immigration entry form for Colombia. Interestingly we couldn't find the United States in the list of countries, and we spent a lot of time searching on the Internet and finally found the reason. Even though the form is in English, the country listings are in Spanish. The Spanish language for the United States is Estados Unidos, while American or The United States is used elsewhere. We finally filled out and sent the form, but not all of us received the confirmation email. Without this confirmation letter, we couldn't get on the plane tomorrow. It often happens to too many tourists, as mentioned on the Internet. The four of us tried many different options, spent almost the whole afternoon completing the form to figure out what went wrong, and finally got confirmation from the authority. We checked in and were ready to go to our next destination, Columbia.

Dinner was the last night's leftover from the clay pot-cooked rice. While we were having a large bowl of watermelon and papaya after dinner, one of our friends received her daughter's text message about our visit to Colombia. The daughter said that her friend's family in Colombia had begun stockpiling goods for an upcoming country-wide demonstration. No one knows what would happen, but her Colombia friend suggested giving the trip a second thought. Before our trip, we had registered for the U.S. government's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, STEP, and let the government know where we were going. After coming to Central America, we often received emails from the local U.S. Embassies about regional social developments. We were told there had been small-scale anti-government demonstrations in Colombia recently. Whether it is a good time to visit Colombia was often a topic for conversation after our dinner these days. According to the emails we received, country-wide pro-government and anti-government protests have been scheduled on February 14 and 15, when we would visit several major cities in Colombia, including their capital, Bogota. Going to Colombia was the highlight of our trip, but for safety, everyone agreed to change the plan, no more Colombia, and go home tomorrow instead. We immediately went online to buy the tickets to fly back to the U.S. We were all disappointed, but it's better to be safe than say sorry. We will give it another try next time.

 The following paragraphs are the Chinese version of the travel journal.

吃完早餐，正在装车准备离开，突然间来了一群松鼠猴，偷吃房东Jim 特地给它们准备的香蕉。在民宿住了三天，天天盼望着能在园子里看到小猴，可就是没出现，只在附近其它地方有看到各种𤠣子，而今天就在我们马上要离开时它们却突然出现了，太神奇，太幸运了。告别了房东，依依不舍地离开了森林中的木屋。

在开往Manuel Antonio 国家公园的路上，我们有在沿路的海滩边短暂停留，有看到漂亮的红鸟，但更吸引我们的是当地人小小的鱼摊，将刚刚旁边海里捕来的鱼清洗干净，按大小装在袋子里，标上价格，只可惜我们在赶路，只能看不能买。午餐是在房东推荐的一家海边餐厅吃的海鲜，风景很美，二边都是海。

下午三点左右到了就在国家公园入口处旁的旅馆，小镇上是车水马龙人丁兴旺，像是一个热闹的旅游镇。安顿好后我们俩上顶楼餐厅喝上一杯咖啡，看着美丽的夕阳西落。不久被一阵吼声所吸引，几只吼猴在旅馆边的树上玩耍，声音之大有些吓人，天暗了，没能拍到照片。

晚上还是在旅馆顶楼的日本餐厅吃了简单晚餐。

2/6: 早上早餐后，先去海滩看看。住的旅馆除了就在国家公园入口处的边上，另外还有条通道可以直接去海边，也算是一个优点了。来到海边，浪有点大，没敢下海只是租了把伞在海滩上坐了一会儿。海滩上的沙子非常细，海浪冲上海滩时水带着许多细沙，很浑浊有些像泥浆水，走在沙滩上感觉并不是那么舒服。

中午在旅馆的餐厅吃了午饭之后便跟旅游团去Manuel Antonio 国家公园。去这个国家公园需要在网上实名订票，但一票难求。可是当地旅行社都有进公园的门票，所以对我们来说，能走进公园的唯一办法是参加他们的旅游团。我们通过旅馆的前台帮我们订了今天下午的票。每十位游客有一位导游带着，他携带高倍望远镜，不时地停下来，用望远镜可以看到我们很难看到的动物，蜘蛛，蝙蝠，树懒(sloth)等等。也许是我们之前在巴拿马以及房东Jim家看到了太多动物，也许是我们之前对这个国家公园的期待值太高，也许是公园里到处是背着高倍望远镜的导游带领着像我们一样的游客，总觉得今天的跟团游性价比很低。因为我们没订到早晨的票，下午我们进公园时已经是1点多了，公园4点关门，所以导游没给我们太多时间，而是常常在赶路，等来到公园内漂亮的海滩时连湿脚的机会都没有，只有时间拍几张照片，因为海滩在3点就关闭了。期待很久的Manuel Antonio 国家公园游就这样匆匆地结束了。

大热天在公园里走了2～3个小时，大家都有点累，回旅馆休息一下晚上又上顶楼的日本餐厅吃饭。其实公园门外，旅馆附近有很多饭店，但是基本只做白天游客的生意，公园下车4点关门后，这些店也大都关门熄灯了，晚上整条街冷冷清清的。不想开车去远些的镇里，所以我们就图个方便在旅馆搞定晚餐。

 2/7: 周二Manuel Antonio 国家公园关门休息，当然整个镇也是冷冷清清的，游客稀少。今天我们又要前往下一站La Fortuna.

先在沿途海滩稍作停留，大概正是低潮的时候，细细的沙滩沿伸到很外面，走在上面有些软软的，有几个小船停在沙滩上。离开沙滩继续往前开，在Jaco小镇又停了一下，路过有卖新鲜冰椰子，二块美金一大个，很好喝。在镇里吃个午饭后又赶路，来到鳄鱼桥。上个月我们坐游轮时来过这里，当时参加了当地的一个看鳄鱼的团，有经过鳄鱼桥，但并没有在桥上停，而是直接去坐船在河里看。记得那天总共没见着几条鳄鱼，且都是非常小的，当时还特别失望。今天走到桥上往下看，近二十条大鳄鱼躺在那里。

在天黑之前，我们来到了Baldi 温泉度假酒店。放下行李，就先去温泉里泡一会儿。酒店里总共有大大小小二十几个不同温度的温泉。我们在这里住三天，朋友开玩笑说要把这二十几个温泉都泡一遍。晚饭就在酒店里吃了Pizza，色拉 和炒饭。

 2/8： 一早在酒店吃了早餐之后就赶紧来到Arenal火山国家公园，入口处进公园的车子已经排起长龙。进到公园后，我们选择了一条稍微长一点难一点的徒步路线。其实路并不陡，但非常泥泞，有时候无可避免地必须从泥浆中走过。在小路上，可以看到400年老的木棉树（Ceiba), 这几棵老树在1969年火山爆发中是唯一幸存下来的植物。

