Bad pun- I know ;) The big city- Seoul. So much to see and do in a city of 4.5 million- where do you start?
It was a good little crew that headed out for capital at 5:30 am from Shidae Apartments on Saturday morning. All for different reasons and things to do- I somehow managed to include myself in this trip at a planning meeting they had 2 weeks ago at a coffee shop.
Despite the God-awful hour that we had to get up at, it wasn't such a bad trip. The transportation system here in Korea is very advanced, and although it would have been nice to catch the high speed train out of Gwangju, by the time you transfer from the bus to the train station, you're better off taking just the bus. So the express bus was it- taking us into Seoul in just 4.5 hours- including a rest stop.
Pulling in the station around 7, our first stop in the city was the subway. Oh my was I glad I wasn't alone. Going with people who have been there before is key- because navigating that system for the first time would be near impossible. It's not even the language- it's all billingual, but there are just too many lines crisscrossing every which way. Down a hallway, up an escalator, through some more halls and mobs of people- where is the orange line? You could be lost for hours! I was proud of myself for getting a grip on Toronto's subway this summer- but this one could take some time.
We found our way to our motel first. And yes, it was another love motel, the Emerald. Stumbling off the subway, we wandered through a park and down some side streets trying to get our bearings as to where the motel might be. I guess this one is popular with the Suncheon crowd- it's cheap for being in Seoul- about 40,000 Won a night. I tried to go the cheap way and opt for a Korean room, with the bed being, well, not a bed. Mats on the floor that let you soak up that ondol floor heating the proper way. Turns out the Korean room is no cheaper than a room with a 'Western' bed in it- buuttt it was very comfortable nonetheless. Floor it is!
On our way back to the subway we happened upon a little parade/ cultural demonstration going on in the streets, which was both random and exciting. It was really neat to see people in traditional dress, playing instruments, doing acrobatics, and dancing the traditional Korean mask dance. I look forward to seeing more of those types of things as more festivals start up in the new year.
Next was Itaewon, the foreigner district. This part of the city is close to a US military base, so a large concentration of restaurants, stores and bars have sprung up, catering to the waygooks. Nothing too special to look at, but that Indian and Mexican food really hit the spot. Nachos, cheese and sourcream are hard to come by, so it was exciting to be going places to eat that didn't serve kimchi! There were many souvenier vendors all along the street selling mostly chinsy things, like keychains and tshirts... even some boxer shorts with the 1000 won bill on it! Those I couldn't resist ;) Mostly it was striking to be able to walk around without being stared at, and to hear the majority of the people around you speaking English!
Most of the group that went had tickets to Cirque de Soleil for Saturday night, but since I saw it already this past summer, I opted for cappuccino at the Starbucks with Janet and Fraser. From there we met up with everyone again at another familiar place that could fit in, in just about any Canadian town- the Rocky Mountain Tavern! It was a great hangout- provincial flags on the ceiling, Canadian beers, Canadian music... almost makes you forget you're halfway around the world. So if ever you get homesick in Korea- this is the place you should be.
After a late night and a little bit of a sleep-in, I went off exploring on my own through Insadong, the artisan market, and around Changgyeonggung Palace, one of 5 palaces in Seoul. The market was beautiful, and full of sooo many paintings and souveniers that I hardly knew what to buy- there was just too much to choose from. A few of us went off to the palace afterwards, hoping to do a tour. They alternate between Korean, Chinese, and English tours- so sadly we didn't get around to staying for ours... but the outside sure was beautiful!
All in all another wonderful weekend adventure :) I can hardly wait to go back!
It was a good little crew that headed out for capital at 5:30 am from Shidae Apartments on Saturday morning. All for different reasons and things to do- I somehow managed to include myself in this trip at a planning meeting they had 2 weeks ago at a coffee shop.
Despite the God-awful hour that we had to get up at, it wasn't such a bad trip. The transportation system here in Korea is very advanced, and although it would have been nice to catch the high speed train out of Gwangju, by the time you transfer from the bus to the train station, you're better off taking just the bus. So the express bus was it- taking us into Seoul in just 4.5 hours- including a rest stop.
Pulling in the station around 7, our first stop in the city was the subway. Oh my was I glad I wasn't alone. Going with people who have been there before is key- because navigating that system for the first time would be near impossible. It's not even the language- it's all billingual, but there are just too many lines crisscrossing every which way. Down a hallway, up an escalator, through some more halls and mobs of people- where is the orange line? You could be lost for hours! I was proud of myself for getting a grip on Toronto's subway this summer- but this one could take some time.We found our way to our motel first. And yes, it was another love motel, the Emerald. Stumbling off the subway, we wandered through a park and down some side streets trying to get our bearings as to where the motel might be. I guess this one is popular with the Suncheon crowd- it's cheap for being in Seoul- about 40,000 Won a night. I tried to go the cheap way and opt for a Korean room, with the bed being, well, not a bed. Mats on the floor that let you soak up that ondol floor heating the proper way. Turns out the Korean room is no cheaper than a room with a 'Western' bed in it- buuttt it was very comfortable nonetheless. Floor it is!
On our way back to the subway we happened upon a little parade/ cultural demonstration going on in the streets, which was both random and exciting. It was really neat to see people in traditional dress, playing instruments, doing acrobatics, and dancing the traditional Korean mask dance. I look forward to seeing more of those types of things as more festivals start up in the new year.
Next was Itaewon, the foreigner district. This part of the city is close to a US military base, so a large concentration of restaurants, stores and bars have sprung up, catering to the waygooks. Nothing too special to look at, but that Indian and Mexican food really hit the spot. Nachos, cheese and sourcream are hard to come by, so it was exciting to be going places to eat that didn't serve kimchi! There were many souvenier vendors all along the street selling mostly chinsy things, like keychains and tshirts... even some boxer shorts with the 1000 won bill on it! Those I couldn't resist ;) Mostly it was striking to be able to walk around without being stared at, and to hear the majority of the people around you speaking English!
Most of the group that went had tickets to Cirque de Soleil for Saturday night, but since I saw it already this past summer, I opted for cappuccino at the Starbucks with Janet and Fraser. From there we met up with everyone again at another familiar place that could fit in, in just about any Canadian town- the Rocky Mountain Tavern! It was a great hangout- provincial flags on the ceiling, Canadian beers, Canadian music... almost makes you forget you're halfway around the world. So if ever you get homesick in Korea- this is the place you should be.
After a late night and a little bit of a sleep-in, I went off exploring on my own through Insadong, the artisan market, and around Changgyeonggung Palace, one of 5 palaces in Seoul. The market was beautiful, and full of sooo many paintings and souveniers that I hardly knew what to buy- there was just too much to choose from. A few of us went off to the palace afterwards, hoping to do a tour. They alternate between Korean, Chinese, and English tours- so sadly we didn't get around to staying for ours... but the outside sure was beautiful!
All in all another wonderful weekend adventure :) I can hardly wait to go back!
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