The Huwon Secret Garden and Its Time Machine

Today was CIEE's last activity, a visit to the Huwon Secret Garden. Yes, the program is nearly at its end! Oh, how time has flown by. The Huwon Secret Garden is located at the rear of the Changdeokgung Palace, where the members of the royal family would spend their time of leisure. The garden is sculpted around the natural flow of nature so as to not disturb it, but coexist with it. 
It was a hot day, much like it has been, but the air exceptionally was hot and thick today. After a few minutes in the sun, I swear I was melting. Let it be my luck, I had forgotten my fan, but I did bring my umbrella as rain was expected... or maybe not? The sky was so blue and bright that I assumed the rain had decided to come another day.
We were greeted by an English-speaking tour guide to guide us on our journey throughout the garden. He gave us a brief history lesson at each stop (there were three) and allowed us to idle around to awe at the beauty. At our first stop, he had talked about if he were a King that he would lounge around the pound all day to meditate and nap. It looked so peaceful! During our "break" time, I sat on a stone step to take in the scenery, and then... it started to rain! And it rained hard. Aha! I had my umbrella, so it wasn't too bad. The cool air quickly came over us and gave us all a temporary relief from the heat. It was great timing, too. The rain only added to the beauty of the scenery. The smell of the air became so crisp. I even had a nostalgic feeling come over me. As a child, I would sit by the front glass door and watch it rain on a vibrant green Spring day. The air, the smell... it was all so peaceful. I was so lost in my trance that I did not realize that my bum had gotten wet, ha! I made sure not to sit at the next stops. 
From there, it had rained on and off, and let it be my luck again, the rain did not completely stop until the tour was over. Literally, as we had exited the garden, the sun came out and kicked the cool air to the side. Ahh... I was melting once more. 
It was a short tour; however, I had a chance to walk where royalty once did. Beauty does not fade with age. The Huwon Secret Garden is another location in South Korea where time has stood still.