TUESDAY 17th June – part one

Woke up refreshed again, but I really needed to sort out the bed. It was so hard. After Breakfast I took off to another palace, Deoksugung. It looked the same as the one on Monday but I noticed that it was open until 9pm so I decided to come back and see it night. It might look different.

So I set off to a tea house. Walking.

I didn’t get lost as the road was fairly simple and clearly marked on the map. I walked along a pretty manicured lane with resting places and I even saw a traditional changing of the guard. I found the spot where the tea house was supposed to be, but the teahouse had closed and was now a coffee shop. Not the same thing at all. It was 29degrees and trying to rain. I wanted Tea!
[changing of guard]

I decided to walk some more. I carried on the same road, then hung a left at the end. I’d figured out I was actually quite close to the hotel and could walk back. A brief stop in the Agriculture Museum reminded me of school trips and how lucky I am not to be a farmer.

Walking let me think, but it also let me take in the mad cap stuff that motorcycle couriers put on the back of their bike here.
[mc eggs]

I sat for a while, it was only noon. What to do for the rest of the day?

I jumped in a cab, pointed at the picture on the map and said ‘Here, please.’
I had a cabbie that could speak broken English. It was the first real conversation I’d had for three days. He pointed at things and said the name; I repeated until I got it right then he would say, ‘very good, now you speak Korean’. As soon as I got out of the taxi at the bottom of the hill, I’d forgotten it all.

Seoul Tower is on top of a very high hill that taxis aren’t allowed up. I was looking at a two kilometre up a hill that I swear was 45degrees. Luckily after about 30 yards, a bus pulled up and for a paltry 800 won I took me to the top.

Standing 236 metres it’s the main telly and radio antenna for Seoul, and like Centrepoint in Sydney, you can jump in a lift and visit the viewing platform. Unlike Sydney it doesn’t cost and arm and a leg (A$26.00). It was just 12,000 won, about A$10. I saw loads of stuff from there, have a drink and rice ball and even got to send a postcard or two.
[1. Seoul Tower. 2. the Seoul suburbs ]

After that I went downstairs to ready myself for the walk down the hill. But there was a Traditional Warcraft display about to start. The men were there in their traditional costume that kind of reminded me of the Wicked Witch of the West’s guards from the Wizard of Oz. It was lovely. They also had all sorts of weapons, very Wizard of Oz, especially the tridents.

I sat down on the steps and waited. While I did I took a few group shots for groups that were there. One family (from China, it turned out) took a shine to me and each member of the family had their photo taken with me. I could hear them telling the family holiday stories, ‘and this is the white woman who took our picture, with mum…with dad…with son…with daughter…with grandma (yes also got in on the action)…with other daughter and with third daughter.’ As a thank you they gave me a banana and a drink. It would have been impolite to refuse.

TUESDAY 17th June – part two

The display started. It was awesome!
[1. Marching into the arena. 2. Knife things. 3. Swordman. 4. Tridents. 5. Swordman in action]

I walked down the hill, on the way buying myself a ice-cream. a sweetcorn ice-cream, it was surprisingly very nice It was hard work and by the time I got to the bottom I had loads of pictures of flowers and my hip hurt a lot. Downhill is always the worst.
[flower with bumble bee]

Another taxi and more pointing at the map. I went to the Markets. I wanted to get some tea, tourist crap (t-shirts etc) and I needed another bag. I ate from vendors while there, donuts, fruit and dumplings, but I couldn’t find Boisintang, also known as dog-meat soup. It was my mission, but it was not to be. Disappointed I left the markets.

A brief stop at the hotel to change, and then I was out again. It was nearing dinner time and I planned to walk back to the palace from earlier after eating. I had Bulgogi. It was Ok, but not what I had my heart set on, plus the waiter was odd. As soon as I’d picked up the menu he hovered. I asked for time, but the language got in the way and he stayed put, so I ordered something I knew.

[bulgogi dinner with all the side bits]

The palace was just across the street, so come dusk I was in there. 1000 won gets you entry, so I had no trouble paying for a second time in one day.
[1. palace entrance by night. 2. Eaves detail. 3. Door detail. 4. Decortive pot.]

Back at the hotel, I packed my bags ready for the morning bus back to the airport, knowing I had excess baggage.

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.

Sunday 15th June - Day of Travel

After a fairly standard trip of ten hours on a plane I arrived in Seoul. Actually come to think about it now, it wasn’t really all that standard. My lift to the airport got a flat tyre that thankfully survived with just a pumping up with air rather than the full changing experience. Then the promise of cheap upgrade didn’t happen but I did get to sit in the window seat on the emergency exit, giving me heaps of leg room and a leaning spot, also the power to scream ‘we’re all gonna die’ in case of emergency. This was all slightly marred by the two gentlemen seating in the seats to my right reading ‘The Fourfold Gospel’ and ‘Greatest Sermons of the World’. I managed to avoid talking to them mostly, but when Pastor John, yes a pastor from outback NSW, tried to convince being faithless was the road to damnation I told him I did have faith, just not in the same thing/person he did. I was remarkable polite considering my general feelings about all things God related.

Upon arriving at the hotel (90 minutes and 160,000 Korean Won later) and checking in I popped out for supplies. Being in a suite, I had an empty fridge and a washing machine. Time for a spot of washing as I hadn’t left all my dirty washing to fester in the laundry bin for 6 months plus.
[Supplies W6500, Trip to get them $many, picture of prawn chips and cans of drink, priceless]

A shower later, I passed out on the bed.

PS. There approx. 900 Korean Won to the A$