I started off my second day in Seoul by waking up way too early. I think the jet lag still has an effect but it’s wearing off. After a short but amazing Korean breakfast at our hotel, we were off to begin our day packed with tours and cultural visits. Today, had our first experience with the Korean subway system. Compared to America and any subway I’ve ever been on, Korea’s system is by far the cleanest and most efficient. A cool feature of it is that each train plays a different “jingle” upon arrival to the station. We hopped on the subway and set off to the main downtown part of Seoul and stopped at our first site, Cheongyecheon Square. There, we saw a beautiful river running through the middle of the area surrounded by walking paths and lanterns hung for the upcoming holiday of Buddha’s birthday. A few friends and I took a picture on some rocks in the middle of the river. We then headed off to our next stop, Gyeongbuk Palace. This palace was beautiful and used to serve as the palace for the King of Sejong. There, we watched the changing of the guards ceremony which was spectacular. The ceremony involved complex music, a drumming cadence, and many soldiers dressed in colorful uniforms. It was very interesting and special to see. I’m so glad that I had the opportunity. After that, we went to the Bluehouse (Korean White House) and toured the diplomatic government building. Then we went to grab lunch in the local area. Our guide Kay took a few of us to this amazing place that is from her childhood and unknown to tourists. I tried the kimchi dumplings and to my surprise ended up loving kimchi. Then, we went through the Jogyessa area. The area was a beautiful Buddhist temple surrounded by colorful lanterns all through the sky. After that we got to go through the Namdaemun market and shop around for some souvenirs and clothing. Finally, we got back to the hotel, relaxed for a while, then headed off to dinner around the corner with the whole group. This dinner was amazing with lots of fancy food that kept coming out by plate. I’ve never seen a dinner table so full of such delicious and interesting food. I even tried jellyfish for the first time. We ended off the night by trying on some traditional Korean outfits and taking some great pictures with friends and the whole group. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store!