How do you spend two days in Seoul? There really is no one way. Six
months in and I haven’t come close to seeing it all myself (I’m starting to
wonder if it’s even possible.) I often go out to explore places my chingus have never been or occasionally
even heard of. Assisted by the subway app and Google Maps, I played tour guide
for a couple relatives in town for the weekend. Getting to show off my city reminds
me how much I love it.
A wonderful surprise dropped from the sky with my warm-hearted cousins:
a suitcase filled exclusively with American goodies. I thought maybe I’d be so
lucky to receive a little peanut butter and oatmeal, but this was an entirely
different level. I’m equipped to open the Trader Joe’s flagship store.
After a delectable Saturday breakfast from the 38th floor
Sheraton with an expansive view of Seoul, we loaded the T-money cards and
burrowed underneath the city’s surface. Riding the subway is sometimes akin to
being a gopher: down one hole and out another. If it weren’t for the map I’d
have no idea where I was. First stop: Gyeongbokgung Palace of the Joseon
Dynasty, the main palace in the city. On the way we also passed the heavily-guarded
American embassy.
A stroll through Insadong followed, an area with traditional restaurants
and tea shops but not without tourist shops and street food vendors. It was my
first tourist destination and I’ve come to think of it as a rite of passage for
Seoul tourists. In the area we rested at a Starbucks (or 스타 벅스 as this sign says) for a quick refreshment; the comfort of the familiar
should not be immediately dismissed. We peaked at a nearby pagoda (National
Treasure #2, to be exact) and wandered over to Jogyesa Buddhist Temple, the
main temple in the city. People worshiped inside, as they often seem to do. We
crossed over the Cheonggyecheon urban stream, a peaceful place to stroll set
apart from the chaotic city above. It was once a polluted stream that was
transformed into a highway but has since been reverted into a clean, urban
stream. If we hadn’t done enough walking already, we gophered over to Hongdae
for a little walking tour before ending up back at the Sheraton for happy hour
and dinner.
Once a few highlights were hit, there was a lot more flexibility on the
second day of the tour. Over another perfect breakfast we decided the first
stop was Gangnam. Everyone wants a little piece of Gangnam these days, thanks
to PSY. Gangnam literally translates to ‘south of the river’ but when people
want to see Gangnam they mean they want to see the richest, flashiest area of
the city. As we walked along the main boulevard, you would never know that we
were in Korea. The majority of the signs are in English and an astounding number
of restaurants and stores are foreign chains (McDonalds, Burger King,
Starbucks, Smoothie King, Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme, California Pizza Kitchen…)
as well as major Korean chains (coffee shops and cosmetic stores galore.) The
number of stores in this city is yet another testament to how big and populated
Seoul is.
I love new experiences and lunch was a great one for me. We dined at the
Top Cloud restaurant on the 33rd floor of the Jongno Tower. The
building has a unique shape providing views other buildings can’t offer. Both
the food and cityscape were lovely (although I had been quite pampered in the
Sheraton as it was!)
For another new experience, we visited the Myeongdong Cathedral. Right
in the heart of things, I was surprised to find this large yet hidden church.
Were it not by request of my tourists I might have spent my entire year never
knowing it was there. Remarkably, only a block over from this haven begins one
of the biggest shopping areas in the city. Myeongdong receives 1.5 million
visitors on an average day. There are alleyways with clothing, shoe, cosmetic shops,
big name stores like Forever XXI and H&M, street food vendors, protestors,
and always crowds of people to bump up against. There is a word for ‘excuse me’
but it is not used as frequently as we do in the States. A little bumping is to
be expected and nothing to apologize for. It can be a bit of unwelcome culture
shock at first but my tourists faired well.
If you’ve been (un)fortunate to participate on one of my tours or be my
travel companion, you have a sense for the amount of walking I like to do.
Needless to say, I had sufficiently worn everyone out. Time for another sunset
over wine, cheese, and good company from the club level.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
The American Embassy
National Treasure no. 2
Jogyesa Temple
Cheonggyecheon stream
A snippet of Gangnam
The easygoing tourists!
Jongno Tower
From the 33rd floor
Satisfied.
Myeongdong Cathedral
Ah, the view from breakfast overlooking Mokdong
The Sheraton Sindorim has such a warm place in my heart (and stomach)
I can't wait! Oh... I can wait. But I'm excited!
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