来到火山观望点，山顶的气候变化无常，绝大部分时间山顶都是被云遮住，我们等了三十多分钟还是没有完全云开雾散，没见到山顶的真容，有一点点扫兴。回酒店路上去一家韩国店吃了石锅饭，味道不错。

回到温泉酒店后又去泡温泉，从水温低的泡到水温高的温泉，缓解上午徒步的疲劳。晚上去镇上一家朋友推荐的小饭馆里吃了油炸全鱼，海鲜汤等。

 2/9: 今天的活动是去La Fortuna瀑布，是在一家私人公园内。门票不便宜，但是这里的必游之地。公园修建的很好，走543格楼梯才到瀑布底下，瀑布的确不错，也很壮观。下山容易上山难，五百多步从底部往上走还是有点气喘吁吁。中午在镇上找了一家汽车总站旁的小饭馆，有很多当地人在那里吃，生意兴隆。简简单单的一盘虾仁炒饭和排骨饭，便宜又好吃。

回到酒店睡了个午觉之后又去泡温泉。晚上再回到镇上找了一家有牛肉汤的小店。来哥斯达黎加后发现他们当地牛肉／牛骨汤特别好吃，和我们的骨头汤差不多，但加了不少玉米，瓜类。

 2/10: 今天Fortuna 早上下大雨，我们要离开这里前往哥斯达黎加的首都 - 圣何塞。120公里的路却开了4个多小时，还是避开700字头的公路。据说700字号的公路特别难开，上上下下弯弯曲曲得很厉害。但我们开的另一条公路也并不容易，再加上路上坑坑洼洼，有人一路晕车☹️😢😭。在沿途路边，我们买了些当地产的草莓，非常新鲜，草莓味道很浓。

在到达圣何塞之前我们先顺路去了附近的另一个城市 - Alajuela, 哥斯达黎加第三大城市。看了一下他们的中央市场，在那里又找到了我们深爱的牛肉／牛骨汤。一大碗牛肉汤再加猪肉Tamale（猪肉玉米粽子）下肚，很满足。牛肉汤又浓又香是吃到现在最好的。玉米粽也比美国的好吃。接着去了天主教堂和广场公园走一下，然后就开车来到租车中心把租的车还了，我们第一次在国外租车（加拿大不算）的经历也算到此结束。接下来的行程又会以出租车/Uber为主。

叫了Uber来到我们租住的民宿，三房一厅二卫还有个工作区，又干净又宽敞，很舒适。稍微休息一下后晚上去了一家广东人开的餐馆。这几天海鲜吃多了，今晚换换口味，要了西湖羹，炒面，二份绿叶蔬菜和一大锅咸鱼煲饭，味道很不错的。那一大沙锅的煲饭估计二顿都吃不完。

2/11: 我们今天在圣何塞有一整天的时间，也没有特别的计划去参观什么地方。在我们住的民宿附近有水果蔬菜批发市场，晚上十点开到第二天的下午二点。我们一早就去买了些草莓，菠萝，木瓜和西瓜。在那里喝了一杯新鲜的甘蔗汁和椰子汁。甘蔗汁超甜，菠萝也很甜，比在美国喝的要好得多。

早餐后，我们就慢慢地走去市中心，在中央市场里转了一大圈，有许多家小吃店，看上去不错，但我们没在那里尝试。市中心路上当地行人不少但外来游客寥寥无几。

中午在一家中餐馆里吃早茶后，回到民宿，上网想把哥伦比亚的入境表填了，但就是在国家列表里找不到美国，花不少时间上网搜索，最终找到了原因。即使表格是英文版，其中一个国家列表是西语。美国的西语是Estados Unidos, 而在表格上其它地方却用American 或者是The United States。好不容易填好表格送出，但就是不见确认邮件。没有这份确认信明天上不了飞机，网上查了半天据说这事常发生😭。四人整整花了一个下午总算才把进境表格这事搞定。办好明天的航班登机手续，一切就绪， 明天出发去哥伦比亚。

晚餐是吃昨晚剩下的煲仔饭。饭后吃着一大盆西瓜和木瓜时，朋友的女儿送来了个短信对我们去哥伦比亚有点担心，告诉我们她朋友在哥伦比亚的家人都已经开始囤积货物，没人知道情况会如何发展，建议我们再考虑一下行程。实际上，是否这时候该去哥伦比亚也是我们这几天饭后的话题。来中美州之前，我们注册了美国政府的STEP program，把要去的地方告诉政府。来中美州后，时常会收到当地美国使馆关于当地社会动态的邮件。我们被告知最近这几天哥伦比亚常有小规模护政府和反政府示威游行，接下来的一周各个城市都分别安排了游行。据说在二月十四和十五日会举行全国性亲政府和反政府的示威游行，而这一周我们正好在哥伦比亚的几个大城市里。去哥伦比亚是我们这次行程的热点，但是为了安全，大家讨论之后决定打道回府，马上买机票明天飞回美国。来日方长，我们还会去哥国的。

Costa Rica 哥斯达黎加 (1)-Osa Peninsula

The custom process in Costa Rica is also quick and convenient, not as complicated as it is discussed online. The border station in Costa Rica is a hundred meters away from the Panama border station, and it is easy to find. We don't need to fill out any form or pay any fee to enter the country. They asked for information about the hotel we would stay in Costa Rica and the booked tickets to leave Costa Rica. They then stamped our passports, and the process took about a few minutes for the four of us. It was a big relief for us since we had prepared for more complicated procedures and difficult situations arising. We would say that going through the land custom is faster and more convenient than at the airport.

The Alamo rental place is nearby, another 100 meters from the customs station. The staff at the station was English-speaking and accommodating, even waiving the fee for adding an additional driver. The Toyota RAV4 we got was new, only over 2,000 kilometers. After signing all the necessary documents, we took the car and happily drove away. The highway is also well-maintained. At noon, we had lunch at a local café, Soda Samuel. Soda means a small café in Costa Rica. We had no idea what to order. We saw the locals all having some kind of big bowl of soup and a bowl of rice, so we ordered the same. The beef bone soup, Olla de Carne, was delicious. People in Costa Rica seem to eat more rice than we do. We also stopped at a supermarket, Maxi Pali, to get bottled water and fruit. Having a car makes travel more flexible and convenient.

