Nami Island in Autumn 2012

This is my 2nd trip to Nami island. The last time was in Winter 2011. So I wanted to know what it would be like ..going there again in Autumn. There must be a different view that we could bargain for. 

And..it was such a bliss.  

But...before continuing telling stories about our trip to Nami. I'd like to post some pictures about Eyra during her Autumn activities at our neighborhood community center@ Modu Library. 

They collected some Autumn leaves and made a beautiful artwork. 

She is showing off her work with --of course--some help from other. well, teamwork, teamwork to create something illustratively captivating works of art. 

******-****** 

Now, we are on board the ITX Cheongchun. It is an intercity train connecting Seoul to its satellite cities at Gangwon Province. Well, lots of people take this train either to commute or for weekend trip to get away from busy life of Seoul. 

Just exactly like what we did that day. It was a great day to start--I mean--enjoy the Autumn. Well, actually we were going there to take one of our students who had never been there before. So, why not take along the whole family, then. 

Freya, Lina, and Daru. We were all on board ITX to Nami Island. 

Along the way, the view was a typical Korean countryside with the touches: the likes of barren meadows (due to the Autumn), and some were still visibly green. And trees were already / in the process of changing colors. 

Did not know why we took this picture, but just to give a glimpse of what it may look like so as to make the trip more enjoyable.   

Another picture of the countryside The trip took about 35 minutes from Cheongnyangni station to Nami Island. Well, I forgot the name of the station where we got off. I thought I captured it on the camera...oh, well.. 

Here we were. At the nearest station to Nami Island.  

Wait, what is that? Well, it was a loong story. Actually, we were about to take the shuttle bus or taxi that would take us from the station to Nami Island. But, unfortunately, that day was a holiday that....thousands ( I assumed) of people turned out to be going to Nami at the same time...so we walked, instead..for another 40 minutes.

and that house? just a random house we saw along the way. 

It looked so cute that we just took a picture of it.^^ 

Had we had this kind of house in Seoul, instead of a stuffy room^^, gosh..that would've been a marvelous way to live in Seoul. But,.... 

OOOH MMMYYY GOOOOOD....see the queue? we were about to board the ship or ferry that would take us across the river.... 

Finally, we made it onto the deck of the ferry. Group picture, everyone..^^  

2nd trip to Nami Island with the family. Had it not been for Daru (who'd never been there), we would not want to go there again. But, --it turned out--to be another exciting trip. (go on reading). 

More pictures along the way. Especially, the ones where my wife in it.  

Eyra and Freya were busy having some snacks while other passengers were seen taking pictures.. 

More snacks? well, what d' ya' know. Kids.!!! Instead of looking at what we--adults--enjoy doing, they were just absorbed into their liking(?), right? 

Now, freeze for a moment for girls' picture. The funny thing was that..we were not even getting off the ship/ferry and we'd spent tens of pictures...just at one place. On the very deck of Nami Maid ( the name of the ferry we took).^^

Since Nami island is famous thanks to the Winter Sonata's attractiveness among Asian viewers (mostly), the Nami Nara Republic did manage to entice its visitors by raising all of the major flags where most tourists came from. 

Sure, Indonesian flag is one of them. Oh, another ferry was visible in the distance.

 What a lovely bliss that day 

A pose for a while. Well, ...why not. My wife took the pic for me. 

Another angle, pls. ^^(a bit narcissistic) 

Now..comes the best part...its her turn. Well, she likes and liked it. 

Oops..what's this? 

One of the advantages of going to the island during Autumn was its colorful arrays of trees that dotted the island. For us, it was something peculiarly beautiful treat and feast to the eyes and mind. 

Autumn it was! fallen and barren and trampled trees .... 

We were like..what...where to begin? Even the very first spot we came up with...was enough to make us stop to wonder the pretty spot. 

It was a cool Autumn day--just a perfect time to have an outing with the kids....(oh, I forgot to mention that...Eyra and Freya would never leave home without their --oh, well-- Chihuahua and teddy bear.^^

Nami Island: A Comeback

What to do with these videos I am stacking up in YouTube if not to share them. The best thing of being able to just upload and share in this digital world is that...I simply do this stuff and then whopla...my friends and family back home could also see what we are experiencing right here in Korea. So, these are some of sooo many videos we took during our 2012's Winter Trip to Nami Island.  

The first video tells about the first step we got to go through on the way to Nami Maid--a ferry that would take us to Nami Island. The Second video tells about Eyra and Freya and of course...our friends alike on board the Nami Maid on our way to Nami Island.  

The third one recalls about one of the facades of the island. Ok, some may not say that the video does not flatter the island. well, it was Winter and taking a video during the Winter was not that easy.......^^But, I think this pretty much say what the island is all about.

Nami Maid at Naminara Republic

Naminara Republic? 나미나라 공화국?
Yes....I think this is what Nami Island government(?) called herself.
Government? yes....because this is how they operate and market the island.
It is interesting, right?
I was flabbergasted at first.
 and....what??? Republic?
Immigration office? yes..you got it.
the ticket booths were referred to as immigration check point.




It was one of the best, if not innovative, marketing strategies of selling this used-to-be not-famous island.
They have to make lots of things to make sure that people are kept luring into this tiny island  in the center of a river^^
Well, it works.





People were flocking into this island since the Winter Sonata drama sparked frenzies over Asia for the past...let's see......8 years so far?
amazing, right?
So, I finally made it there, too.









Now...about this Nami Maid. Maid? hahahaha...
yes...this is what they call one ..the one and only available ferry that transport tourists back and forth into the island.

And a  funny way to make it memorable is..
I mean.....there is something that
 made me like it more....( I don't know whether this is officially acknowledged)....people could make graffiti inside the wall of the boat/ferry....with anything they want to write on it.
Splash!!!!! my friend, Jobirson, was so intrigued of writing one!
check it out...what he wrote on it.^^






Here is Jobirson with my daughter, Freya....taking a pose on the deck.











Arriving safely at the Nami Island's mini docking area...where people were in line waiting for the vessel to transport them....

This is what the Nami Maid looks like from afar.
The tube-like ferry or vessel...must've been so exhausted of having to do its chores:)