After a ‘refreshing’ three hour nap, Katie and I awoke bright and early on a Saturday morning to leave for Seoul. Due to the short nature of our trip, we opted to take the KTX (a high-speed train) in order to get to our destination by 10am. Upon our arrival at the station, we were made aware that we did not have adjoining seats, and were in two separate cars. It was a quick, but uneventful ride to Seoul, with our tired eyes intermittently able to see some scenery whiz by.
We arrived at Seoul Station, and could see Namsan Seoul Tower close by atop Namsan Mountain. It was a bit of a hike, but Katie and I were able to see some historic architecture and statues on our way to the cable cars that would bring us to the summit. We were privileged to enjoy some beautiful, panoramic views of Seoul, while sitting on a patio enjoying some of the best burgers so far in Korea. The fries were actually real fries, (not some Cavendish/McCain frozen variety) and we were somehow full afterwards!
We couldn’t leave without a trip up to the tower’s observation deck, especially since passes included popcorn and drinks! However, when it came time to choose our type of popcorn, Katie and I became embroiled in a bit of a heated argument, and eventually the merits of cheese popcorn won out over caramel. Once at the top, the views on offer were quite spectacular. We were able to see for miles, and were able to snap some great photos while trying to keep out of the way of the vast array of selfies being taken by Korean couples in our midst.
For dinner, we headed down to Itaewon (a largely foreigner area) in search of actual Mexican food. We paced back and forth through a myriad of alleys filled with exotic foods from all over the globe. Malaysian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Australian, and a variety of other options existed. We even made our way to the Canadian Rocky Mountain Tavern! Eventually, after we had scoured multiple Mexican menus, we chose a busy place called Vatos Tacos. Our dinner began with a massive Corona-Rita (a whopping 15,000 won for one), and then moved on to a decent burrito, and some excellent fish tacos. Katie fell in love with these tacos, and we will definitely return for more the next time we are in Seoul.
After our late dinner, we hit up some late night shopping in Dongdaemun. Unfortunately, the fare on offer was lacklustre in regards to our tastes. There were some interesting Konglish shirts that made for a good laugh or two, but this area of Seoul turned out to be a miss for us.
The next morning we headed off to Myeong-Dong in search of a fish cafe and the Hello Kitty Cafe. With the help of a friendly tourist information hostess, Katie and I were able to discover the Hello Kitty Cafe in all its’ glory. Pink, pink, pink! Toys, toys, toys! Everywhere! We shared a $5 latte, which wasn’t particularly good, took a bunch of photos, and proceeded to leave. Luckily, right next door was the fish cafe, where Katie and I were able to have our feet eaten at by a bunch of fish! We were told be an attendant not to scream, but it was difficult, since the fish do well to tickle your feet while they are feasting away! It was a pretty surreal experience, but definitely one worth checking out.
Last but not least, we made our way across town to Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was built in 1395. We arrived just in time to witness the changing of the guard ceremony, which was alive with actors, music, and historical background. From there, we caught an English tour of the premises, and were able to view sites ranging from the King and Queen’s separate living quarters, the Throne Hall, and various other buildings in the inner and outer pavilions. It was immensely beneficial to attend the tour group, as without our guide, we would’ve missed out on lots of priceless information that brought the buildings to life.
All in all, our weekend in Seoul was very busy, but it was a great experience. We were surprised that the places we visited were not particularly busy when compared with Pohang, and it seems that the MERS scare was to blame for this. We will surely return, and are looking forward to exploring the big city even further!
-JK 🙂
JK in SK 