Notes From 12 Hours in Seoul, South Korea
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Video
(1:30) of my random Seoul clips
- I arrived at Incheon Airport at 4am on April 9th and took a $15 bus to the Grand Hyatt hotel in Seoul, where my college friend Tiffany met me at 6am. Tiffany was my roommate's college girlfriend.
- Her neighborhood is called Yongsan Itaewon and it is known as Seoul's foreigner district. Nearby is a large American military base and a small Korean base.
- Picture of Tiffany in her apartment.
- The first place we ate at was a fast food chain of Korean-style eating called Kim Bap Chong-u. I had beef noodle soup, along with the typical Korean side dishes. Those side dishes are kimchi, radish kimchi, seaweed, and chun (like a pancake!).
Kim Bap Chong-u ... Breakfast #1 - beef noodle soup
- Afterwards we stopped to share a cup of coffee (Americano). This coffee was more than my breakfast - approx US$3. Coffee is really popular with Koreans.
- We rode the subway next. Everyone seemed to be studying something! English vocabulary words, test preparation, law exams, work presentations, etc. Picture of people on the subway.
- I get the impression that Seoul is really classy. It is clean, the people are largely well-dressed, everything just seems really tight and well-run. For example, the airport buses were right on time - exactly to the minute - both times I rode. Clearing customs and checking back in took me all of 10 minutes.
- Speaking of how people dress... Girls there really like to doll it up. Like heels and skirts to work. And I saw a lot of guys in ties and slacks and nice shoes. Luxury brands are really big in Korea.
- We got out at Angunk Station, where the Jung Row markets are. Before we cruised the market I made a stop to get some meat, egg, and toast sandwich (US$2). It was DELICIOUS. We also had a red ginseng drink (photo), which was interesting.
- Finally we took a taxi to Hong-Dae. The taxis are really cheap - Tiffany said "everything is about a $5 taxi ride."
- Hong-Dae is an eclectic neighborhood in Seoul. It was SO COOL. I walked around for hours with Tiffany... we stopped into a very good ramen noodle shop (picture) and also hung out in a chill cafe (video below).
Video of Tiffany's favorite Seoul Coffee Shop
- That's it, then! I took a bus back to the airport to continue my journey to Bangkok.
- In summary, I think that Korean people love waffles, studying, coffee, anything foreign, high heels, dresses, and sandals :)
- If I had more friends in Korea, or if I had business and could make friends (such as through CouchSurfing), I would totally come back for a few days. There are a TON of restaurants and shops to explore... and the dollar is really strong in Korea right now.
Upcoming Travel to Jakarta and Singapore
On Sunday night I will be landing in Jakarta, Indonesia. I will be there in meetings from April 19th to April 22nd. Making a day trip on April 20th to Bandung.
Then on Wednesday night I will be arriving in Singapore. Staying April 22nd to April 26th ... hosted by the sister of my Mumbai friend Akshay. Meetings on Thursday and Friday then exploring on Saturday and Sunday.
This is my first time to both of these places - exciting! As always, if you know anyone cool in Jakarta or Singapore, please make an introduction for me via email or Facebook.
Upcoming Travel to Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand
I will be in Bangkok, Thailand on April 10th, 11th, and 12th... staying near the Thong Lo BTS station. Then heading to Phuket area thru April 19th.
This is the first leg of my big Southeast Asia junket. Stay tuned for updates. Right now I am going to JFK to catch my flight to Seoul, where I have a 12-hour layover to explore the downtown.
My New Bicycle
So I finally got a new bike. Zach's friend Paul helped me pick this out on-line.
Scattante Emerald City Single Speed Road Bike (Courier Series)
We removed the fenders and chopped down the handlebars by an inch or so. Now I love riding it every day. When I am on it, I feel like this bike is an extension of my body. Sometimes I even ride it around my apartment :)
photo by Akiko