Our destination is the Osa Peninsula in the Puntarenas Province of southwestern Costa Rica, with the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Golfo Dulce to the east. The peninsula is home to at least half of all species living in Costa Rica. The villa we booked through booking.com is in a remote village called Palo Seco. The Costa Rica-Panama border is on the east side of the Golfo Dulce. We had to drive north and around the Golfo Dulce to get there. The town is out of populated areas, and Google Maps doesn't even show the direction. The host wanted to meet us at the interception near the highway, but we managed to get to the booked villa, Casa Ranas, based on the host's direction at 2:30 pm. The two-story house features a beautiful garden, a lounge, and a terrace on 32 -acres next to Corcovado Nation Park. Another reason for us to book this house was that it has a wildlife photography tower. The owner is an Englishman who loves wildlife photography. He was accommodating and responsive. He had communicated with us many times before the trip to ensure that we would find his place without trouble and provided us with some tips, like WAZE and Google not working for his place.

We spent the afternoon on the property and relaxed a little bit. The supper was homemade tomato egg soup and green leaves. At night, the host took us to look for red-eyed frogs in his garden. We heard their calling but couldn't find them; we found other frogs, lizards, and spiders.

Feb 3: Early in the morning, we woke up to the sound of birds. We took so many pictures in the garden. Our original plan was to go to Corcovado National Park, a very eco-friendly place with 2.5% of the world's biodiversity. Most of the peninsula is a national park, and every visitor to visit the park was required to be accompanied by a local guide or join a tour to enter the park. The park entrances were far away from where we stayed. Jim, the host, recommended we go to Matapalo at the peninsula's tip, near Puerto Jimenez, instead. He thought going to the national park with lots of off-road driving would be inconvenient. We followed his advice and headed out to Port Jimenez.

When we were just out of the rented house and passed Palo Seco, we saw a lot of squirrel monkeys jumping up and down on the trees on the roadside. It excited us, and we parked the car and kept taking pictures until they left.

Puerto Jimenez is the largest town on the peninsula, but there is not much to see, so we headed straight to Matapalo Beach. Neither WAZE nor Google could give us a good direction. We just drove on the paved road until it reached a reasonably well-built dirt and gravel road. The gravel road has a beautiful view of the calm Golfo Dulce on the left and cattle and horses on the other. After a while, the dirt road turned into a bumpy, rough road in the woods, with the resorts and retreat emerging in the forest. Thankfully we rented a four-wheel drive car and could drive slowly towards the beach, but the car ride was so bumpy that within a few minutes, one of us got terrible motion sickness, so we turned around and looked for a beach nearby. We got off at Pan Dulce Beach.

"Pan Dulce Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, located on the Golfo Dulce side. The beach is known for its pristine white sand, crystal-clear waters, and lush tropical vegetation." - From ChatGPT. On the beach, we silently watched the spectacle of pelicans rushing into the sea repeatedly to catch the fish. On the contrary, a local person was standing in the water casting net many times without catching a single fish when we were there. The big birds must be thinking about how unskillful this guy is.

After spending some time on the beach, we returned to Puerto Jimenez for lunch. We ate at Marisqueria Corcovado Seafood restaurant by the sea and enjoyed watching birds flying and boats sailing while eating. After lunch, we bought a watermelon and papaya from a roadside fruit stall for ten dollars, which we thought was expensive. Since we arrived in Costa Rica yesterday, it has become clear that food here are more expensive than in Panama. Our host agreed that the price in Osa was twice that of Panama and the rest of Costa Rica.

On the way back to the villa, we stopped by Finca Kobo Chocolate Farm/Inn to buy some raw chocolate. The place has a fantastic garden and offers a chocolate tour on the premise.

Feb 4: At five o'clock in the morning, Chenggang went to Jim's garage-converted cabin for an early morning coffee while the three ladies were still sleeping. Jim would live in the cabin alone when the big house was rented out. After coffee, Jim took Chenggang to the garden belonging to an old American lady for a photo shoot. On the way there, he talked about his life story. Jim's father, a biologist working for the United Nations, traveled a lot and lived all over the world with his family. Jim returned to the U.K. at 12 and traveled the world as an adult because of his work. He has visited more than 80 countries around the world, including China. Jim doesn't consider England his hometown. He looked for places he liked to live and picked Costa Rica as his new place due to his love of wildlife photography. He is turning this 24-acre property into a wildlife photography paradise. Interestingly, Costa Rica is not his home country either, and he goes back to England every year to be a substitute teacher for Geology for a few months, not for money, but to keep himself as a part of the U.K., as he said.

The American Lady's Garden is on an east-facing hillside with a spectacular panoramic view of the calm Golfo Dulce. We arrived just in time for the beautiful sunrise and enjoyed nature. At this time, a group of scarlet macaws flew in, and we kept taking pictures. The primary purpose of our visit there this time was to take photos of hummingbirds, but unfortunately, there are few hummingbirds, but Jim did manage to capture a rare hummingbird. Because Jim had also arranged another activity for all four of us, we hurried back to the villa.

After breakfast, Jim did another activity with Chenggang. He took Chenggang up to his 8-meter-high self-built photography tower, and under his safety protection, Chenggang slowly climbed to the top of the tower, stayed on it for a while to take a few photos, and then came down. His legs were a little shaky.

Then it was time for the group activity. Jim took the four of us to the reconstructed primary forest in his backyard. We hiked up and down in the woods, wearing the tall boots he specially prepared for the tenants (to prevent poisonous snakes) and listening to him explaining some basic knowledge of biology and plants. We could feel his passion and love for the wildlife. Along the way, Jim retrieved the cameras he put into the forest the day before yesterday. Throughout the morning, Jim spent much of his time with us, which he didn't have to, and we were very grateful.

At noon we invited Jim to join us for lunch at a small local restaurant nearby called Soda Leila. The Leila didn't have the menu, but fortunately, Jim knew the place very well and knew what to order, and we just followed him. The lunch was great, very local, and decent. After lunch, we went to the supermarket to buy some fruit and pizza and then went to the Finca Kobo Chocolate Farm/Inn again for coffee. Not only can you buy 100% pure cocoa powder, but there is also a gorgeous garden where we saw many different species of beautiful birds and were lucky enough to see two different types of monkeys jumping among trees for a while. It was exhilarating and enriching for us.

A solar-powered satellite service in the village provided the WiFi at Jim's place. After the dark, the WiFi didn't seem to work. It was inconvenient in this digitally connected world, but it gave us more time to immerse in nature and enjoy it.

