Today we started at 9:30 a.m. because many people on the trip were getting tired and sick, so they gave us more time to sleep. This extra rest was much needed, but I still felt tired from all the walking over the past few days. We took public transportation again to get to the village. I’m definitely getting used to the subway system—it’s really easy to navigate.

Once we arrived at the village, I noticed that many shops were hidden within homes. The reason for this is that the residents realized tourists would visit the village, so they started selling items from their front porches. It was also really interesting because people were telling us to be very quiet. Apparently, many of the residents have been complaining about the noise from tourists. There are even talks about possibly shutting down the village to visitors, so it felt special to experience it now in case that happens.

After exploring the village, we visited a Buddhist temple nearby. There were many people praying and walking through the temple. It was fascinating to witness another religion up close. They even had an entire gift shop dedicated to items that could be bought and donated to the temple. I also thought the decorations were beautiful, especially the colorful lanterns hanging throughout the temple grounds.

Next, we went to a market area to get lunch. This was probably one of the best meals we’ve had so far—it was bibimbap. Bibimbap is a traditional dish that’s basically like stir-fry, with rice and a mix of vegetables. It was absolutely delicious.

After lunch, we spent a lot of time shopping and trying snacks. One of the things I got was a bunch of snacks to share with my family and friends, along with a few other gifts.