Seoul Searching ~ Part 1
It’s been a few days in Seoul now, and I just realized something BIG that happened at the airport that I completely failed to mention. Dumb me managed to check in using my British passport and then tried to enter the country using my Canadian one.
Ya… that didn't work out particularly well.
Big mistake.
I suppose this perfectly demonstrates just how committed I am to using both passports now that I have them. I'm not even sure why I brought both. I certainly don't need them both… as I've now proven.
Anyway, onwards & upwards…
Another notch in my travel book of silly stories and shame.
It's been a big few days in Seoul, and I have to admit, at first, I was quite intimidated by the city. I don’t know if the cheese stands alone here (me), or if everyone gets that same feeling I get when I arrive somewhere completely new.
Fear isn't quite the right word… cuz I’m not ever really afraid of exploration.
Trepidation might be more of a suitable word.
Ummm....
Apprehension is better.
I get this strange, nervous feeling that I'm trespassing… and everyone is going to know it. It’s almost as though everyone in the entire city knows each other, and they’ll immediately recognize that I'm the new kid in town.
Absurd?
Absolutely.
I tend to make up these stories in my head... and there's an unwritten code of conduct everyone is aware of... except me. Some set of rules I'm supposed to follow, but nobody has bothered to give me the handbook. I'm convinced I'm going to do something horribly wrong, and everyone will have a great laugh at my expense. Like I'll go left while everyone goes right. Something dumb like that. Hey... it's bound to happen wherever you go, right?
Of course, this feeling never lasts very long. Once I get the lay of the land, figure out how to cross the street without getting myself killed, and start recognizing a few landmarks, I’m solid gold. And the longer I’m there, the more I develop this strange sense of belonging. Almost entitlement. I start walking around like you own the place. Or at least I know everything about the place. Before you know it, you're doling out advice and suggestions.
That was Seoul for me.
Here I was in this gigantic city… “kinda” buzzing with excitement about exploring… but also feeling a little overwhelmed. And in addition to feeling overwhelmed, I was just plain tired. The usual buzz I feel when I arrive in a new place was nothing but a low hum.
I think the hardest part of Seoul (for me) has been crossing the street. Well... crossing the street AND trying to navigate Naver Maps. Google Maps doesn't work properly here (The South Korean government has long been concerned that sharing highly detailed maps with a foreign company could expose sensitive information about military bases, security installations and other strategic locations. It worries that North Korea could access this information.) So I've had to resort to Naver Maps. And let's just say we're not exactly "getting along."
Maybe it's because I'm not used to it, but I do find it far less user-friendly. I've never had tremendous luck navigating with Google Maps either... as anyone who's followed my travel knows... but Naver is on a whole different level.
And then there's the actual business of crossing the road, as I mentioned. You'd think you could simply walk up to an intersection... wait for the light to turn green and cross. Easy peasy, monkey squeezy.
Oh no.
No, no, my friend.
Not in Seoul.
More often than not, if you want to get to the other side of the road, you have to go underground. And the underground is an entire new world of subway stations, shopping malls, tunnels and connecting passageways beneath your feet. It's a maze. For one station, there may be up to 10-12 exits/entrances. You need to find the right entrance and the right exit... navigate this underground entanglement... and emerge from the correct exit on the other side of the street.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Except the minute I go underground, I lose every ounce of direction I ever had. I spend more time figuring out which way I'm facing. I'm not exaggerating when I say it took me almost an entire hour to cross one street the other day. I kept going down, around, back up, down again… only to realize I was somehow no closer to where I wanted to be.
Seoul 10. Joanna 0.
My life is hard.
Anyway...
I’d spent the last few days pinpointing areas I wanted to see or that sounded interesting… and then... I would just walk there. Of course, yes, there was a bus... and an underground subway... but I wanted to walk. Sometimes the places were within reasonable walking distance… and other times… not so much. I've made a few treks now that have taken anywhere from 1-3 hours to just get there. And I've managed to get through two audiobooks in the process.
Not too shabby, eh?