Feb 5: We got up early and walked around the garden. Chenggang took a chair and sat quietly in the garden, watching many beautiful birds flying around the forest. He was so emotional when Jim, the thoughtful host, saw him sitting there alone and brought him cup of hot coffee. We didn't know Jim before and simply rented his house for three days in a foreign country. During our stay, knowing that we loved to travel and take photos, he provided us with countless extra help and left us with unforgettable memories.

Today we are going to our next stop, Manuel Antonio National Park. After breakfast, when we were loading the car and preparing to leave, a group of squirrel monkeys came and stole bananas designed for them by Jim. We had hoped to see those little monkeys in the garden for the last three days, but they didn't appear. Today they suddenly appeared just as we were about to leave, and we felt so lucky. Saying goodbye to Jim, we reluctantly left the beautiful wooden house in the forest.

The following paragraphs are the Chinese version of the travel journal.

进哥斯达黎加也很方便，没像网上说的那么复杂。边境站离巴拿马边境站没几步路，很容易找，也不用填表交过关税，只要看一下我们在哥斯达黎加旅馆的信息以及我们离开哥斯达黎加的机票，然后在护照盖了章就算过境了。

租车点就在附近，我们订的丰田RAV4，车基本上是新的，只开了二千公里，工作人员也特别热心。这是我们第一次在美国外租车。拿了车高高兴兴上路，他们的高超公路也修的不错。有车还是很方便，半路上我们在一家当地小饭店，喝了一碗牛肉汤，还吃了Taco。牛肉汤很好喝，好像每一位顾客都在喝汤加上一碗白米饭，这里人不比中国人少吃饭。顺路再去超市买些水果和蔬菜。

下午二点半到了我们预定的民宿，主人是一位英国人，喜欢摄影，特别热心。晚上他带着我们找红眼青青蛙，但没找到，明后天再试试。

2/3： 一早被各种鸟声吵醒。今天原来准备去Corcovado 国家公园，是环境保护很好的地方，它具有世界上2.5%生物多样性。整个半岛绝大数区域都是国家公园，每位游客进公园都需要当地导游陪同或者参加旅游团。但公园的入口非常远。我们民宿的主人建议我们去在半岛尖点的Matapalo. 他认为去国家公园实在太不方便了，会很累。我们按他的建议上路去Jimenez 港。

刚出我们租的民宿，就在路边的树上看到不少松鼠猴，在树林里跳跃，上上下下，使我们激动不已，太幸运了。

Jimenez 是半岛上最大的小镇，但没什么可看的，我们就直奔Matapalo，去Matapalo 海滩的路连谷歌都没法告诉怎么走，我们看着地图觉得还可以走。一会儿就从水泥路上了修得还算不错的土石路，一路景色优美，左边是平静的海湾，另一边是牛马牧场。再过一会儿，我们转入更为简单的石路，幸好我们租了四轮驱动的车，觉得慢慢地开车到海滩应该是没什么问题，但车上下左右颠簸太厉害，没几分钟我们就有点晕车了，转头就在附近找个海滩看看。在海滩上，默默地看着鹈鹕们一次次冲入海中觅食的奇景，而一位当地人站在水里撒网半天也没抓到一条鱼，大鸟们一定在想这位傻哥不知干啥呢。

从海滩回到Jimenez 小镇，找了家海边的海鲜饭店边吃边欣赏海景。又在路边水果摊买了个西瓜和一个木瓜，十块美金。自昨天来到哥斯达黎加之后就明显感觉到这里的物价要比巴拿马贵。回民宿与主人聊起，他说的确如此，物价是巴拿马的一倍。

民宿的WiFi 是用太阳能的，太阳落山后就没信号了，也让我们有更多时间去听鸟，找鸟🐦🦜🦤。

2/4：热心的民宿主人Jim是一位来自英国的大学老师及业余摄影师。早晨五点，Chenggang先去Jim用车库改装的小木屋喝咖啡，平时如果大房子租岀去的话他就自己住小木屋。咖啡之后他便带着Chenggang去一位美国老太的花园里照相。Jim的父亲是一位为联合国工作的生物学家，小时候随父亲到处为家，他在12岁才回到英国, 成年后由于自己工作关系也是满世界跑。从小到大足迹遍布世界各地八十几个国家包括中国。对他来说英国𣎴是他的故乡。他寻找他喜欢的地方，由于他爱好野生动物的摄影，就搬到了哥斯达黎加。准备把这24公亩的家园变成野生动物摄影的天堂。有趣的是哥斯达黎加也不是他的家，每年他回去做几个月的替代老师，不全为的是钱，而是为了使得自己仍然是英国的一部分。

美国老太的花园位于朝东的山坡上，远望平静的海湾和冉冉升起的旭日，我们陶醉于大自然中。这时一群猩红金刚鹦鹉飞来，我们俩照不停，他的是专业的。我们这次去那里的主要目的是照飞鸟，可惜的是飞鸟没几个，但Jim照到一个很少见的飞鸟。因为接下来还有他为我们大家安排的节目，我们就匆匆赶回住所。

吃完早餐后，他带我上他8米高的自建摄影塔，在他安全保护下，我慢慢地爬上塔，在上面待了一会儿照几张照片后我们就下来了。然后他又带着我们四人去他后园里的重建森林和原始森林走走，穿着他特地为房客准备的高筒靴子（以防毒蛇），高一脚低一脚地走在森林里，听他给我们讲解一些生物和植物基本常识，还顺便把他前天放在森林里的相机取回。整整一个上午Jim自告奋勇地做了我们的私人向导，我们心存感激。中午我们邀请他和我们一起去附近当地一家小餐厅吃午饭。

之后我们先去超市买了点水果和Pizza，然后来到Jim推荐的他家附近的一家专做巧克力tour的小旅店喝咖啡。那里不仅可以买到100%的纯可可粉，还有着非常漂亮的花园，我们在那里看到了许多不同品种漂亮的鸟，还很幸运的看到了二种不同的猴子，让我们兴奋不已。这一天收获非常大。

 2/5：早早起床，在园子里转转，Chenggang一个人拿了把椅子坐在那里，静静地观看着各种各样漂亮的鸟在林中飞来飞去，好心的房东给他送来一杯热腾腾咖啡，好感动。我们和他素不相识，在异国它乡租了他的主楼三天，因为知道我们喜欢旅游和照相，他为我们提供无数的额外帮助，给我们留下令人难忘的记忆。今天我们要离开这里前往下一站Manuel Antonio National Park.

