Seoul, Korea

We've just begun Day 4 in Seoul and I have to say, this is one of the easiest places to navigate that I've ever been.  Seoul is spotlessly clean and well organized.  The subway is intuitive, quick, and there is usually a map within view before you can say "where are we?"  There isn't a massive amount of culture to get into, but as cities go, it kind of couldn't be more pleasant for hanging.

Our first day we wandered around the Insadong neighborhood, which isn't far from our motel.  Its kind of half arty/half touristy, but still architecturally lovely and windy and oldish.  Tons of galleries and little restaurants.  That day we also hit Jongmyo temple and the Buddhist supply street.  There is something unnerving & funny about seeing where the monks get their gear on.  Its literally an entire street selling traditional garb, candles, beads, incense, finger sybols, really anything you could need for temple life.  Watching the monks comparison shop for giant tassles just isn't something you see everyday. 

Day 2 was an epic walk that included Namsan Park and the N Seoul Tower (pictures coming!) It was a perfect clear day, but epically hot.  I'm not sure if we sweated more in the park or at the Great Wall but there seems, occassionally, to be a perfect storm of humidity, heat and direct sunlight that makes us sweat an abnormal amount.  Glamorous, yes? Annoyingly, the locals endure the climate sans-perspiration.  So when we arrive, panting, at the top of the mountain we look like we've been swimming.  Doesn't really help us to blend...  We wandered through the Naemdaemun Market, which is approximately the size of the town I grew up in, and ate the most delicious Korean BBQ I've ever had at a neighborhood joint that night. 

Yesterday, Ed was reunited with the second great love of his life, Mister Donut.  This is a Japanese chain that I'm sure many of you have heard him expound on.  We feel the MD product in Korea might be slightly chewier than the Tokyo branch(es), but no less uniquely addicting.  I once explained to Ed how eating more than 1 Krispy Kreme donut made me feel sick.  But that when that happened, my brain would rationalize that the only cure was another donut.  I can't remember where I was going with this.  But now I want a donut.

After MD, we went to the Hongdae neighborhood, which was where I had wanted us to stay in Seoul.  Hongdae University is there and its all windy alleys of boutiques, bars, restaurants, and multi-story buildings with Hof at the top and Clubs in the basement (business up front, party in the back).  We got tickets for a B-boy show, walked the streets all afternoon and had a few lunches.  The Seoul Fringe Festival was supposed to be kicking off right where we were, but it was pissing down and they must have started at least a couple of hours late, so we missed the OC. 

BUT, the show was amazing.  Its about 25 Korean kids that pop n' lock, freestyle, and breakdance in a tiny black box theater.  It probably goes without saying that the anti-gravity shit these kids perform (how does his neck support his whole body for that long?) is jaw dropping.  The audience was mostly youngish Korean girls, a pretty reserved bunch.  The contrast of the dancers blowing it out to ear splitting music within 10 feet of a stock-still, politely clapping audience was odd.  I did my part both in showing appreciation and embarrassing Ed with my seat-dancing.  Woot!

After the show, we went to one of the seven thousand restaurants in the area for Chinese-ish Korean food.  And Soju.  The Soju here is way stronger and vodka-ier than in Japan.  The hard drinking people of Seoul suck it down like water in the desert.  We had 1 small bottle and 2 beers and I sang old Elton John songs all the way home (I rediscovered the Rare Masters collection in Mongolia.  Current fave: Lady Samantha).  Its 11:30 am here and Ed is still sleeping.  Powerful stuff. 

Now, about those donuts.