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I’ll begin with….IT IS SO WORTH THE TRIP TO SEE THE OLYMPICS IN PERSON!

As residents of Seoul, we have been well aware of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and all that South Korea has accomplished to host these games.  Two winters ago, we skiied at the Yongpyong resort and were flabbergasted at the thought that this venue would soon host the Olympic Games since it was small town, with very limited resources to accommodate millions of visitors.  At that time, major construction of roads/infrastructure/Olympic venues was somewhat visible and if there’s one thing we do know well after our time in S. Korea, it is that this nation knows how to accomplish great tasks efficiently and the words “delay” or “late” aren’t part of the vocabulary here.  As we just learned, Korea did in fact deliver on its promise and we were impressed by nearly every aspect of the transformed PyeongChang area.

The Olympic Games were actually hosted by 3 different cities in Gangwon province, one of the poorest parts of the country which abuts both N. Korea and the eastern sea but is only 100 miles northeast of Seoul.  Though poor by comparison to the areas surrounding the capital, Gangwon province is however well known for its snowfall in the Taebek Mountains and fresh seafood.  During the Industrial Age of Korea (1970-80s!!), there were also a lot of coal mines in this region, but like many other mines around the world, they have been for the most part shuttered.  One mine (Samtan Art Mine) has been re-envisioned into a sprawling modern art complex akin to how some of the old coal mines in Germany have been transformed.  Other efforts to highlight Korean culture and attract tourists to Gangwon province like Samtan Art Mine are underway and will hopefully sustain tourist interest beyond the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit these sites during our whirlwind weekend but we plan to return this Fall.

The various alpine skiing, jumping and skating venues were constructed in clusters, all of which were easily accessed via shuttle buses that ran continuously between the areas.  A brand new high-speed passenger train between PyeongChang, Seoul and the airport and a new highway to the sea were also constructed during the past two years.  Basically, this sleepy corner of the country was transformed into a worldwide venue that efficiently accommodated millions of visitors.  Hopefully, some of these venues will be used again for the Asian Games but again that remains to be seen as the Olympic “hangover” sets in.

Last Fall, Bill and I went to Sokcho, another city in Gangwon province known for its hiking, and we really enjoyed our 2.5 hour drive on the new highway, through the stunning mountains and… 22 tunnels!!! (yes I counted them on our drive back since on the way out, the sensor in the car was going bonkers announcing the approach to each tunnel so this “inquiring mind” just had to know!).  Here’s a quick pic I snapped from the car of the range we hiked. The longest tunnel is nearly 7 miles long with a full-on LED light show and fake sirens that go off periodically to keep drivers entertained/awake while in the tunnel.  Amazing…and it really makes the Holland Tunnel (constructed almost 100 years ago) feel dark, damp and downright scary by comparison!  Even Bill, who suffers from gephyrophobia (you don’t need to look that up if you were paying attention), didn’t mind the numerous underground miles on this new highway.

For our Olympic adventure however we took the new high-speed train from Seoul station.  Planning for this trip actually began last spring when the ticket lottery opened and we scrambled to buy tickets to various events.  We had to shell out “major coin” as my sister Julie would say, well before we could find accomodations which was very unnerving but the hotels simply weren’t built and athletes, coaches, connected families and dignitaries from around the world had already scooped up anything available.  Fortunately within 2 months of our ticket purchase, Bill’s assistant was willing to help us secure a hotel and rental car for the weekend.  The next step was recruiting family members to join us despite the lack of vacation time and great distance from the US.  In January… a mere 6 weeks before the Games..Daphne and Eloise took the “bait” and once again, Bill’s assistant helped us get airplane tickets which at this point were becoming quite scarce.  Exactly, one month before the opening ceremony, train ticket sales opened up and we snatched up those.  The train was very comfortable, the ride only 90 minutes and they broadcast the Olympic Games live the whole ride.  Not bad!

I had heard through the “expat grapevine” that dining was going to be problematic so I called the HUGELY INVALUABLE 1330 hotline and asked a nice Korean interpretor to book us a dinner reservation.  All the pieces were finally in place but it did truly involve “trains, planes, automobiles”.

Daphne was able to link her mid-winter break to the trip so she arrived several days ahead and we bounced around Seoul, re-visiting her former school, favorite restaurants and did a weeee bit of shopping, of course!  High on my “to-do” list was to procure some PyeongChang loot and I had been doing my research for weeks.  Back in December I noticed that long, white down jackets had begun to appear all over the streets of Seoul, worn by both men and women.  Here’s a quick example of a common site:

I finally figured out the inspiration behind the fashion trend and why men adopted the craze as well as women…the offical Korean Olympic uniform! The athletes all marched in these warm coats at the frigid opening ceremony and President Moon Jae-In sported his at events.  Like my father who is an early adapter of all technology trends, I am not shy to adopt Korea fashion trends so asked my “Valentine” for such a coat and Bill was happy to oblige!  It kept me very very toasty all weekend and stayed relatively clean despite the full cup of coffee Bill spilled on it…grrr.  

