Parenting on Purpose

Psyche World  With temperatures forecast below the 10 degree celsius mark, we decided to make changes to our itinerary and head to an indoor location. Psyche World, a museum dedicated to butterflies and other insects, appealed to us as we thought our two children would be enthralled by the live butterfly and animal feeding exhibits. We however got far more than what we bargained for - although the live butterfly exhibit happened to be closed due to bad weather, the preserved insect exhibits were by far the most interesting we have ever seen; and all of us (children and adults alike) were fascinated by the extent of creativity expanded by the museum. Fascinating display of butterflies of so many different species. Bug attack! The chess player in me couldn't resist this photo. Not really a soccer fan, but I can see how this might bug some people... The "Colosseum" - Quite realistic in my opinion. Hungry anyone? Gives a new meaning to ...

Manjanggul Lava Cave & Gimnyeong Maze Park We arrived at the Manjanggul Cave just in time for lunch, which was a simple (but expensive) meal at a cafe near the cave. And we were then finally ready for the walk! Here's what the official Korean tourism site says about it: Manjanggul Cave (만장굴) is one of the finest lava tunnels in the world, and is a designated natural monument. A lava tunnel is formed when the lava that was deep in the ground spouts from the peak and flows to the surface. Manjanggul Cave has a variety of interesting structures inside including 70cm lava stalagmites and the lava tube tunnels.  I must admit the walk through the cave was one of the most exciting I've had. But it was also one of the most tiring; especially with an 11 kilogramme-load sitting in my backpack (our second son E weighs that much at 16 months). We were also privileged to witness the cave in its original form - which meant that the Jeju officials decided to leave the cave floo...

Arrival After a series of flights lengthened by  shifts in weather  and   plane delays, we finally arrived at the lovely island of Jeju, and checked into our lovely abode for the next 9 days, the comfortable Goodstay December Jeju Hotel. We were warmly welcomed by the owner Mr Kim, a kindly man whom our boys came to love over the course of our stay there.  Enjoying our lovely room in the Goodstay December Jeju Hotel Famished, we headed out for a late lunch, and promptly bumped into a lady who personally recommended her restaurant. Since it was located just next to the hotel, we quickly settled in for a hearty meal of bibimbap (a Korean staple of vegetables served over rice in a hot pot) , sundubu  (chilli tofu stew - I ordered this to remember our first Korea trip during which Sue and I came to love this dish) and seafood stew. After lunch we took a drive to scenic Samyang Beach. However it was already twilight by the time we arrived; moreover...