The Sights of Seoul

Last weekend Eric and I were fortunate enough to have a long weekend due to Buddha’s birthday. To take advantage of this extra day we decided to spend the weekend in Seoul. There we were able to visit and stay with two good friends from Portland, Ian and Leslie, who teach in after school academies.

What stands out in my mind when I think about Seoul is its size. The city alone is home to 10.5 million people, but if you include the metro area the population jumps to 24.4 million people. This city is easily the biggest city I have ever been to. Knowing this, Eric and I decided to get an early start by catching the 6am bus out of Gwangju on Friday. We arrived in Seoul around 10 am and after dropping our backpack of at Ian and Leslie’s we dove head first into our nonstop run around town. Over the course of the next 48 hours this is what we accomplished:

Seoul Tower
The first stop on our list, Seoul Tower is built atop a hill in Namsan Park. The tower stands at 237 meters in height. Since the tower is built on a hill top, a cable car has been built to shuttle visitors back and forth. However, due to the holiday weekend the wait for a cable car was around 2 hours. Eric and I decided that we would walk to the tower. What we did not know was a walk would quickly turn into a climb. To get to the base of Seoul Tower Eric and I climbed 1.5km of stairs! Our legs were burning halfway through, but we were determined to make it to the top. To further add to this experience it was around 82 degrees and humid. However, it was all worth it when we finally stepped off the tower’s elevator. The views from the top were colossal. It is only from the tower top that one is really able to see just how big and expansive Seoul really is.


Myeongdong/Downtown
After climbing back down the 1.5 kilometers of stairs, we made our way through Seoul’s downtown and Myeongdong, Seoul’s popular shopping district. The streets of downtown were lined with glimmering and towering skyscrapers on either side. The street level of these skyscrapers housed the likes of Prada, Chanel, Gucci, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Dior. Downtown Seoul oozes decadence. Everything from the high-end shops, designer duds, and the flashy sky towers attracts a very small and exclusive clientele list.

After snapping some shows of the architecture, Eric and I wandered over to Myeongdong. Myeongdong is a pedestrian free for all. The edges of the streets are lined with a variety of retail shops while the streets are flooded with foot traffic. There were so many people wandering the streets that Eric and I felt like cattle being herded from the street’s start to end. Despite having little wiggle room there is something about a fast-paced and high density population city life that I find attractive.

Itaewon
After our afternoon explorations we went to the foreigner’s district, Itaewon, with Ian and Leslie for dinner. Most of Seoul’s international population lives in this area. It is located next to the US Army base and English is heard often. In Itaewon the four of us decide to treat ourselves to a western meal. We settled on the Wolfhound, an Irish Pub, where we ate the likes of fish n’ chips, BLT’s, and cheeseburgers. We also paired our meals with a pint of Kilkenny, a dark Irish beer. I must say, fish n’ chips has never tasted so good! After dinner we made our way to an Australian bar where I had a hefty class of chardonnay, my first glass of wine since moving here, and Eric had a pint of Guinness.

Insadong and Gyeongbok Palace
On Saturday morning Ian and Leslie decided to take us to Insadong. It is a long street which specializes in selling traditional, handmade Korean goods. If you are a tourist or visitor this is the perfect place to buy some cultural pieces. We found everything: ceremonial masks, traditional drums, artwork, and high-end tea. Eric and I decided that we would not buy anything than for money saving purposes. However, we do intend to go back before we leave Korea.

After Insadong, the four of us made our way to Gyeongbok Palace. Gyeonbok Palace was built by and became the royal home for the Chosun Dynasty, a lineage of Kings who ruled Korea for 500 years. However, everything there is a recreation. The reason for this is when the Japanese colonized Korea in the 1900s they burnt the original structures; an act which must have been devastating for the Korean people. In the 1980s Gyeongbok Palace was rebuilt and is now open for visitors and tourists to view. The courtyards, landscaping, and details are majestic. Nothing was overlooked and no detail was spared. Despite this being a recreation, it still gives off a majestic and royal feel.

Hongdae
On Saturday night we went out for drinks in Hongdae, a popular university district. The first bar on our list was Castle Praha. It is a huge building which has been renovated, both inside and out, to look like a Prague Castle in the 1700s. There were crests, shields, and woodwork galore! As a bonus they brew three of their own beers there: a pilsner, a red ale, and a dunkel. After Castle Praha we went to Margarita Splash, a bar specializing in to-go drinks. In Korea, you can drink anywhere you please and Margarita splash enables this. You can buy a large drink and take it to go. We refrained from leaving the bar, but the festive cup did make drinking the pineapple margarita a little more enjoyable!

Noryangjin Fish Market
The last stop of our weekend was the Noryangjin fish market. It is smaller than the fish market in Busan, but the selection of fish is still the same. Eric and I love aquariums, so we thought why not go to the market and see some fish. It is always an interesting experience, for the eyes and nose, to walk up and down the aisles.


By the time Monday came around we were not ready to go back to work. The weekend left us exhausted. It was all worth it though to spend time with some old friends and to explore a new city! Sorry for the long post!