With Daphne, we hit the streets of  Myeongdong to find other essential items.  For nearly a year, the friendly Soohorang (White Tiger) and Bandabi (Asiatic Black Bear), the  Olympic and Paralympic mascots respectively,  have been highly visible all over the city.  Here are just a few of the many many statues. Daph’s hair, even its darker, winter shade of blonde, is always a show-stopper on the streets.

Much to Bill’s dismay, I suggested we visit the Duty Free Official Olympic Store to get additional loot.  Despite the crowd, we were able to rapidly move through the long lines quickly and look who quickly became quite attached to his new Soohorang!

Those of you who watched a lot of the Olympics may have picked up on how Koreans love to make a heart with their fingers/hands in front of the camera.  We’ve been doing this for years now and loved the official Olympic gloves that highlight the heart and were cellphone friendly…of course!.  Had to get the official hats too.  Here we are in our patriotic Olympic garb! If you look closely, you can see I have Soohorang clipped to my backpack as well.

We left Seoul early Thursday morning and after a brief snafu with the rental car (we stupidly left our international DLs in the car in Seoul!) that really taxed my rudimentary spoken and written Korean, we headed to the Gangneung skating complex to catch the Women’s Gold Medal Ice Hockey game!!  Here we are on the super efficient and comfortable shuttle bus and walking up to the venue…excitement building!!

The game featured a decades old rivalry between Team USA and Canada and the level of play was extraordinary and a far cry from the sport when I played it to say the least.  Here’s the PUCK DROP!

We were seated next to some rabid Canadian fans so competed ourselves when it came to cheering loudly and waving our American flag.  Team USA scored the first goal and one could feel the Americans’ collective hope that this time, this time, just maybe….but Team Canada answered quickly, of course.  The game was close throughout all three periods with Team USA pulling ahead only to have Team Canada even it up.  At the end of regulation time, the score was 2-2 and so into OT we went!  Olympic OT is a 4-on-4 format which generally produces a goal, but in this game did not even after another thrilling 20 minutes of play.  Shootout time…and then finally Team USA prevailed 3-2, ending a 20 yr. losing streak to Team Canada.  I really can’t describe how amazing it was to be in the stands of this historic game…and these Stanton hockey fans will never, ever forget the JOY of this sweet victory!  We stayed for the medal ceremony, witnessing the tearful medal acceptances by the players of all three medal games, ruminating on all the years of commitment these women must of dedicated along the way to this final Olympic game.  The support of the entire global community of fans, fellow Olympic athletes and the families, was palpable all around us.  We experienced moving moments such as this over and over again all weekend and this is why going to the Olympic Games is so worth it!!  On the way out of the rink, we were greeted by lots of TV reporters eager for an American reaction.  Naturally, Bill and I slunk away, but Eloise and Daphne stepped right up to the limelight and were soon surrounded by cameras as they described the game.  We have no idea if any of the interview made it on air, but Daphne’s good friend Kelly Morrison’s mom Gail did catch us on the today show and sent me this photo.

Thanks to some technical help from Daphne, I think you can access the actual clip that aired on the Today Show which is not available to us here in Seoul but she managed to find in the US.  You have to copy the link below and paste it into a new tab in your browser in order to view it.  There’s a game recap and then just before the 3 minute mark, you’ll see the Stantons…briefly…but hey, more airtime than ever before!

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/revenge-served-ice-team-usa-hockey-wins-gold-over-canada

As elated as we were after this thrilling game, Bill and I were still quite nervous about how all the logistics of the weekend would come together and downright anxious about the accommodations which we had yet to find. The amazing internet helped though and I was able to enter the phone number (much easier than the address) of our hotel into the Korean GPS of our rental car and locate it’s location.  We know from experience that Korean homes and hotel arrangements are VASTLY different than Western ones.  Certainly the visit to the Lake Hills Resort with my parents last year left an indelible impression…and not for its amenities!  Life outside of modern, and by comparison very-accessible Seoul, can be quite challenging for an expat.  For starters, the ability to communicate in English drops off precipitiously which makes everything more difficult.  Recognizeable food options disappear as well so in Seoul we packed some fruit, homemade muffins and Maria cookies (a meal, in a pinch!).  My only regret…or really Bill’s MAJOR complaint,..was not packing some instant Starbuck sleeves since most Korean hotels do at least provide electric kettles.

