Hanok Experience

Mr. Nam arranged for us to stay the night at a traditional Korean house - a Hanok.  This is the home a friend that Mr. Nam plays hockey with.  We arrived late in the evening and Ian was already fast asleep.  We carried him in and laid him down.  He didn't realize he was in the house until he woke up in the morning.

A couple of points about a Hanok.  First, there are no western style beds.  Instead, you sleep on the floor on blankets or mats.  Secondly, the floors are heated.  This is called ondol.  It's a nice feeling to wake up to a warm floor.  Third, the house is built to follow the flow of the landscape so it's not a perfectly level or square structure.  Fourth, they also feature an outdoor courtyard that is in enclosed by the main structure.  There are probably many other points, but those are the ones that I am familiar with.  Mr. Nam thought this particular Hanok was approximately 60 years old and had been remodeled along the way.   This was a uniquely Korean experience.

A view of the Hanok from the alley

The main entrance to the courtyard

In the courtyard looking at the front door

The main room's ceiling.

A view of one of the rooms

Brian and Ben in the kitchen as viewed from courtyard

The view from just down the alley

Ian, Cami, Alex, Ben and Brian

Dana, Ian, Alex, Cami, Ben and Justin in the courtyard