Monday 16th June - Fish Outta Water

I woke on Monday feeling a bit stiff from the hard bed, but pretty refreshed. I wandered down to brekkie and perused the Lonely Planet guide to Seoul. I decided to take in a Palace. My choice was Changgyeonggung and Jongno. They are right next to each other on the map! Then I wanted to go to a traditional Korean Embroidery Gallery. Armed with two little cards that hotel receptionist had written for me in Korean I jumped in a cab.

[there are loads of pictures of the palace, so I thought a few detail might be nice]

The Palace was amazing, built in 16something, then burned down then rebuilt. It was made op of about ten buildings and manicured lawns and gardens. There wasn’t much wildlife to be seem, but then the Palace in the middle of the city. I did see many Black Magpies, which when seen means you should expect the arrival of a welcomed visitor, and a chipmunk.

That I had not expected to see.

[how cute is this?]

[a butterfly, just becasue I was chuffed it actually came out]

[The abandoned gardening gloves. I just liked this image]

After I had wandered around the palace and gardens for over two hours I moved on, I didn’t get to see Jongno. But I did get lost in a taxi. Yes, Korean cab drivers don’t know were they’re going either. Despite being given the card with the name of the gallery and an address, he dropped me in a back alley next to a gallery of Acrylic paintings, nice, but not what I was after. He had, however dropped me in nirvana. Now this I can believe in. He had dropped me in the heart of (i need to find name of the region...give me a week:-), the artists and handcrafts district. For the next three hours I walked along little streets, looking at paintings, fans, linens, jewellery, ceramics and sculptures. I did spend some money, I confess. But nearly as much as I could have.

The way you buy fabric on bolts here they sell paper like that, beautiful, handmade papers in every colour under the sun. And the brushes, let’s not get started on the brushes, that are made from weasel, fox or goat hair and sometimes have bamboo handles but can also boosts ceramic, turned wood and metals.

[this old shop keepers was very helpful to this mad white bird in awe of his wears]

I attempted to walk back to the hotel, but got a bit confused. I was over ten kilometres away. The policeman I asked for direction just said, ‘that way’ and pointed. The next person I asked, did the same and laughed. I was thirsty and hungry because I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, it was four o’clock’, and I popped into somewhere that served food and asked for a drink. The little old lady looked at me as I pointed at the chillier cabinet and passed me what I asked for, a green 500ml bottle, and took 3000won from me. Not bad, three bucks. She tried to put it in a bag, I waved that I didn’t need one. I stepped back outside into to sunlight and ripped the top off. I took a huge gulp before inhaling and swallowing. It burned. I had purchased wine, commonly drank rice wine. At the next kiosk I got a bottle of iced tea. Did you know you can make tea from corn?

I waved down a cab. I showed him the Hotel card and asked, ‘can you take me here?’ He nodded and drove. I closed my eyes because the traffic was hotting up and I wasn’t feeling brave enough to watch.

I dumped of my purchases, wrote some postcards and set of to hunt for dinner. I could have cheated and gone to the Outback Steakhouse next door, or the McDonalds round the corner, even the KFC or Burger King, all where within easy walking distance. But no, I was on a mission. I wanted to try Bosingtang, aka dog meat soup. I walked, and walked some more. I looked at the menu pictures in the windows and even asked for it. It was not to be. I settled for something else I hadn’t had before. I don’t know what it’s called; I just pointed at the menu, shook my head and said, ‘no spicy?’
[my dinner as it appeared and as it appeared on the rather useful pictorial menu]

A head shake from the host confirmed it wasn’t, he was lying or confused by my question.

I find that despite this being a massively densely populated city that everyone is very polite. Even to dumbass white tourists like me. In one on the craft shops I was in a German family came in with three children, all drumming loudly on traditional drums. The shop girls bowed and said welcome with sincerity in their eyes. Even the road crossings talk to you; it could be saying, ‘wait ‘til I say you can go bozo.’ But I doubt it highly. I ventured into clothing and shoe stores on occasion to be told with a wave, ‘sorry, no size,’ with a smile. No ‘We don’t serve fat people here’ as I once experience in a high fashion shop on London.

It’s also really clean. The sand at the palace was combed and in spite of huge amounts of people, I saw no litter. I was looking. This is not a country with a issue in keeping itself clean, unlike India.

Sleep came easily about ten, after I watched ‘Let’s Go to Prison’ dubbed into Korean, I’ve seen it before and knew the plot.