After a 20 minute drive to increasing poor and rural surroundings, we glimpsed our destination.  Below you can see why we approached the White Castle “Resort” with just a TAD bit of trepidation…

When we booked the rooms, we were told they were the very last rooms and therefore quite pricey ($300/night).  When we pulled up, there wasn’t another soul in site or car in the parking lot and it smelled like manure everywhere. We were escorted to an annex building and shown our rooms.  I think the phrase “pictures speak lounder than words” applies here.

The “artwork” (light-up fake fish tank) actually had a W200,000 ($200 roughly) price tag on it!  While a shock to us, the room was clean and furnished with working, if not tired, appliances and bedding.  The floor heating was working well…in fact a little too well…but we were relunctant to complain for fear that poor communication (on my part) might result in a very cold night.  Eloise and I both gulped down glasses of water after our long day before noticing the bottled water in the fridge.  As my slow, old brain started to make the connection between the manure smell and bottles of water, I panicked and quickly asked the owners about the tap water’s potability and was urged to BOIL any drinking water.  YIKES…had I just ruined our Olympic Adventure??!!  Fortunately, Eloise and I did not suffer any tummy trouble.

For dinner, we ventured out (again the phone number/GPS plan saved the day) to the restaurant I had the Seoul hotline book for us.  Good thing too since options were far and few between especially during the winter which is the offseason for this seaside area.  We were hungry and tired and ready for anything…even if it was a seafood joint famous for its fresh raw abalone and flounder!  Fortunately, the girls were able to order a vegetable bibimbap rice dish and scarf up the yummy banchan dishese served with all Korean meals while Bill and I enjoyed a delicous hot pot of (cooked) fresh seafood.  We got the giggles over dinner as you can see from the photos below.  I had huge chunks of octupi stuck in my teeth when asked to “smile” for the camera.

After a (VERY) toasty night’s sleep, a make-shift breakfast of items we had brought with us knowing Korean breakfasts are truly a challenge for the Western traveler, and a brief room-rate “discussion” Bill and Eloise had with the owners, we set out for Day 2 and in search of a cup of coffee since the White Castle Resort wasn’t exactly offering any. Much to our constant frustration and confusion, coffee shops in Korea generally do not open until 10am, particularly those outside of Seoul.  While this a bit of a shock coming from Starbucks Seoul (known to have the highest density of Starbucks in the world) AND a distinct challenge for a certain male Stanton family member, “FlexiBill” as we often call him, muscled through the morning hours before finally finding coffee in a can at the rink just before noon.

Once again, we effortlessly drove back to the Olympic Village Parking lot and boarded one of the many shuttle buses waiting to transport spectators to the various venues.  Often, we’d be so engrossed in the TV coverage shown on the bus that we were reluctant to disembark..We were lucky enough to obtain tickets to the Women’s Final Free Skating program and were treated to 4 hours of simply stunning skating.  I wasn’t sure how Bill would react to 4 hours of figure skating, but we were all mesmorized by these skaters and their feats.  All the spectators in the arena, regardless of ethnicity/nationhood, rooted for each and every skater since everyone wanted these women to do their very best at the Olympics.  Of course, one might cheer a little louder for an athlete representing one’s own country, but barely.  This communal spirit of friendship, solidarity and fairplay is a remarkable aspect of the Olympic Games and a fantastic break from the divisive, often conflicted world in which we live today.  We didn’t video tape much during this event as the skating was so graceful, athletic and captivating and the emotion hard to capture via our phones.  I’m betting many of you were lucky enough to watch it on TV in the States, too, something we were unable to do in Seoul.   Here’s a mini clip Bill shot though.

We were seated next to a very enthusiastic group of Russians who, for good reason as we soon learned when Russian skaters earned the gold (Zagitova is only 15 yrs old!) and silver medals, were rabid fans, dressed patriotically, draped in flags and wearing kokoshniks (traditional headresses).  I wished I’d snapped some photos for the blog.  We also won’t forget the Koreans’ proud response to Choi Da-bin’s strong performance which earned her 7th overall since the arena erupted after she completed her routine without a fall.  PHEW!

While they were setting up for the medal ceremony, I posed here for Eloise in my Olympic garb.  Please forgive Soohorang’s rear!

We left elated and energized by yet another event that exceeded our expectations and headed to the Olympic Park and Plaza.  Many Koreans only visited the Olympic Park since sporting event ticket prices were too expensive for the average Korean.  The government however did provide free bus service to/from Seoul daily and tickets into the Olympic Park were only $5/person so many locals came to soak in this international event with their families.  Standing in the Olympic Plaza, surrounded by folks from around the world and beneath all the national flags is quite moving and provided many photo opportunities.  Everyone was relaxed, smiling and soaking in the Olympic spirt of global goodwill.  We wandered around outside, taking in the various sculptures and views of the Olympic torch.  Below you’ll also see a group of Korean volunteers marching by.  These folks were EVERYWHERE and cheerfully guided visitors around.  The headline K-Pop girl band that was due to perform later that evening was giving a dress rehearsal show that everyone, including the policemen, enjoyed.  When the temperature started to plunge we ventured inside and were treated to a wonderful traditional Korean music ensemble.  The highlight for us was when they played “Let It Be” and “Obladi-Oblada” on centuries old reed and string instruments and everyone sang along.

