Seoul Grand Park

Last Saturday we finally decided to embark on a long awaited adventure to Seoul Grand Park! As it's located just off of light blue Line 4, we were able to hop on the metro at Sanggye and grab a seat for the almost hour long journey. While still accessible by subway, the Park is actually located just south of Seoul's city limits.

All Aboard to Seoul Grand Park

Although LP informed us that we would have the opportunity to visit a zoo, contemporary art museum and Seoul Lane amusement park, it failed to mention that one would need an entire weekend to thoroughly enjoy the full experience. Coming up out of the subway we followed the massive crowds towards the park's administrative building where we picked up an English guide map.

We decided that a visit to the zoo was certainly in order but couldn't quite figure out where it was. Turns out we had a few different options to get there as just entering Grand Park doesn't mean you've arrived at the zoo. For a nominal fee (under a dollar) you can take an animal themed tram running up to the entrance, about a half-mile up hill. Or, for the more environmentally friendly crowd, there's always the option of walking. And, last, but certainly not least, for the ski bum who just didn't get enough time on the chair lift during the winter, there's always the Sky Lift!

Sky Lift to the zoo anyone?!

At first we decided to pass on the different mechanical modes of transportation and began the hike up up towards the entrance. As we browsed our newly acquired guide map we realized that the Sky Lift actually takes you up and over the zoo, much cooler than we had originally though. So, even though we were half way up, we decided to run back and grab tickets to go up in style.

Turns out there's not one Sky Life but two as the first one stops at the entrance to the zoo and the second one takes you all the way to the back so you can then walk downhill, as the zoo itself is set in a rising valley between two mountains. We were a bit taken aback at first by the 9,000 won ticket price for a simple chair lift ride. But, realizing that the opportunity to see a zoo from the air only comes every so often, we splurged! Enjoy the views!

Up and over the pond

The Children's Gardens, not quite yet in bloom

We disembarked our first Sky Lift ride at the entrance to the zoo where we picked up tickets for admission for only 3,000 a piece. We were shocked to enter the zoo and see the line for the second Sky Lift running down a pathway for hundreds of meters. While we did pay for two trips on the lift, neither of us wanted to wait in line for an hour just to get to the top of the zoo. So we didn't. Instead we decided to simply start exploring and then use the ticket to come down from the top later, as the Sky Lift operates both ways.

It wasn't long before we stumbled into the Africa Pavilion, which is identifiable not only by the giraffes, rhinos and elephants but by some brilliant signage as well.

Welcome to Africa!

In case you couldn't tell by the animals. . .

There's always great signs! Jambo!

Wandering out of Africa we crossed a dry creek bed and arrived in Australia only moments later. Here, on the outskirts of the zoo we shot the breeze with the kangas for a while as they munched on lunch. Nate even found a dead one but decided against alerting anyone. He didn't wanna stir up any unnecessary trouble!

Lunch Time in 'Roo-ville

It take long for us to wander from Australia over to an oddly decorated building that identified itself as an Insectarium. To be honest, I don't believe that I had ever previously visited such an attraction so of course, we had to indulge. Once inside we both immediately began itching ourselves as the creepy crawlers in every cage do not make you any more fond of the insect world! So, we scuttled through quickly in Korean fashion, only slowly down as we exited through the amphibian room housed in a humid green house at the end of the building. Two floors on insects was more than I needed, but now I don't have to go back!

The Insectarium!

Hanging' with Frogs

When the line grew too long for me to take the elephant slide, down through this big guy's trunk, I decided to just hop on top instead. I could've spent all day at the Children's Playground but I would have likely stepped on a few in the process. So we bailed.

Trunk This!

As always, the primates proved to be an absolute riot! Even the humans got in on the ridiculous action as it seems Koreans were taught at a very young age that feeding the animals in the zoo is not only acceptable but recommended. Nate and I hung around and watched in awe as the cute little guys below were fed everything from salted french fries to bananas and Korean churros. Why and how this last Spanish snack exists in Korea is beyond me but they are nearly ubiquitous! Anyways, momma monkey (shown below) clearly realized that by showing off the cute youngster hanging from her chest she could pull in extra goodies. It worked like a charm!

Using the baby as bait. . .typical

Inside the Oriental Pavilion we got a great look at a some extremely boring gibbons and a pair of inactive yet nonetheless terrifying, crocs. No, the picture below was not exactly brilliant National Geographic timing on my behalf. Rather, the big guy was simply lying there with his mouth agape, I'm sure just waiting for a small child to fall in!

Say 'Kimchi!'

Finally at the back of the zoo we found our way to the Sky Lift but realized that we had much yet to see in the zoo. Just out the lift's exist we spent a while staring a a bunch of lazy big cats that were impressive only by reputation. Though none lent themselves to any amazing photos, as you'll soon see the bears did, the jaguar was by far the champion of beauty as her silky coat threw back the light of the sun with such a vengeance it looked as if she were aglow!

Anyways, bring on the bears! I was particularly excited to see this exhibit as only days before I had finished John Irving's first novel, Setting Free the Bears, which he himself completed at the ripe age of 25 as a Master's thesis! Though I had tried reading it before, it took me until this second time around to truly appreciate the absolute hilarity of a story so random, perverted, nonsensical and riveting that it could be by the same man who created Garp and Owen.

While I didn't at first have any intention of going through with Siggy's plan to release the bears, after seeing how good natured and friendly they were, I sure would have liked to. Not only did they take time away from their 'hanging out' to pose. . .

Now that's just chillin!

...but they were kind enough to wave as well!

A friend of Siggy, no doubt!

Waving goodbye to the bears, and vowing to come back later with the keys, we moved onwards towards a more familiar scene in the bison pavilion. Other than the signage and Korean kids feeding them hamburgers (just kidding) it looked almost like taking a walk in Yellowstone. Oh, but with fences too.

North America is represented!

Though we arrived at the Dolphin Show Hall just in time to catch the last show, the line again crept through the crowds further than we could see and thus opted against going in. At least there was a cool statue outside.

I'm my own dolphin show.

At this point we found our selves stuck in the middle of the zoo almost ready to go as we had seen nearly everything, but the lions (which are separate from other 'big cats'). The only problem was that we had a Sky Lift ride already paid for and neither one of us was brave enough try and negotiate a refund in Konglish. So, we did the only reasonable thing, gave the tickets away to a poor family waiting at the bottom of the line. Just Kidding. Rather, we walked all the way down to the bottom of the zoo where the line had finally disappeared and hopped on, only to go back up to where we had just come from!

But hey, at least we got to ride in style over all the animals!

A Zoo from Above!

Back up top we hurried quickly down again, only stopping to check out the lions who proved to be equally inactive as their other feline friends. By this point the sun had begun to sink and it was time to throw the sweat shirt back on which meant it was definitely time to get outta Dodge!

Though we didn't have time to check out the light installations in the contemporary art museum or the roller coasters of Seoul Land, we did at least get one thing we were looking for. A great picture with a great big cat!

A Day at the Zoo!