Day 9 in Seoul had us visiting the Camp Casey military base just north of Seoul. Built in 1952, this camp is occupied by 6,300 military personnel and 2,500 civilians. Being my first time ever in an overseas military base, I was surprised by how little people there were outside doing basic duties. The camp seemed almost empty, with some soldiers being seen going about their daily lives. We were greeted to our tour guide for the day, and visited a branch of the military dealing with harsh substances.

In their barracks, they showed us everything they use during simulated combat drills and the vehicles they drive as well. The first vehicle they showed us weighted about 43,000 pounds, making it one of the heaviest vehicles in the army. Unfortunately, they couldn’t show us the inside due to classification reasons.

Next, we were given a tour of the Chemical Corps supplies to assure they can test on the battlefield. These tools could be used to pinpoint exactly what elements humans are exposed to on the front lines, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons. The amount of things they had baffled me as they were forced to carry everything, which ended up being about 100+ pounds of extra weight for each person.

We ended the tour with a little hike up a pretty stream! This certainly wasn’t as grueling as our hike yesterday and to be honest it was a nice change of pace. By the end of the hike we were greeted with a beautiful tiny waterfall and a photogenic Buddhist temple.

For dinner my friends and I went Korean Barbeque hopping. The first place we visited specialized in this delicious marinated pork. Along with other pork items, we weren’t filled enough to call it a day, so we decided to visit another restaurant as well that specialized in beef. This one was delicious as well, and we left the joint feeling refreshed.