Seoul, Where 10 Million Confuse L and R
SEOUL: a three hour train ride away. Three times as many people Four times as many subway lines. 20 times the confusion. Oodles of fun.
Brittany and I took the 9 am train up to Seoul this weekend. Oh my, it was early. We got into town around noon and hung out at the train station for a while, figuring out what to do. We ran into a few friends who were on their way out, so that was nice. We were also going to meet up with a friend-of-a-friend from UGA who is living in Seoul - she offered us a free floor to sleep on! Happy day. Eventually we decided to stash our bag in a locker and then head over to Itaewan, which is the US Military area. No, we were not scoping out the men. We went for the FOOD!! We went to Ponchos, where we spent 70,000 won on Mexican food and a PITCHER OF MARGARITAS!!! You have never seen two happier faces in your life. Our server was a Filipino named Alvin, who spoke English, worked in a Mexican restaurant, and lived in Seoul. Wrap your head around that one.
After Insadong, we took a cab to the N'Seoul Tower, which overlooks Seoul. We
rode the cable car up, but didn't take the elevator into the Tower, because they wanted another 8,000 won. Rip off!! The view was great from the base of the Tower, though, and well worth the trip. Another interesting thing about the Tower is that it's a romantic spot for couples. They buy a lock and attach it to the railings all around, as a sign of their "unbreakable" love. So, naturally, there were waaaay to many cutesy couples around. I tried to get Brittany to hold my hand, just so I'd feel like part of the crowd, but she's a slippery one.
After the palace, my feet felt like I'd been marching for weeks. I guess I shouldn't have worn my new Converses all weekend. Baaad idea. But I looked good, so who cares? We dragged ourselves back to the train station and collapsed into our seats. I let B share my headphones and we listened to the Avett Brothers all the way home. Ah, bliss.
See pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/k.a.sheridan01/SeoulX10#
Brittany and I took the 9 am train up to Seoul this weekend. Oh my, it was early. We got into town around noon and hung out at the train station for a while, figuring out what to do. We ran into a few friends who were on their way out, so that was nice. We were also going to meet up with a friend-of-a-friend from UGA who is living in Seoul - she offered us a free floor to sleep on! Happy day. Eventually we decided to stash our bag in a locker and then head over to Itaewan, which is the US Military area. No, we were not scoping out the men. We went for the FOOD!! We went to Ponchos, where we spent 70,000 won on Mexican food and a PITCHER OF MARGARITAS!!! You have never seen two happier faces in your life. Our server was a Filipino named Alvin, who spoke English, worked in a Mexican restaurant, and lived in Seoul. Wrap your head around that one.
After B and I were sufficiently liquored up (we downed that pitcher like it was manna from heaven!) we mosied over to Insadong, which is a really artistically vibrant section of town with tea shops, art galleries and crafts to buy. The tourist shops were out of this world; all of the merchandise was bigger and better than in Busan. Next time I go up there, I'm bringing a wad o cash. B, being the artist she is, wanted to duck into some of the art galleries, which was fine with me. We went into two, and each time, the artists were there beside their work! One Japanese woman took the time to introduce herself and explain what the exposition was all about. Great, unique experience.
After Insadong, we took a cab to the N'Seoul Tower, which overlooks Seoul. We
rode the cable car up, but didn't take the elevator into the Tower, because they wanted another 8,000 won. Rip off!! The view was great from the base of the Tower, though, and well worth the trip. Another interesting thing about the Tower is that it's a romantic spot for couples. They buy a lock and attach it to the railings all around, as a sign of their "unbreakable" love. So, naturally, there were waaaay to many cutesy couples around. I tried to get Brittany to hold my hand, just so I'd feel like part of the crowd, but she's a slippery one.Then we got ripped off in a "Deluxe Cab," which was the first time anything like that had happened to me in Korea. Boo on that. I'll blame it on those jaded city folk. We took the subway for a while (everywhere there takes a while, and three line changes!) and found our friend, Laura. She was eating with her Korean friends, who then took us to an 80s Dance Club! Ridiculousness ensued. About 1:00 we decided to head back, since B and I had had a FULL day, and then we realized that we'd left our bags in the subway, which closed at 12. So we found a 24 hour pharmacy for some contact solution and we slept in our clothes. Hm...maybe too much tequila???
The next morning, B and I went to a buffet breakfast and had french toast, hashbro
wns, eggs, sausage, croissants, and more! I felt slightly ill leaving there, but it was too good to be true! We went to the subway to get our bags and try to fix our faces, and then we went to the Changgyeong Palace, which is supposed to be the best out of the three palaces in Seoul. No one lives there anymore, but the family did reside until the 1980s. You had to go on guided tour to get in, which we weren't excited about, but I'm really glad we did because I learned a lot of interesting information about Korea in general. I'll put up some interesting captions on the pictures, so look at those to learn more.
wns, eggs, sausage, croissants, and more! I felt slightly ill leaving there, but it was too good to be true! We went to the subway to get our bags and try to fix our faces, and then we went to the Changgyeong Palace, which is supposed to be the best out of the three palaces in Seoul. No one lives there anymore, but the family did reside until the 1980s. You had to go on guided tour to get in, which we weren't excited about, but I'm really glad we did because I learned a lot of interesting information about Korea in general. I'll put up some interesting captions on the pictures, so look at those to learn more.After the palace, my feet felt like I'd been marching for weeks. I guess I shouldn't have worn my new Converses all weekend. Baaad idea. But I looked good, so who cares? We dragged ourselves back to the train station and collapsed into our seats. I let B share my headphones and we listened to the Avett Brothers all the way home. Ah, bliss.
See pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/k.a.sheridan01/SeoulX10#
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