Like an Old Seoul
I absolutely loved my visit to Seoul. It reminded me a lot of my time living abroad in Santiago, Chile - especially during the winter months. I wish my trip had been longer, but I covered about as much ground as I possibly could, exploring the city largely on foot and also with the aid of the Seoul metro
Seriously, I am a die-hard for convenient, easy and affordable public transit systems. I cannot stress how Seoul quickly won my heart with a direct line to the airport.
I decided to do something out of the ordinary by staying with a Korean “host” family via airbnb, which was a wonderful idea. They were a lovely couple with a very quaint apartment near the Mullae station just south of the river who were known for being gracious hosts for foreign visitors. The “bed-and-breakfast” arrangement worked perfectly and I had some wonderful face time with them learning about Korean culture.
I slept like a baby and woke up early the next morning to get the day started. After bundling up (as it was 20-30 degrees F in Seoul at that time of year ---- though not as bad as Minnesota)
the seoul subway map. it looks frightening, but it is actually extremely easy and navigable, as well as bilingual. i hear this is not so much the case in tokyo...
and they say americans are constantly engrossed in their mobile devices...look at what you've done, SAMSUNG!
view from my apartment in mullae. my korean host family was lovely. they fed me cornflakes and gave me a magnet.
the Han River bisects the city into two regions. here we are on the train crossing from the south side into the north.
…and it feeds into the Yellow Sea
Pano…
the seoul metro cars run like, 15 or 20 deep, with a long passageway that allow people to pass between them. like a giant accordion.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
selfie stick sighting #1.
Selfie stick sighting #2. the little one says, "let me take a picture of you taking a selfie with my DSLR."
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Gyeongbokgung Palace
the USA may have been out-fatted (a rare, no pun intended, feat) by Korea's take on the KFC double down. this variation, known as the Zinger Double Down King, has gravy, beef, and pork in between two fried chicken patties. i am guessing the 50% off sign means you will get a discount coupon with your mean for your first angioplasty.
instead of eating potato chips out of a bag, koreans eat them off a stick. then after consumption, they mount their iphones on the stick. how eco-friendly!
this is the Cheonggyecheon stream. one of the things i adored most about Seoul. This is the start of a 7.0 mi stream that runs into the river through downtown. once controversial, it opened in 2005 and has become a popular haven for residents and tourists.
it was once used as a drainage system for the city, but after the korean war, it converted into a breeding ground for shantytowns as poorer, rural migrants came into the city.
in the early 2000s, seouls mayor had a vision to transform the stream into a public works project that would be eco-friendly and serve as a source of pride for the city. now you see what good a $281 renovation project can do!!
Namsan Park
As I was hiking up, a gentleman approached me and spoke. it was the first time I had heard english spoken in over 24 hours. he said, "welcome to Korea, we hope you enjoy your stay" and gave a smile.
N Seoul tower, which is used to broadcast signals for korean media outlets.
