I set out today to go to the Jeonju Sori Arts Centre and the Zoo as they were close to one another. I had met an artist who told me about an Art Exhibition at Sori Arts - arts and crafts by women artists, and I did promise her that I'd go.
I managed to get a taxi and with my bit of paper with Sori Arts Centre in English and Korean, I set off. These complexes are on the edge of the city surrounded by dense bushland. The Art Centre is huge - a place for concerts, Art Exhibitions, (though all the galleries were empty), a shop, and lots more. I found some people who tried to find the exhibition I was talking about, and one guy even took me on a tour of the place (he spoke no English) and as we passed the bookshop, he took three art books from the shelves and gave them too me. I think they are old catalogues/exhibition details but they have great photos and information about local artists.
I set off to find the zoo, and was surprised that it was much closer than I had imagined. I had trouble working the vending machine to get a ticket, but a young man helped me, and I paid the 1300 Won entry fee. (About $1.30 Au) and set off inside.
The zoo is a huge area, and much of it is garden and as it is spring there was quite a showing. The animals were not a happy lot. They are in cages, just like old zoo's, with bare sandy floors and nothing of interest. They all looked bored and unhappy. I found three kangaroos lying in the sun - with some rather fun pop art behind them. I took a few photos, and wandered around in the thousands of school children, some of whom came up and shook hands with me, "Nice to meet you" or "High five". I didn't stay long - it was hot and I found it quite depressing.
Another cab got me home again and I bought some lunch at Domino's Pizza. That was quite funny as Domino's used to be near my apartment and the other day I noticed that the spot they were until last week had been completely demolished. They had moved into a new place close by. Very expensive and huge pizza's - and not being a pizza lover and thinking it might take me a week to eat one, I chose the spaghetti bol., which I carried home in its neat little box with a red ribbon.
2 comments:
Poor kangaroos. Zoos are so much the same.
Cheers,
peter
It is not the most modern of zoo's I have seen, and in Adelaide Zoo we can walk among the smaller kangaroos. Modern Zoo's (Taronga, Adelaide, Singapore) have much better facilities for animals and have trees, grass, plants etc and they have activities. Sadly this zoo had nothing. All the animals were bored. But here in Korea it is not easy to grow grasses like we have in Oz - the cold winter snow kills it. At least the people get to see some of the animals from the world.
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