Seoul Searching

The grocery stores are real! Although I did not see any obese people, the atmosphere in South Korea was one of the most positive, helpful, and cleanest I have encountered in a long time. The streets were spotless, the people tried to speak English, and they were nothing but smiles. My grandfather, father, and I had a 36-hour layover in Seoul, South Korea, landing at 8pm on Monday night and departing bright and early at the butt-crack of dawn at 8am Wednesday morning.

There are endless things to do in Seoul, tons of markets, palaces, architecture, and museums to occupy your time. But, with only 24 hours to really see it all, here are the cliff notes:

Staying at an upscale hotel, the concierge offered us a private tour with an English guide around the city for about four hours. We scheduled a half-day tour starting at 1pm to give my dad and I some time to wander around the neighboring streets. We didn’t get very far before turning around, frost bitten and shivering—the high was only 32 degrees and all we had were light jackets. 

By 1 o’clock we had layered up as best we could and headed downstairs to meet our guide, Ariel. She started off shy, speaking slowly so we could understand her, but by the end of the day she was hitting us on the arms if we didn’t answer her questions right and speaking so quickly I couldn’t tell if she was even speaking English anymore.

We drove across the Han River to the older side of town. Weaving through traffic, the driver took us through small roads and alleys that looked like a cleaner version of Chinatown in New York City.

Our first stop was a one of the many Buddhist temples where Ariel told us—in great detail—the history of how Buddha actually became Buddha, we made wishes with incense , and a small Korean man gave me a hand-made lotus flower (it’s the hair, everyone loves the hair).

There are 15 major markets in Seoul, the most popular among tourists being Itaewon, and, according to Ariel, the most local market being Insadong. Naturally she took us to Insadong. A gorgeous, multi-story shopping center is nestled into streets and allies of stalls and vendors selling everything from a tailored suit to glass blowing lessons. Our only complaint: it was outside. A beautiful idea for spring but for the subzero temperatures for Florida locals, we were begging for a heater.

As a warmer alternative, we headed to two different museums: The History of Contemporary Korea and The Korean War Museum. Both incredibly interactive well laid out museums with a working heating system. To end the day we watched the changing of the guards outside the Gyeongbokgung Palace. Although on a much smaller scale than the Buckingham Palace changing of the guards, the Gyeongbokgung guard’s uniforms are nothing short of elaborate. Colorful robes, flags, and traditional Korean hats lined in perfectly straight rows walking in uniform will surely make standing in the cold worth it. Not to mention there is a booth right behind the ceremony that lets you try on the hats and robes and take pictures.

Although we did take a private tour there are other alternatives to touring the busy city. Seoul has a large, yet navigable public transportation system. The subways are crowded and popular among locals but avoid street traffic that the busses often get caught in. All of the museums run on a donation base entry fee so you are not obligated to pay upon entry. And, depending on the weather, the markets are filled with cheap and delicious foods.

Still adjusting from the 14-hour time change, we ended our day looking out over the city skyline with a scotch and two glasses of wine at around 6:00pm. One day in Seoul down, and the adventure to Vietnam begins.