吃完早餐，正在装车准备离开，突然间来了一群松鼠猴，偷吃房东Jim 特地给它们准备的香蕉。在民宿住了三天，天天盼望着能在园子里看到小猴，可就是没出现，只在附近其它地方有看到各种𤠣子，而今天就在我们马上要离开时它们却突然出现了，太神奇，太幸运了。告别了房东，依依不舍地离开了森林中的木屋。

Panama (2)-Boquete

Jan 30: Our next destination is Boquete, Panama, a resort town and a hot spot for American retirees. It was 300 miles driving distance away from Panama City. We had researched the options to get there before the trip, but none of them provided us any confidence with detailed information. For example, the Rome2rio app gives out a few options, from the city bus to the luxury bus, for $9 to $50. There isn't any reliable information on bus companies' websites either. Some of the companies only have Instagram or Facebook accounts with old information. Since it was our first time taking a long-distance bus in the country, we were a little nervous about it. So, we woke up early. After breakfast at the hotel, we headed out to the Panama City Bus Terminal, where all buses in and out of Panama City stop and depart, and next to the largest shopping mall in the Americas. There was no direct bus to Boquete, only via the town of David, 30 minute drive from Boquete. The bus terminal has many ticket windows arranged according to the destinations. The window for David has a short line, and there were no other options to choose from except one bus to David operated by the DP, leaving the terminal a few times a day. From the waiting room to the bus outside, we needed to use the local bus card (costing about $0.1), which we didn't have, to open the gate. A guy saw us stuck in front of the entrance and used his card to open the gate for us. We paid him $1 for the four of us, and he made a small profit. We don't understand why they can't just add the entrance fee to the bus ticket.

The bus was a double-deck bus with a toilet on the back. We sat on the second deck with the large windows. The passengers got on and off occasionally, and at some stops, people got on the bus to sell twist dough, gold necklaces, etc. We had no clue what they were saying, and they were not aggressive in selling their stuff. Near the destination, the immigration police boarded the bus to check passports, and a dog sniffed at the luggage storage. The bus ride to David was comfortable, and we stopped halfway for a lunch break. Time passed fast; we arrived at David at 5 pm after the 8-hour ride. Instead of taking another bus to Boquete, we negotiated a $30 taxi ride. Since we all had luggage, we checked the car first to ensure enough room for the bags before we agreed on the deal. We stayed at the Bambuda Castle up the hill, an hour away from David. This castle hostel is famous in the local area. We stayed in the tower room with the bathroom on the ground floor and a tiny bedroom on the second floor while our friends were in the cabin room. In the tower room, the stairs up are narrow spiral stairs typically seen in the Castle. It was cool but not very convenient, just for the castle experience.

The Castle is beautiful, nestled in lush hills in Boquete but far from the town center. There were no restaurants or cafes in the surrounding area except the dining service in the Castle. Since we skipped lunch and were a little hungry, we just picked a menu card from the counter to order the food. The items on the menu were minimal, so we ordered chicken wings and something else. The chicken pieces were not very good, and we didn't finish them. We all complained about the limited menu for dinner; then, we suddenly saw someone had the pizza. By then, we realized we had missed the other menu card.

 Jan 31: We had a simple breakfast in the open-air dining hall with 180-degree dreamy views across coffee plantations to the green hills of Volcan Baru. We sipped coffee and watched little clouds moving over the mountains, like in paradise. We had booked an adventure tour of suspension bridge walking and Zipline this afternoon. The meeting point was at the tour operator's office in the town. We walked down the hill to enjoy the view of the countryside for 45 mins. Boquete is a small tourist town with many restaurants and gift shops. We wandered around to find a place to have a quick lunch. We settled in a small café on a small street hidden away from the main road. We had typical American fast food, chicken fingers, and pulled pork, but they were comfortable.

Both the walking tour and zipline tour are in Tree Trek Boquete Adventure Park, which is a short driving distance away from the town center. All tourists boarded their truck-modified tour bus. After we arrived at the park, we were separated into two groups, walking and Zipline. We feared high, so we picked the suspension bridge walking, and our friends went on a Zipline adventure.

The $30 suspension bridge walking tour covers 3 miles and six suspension bridges, with the highest point of 6,000 feet above sea level. Tree Trek suspension bridges range from 70 to 135 meters long and reach heights 10 to 75 meters above the ground. Along the way, the local guide introduced us to some unique local flowers and plants in their natural habitat. The two major differences between the cloud forest and the rainforest are that the cloud forest has no mosquitoes and higher oxygen. Hiking in the cloud forest is more pleasant than in the rainforest. We enjoyed hiking for three hours in the forest and walking across six suspension bridges with stunning views of rivers, waterfalls, and Baru Volcano.

After the tour, we called a Taxi to take us to the Boquete sign on the edge of the town. While taking pictures in front of the Boquete sign, we noticed more than 20 coatis in the parking lot nearby. It was a little scary and uncomfortable. We took the same Taxi back to the town. For dinner, we went to The Fish House, a small but cozy place with most customers who were Americans. The food was delicious, and we raised the cups and bottles to celebrate our good day of adventure. After dinner, we wandered the market by the river before returning to the Castle.

 Feb 1: Today is another beautiful day. As the morning's sun beamed into the window of our tower room, we were ready for another day of adventure. We could see a hotel staff watering grasses from our windows on the top of the beautiful Garden Bungalow covered. Boquete is much more comfortable with low humidity and fresh air than Panama City.

Today's adventure was hiking in the area. After doing a lot of homework, we chose the trail of The Lost Waterfalls among other trails to see the three waterfalls. We called a taxi to take us to the trailhead, and the driver also agreed that he would come back to pick us up in three hours. After the suspension bridge, it took less than 10 minutes up the hill until we saw a cluster of cabins. The entrance fee to the park was $10. A girl at a shed collected $10 for each person, and we also checked in on their notebook.

The trail led us through fantastic jungle scenes. With an average slope of seven hundred feet per mile, hiking up on the muddy path with frequent silt and tall steps was challenging for us. Fortunately, wooden guardrails were in the steep part of the trail to help a little. Despite the challenge, we were immersed in adventure mode in hanging vines, luscious trees, and large leaves in the cloud forest. We arrived at the first waterfall after we trekked the muddy paths. The waterfall was massive and breathtaking. After taking a few pictures, we were on the trail to Waterfall number two. We were a little tired, and the trail from Waterfall One to Waterfall Two was more difficult; getting to the second waterfall needed more encouragement and persuasion.

