Lost in Seoul
- Jan 15, 2019
- 4 min read
After a jam packed weekend in Busan we wanted to chill and recharge our energy so I threw away any plans that we had and we decided to just get lost and have some fun exploring, our only plan was that we had no plans except someone had to make a decision as to whether we were catching trains or buses and where we were going to get off
Sarah was up first; mode of transport- the subway- the stop Hyehwa which is on line 4 (two stops away from us) and is a great little shopping area which I think Jenna and Sarah will be coming back to as they ran amok in one of the stores (it was terribly cute and I even spent a few won here).
It was still relatively early in South Korean terms (before 11am) and it was quiet so but I imagine in the evening it would be as lively as anything,( that's one thing we have found over here that shops seem to open later and stay open later including restaurants which means you can get a late meal if you have been out all day) We all managed to spend a little bit of money here, mostly on face masks and some small souvenirs.
Next choice was Linda's and we jumped on the 272 bus and just sat, watching Seoul go by, it was great because we have spent so much time on the underground/ subway but now we were seeing the places that had flashed by us on the train. We stayed on the bus until we got to Seodaemun and jumped off and wandered down the stream. That is one thing that is exceptional here in Seoul, the waterways under the bridges are turned into recreational areas, a lot of money has been spent beautifying them and making places that you want to go for a walk (or exercise as many of the recreational areas have permanent gym equipment set up in them )
While we were attempting to use the gym a lovely little Korean woman came up to us and excitedly showed us how to use the equipment, she was so sweet and seemed to be really happy to chat to us. We wandered around the neighborhood, did a little more shopping (I bought a couple of cute beanies even though I really don't need any more) and we ate brunch in a place called Paris Baguette.
Koreans love their baked goods and PB is one of the biggest franchises and we see it everywhere so decided that it was a must do sometime in Seoul, and it was a bakery...nothing special but not bad it took away the chill and filled our empty bellies. It was Jenna's turn next and we got on another bus, the 727 which didn't look like it was heading anywhere so we jumped off and caught a train finding ourselves in Mapo-gu which is home to YG Entertainment (the company of the group I like)
so we stopped by to take a photo of their iconic building and see if we could see any stars but only saw a bunch of nervous trainees going in (must be monthly assessments). I knew we wouldn't see iKON as they were going to an awards show this evening so they were probably getting ready for their performances.
YG Entertainment is close to the the Han River so we wandered down to Hangang Park to take a look and the river was spectacular but freezing and even though we wanted to explore for longer the biting wind sent us back to the warmth of a bus interior. I would love to come back here in the spring or summer when there is a lot more going on (there are festivals and food trucks galore in the warmer months) and also to take a boat trip at night to see how the city looks from the water.
We decided to check out some shopping areas, and got out at at Hyundai department store which was well out of our price range even with sales going on, but it was good to have a look around and see how the other half live.
It was a fun day just getting lost in Seoul and I would like to come back and do it again, and although I have loved visiting in the winter (and if it was just me it probably wouldn't be as much of an issue but because it is so cold we don't explore as much as I would have liked. To be honest I could have taken a long walk down the river bank today because I love being by the water in whatever weather but the wind was too much for a couple of us so we cut our walk short but I am making that a priority next time come rain or shine!!!)
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