FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Steppe, Beaches and Rainforest: Mongolia and East Africa

Jul 30, 19, 11:26 am

#11

swingaling

Join Date: Apr 2017

Location: PVD, BOS

Programs: AA EXP

Posts: 1,664

Seoul, Korea

Seoul, Korea

I made a plan of places to see in advance, but I somewhat underestimated how hot and sticky it would be outside. As such, I ended up cutting the outing short by a couple hours in favor of relaxing in the hotel.

I skipped breakfast and caught the Maglev right beside the Hyatt and went into T1 to store my bag for the day. I then bought a T Money card and proceeded to the AREX all stop line for the trip into Seoul. At Seoul Station, I transferred to the metro the rest of the way.

Maglev

Maglev

First stop was Namdaemun Market. It was raining moderately, so I bought a cheap umbrella then bought a hotteok filled with sugar and peanuts. It was quite tasty, but could've been a bit sweeter for my taste. Cost 2,000 KRW.

Namdaemun Market

Namdaemun Market

I hopped back on the metro and headed toward Gwangjang Market next.

Seoul

Seoul

Gwangjang Market

I stopped for some dumplings for lunch. They were tasty enough, but really nothing special.

Gwangjang Market

Gwangjang Market

Next up, I went to the palace. First I stopped at the Museum Cafe for a lemonade and some A/C so I could stop sweating so profusely. Then I briefly toured the palace before heading to the Bukchon Hanok Village.

Gyeongbokgung Palace & Museum

Gyeongbokgung Palace & Museum

After making a few wrong turns in search of the Bukchon Hanok Village, I gave up and headed toward Insa-dong. It was uncomfortably hot and humid out, so I wasn't really in the mood to wander around aimlessly.

Insa-dong

Next up the Jonggak Avenue of Youth, which was pretty deserted at this time of day (4PM).

Jonggak Avenue of Youth

Jonggak Avenue of Youth

I finally took the metro to the Myeongdong Market, which was jam packed with tourists. There was a large variety of food, so I got some fried chicken and rice cakes. It was ok, but truly nothing special at all. I had a few pieces and gave up. Headed back to the metro for another lemonade and started the long trek back to the GH Incheon.

Myeongdong Market

Myeongdong Market

Overall, it was a nice visit to Seoul. Though I can't help but make comparisons between Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing. For various reasons, I found I enjoyed both Beijing and Tokyo more than Seoul.

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