The second waterfall had a small pool where people could swim. By then, going to see Waterfall Three was out of the question, and we ran out of time and energy. On the way down, we bypassed Waterfall One and hurried back to the trailhead. Our taxi driver picked us up on time and dropped us in the town center. After lunch at Butcher Chophouse, we returned to our Castle to rest. Chenggang felt sick with a high fever. Fortunately, the COVID test was negative. He believed he had stomach flu after having two pieces of the bad tasted chicken wing. Tomorrow we are embarking on a new journey.

 Feb 2: Today, we did something we had never done before, dragging suitcases and carrying backpacks to enter another country. In the morning, our reserved Taxi picked us up at the hotel and dropped us off at the Panamanian border. We were stamped and fingerprinted at the border post on the Panama side and walked out of Panama to Costa Rica. You can go in and out of the border at will, and no one cares. But if you do not go through the border properly, you may have trouble later if you leave the country from elsewhere.

Now we were in a new country and started another adventure.

1/30: 今天早早起床，吃完早餐之后，就赶去巴拿马城公交车总站，所有进出巴拿马城的公交车都会在这里停靠和发车，车站旁边是美洲最大的购物中心。我们要坐大巴直穿巴拿马到达Boquete，一个度假小镇，也是美国退休人员喜欢的地方。在这之前，因为没有直达公交，做了不少功课，但对于怎么走还是很不确定，毕竟第一次在中美洲乘坐长途汽车，而且这还是我们最长的长途汽车。来到公交车总站，许许多多的卖票𥦬口按终点站排列很清楚，根本不用选。我们的长途大巴是那种二层带厕所的，很舒服。前前后后坐了8个小时，行驶450公里，中间时常有乘客上下，也有人上车卖麻花，金项链等等，我们反正也听不懂他们在说什么。在接近终点站时，移民局警察上车查护照和查行李。

坐了8个小时的长途客车到了大卫（David)城后，没再转公交车，而是直接找了个出租车送我们来到一个小时外的度假小镇Boquete在山坡上的旅馆。这个城堡旅馆在当地很有名，我们选择了城堡房，底层是厕所，楼上是卧室, 上楼的楼梯是那种狭窄螺旋的，很酷但还是不太方便，也算是一种体验吧。

1/31: 昨晚到城堡时天已黑，今天早上起来发现我们住的房间从外面看还是蛮漂亮的。今天我们俩参加吊桥徒步游，一共走了3英里，最高点是海拔6千尺。在云林里徒步三个小时，走过六个吊桥，很享受。沿途导游介绍了一些当地独特的花和植物，云林和雨林二大区别是云林没蚊子和高氧。我们的朋友俩去参加了高空索道，一共十二索道，很刺激。

2/1: 今天又是一个好天气，清晨从房间窗户看外面，那一个个别致的草顶房很有意思，这些也是这个城堡旅馆的特色客房。比起巴拿马城来说，这里舒服多了，湿度低，空气清新。做了不少功课，又问了前台，我们选择了被遗忘的瀑布这条登山路线（The lost waterfalls), 看三个瀑布大约需要三，四个小时。我们叫了出租车把我们送到登山路口，并且说好三个小时后来接我们。登山门票每人$10，不便宜，反正只有外国人会付这个钱去爬山。这条登山路线不容易，比我们预想的难。平均每英里七百英尺的坡度，而且时常有淤泥，台阶又高，现在还是这里的干燥季节，不可想像雨季会怎么样。幸好这条路坡度大的地方有木栏杆稍微帮些忙。我们三小时内只去看了二个瀑布，一是没时间了，二是上去看第三个瀑布的路更难。到了第二瀑布我们就匆匆往回赶，我们出租车司机准时来接我们。

爬完山大家都有点累，在城里吃完午饭后就回到我们的城堡休息。明天我们要开始新的旅程。

今天（2/2）我们做了一件从未做过的事，拖着行李箱，背着双肩包出关进关。上午出租车把我们送到巴拿马边境，边境站里盖了章和按了指印，就算出了巴拿马来到哥斯达黎加的领地。其实边境我们可以随便进进出出，没人管。但如果不按规定盖章按指印的话，之后想要从其它地方出境的话就会有麻烦。

新的国家新的旅程。

Panama (1)-Panama City 巴拿马市

Jan 26: The ship docked at seven this morning, and we disembarked after a quick breakfast at the Garden Café.

Colon is on the Caribbean Sea side of Panama City and is about 50 miles from Panama. There are several options to get to Panama City from Colon. The best option was the direct train, but the service was suspended due to the pandemic. Our cruise offers the airport transfer for $100 per person but not to the downtown area where we stay, which is still far from the airport. Another option is to take a taxi to Panama City, which costs $200+ for booking online. The cheapest option is to take an hour and a half bus ride, but we must walk 20 minutes from the Colon cruise terminal to the Colon bus station or by Taxi. The town of Colon is said to be unsafe; walking with luggage on the street is not recommended.

To us, the best option is to take Uber. While the ship docked at Colon, we tried to schedule an Uber ride, but no cars were available. Not sure what exactly we would do, we decided to get off the ship first and figured the thing out later. As soon as we stepped on the pier, we were surrounded by a mob of people selling taxi services to us, and the price was sky-high. Ignoring them, we continued to look for Uber ourselves. We saw a couple standing next to us who seemed to be waiting for a car, so we chatted with them. It turned out that they had already called Uber successfully and immediately offered to share their Uber with us after learning that we also wanted to go to Panama City. What a kindness. We happily accepted their offer. Chatting with the Canadian couple along the way to the city was fun. One hour Uber ride went fast, and we arrived at the hotel smoothly. We were very grateful for their kindness, so we offered to pay 2/3 of the $60 total Uber cost as our way of saying thank you. The world is full of good people willing to help each other.

Our room was not ready when we arrived at the hotel around 10 am. So we stored our luggage in the office and explored the city. We walked straight toward the Gulf of Panama. Along the shore is a beautiful waterfront pathway called the Ciclovia Cinta Costera, which has a panoramic view of the Gulf of Panama and the skyline of Panama City designed for biking, walking, and running. The modern Cinta Costera area gave us an excellent first impression of the city. We walked to the Panama Fish Market under the scorching sun. The market has two sections, one for selling fresh seafood and the other for seafood restaurants. Both areas were very clean and organized. Picking one restaurant to sit down from so many restaurants in the area was challenging for us. We like deep-fried whole fish, and with that in mind, we found one reasonably priced restaurant. We had deep-fried whole fish, grilled octopus, and a cup of ceviche. All dishes come with a green salad and deep-fried plantains or rice. All of them tasted very fresh and delicious.