Jinnie, one of Daphne’s friends from Seoul volunteered everyday for nearly a month, skipping a lot of her senior year, but enjoying this amazing opportunity.  She came to meet us at a hockey game and the two girls had a nice, but brief catch up. Here is Jinnie in her volunteer outfit with Daph.

We then met our French friends for a “Western” dinner and I had my 3rd hotdog/sausage of the day.  Desperation certainly changes one’s diet!  We rode the shuttle buses back to the rink complex and got excited to watch the Men’s Semi-final Ice Hockey game featuring Germany and Canada.  Again, Canada was the heavy favorite but the Team Germany came out strong and calmly defended against the speed and finesse of fancy Canadian skaters and a flurry of shots of goal.  Suddenly, after minutes of possession by Team Canada, there’d be a break away and Team Germany would race down the ice and score.  Team Germany surprisingly had a significant 4-1 lead going into the 3rd period, but Team Canada almost tied it up in the third period so the game was really exciting but ended with Germany winning 4-3.

Between periods the Korean cheerleaders rocked the arena with their dancing and then Soohorang, the Olympic white tiger mascot, dropped by and entertained the crowd in typically Korean manner.  Please enjoy the video below:

As much as we would have gladly stayed for another OT, we were also happy to head back to our “resort” at this late hour.  This night, we wisely cracked the sliding glass door and enjoyed a much cooler night’s sleep.

Day 3 provided an opportunity to visit the jumping venues at PyeongChang.  These facilities were impressive and the day was sunny and warm.  We had tickets to the Men’s BigAir Snowboard finals and were eager to check out this new Olympic event.  The stadium seating, big jumbotron screens where players’ backgrounds were announced and jumps replayed really made the viewing experience exceptional.  As with the figure skating, the Olympic spirit prevailed, rallying each competitor to do his best.  The global crowd celebrated each success and offered collective sighs/moans when landings were botched.  We witnessed Amercan Kyle Mack execute his “Bloody Dracula” trick, landing it for the first time ever, even in practice sessions! It earned him the silver medal and is well worth a short google search!  I wish we had captured this amazing feat, but we did video one of his 3 jumps to give you a sense of the event and the atmosphere in the stands.

Cristina caught the Stanton family cheering in action below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The shuttle buses took us back to our car and then we headed to the train station to get lunch.  This was far more of a challenge than we realized and quite surprising given the millions of folks who came to the the Olympics.  Again, we were reminded of the differences between Seoul and the countryside.  We finally found a spot that looked “promising” and sat down at the only empty table next to a family with young kids who were happily enjoying the soup.  As is typical of many small “mom & pop” Korean restaurants, this joint seemed to be only offering one type of soup.  I nipped outside to look at the posted menu to see and inquired about the second option (for obvious reasons!) only to learn via hand gestures that this was not available.  I decided NOT to disclose what we were about to “enjoy” to the troops.  At one point, Bill remarked on how much he liked the pork in the soup and I had to stifle a laugh.  The kimchi, assorted banchan and rice were critical elements of the meal for  the rest of us.

Still elated from our Olympic adventure we boarded the train back to Seoul and napped most of the way.  Despite their exhaustion, Eloise and Daphne managed to find the energy to rally for a “Migos” concert that evening in Gangnam.  Bill’s assistant kindly picked up the tickets at the box office and met us on the train platform.  We took the girls’ bags home while they took full advantage of their last night in Seoul.  Daph took this photo of the stage from their second row (!) seats.  The concert was great and fortunately didn’t end too late so the girls got a bit of sleep before the 6:30am taxi pickup for the airport.  They flew in and out of the brand new Terminal 2 which was built in anticipation of the Olympics and texted this video on their way home.

Maybe now we can convince some of you to come visit us in Seoul?!!  At the very least, though, we hope you will make an effort to go to the Olympics at some point.  The experience is so memorable and worth all the effort and unexpected surprises that will invariably arise.  As much as we were underwhelmed by the White Castle Resort, we will forever remember the kindness of its owners.  Once back in the US, Daphne realized she had accidentally left her David Yurman graduation ring in the room.  I quickly called and in very rudimentary Korean managed to convey the issue to the owner who promptly sent me a picture of the missing ring and offered to send it to us in Seoul.  This arrived the following day and reminded us all of the Korean Kindness we often experience here…and why Bill’s earlier room rate “discussion” thankfully ended on a friendly note and set the tone for our stay.

A happy ending to our “Omazing Olympic Odventure”!