Tuesday, April 10

First visit was to the Buyeo National Museum, located about one hour from Boryeong. The museum is primarily devoted to the history of the region, going back to the bronze age. We looked at artifacts including pots, tools, weapons, and artifacts from local Korean history.  We were occasionally overrun by groups of local students visiting the museum.  They were quite interested to see Americans (we were, as far as we could tell, the only non Koreans/Asians to be found), to say the least.  They were quite excited to say hi and to give an occasional high-five.

After the tour, we had lunch with the mayor of Buyeo, a very nice gentleman.

Our first afternoon stop was at a ginseng manufacturing and shipping plant.  As you might expect, it was a very clean, sterile environment.  We got to see the verious steps in the production of red ginseng products.  This company manufactures 500 different ginseng products, from juices, to pills to tea and well beyond. As has often been the case, we were given gifts from the manufacturer...the gifts are beginning to stack up to a point that we won't be able to pack them home!

Our next stop was to the Buyeo Cultural Center, a recently-built replica of a Chonan era palace and city residence.  The historically accurate buildings were quite impressive.  The compound was 25-30 acres, with buildings as tall as 5 stories...all built of wood.

This last portion of the day was dampened by rain (pun intended).  We didn't get terribly wet, but the weather cut our visit somewhat short.

We returned to Boryeong and prepared for our presentation to the women's Rotary club of Boryeong, held in their Rotary building.  One difference from American Rotary organizations that we've seen in Korea is that the combined clubs in a city or region have their owned or rented meeting/office spaces.  This meeting was in such a space.  

As has been our impression of the Boryeong Rotary group, the meeting was quite formal.  The District GSE Chair and the Team leader for the outgoing Korean GSE Team to Ohio made enthsiastic speeches, though they were little long and had club members looking at their watches.  Our presentations are improving, though we have a ways to go yet.  Dinner was served in the same space immediately after the meeting...once again delicious.