After lunch, we walked to the old Chinatown nearby. Although a traditional Chinatown arch existed, there were almost no true Chinese stores. The place was run-down with poorly maintained buildings. We didn't stay there for very long. Tired of strolling under the hot sun, we needed a coffee break. Surprisingly, we couldn't find any decent coffee café along the path back to the hotel, even with Google Maps Search help. Ultimately, we went to a bakery café just across from our hotel with two lattes and an Empanada. They were pricy, as we expected, but the coffee and empanada didn't meet our standards.

In the evening, we went to a local restaurant near our hotel, Concolon Street Food Cafe, with a Central America vibe. We had paella with green rice, fried bread, and a "glutinous rice" triangle. We didn't know green rice was popular in Central America. All dishes were one of the best on this trip. During the dinner, a couple walked to our table to ask if we were on the NCL Jewel Cruise. The husband said he talked to one of us a few days ago. Of course, we remembered it. What a small world.

Jan 27: Two friends from Philadelphia arrived last night to join us on our trip to Latin America. Early this morning, our friends went separately to the Miraflores Visit Center outside Panama City since we already went through the Panama Canal. We visited the highly-rated Biomuseo, a museum focused on the natural history of Panama. We learned that Panama's isthmus was raised above the water to form a land bridge 3 million years ago, starting the Great American Interchange, with a significant impact on the ecology of the Western Hemisphere. During the Great America Interchange, animals and humans immigrated from south to north and vice versa. Located on the Amador Causeway in Panama City, Panama, the museum's architectural design is unique and beautiful. There are many visitors, primarily passengers on cruise ships, and the cruise ship terminal is nearby. We took an Uber at the cost of $4 to get there.

After seeing the Biology Museum, we slowly strolled along the Amador Causeway toward Flamenco Island. The west of the causeway is the mouth of the canal, with the Bridge of Americans in the backdrop. The entire area was the former US military base used to defend the canal operation. The causeway is very well built, and the scenery on both sides is incredible, but it was tough to walk without shadow for an hour on a humid and hot sunny day. Our friends arrived at Flamenco Island before we did, and a delicious seafood lunch awaited us at Sirena Seafood Restaurant.

After lunch, the four of us walked back on the causeway for a while and then called Uber to take us back to the hotel for a short rest. Uber and taxis in Panama City are convenient and very cheap, about $3-$5 in the city. We sometimes checked the Uber price first; then, if Uber were unavailable, we would wave down the Taxi to ask if they would match the price. The chance was about 50%/50%.

As our friends took a break in the hotel, we went out to find a coffee shop. We did not want to return to the same bakery café across from our hotel; instead, we had a cup of Coffee and French Palmier Cookies at the coffee shops we spotted yesterday. The coffee was from a cheap coffee machine and wasn't good. We were not surprised since it was cheap. For dinner, we went to the Golden Unicorn Chinese restaurant hidden on the fourth floor of the Evergreen Building. We ordered lobster, steamed fish, four other dishes, and soup, which tasted good. We hadn't eaten such delicious Chinese food for a long time.

Jan 28: Today, we went to Casco Viejo (the old town), built in 1673, after the completed destruction of Panama Viejo (the old Panama City) by pirates. The old town was isolated by sea and more defensible than the previous one. The town later became the canal construction headquarter for finance, management, and engineering. Ruined by corruption and drug trafficking under dictators in the last century, the area was only rebuilt in the nineties and became a UNESCO site. Today, this old town is a collection of elegant, beautiful, and prosperous French, Spanish and American architecture, making it a must-see when visiting Panama. We joined a free walking tour for over two hours and learned much about Panama from the tour guide. It is a free tour, but the guide expects everyone to pay the tip. Panama is the second country in Central America to disband the military besides Costa Rica, which we learned from this trip.

After completing the tour in the old town, we took an Uber to the Lung Fung Chinese restaurant for DIM SUM. The dishes were excellent. Then we took another Uber to Panama Viejo, the first European settlement on the Pacific coast, which was the capital of Panama at that time before Casco Viejo. But the city's location was not easy to defend and often attacked by pirates. In 1671, the Englishman Morgan destroyed the entire capital with a group of pirates, after which the locals moved the capital city to the current old town (Casco Viejo), where the unique terrain was easier to defend. Unbeknownst to Morgan, Britain, and Spain had signed the Treaty of Madrid, which ended hostilities between the two countries. He was arrested for violating the treaty and sent back to London, but the British welcomed him with a heroic ceremony. Morgan was released because he proved he didn't know the treaty. The site has an excellent museum of Panama's history and is also on the World Heritage List. We found Panama Viejo was more interesting historically than Casco Viejo. The Casco Viejo was a little more commercial and had too many tourists.

Our tour guide recommended we go to Panaviera Sky Bar on the JW Marriott's 66th floor, the highest rooftop bar in Central America. The bar has a stylish lounge next to the fantastic infinity pool. We got breathtaking panoramic views over the ocean and Panama City from there. As the sun set, we sipped Mango Margaritas and small snack bites and enjoyed the scene of the sunset over Panama City.

While our friends decided to skip dinner, we went to a nearby Spanish restaurant, Casa Alejandro. The menu was Spanish, and they didn't speak English, so we ordered two dishes without knowing too much about what we ordered from the menu. Both dishes turned out to be prawns, but the taste was quite good.

 Jan 29: We went to the Metropolitan Natural Park in the heart of Panama City in the morning. It was the only refuge for a wildlife preserve and the tropical forest in the city. After paying the entrance fee, they gave you a wristband to put on. There are five trails to choose from. We took the Monkey Trail to the top of Cerro Cedro for panoramic views of Panama City and the Canal. We hiked for two hours over 2.6 miles. To our surprise, over the 2.6-mile trail, we saw a lot of wildlife, including mother and daughter sloths, white-nose coati, white face monkeys, turtles, deer, and trogons. We highly recommend the place to visit and hike.

After the hike, we took a Taxi to a Hongkong-style café called Hong Kong Bakery and Café and had delicious Dim Sum. Then we returned to the hotel for a short break.

We went to the seaside again in the afternoon. This time, we walked along the Ciclovia Cinta Costera to Mirador Paitilla Park, where more high-rise condos are opposite the fish market. It seemed not much scenery beyond the point, so we called an Uber back to Casco Viejo to visit a few sights we didn't have time to see yesterday. There was heavy traffic in the old town in the afternoon. Probably 5 minutes ride in the normal traffic became 30 minutes. We felt terrible for the driver and gave him an extra tip to compensate for the waiting time. In the town, we had fresh coconuts for $2.5 a piece. The price was slightly higher than Costa Rica's, but the size was much larger.

