Science AND Ancient History? Sign Me Up!

Note: I visited some museums this weekend and as a result I got some pictures to put in some of my history blogs.  So I've updated my Prehistory and Confederated Kingdoms posts and I also replaced a picture on my Busan post that I had taken from Wikipedia.  Now every picture on this blog has been taken by me.

I finally made my way to Daejeon this weekend.  December 26th was actually my originally planned date for the trip, but for multiple reasons it got pushed back to January 29th.  It was a little bit of a nerdy trip in that I visited quite a few museums, but I had a lot of fun.

I got into Daejeon around 10:15 and hopped on the subway to go to Seattle Park.  The park really wasn't anything special, but I felt a little bit of an obligation to go see it because of the name.  I then walked my way up to EXPO Park, which was the sight of the 1993 Daejeon Expo.  This place is kind of an amusement park combined with a science center.  It was pretty fun to tour around because it had quite a few unique buildings.

I then crossed the highway to wander around the National Science Museum.  The museum featured a little bit of everything.  It had a planetarium, exhibits on animals, displays of ancient Korean culture, and even a military exhibition.  I really enjoyed it and I think anyone interested in science would probably enjoy it as well.  It's nowhere near as extensive as the Smithsonian, but it still provides some interesting facts and a pleasant diversion from city life.

Mobius strip in front of National Science Museum

Can you guess what Korean words are for seconds, minutes, days and years?  I'll give you a hint.  It takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds for light from the sun to reach earth

I actually didn't really end up getting lost on this trip.  I found my way to the Currency Museum after I left the science center.  This place was okay, but I wasn't really expecting too much to begin with.  It basically commemorates Korean currencies throughout the years and also investigates currencies from around the world.  I toured it pretty quickly, but I enjoyed the time I spent there.

My only long trek of the day took place between the Currency Museum and Daejeon World Cup Stadium.  This stadium didn't really stack up to the one I saw in Daegu.  It was okay, but not something worth going out of my way.  Luckily, the Daejeon Prehistoric Museum was close by and I ended up getting some great pictures for my blog from the displays.  The museum covers the Paleolithic Age, Neolithic Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. 

Scene from the Bronze Age

So that about rounded out my day in Daejeon.  I ended up heading back to Waegwan at 6:15 and going out in Gumi on Saturday night.  I had fun on the trip, but my Japan trip is really what I'm excited for at this point.  I can't wait to set sail for "The Land of the Rising Sun" on Wednesday.