It isn’t that often that we come across a group of manatees we can see up close. But today my husband and I hit the jackpot! He was riding his bike home from the beach and called to tell me there were many manatees near the bridge at Stanley Goldman Park. I raced over with my 200 mm lens.

The water is very warm there, and that’s why they often gather in that spot. A mommy and her baby were loving each other up, and in the last 2 photos you can see manatees drinking water from a hose a man sprayed from his back yard. Read all about manatees here.

On this special American holiday, we celebrate the vision and courage of American Civil Rights leader and Nobel Prize winner, Martin Luther King, Jr. Every year on this day, I read his “I Have a Dream” speech, which I have on the wall in my office. And every year I think about how there’s really nothing that could be done to improve that speech.

Today I was privileged to review an extraordinary picture book, My Uncle Martin’s Words for America. You’ve got to read it yourself. Both the story and the illustrations are wonderful.

Cypress Knees

Roseate Spoonbill

Water ripples after gator takes a swim

Cypress reflection

One awesome knee

A forest of misty Cypress trees

Cat (of some sort) paw print? Panther? Bobcat?

Great Blue Heron

Low, low water levels

Iced tea-colored water

Air plant

Young alligator

Hawk

Humongous grasshopper

Daddy Long Legs

Graceful Crane

Ibis and Heron hangin out

Stork

Pelican

I found a dead butterfly in perfect condition on the sidewalk. Poor thing. It sure is beautiful and was fascinating to look at through a magnifying glass. I put it in a cardboard box and shipped it to my daughter at college so she could look at it through a microscope.

Check out what appears to be a net-casting spider living on my back patio! Is this an elaborate pad for a spider, or what?!

Following a 5 week stay in Mongolia’s Dalbay Valley, Rachel Glade spent a week with 5 fellow student researchers in Seoul. Here she shares her Seoul travel experience with us . . .

Here I am in front of the Joint Area Security Center near the Demilitarized Zone

Since my Mongolia trip took us through Seoul, we wanted to take advantage of the stopover and stay for a while to see the sites. We stayed at Annguesthouse, located in the busy Hongik University District. This neighborhood is full of shops, restaurants jazz bars and nightclubs. At night the streets are full of vendors and street performers (we saw a beat boxing competition), and hundreds of people are walking around at all hours of the night.

The accommodations were really nice and clean and were much appreciated by all of the researchers after sleeping on wooden cots in cold gers for 5 weeks in Mongolia. Our room offered us a great a view of the city. The cost was something like $20 per night per guest. We had a big room with a loft, kitchen and private bathroom. Ann even did our laundry for us, and she was extremely friendly. She even brought us fresh bread and jam every morning. It was a perfect place to stay.

The people of Seoul are very friendly and helpful. One night we asked a man for directions, and since he did not know the answer, he called a friend to ask for help.

The subways in South Korea are immaculate and modern and easy to figure out how to get around. The entire public transportation system closes at midnight, so proper planning is essential, though it’s easy to find taxis late at night.

The Seoul Subway

In Seoul we visited Changgyeonggung Palace, dating back to the 15^th century. It was built to house kings, their families, concubines and royal staff. Most palaces face to the south, but this one faces east overlooking the expansive views of the hills.

Changgyeonggung Palace in Seoul on a rainy day

Close view of the intricate architecture of Changgyeonggung Palace (can you see the man?)

The beautiful, serene gardens at Changgyeonggung Palace

The food in Seoul is excellent. Bibimbap is a combination of meat, vegetables and rice cooked in a stone pot. Sometimes there is an egg on top. We had Korean BBQ, where there is a grill in the middle of the table. The customers cook the food themselves, mostly beef. It is wrapped in lettuce and covered in a spicy sauce. All the restaurants bring patrons many different side dishes like Kim Chi, vegetables and Tofu.

Raw fish and roe salad, with a side of kim chi

Cooking your own food at the table adds to the overall dining experience

The Noryangjin Fish Market, in Seoul. Over 700 vendors sell fresh, live fish.

The choices at the Fish Market are overwhelming. Some of the vendors will grill it for you on the spot.

One of my favorite places in Seoul was Insadong Street. It’s one of the biggest and most popular shopping streets in the city selling everything from food, art, traditional Korean crafts, and upscale clothing. Street vendors take advantage of the crowds and sell fresh figs, dragon whisker candy made from thousands of strings of honey,  hoddeok (a pancake filled with sweet cinnamon sauce, my favorite), ice cream, kebabs and plenty more.

Calligraphy brush store on Insadong Street

The streets of Seoul possess lots of character

One of the highlights of my stay in Seoul was a visit to the DMZ, the Demilitarized Zone which separates North and South Korea. There is a building that straddles the border, with each country possessing an equal half. After the war, North and South Korea allowed war prisoners to decide which country they wanted to live in. Once they decided and crossed the bridge to either side, they could never return again. This is called The Bridge of No Return.

At the border, South Korean soldiers face North Korean soldiers all day, ready for an attack.

The Bridge of No Return – one side South Korea, the other North

One morning I took the KTX bullet train from Seoul to Daegu to see Kun, my Dad’s old college roommate. Tickets cost 30-40,000 won round trip, the equivalent of about $30-40, and the train travels so fast that it takes less than 2 hours to go 200 miles, including stops. Kun and his family took me to so many places in such a short amount of time, that it was actually somewhat exhausting but definitely worth it. I saw Daegu University, where Kun is a professor and administrator. Then we drove off to Gyeongju, home of the Silla Dynasty. We visited the Grotto of Seokguram which houses a highly regarded Buddha seated upon a lotus pedestal.

KTX Train in Seoul (Photo by Jpatokal)

The Seated Buddha awaits visitors inside the Seokguram

Paper prayer lanterns in the gardens of the Grotto hold prayers from students who were taking their college exams. Monks chant and say prayers for those who express their wishes.

Not far from the Grotto we stopped at the Bulguksa Temple and the Gyeongju Museum that displays thousands of artifacts dating from prehistoric times. It is said that there are tens of thousands of Buddhas in storage here.

The Bulguksa Temple houses 7 National Treasures of South Korea including the Dabotap Pagoda

The colorful Heavenly Guards at Bulguksa Temple

The Gyeongju Museum features room after room of relics

King Seongdeok’s Bell Outside the Gyeongju Museum

Gold jewelry is displayed at Gyeongju Museum

In between siting historic sites, I was taken to a Friday’s restaurant by Kun and his family. They ordered for everyone in Korean, and I was shocked when the waiter brought out chicken tenders, steak, onion rings, french fries and an ice cream sundae!  It was enough food for 8 people. We all had a good laugh. That was really an amazing day.

I feel fortunate that I was able to spend time in Seoul, following my stay in Mongolia. This is a journey I am certain I shall never forget.