13 November 2022
Big hole
Sajik Observatory and Asia Culture Center
Yes I am using the American spelling of Centre in the title because that is how you will find it on a map.
Tonight I set out to go find dinner and saw a big tower and a light on a hill. So I had to go investigate. Turns out it was an observatory, and it was great. I will probably go there again. There is a cafe and it was cold and had a great view, but I would probably prefer to be there slightly earlier to catch the sunset, as there is no real way to perch your camera on anything to take a long exposure.
I then headed back down the hill, being chased by cats (refer to pics) and explored the main shopping and entertainment area of town, which is basically where I am staying, and I discovered that at the centre of it is the Asian Culture Center which is a giant hole. None of my pictures really demonstrate just how giant the hole is.
Also my dinner was pretty average, so I had another hot chocolate.
Tomorrow is a hiking day, a repeat of a hike I did last time I was here, but I need to research the bus, so that is all for now.
OK, before going to the observatory, I had to go to the martyr monument. At the bottom of this hill a religious group were doing a candlelight vigil praying for the conversion of all homosexuals or some such thing.
On my way up to the observatory I heard lots of noises in the bushes. I was being stalked. Not by a bear this time, but by lots of cats. Someone is feeding these ones. On the way down a few chased me.
Behold the observatory. It was hard to get a clear shot to show its size. The stairs around the outside might help. I went up and down the stairs much to the annoyance of the security people, I did not realise the stairs were for emergency use only. They are safer than a lift full of old men that hang out in the park chortling phlegm all day.
Handheld view number one from the top. That is the area of town I am staying in.
Handheld view number two, many more modern apartment buildings and mountains. I think my area of town has a lot of older buildings, and a university.
Other people. They were complaining it was cold. It was not that cold.
Down one level from the top is an art gallery and cafe. Unfortunately they only serve thimble sized drinks, for exorbitant prices, so that counts me out.
OK, after walking back down and fighting off over friendly cats, here is the giant hole in the ground at the Asian Cultural Center. It is kind of like federation square in Melbourne but much bigger.
A bit more of the hole. Maybe those gazebo umbrella things help convey how big it is.
It was very quiet tonight with lots of things closed. I suspect this is a Sunday thing. Here is the underground shopping strip between the two busiest stations and most shops were already shutting. Also back above ground a lot of eating places and pubs even seemed to be closed, not closed down just closed.
Of course this being Korea, it was not completely dead, there were still lots of places to buy snail cream.
But also lots of rubbish. Maybe there's no street cleaning on Sunday.
Well, it was cheap. And the sauce on the 'hamburg steak' was actually spicy. I chose the spicy option and for once that was a true story. And I made this look worse than it is as there is a self sever rice, soup, and pickled vegetable station, some of which looked a bit too sneezed on for me to indulge in. That is all for now, tomorrow is a hiking day again, finally.