In the evening, we went to another Chinese restaurant for dinner. Just in time to see the local Zhu family Spring Festival party, the gongs, and drums were noisy, and the lion dance was lively. It is said that 90+% of the Chinese in Panama are from Guangdong, and 90+% are from Huadu, Guangzhou. Our Philadelphia friends were originally from Guangzhou and jokingly said they celebrated the Spring Festival with their fellow villagers.

Since we left Shanghai, we can't remember having that many Chinese cuisines in just four short days outside the home. We will leave Panama City tomorrow to begin our rainforest/cloud forest journey.

1/26: 昨天过运河后，终点站Colon码头就在附近，但游轮却不停靠码头，而是把船开到外面的加勒比海兜了一大圈，碰上大风大浪，船晃得厉害，把我们折腾了一晚。今天早上七点靠岸，吃完早餐之后我们就下了船。

Colon码头离我们要去的巴拿马城大概50英里左右。我们对怎么从Colon到巴拿马城一直找不到确定的方案。最方便的直达火车因为疫情而停运了。如今最便宜的是坐一个半小时的公交车但需要从Colon船码头到Colon大巴车站走二十分钟，据说Colon不是很安全, 都不建议在路上走，可以找出租车从码头到大巴车站。还有个选择是坐出租车去巴拿马城，网上订车要$200+。游轮也提供回城服务，但只能直接送去巴拿马飞机场，离我们住的市中心旅馆有点距离。最后我们决定下船后看情况再说。一出码头，被拉出租车生意的人团团围住，大开天价。不理他们，我们自己找Uber但是暂时无车。这时正好看到旁边一对夫妇好像也在等车，就和他们搭讪。他们已叫了Uber，听说我们也去巴拿马城，主动说可以与我们拼车，只要$30，真是天上掉下来个大馅饼🤪。一路上与这对加拿大来的老外聊天很开心，一小时后很顺利地到了旅馆。世界上热心的好人真不少。

到旅馆时才早上十点左右，房间还没有准备好，我们先注册，寄存行李，然后便沿着海边走到海鲜市场要了炸全鱼，烤章鱼和酸橘汁腌鱼（ceviche)，非常好吃😋。 晚上去了一家当地餐厅，很不错，第一次吃上绿色米饭打底的海鲜饭，油饼和＂糯米”角也很好。在饭店还碰到了另一对从我们游轮下来的乘客， 世界真小。

1/27: 昨晚从费城来的两位朋友来到巴拿马城加入我们中南美州之旅。今天一早她们俩去运河中心参观，我们则去了巴拿马生物博物馆。博物馆的建筑设计有点特色，里面的展馆一般，但因为巴拿马城游轮码头就在附近， 参观的人不少，大多是游轮上的乘客。

看完生物馆后，我们就沿着阿马多尔堤道慢慢地向Flamenco 岛走去，堤道西边是运河进出口，美国大桥，这整个区域以前是美国军事基地，为运河的运行防卫。堤道建得相当好，两旁风景很美，但在又湿又热的大太阳下走了一小时真的不容易，有点累。想着之前在船上每天吃那么多，腰围长一圈，现在该是甩膘的时候了。汗流浃背地走到Flamenco岛上，朋友已到，一顿美味的海鲜午餐等着我们。

饭后我们四人在堤道上往回走了一段，便叫车回旅馆小休一会儿。这里Uber和Taxi又方便又便宜，在市内大约$3-$5就够了。

回旅馆后我们俩又出去找了一家咖啡店喝咖啡，咖啡不怎么样，蝴蝶酥还可以。

好友对饮食很在行，总能找到好地方。晚饭去了一家中餐馆，要了龙虾，蒸鱼等四菜一汤，味道不错，我们俩好久没吃这么好吃的中餐了。光忙着吃没拍晚餐的照片，只能借朋友的照片用一下。

今天（1/28号）我们去了巴拿马老城区(Casco Viejo), 建于1673年，后来成为运河建造的财政，管理，工程的大本营。上个世纪在独裁者统治下，腐败和贩毒使得这里破败不堪，一直到九十年代才开始重建，后来成为世界遣址。如今这老城区聚集着法国，西班牙和美国式的建筑，优雅美丽，人丁兴旺，是来巴拿马的必游之地。我们参加徙步游，导游带我们走了二个多小时，一路侃侃而谈， 我们学了不少东西，也知道了巴拿马的军队在独裁者下台后被解散，如今只有警察而没有军队。

走完老城区后又来到几公里外的巴拿马遗址(Panama Viejo),是太平洋岸边的第一欧州人定居点，当时是巴拿马首都。但是那地方地势不利，常常受到海盗的抢劫骚扰，在1671年，英国人摩根带着一帮海盗把整个首都摧毁了，之后当地人把首都搬到了现在老城区的地方，那里独特的地势更容易防守。摩根全然不知当时英国和西班牙已签署了互不侵犯的协议，为此他被捕送回伦敦，但是英国人以英雄仪式欢迎他的到来。遗址也是在世界遗产名录中。

参观完了旧巴拿马后，来到了万豪酒店的66层酒吧，喝着芒果马提尼酒，俯瞰巴拿马城全景，欣赏夕阳西落的美景。

白天在参观二个旧城区之间去了一家中餐馆吃午茶，下午又在万豪观景台吃喝，朋友俩决定跳过晚餐。我们俩还是去了附近一家西班牙餐厅，菜单是西语，他们又不会说英语，我们就稀里糊涂地点两个菜，结果两个菜都是大虾，但是味道是相当好。

1/29:上午去城市自然公园, 徒步2.6英里，在那里待了二个小时，看到不少野生动物，包括树懒母女，长鼻浣熊，吼猴，乌龟，鹿和咬鹃等。

中午再次品尝巴拿马的午茶点心，不比美国的差。饭后回旅馆小休。下午来到海边散步后，再次来到巴拿马老城区，把昨天没看过的景点补上。又看到有新鲜椰子卖，$2.5 一个，价格比之前在哥斯达里加的稍稍上去了一点，但尺寸大很多。晚上又去了另一家中餐馆吃饭，正好碰上当地朱氏家族春节联欢会，锣鼓喧天，热闹非凡。据说巴拿巴90+%华人来自广东，而广东人中90+%是广州花都人。与我们同行的二位费城朋友都来自广州，开玩笑地说与同乡一起欢庆春节了。

自从离开上海后，不记得几天内连上这么多中餐馆😜。明天我们就要离开巴拿马城，开始我们热带雨林/云林的旅程。