Today was the day. We NEEDED to finish off our planned shopping. We were on the hunt for a place that could custom make suits and shoes. We hadn't found one we liked and Vince remembered there being TONS of them down by Osan Air Base. He had been stationed here years ago, and had specific memories of what we could find here. Osan is about 30 miles south of Seoul. Although Osan AB is not acutally in Osan. It is more in Suwon....which is where we wanted to go. We think!
It was very hard to convey this to the taxi driver. For one, he spoke absolutely NO English. Also, it seems that no one in Korea has ever heard of Osan AB. Soooo, we start heading south, hoping to get close & just figure it out. Life is an adventure, right?! So, the farther out of Seoul we get, the more rural, and poor it gets. Lots of farmlands, lots of poor housing areas (aka the ghetto, as we would call it here in the US). Signs stop being in any letters, and all just symbols. Getting interesting!
Our driver still has no idea where he is going. He yells at some people in the cars next to us on the frwy. They can't help. My MapQuest on my phone is semi getting us close, but Osan AB doesn't show up on MapQuest! UGH! So, needless to say, about 2 hours later we find the damn place. We saw some airmen, and asked them, and we followed them to the bases. It is very unassuming. Once we got there, the little "town" outside the base is all shopping and eating places. Most were closed still since it was early so we walked onto the base and wandered around. We headed towards the BX since we knew we could find familiar things there. We had lunch there and actually found our "you are here" mugs at the Starbucks!!! Shocking that after searching about 100 shops in Seoul, we find it on base. The base was cool...it was pretty, and much like any other American base. Lots of people of all nationalities, schools, housing, kid everywhere....felt like home!
After hanging out there for a bit, we make our way back out to the shops. We make a few purchases - mink blankets, jade dragons, samurai knife, more socks and luggage (to take home all that we bought!) and we found a suit maker!!!
We check out his work, go through all his swatches of fabrics & colors. He measures Vince (which took about an hour - with over 100 different measurements) and we place our order! One for Vince and one for Kenny (his wedding tux!!!). We will see how they turn out!!! So excited!
We talk to some people and find out that there is a bus that takes you right back into Seoul to the main bus station there for $4. WTH!? We paid like $50 for the taxi to get here. Bus sounded good...but you have to fight for a place on it!! So we did....and made our way back to the city. From there, took a taxi back to the hotel. WHEW!!! What a strange & interesting day!!!
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| Found it!!! |
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| It has been MANY years since Vince has walked thru those gates. |
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| Phone Home.... What is this thing?!?! |
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