Seoul, South Korea Seoul, South Korea Seoul, South Korea
Seoul has incredible energy. Between its fast-paced lifestyle, distinct neighbourhoods, endless street food, and almost overwhelming shopping opportunities, there’s a constant feeling that something is happening around every corner. It has that unmistakable big-city buzz of New York, but somehow feels a little safer... and more manageable. I have enjoyed my time in Seoul… but I have to admit… it's also an enormous monument to commercialism. This is definitely a shopping mecca. Everywhere you turn, there's something for sale. Millions and millions and MILLIONS of stuffed toys, face masks, keychains, stickers, hand cream, bookmarks and all sorts of little trinkets you never knew you needed.
There is NON-STOP shopping.
There are also a LOT of coffee shops. And dessert places.
There are even loads of those giant claw machines, where a mechanical arm descends in an attempt to grab some ridiculously oversized stuffed animal or other cheap gadget. Very much like being at the fair… except NOT at the fair… and here, entire streets and shops seem dedicated to them.
It’s interesting how different parts of the city seem to specialize in particular things. There are entire areas devoted to clothing, formal attire, kitchen sinks, chandeliers, notebooks, musical instruments, jewelry, eyewear, tools, electronics, antiques, printing… You name it. It's there.
But… I can’t really afford to buy anything anyway. And I seriously think my home will fall into ruins if I bring in one more thing.
I wandered through Bukchon Hanok Village, an old neighbourhood filled with traditional Korean houses known as hanok. It was nice to wander through the narrow streets and see a completely different side of Seoul, with its traditional architecture and old-world charm.
Tourist access is restricted 10-5pm because this is still a residential neighbourhood. People actually live here, and apparently they'd rather get on with their lives without tourists wandering past their front doors at all hours.
Who’da thunk?
Fair enough. I get it.
Next stop was Gyeongbokgung Palace… the grandest of Korea's royal palaces. And my luck, it was free admission today. An awful lot of people wandered around in traditional garb, far more interested in photographing themselves than actually looking at the palace or learning some history.
Gyeongbokgung translates roughly to "Palace of Shining Happiness." It was built in 1395,m under King Taejo, the Joseon dynasty's first king. Much of the palace was burned during the Japanese invasions of 1592–1598. It underwent extensive reconstruction in the 1860s, only to be demolished again during Japanese colonial rule (1910–1945). Restoration continues, with many buildings having been reconstructed.
Gyeongbokgung Palace Gyeongbokgung Palace Gyeongbokgung Palace
One perk of visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace is that people wearing traditional Korean hanbok are admitted for free. I like knowing the word, "hanbok" now. I was originally referring to them as Korean geishas... which, I know, is very wrong. And there were LOTS of these dress-up people.
Apparently I missed the memo.
Why didn't anyone tell ME to dress up?
Of course, I wouldn't have dressed up... but maybe I would have! Actually... if I had someone trailing me with a camera, there solely to take dramatic shots of me looking off into the distance... in a long, flowing, full skirt.
Then I realized something rather amusing. Admission was free for everyone today anyway, so they needn't have bothered spending money on the traditional outfits to get in. Still, it was lovely to see so many people dressed in period clothing... even though they all had their phones glued to them. But as I mentioned, not a single person was interested in the history. It was all about striking the perfect Instagram pose.
It sometimes sucks trying to sightsee while dodging social media shots.
Gyeongbokgung Palace Gyeongbokgung Palace Gyeongbokgung Palace
Mostly... I've just walked and walked and walked.
I explored, wandered, took silly pictures of things along the way, and generally tried to get a feel for the city. I even jumped on one of those hop-on, hop-off sightseeing buses. Now, I should clarify that I wasn't particularly interested in listening to a running, static commentary about Seoul. And I wasn't especially keen on the whole hop-on, hop-off experience either. Never have been...
I had a much more practical reason for getting on. I stupidly thought the bus might take me ALL over the city and save me the two-hour walk to one of the places I'd pinpointed on my map.
Wrong.
Instead, I paid $27 for an hour-and-a-half circuit... ending right back where I started... and then walked to my destination from there anyway.
So much for saving my legs.
... but more about that in the next blog...
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