Day 10 (March 17, 2018):
As “Dave itineraries” go, this
one was abit placid, in terms of the early flight times. Today, however, was the brutal
exception. We left the hotel just after
midnight to get a 3am flight to Seoul.
The hotel had prepared pastries and fresh-squeezed orange juice for us,
in lieu of breakfast, which was greatly appreciated. By 12:45, we were at the (very dated) Sanya
Phoenix International Airport. Check in
for our Korean-based “Jeju Air” flight (named for a popular island in southern
Korea) was easy, except they charged a fortune for going over the scant 15kg
limit. Surprisingly, there was a
business lounge open at that late hour which accepted our Priority Pass
membership, so in we went and basically had the place to ourselves. Mind you, the munchies and beverages on offer
rated about 2/10, and the place looked like a museum – the proof is in the
photo below!
It was a smooth, half-full flight
to Seoul’s main airport, located in the town of Incheon, about an hour
south-west of Seoul’s centre. Incheon
ranks up there as one of the world’s great airports, but wow – do you ever have
to walk and walk and walk! We landed at
8:40am and got the 10:10am high speed rail link to Seoul Station, which is a
mammoth train hub in the heart of the Jung-gu District. Our hotel was connected to the station, which
made for a straightforward transfer. We
checked in, took it easy for a bit, and left around noon to start our Seoul adventure!
The thing that strikes you about
Seoul is the massiveness of it all. Imagine
Toronto’s downtown core multiplied by 10.
Maybe 15. And there are four main
mountains within the city or nearby that are considered to guard it. With 10 million people, there is no solitude
– the public transit is constantly packed, the sidewalks are overflowing with
people. But there is an order to it all,
as well as a politeness and a classiness.
For example, every time the attendant on our train from the airport to
the city walked through our car, she would stop, turn to face the car, and
bow. That grace and respect underlies
the national vibe of Korea.
You could literally fill a month
in Seoul and never be bored. The sights
are endless, as are the eateries. We
knew we could fit in just a handful of items in one day, so we chose to go to a
high viewing area, see one of the historic palaces, take in an urban renewal
project, visit a night market, and do some shopping – Pam deserved some
shopping time! First stop was the “N Seoul
Tower” and Nansam Park, for which easiest access is via cable car. The Park is Seoul’s most popular, and covers one of the four guardian mountains I mentioned earlier. On this sunny, warm Saturday in March, the
cable car, the park, and the Tower were crawling with people.
Next stop was one of the three
top palaces which we did not visit on our last trip to Seoul, several years
ago: Gyeongbokgung Palace. Again, hoards
of people, but what a sight to behold!
Not just the palace and expansive grounds, but the hundreds of young men
and women in traditional Korean dress. I asked an attendant why they were all
dressed in costume: it turns out that
admission is free for those who visit in traditional costume.
From Gyeongbokkung, we headed to
Cheong-gye-cheon. What happens when you
take a raised highway running through the heart of the city and give re-birth
to a stream that used to live there? Well, you get an absolutely stunning bit
of nature in an otherwise concrete jungle of high-rise office towers. The area runs for a good mile and is flanked
by public art. We loved it, although a
creepy guy followed us and, we are certain, was about to mug us under a dark
bridge but we got ourselves out of the situation in time.
From there, it was on to
Myeong-dong, the shopping heart of Seoul.
First stop: dinner! The Lonely Planet recommended an uber popular
Korean noodle place called Myeong-gong Goya. Well, “uber popular” doesn’t come
close! The place is on two levels, and
people were lined up for any sit-your-derriere spot they could find. The patron turnover is fast at this place, so
there is no mussing around with indecision:
you order, you get your food, and your chopsticks get right to it! The obligatory kimchi and broth was great,
as were the dumplings and spicy noodles.
I’m sure the whole place was eyeing the only two non-Koreans struggling
with their chopsticks, but we didn’t care!
It was a really cool experience.
From there, we explored a night
market in the area with every kind of street food you can imagine. Then it was on to the Lotte Department Store,
which is Korea’s answer to Macy’s, where Pam was rewarded for her patience
during the week’s travel.
By the time, we got back to the hotel at 9pm, we had walked for almost 9 hours. The subway is top-rate in Seoul, and we felt we had it mastered by the end of the day. Our tiny TINY room at the Sheraton in Nansam will provide a good oasis for a short rest before we leave for Incheon at 6am and start the journey home.
One of those famous (infamous?) "capsule" hotels in the Seoul airport. Your room is literally a capsule. Hey remember, this is Asia! Space is at a premium.
Gyeongbukgong Palace
Cheong-gye-cheon: This mural goes on and on and on! It details of the king's procession.
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