Korea's Neverland Ranch: The Children's Grand Park

So last weekend, I went to the Children's Grand Park in Seoul. It is a huge complex that includes an amusement park, botanical garden, zoo, soccer field and amphitheatre. And it's FREE. I know what you're thinking -- the cost of food and beverages inside has got to be astronomical. But no! Koreans don't employ those bloodsucking American sales tactics. As inside most mass entertainment establishments in Korea, goods are priced exactly the same as they are outside the gates. Which means that this free park rules and you should come to Korea just to go to it. Although zoos are pretty heart-wrenching for any animal lover, I felt some sort of justification for not having paid to see them, as if I was avoiding condoning the institution. Hypocritical? Most certainly. At least I'm not in denial.

Flower beds near the rear entrance.

A troop of baboons.

The primate pens were pretty sad. They were very narrow and not very deep -- this pen reaches from the brick wall on the right side to maybe about 10 more feet on the left side.  They are open air, which is fascinating for visitors, but so cruel because the enclosing lines are electro-charged! It makes me sick to think of the first little guy who learned the hard way... From what we could tell, the primates are kept indoors over night, which is in some way consoling. Who knows what those quarters look like, though.

The entrance to the "Ferocious Animals Village."

A pair of Asian elephants.

A sleeping lioness.

A lion couple: relaxed or annoyed?

The Ferocious Animals Village was by far the most unbelievable yet depressing part. The cages are made of bulletproof glass, so you are able to get very close to the animals. But naturally, this seemed so cruel to the poor things because people smack and knock on the glass to rouse them and get their attention. On top of that, their confinements are unbelievably small.  The lions seemed much more tranquil than the tigers. One tiger was slinking around and scowling at all the gawking visitors. 

Incredible tiger markings.

Magellanic Penguins

Okay, but the penguins were cool. I don't remember having ever seen them swim before! They look like underwater whale-planes gliding around. I was reminded of why everyone was in love with that March of the Penguins movie. So freaking cute, I want to be one! 

They're swimming! ^^

All guilt aside, if you can suspend your animal rights sensitivity for a day, this is a really great place to visit. After we ooh-ed and aah-ed at the animals, my friends and I played some soccer and lounged on an open field in the park. It was an overall great, inexpensive day. I felt like I was an 8 year-old boy at Neverland Ranch! I can truthfully say that every weekend in Korea thus far has been an adventure.