Springtime in Seoul

A guard at one of the many palaces in Seoul.
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I arrived into Seoul after 18 hours of travel from Mumbai to Bangkok (10 hour layover) to Seoul.  This is the half-way mark of my trip, and therefore, my plane tickets did not match up perfectly.  As many of you know, it happened to be my birthday as well, so it is only fitting for a year of travel that I pass onto one year older while in an airport!  Ha, ha!

After a month between Nepal and India, Seoul was a welcome metropolis.  The paved roads and highways alone were a nice touch.  Seoul is a very clean, modern city with a great metro and welcoming people.  The signs for mass transit are in English as well as Korean, so it is easily navigable.  I feel completely safe throughout the city as well.  There is a sense of calm and serene living here, despite the heavy rush hour traffic and the high rise office buildings.

The ornate rooftops of the palaces are all hand painted.
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I am staying in a traditional guesthouse that is in the hanuk style.  It is great!  There is a central garden in a courtyard through a great wooden doorway.  Once in the courtyard, there is the main house with a kitchen, tv room, and bathroom to share.  The individual rooms have paper sliding doors, heated floors, and a traditional Korean style bed of a mattress on the floor.  It is very simple, but nice.  The woman who runs the guesthouse is very friendly, and speaks wonderful English.  She is always eager with a smile and a warm cup of green tea.

A watchful dragon-like statue leans over the water canal.
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The flowers are in bloom here for the start of spring, and it is a great time to see them.  The cherry blossoms are popping, and every corner you take you may come across a colorful collection of buds.  The park along the river has the most trees, and they are suppose to pop this weekend!

I have toured the palaces and temples throughout the city.  There is a changing of the guard at some of the palaces, and the pageantry is great.  All the drumming, marching, and traditional costumes.  The guards even have the long thin mustaches and beards.

Slippers are provided for entering homes, and especially for restrooms, because you have to take your shoes off before you enter.
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My favorite neighborhood so far is Insadong.  It is close to my accommodations which is convenient.  The street is lined with paper store, potters, cafes, street vendors, and art galleries.  There are always tons of people strolling the cobblestones peering in windows and munching on the vendor food.  You can eat bbq chicken on a stick, hotdogs of many different flavors, octopus, beetles, or fried dough with stuffing.  The selections are endless.  I have tried some street vendor food, but have not been brave enough for the octopus or beetles!

A buddhist temple with the cherry blossoms in front.
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The markets here are amazing as well.  They put the Chinatown neighborhood of New York City to shame!  I have visited two of the big ones with their stalls of shoes, trendy clothes, housewares, and food.  It is incredible the sheer quantity of goods for sale here, and there always seems to be shoppers!  I actually bought a t-shirt that is written in Korean (at least I think, it could be Chinese :)), and a new pair of shoes!  Whitney, you can gasp at that, my total of shoes is now up to three for the trip!  Ha, ha.

A dragon made out of bamboo in the middle of a busy street in Seoul.
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Overall, Seoul has been amazing.  I am drinking teas and coffees while people watching from windows on the 5th and 6th floors of the beautiful buildings.  I am window shopping, and soaking in all the culture I can at the art galleries and museums.  There is tons more to see, but so far Seoul is great!