Day 9 started early, as we were heading to the US Army camp called Camp Casey. This camp is about an hour and a half outside of Seoul. As soon as we arrived in the camp you could tell that it had a very different feel than Korea, it felt more like we were in the United States. There were a lot of American fast food chains such as popeyes and even the food that was served in the dining halls was american food.
At Camp Casey, we were greeted by two people we had met earlier in the trip. Two Pitt alumni were now in the US Army and stationed at Camp Casey. Inside Camp Casey, no photos were allowed, so I do not have any pictures of what the inside looked like. The Pitt alumni gave us a tour of Camp Casey, and we even got to have a demonstration led by some people in their company about what they work on for the US Army. Watching them talk about the training required to operate their machines was fascinating. It was also interesting to hear everyone’s backgrounds and how they had ended up in the army.
After listening to the company, we ate at one of the army dining halls. They served American food, buffet style and made-to-order style. Right next to it, there was a game room with pool tables and arcade machines to make it feel more like an American place.
After lunch there, we went to Mt. Soyosan for a hike. This mountain wasn’t far from the Army camp, so we weren’t on the bus for long. We only hiked about halfway up the mountain before the group decided to turn back. We got a good view of the mountain, which is the featured image for this post, and a smaller waterfall that is pictured on the left. It was a nice break from the bustling city of Seoul.
After the hike, we all got back on the bus and returned to Seoul. There, we were allowed to get dinner on our own, which I did with some people.