Stopover in Seoul

Marc found a new girlfriend up at the DMZ
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In visiting Seoul we had little knowledge of what to expect from the city. We had only decided to travel there due to the exceptionally good airfares we picked up and the fact neither of us had been there before. So from the tips gained from our trusty guidebook and a friend we set a rough itinerary for the three days we had to explore the South Korean capital.

On arrival we were impressed how modernised the cities infrastructure was, and were particularly pleased that the recent major events such as the world cup football had meant more English signs were in tourist areas. The great thing about Korea was although they had all these modern machines that you could access in different languages they always had the back up of someone to help you if you still couldn’t work it out. Of course we did not need any assistance, but it would be useful for other tourists!

Pull down pertol pumps and attendants just waiting for you so they can pump your petrol and wash your windows!
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We stayed at the New Chong Ji Hotel in Dongdaemun, which was two minutes from the Dongdaemun markets, the “biggest markets” in Asia. Our street had an ecliptic mix of restaurants with eels in tanks out the front, to barber shop poles out the front but no “barbers” in sight. Although the area had the usual smell of an Asian city though the cuisine and plentiful traffic the cleanliness was as good if not better than western cities.

On our first day we thought we would try and cover a bit of ground visiting some key attractions around the city. With the need for a filling breakfast we found ourselves a bakery on the main street. After purchasing some cheese bread that turned out to be a sweet bread with tiny chunks of cheese in it we sat down to eat out in a local square.

Changdeokgung Palace, Injeongjoen Hall (for offical celebrations)
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On sitting a local girl approached us wearing something similar to a pink wendy’s ice cream out fit. She started with the usual greetings in English and then after asking us if we spoke Korean, which we replied no, she began lecturing us. After several minutes of shouting, random arm gestures, running on the spot and the other locals laughing as they went past we decided to make our exit. After our madwoman experience we realised that we were also a novelty to the local children. In fact we actually had not seen more than one other European since the airport.

Changdeokgung Palace, Dancheong (multicoloured ornate eves)
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We started our sight seeing at Jongmyo Shine and Changgyeonggung Palace. As our first exposure to Korean palaces we were surprised by the lack of opulence compared to other Asian cultures. The buildings and complexes were still impressive with the architecture mainly timber on a base of stone, with minimal painted designs. Our next destination was the Changdeokgung Palace next door. We were only able to visit this palace on a tour, so for one and a half hours we plodded around the palace in a group of 40-50 people. The palace was similar to the previous one we just visited although it had some impressive garden areas. We did not get to explore the secret garden as fully as we liked as the tour limited us to the first half of the complex. We did note on the way out that one day a week you can do a self guided tour, which would of better suited us.

Changdeokgung Palace, Juhamnu (the royal archives)
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Our next stop was the Namsangol Hanok Village. This was a collection of traditional houses moved to the area. The highlight was Marc thrashing Rose in a traditional game of Tuho, can he ever be beaten. We then hiked (cable car) up the back to the Seoul Tower for some impressive views of the city. On the way back to the hotel we passed by the Namdeamun Market and Sungnyemun Gate.

The next morning we were up early to head to the DMZ. As we to learn the DMZ is not about ‘separation’ it is about ‘unification’, we also realised the tour was all about rules and regulation too. The initial arrival at Imjingak Park that contains the freedom bridge was a bit of a shock. It was like a big amusement park with all sorts of rides, not what we expected. We then headed to the 3^rd tunnel that the South Koreans discovered in 1990. This was the only time we entered the DMZ although at the observatory we could see the closest North Korean village and its huge flag (Guinness book of records). We were only allowed to take photos of the DMZ from the ‘yellow line’ that was so far back from the wall that we ended taking mainly photos of sky. We then visited Dorasan Station the ‘first station’ before North Korea were we had our passports stamped and a photo with one of the boy soldiers.

Changdeokgung Palace, Buyongji Area
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Back in Seoul we headed to Daehanmun Gate to see the Royal Guards Rotation Ceremony at Deoksusung Palace. This was a flamboyant affair with horns, drums and colourful clothing not to be missed. We had our photo taken with the head guard before heading away for an early dinner as we had tramping on the agenda for tomorrow.

Up early we made our way to the Bukhansan National Park on the outskirts of Seoul. This was the first time on the public transport (bus) where our final destination was not in English. We had nothing to worry about as the Koreans are avid hikers so we just had to follow the ones dressed up to hike.

Seoul Tower from Namsangol Hanok Village
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As we discovered with our time in Seoul there are shops everywhere for any occasion and this was no exception. On the way into the park we walked past a complex full of outdoor stores just waiting for us on our return. At first we had a few issues obtaining a map as everything was in Korean but after a bit of perseverance we tracked down a ranger and with a bit of charades ended up with a map. Our journey started well heading up the hill to the track but as we detour to look at temple Rose had forgotten to pick up the camera after looking at the map. When we realised shortly afterwards and returned to the stop the camera had gone. Luckily we’d seen a truck pull up near where we had stopped. Rose, feeling guilty sprinted off after it. Five minutes later she tracked the truck down and retrieved the camera. We then began our very sweaty walk up to one of the parks peaks. On the way we passed ancient fortress walls and gates, temples and immaculately dressed Korean hikers. The views were great from the top and would have been a lot better if it wasn’t for the smoggy haze lingering over the hills.

Marc playing Tuho a traditional game
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That evening we decided to sample some local food and went to a traditional Korean restaurant. The food was ok; a lot of vegetables, which everyone knows aren’t Roses favourite. Marc struggled to sit cross-legged on the floor and couldn’t feel his legs when it was time to leave. After dinner we went for a walk through the Dongdaemun Markets that really come to life at night. People in Korea seem to get up late and stay out late, with markets staying open till the wee hours. If you’re into shopping for size 8 clothes Korea’s a great place to go, not so hot for most Kiwi girls. We then returned to our hotel to try and get some sleep in before another long flight to London.