Before we get into our last three days in Seoul, we put our favorite pictures from Japan in a gallery here. Hope you like them!
Sarah and I flew from Tokyo to Seoul on Monday morning. Because our flight was at 8:50am and the airports in Tokyo are inconveniently far from downtown, neither of us slept very well knowing we had such an early wake-up time. We made it to the airport with plenty of time though and were able to relax for a bit before boarding.
The flight was smooth and quick (any flight compared to our LA – Tokyo flight will seem short, I suppose) and we were checked into our hotel in Seoul by 1pm. Because we were both pretty tired, we decided to take it easy for the rest of the day on Monday: we walked around for a bit, ending up at Craftworks Taphouse for an American meal (after almost exclusively Japanese food for the last three weeks, we were ready for a break!). (We actually deliberately stopped at Craftworks to pre-pay for our Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, but Sarah will give the full scoop on that later!)
We woke up Tuesday well rested and ready to explore more of the city. We spent a few hours mapping out the rest of our time in Seoul then walked over to Namdaemun and Gwangjang Markets. We were probably spoiled by the nice markets we saw in Japan because neither of these impressed us that much. They were less charming than Tokyo – more like open-air discount rack stores than places of everyday commerce – even though Tsukiji Market reeks of fish!
After we were done exploring the markets we headed down to Hongik University – we heard the neighborhood was very similar to NYU and had lots of good bars and restaurants. Both turned out to be true. We wandered around the streets for a few hours then eventually ate dinner at THE BEASTRO, a new American place. It was amazing. Better than a lot of American meals I’ve had back home. We highly recommend a stop here if you’re ever in Seoul (though you won’t find traditional Korean style dishes here)!
We split the roasted chicken and steak. Delicious!
We woke up this morning to embark on our most physically challenging day in Seoul (and probably Asia so far): exploring Bukhansan National Park. We took a subway and a bus to get there, then checked in at the Information Center to get a map. The hike to Baegundae Peak, the highest point in the park, was described as “difficult” but only about three hours to the top - so we figured it couldn’t be that bad. Well, looking back on it, I agree that “difficult” is an appropriate description, but “climb” is definitely more appropriate than “hike.” This trek turned out to be quite challenging. The easiest parts involved steep accents on jagged staircases; the hard parts can only be described as pulling yourself up the side of a smooth boulder with the wire guardrail provided, all the while keeping in mind that the guardrail is the only thing there to prevent you from falling to your death. All that said, it was an amazing day – we were totally spent (physically and emotionally) by the end of it but very happy that we did it!
Throughout the park you can find sections of the Bukhansan Fortress – essentially a long wall. We stopped to eat lunch at this gate (passage) through the wall.
We’d already made a lot of progress toward the top at this point!
Stopped for a picture at a more elaborate gate further along the trail.
Finally made it to the top! (Didn’t stop to take many pictures along the way because that would’ve meant taking our hands off the guardrail!)
Sarah managed to shake her terrified look off just long enough for this picture. She is full of puns these days and really pushed for "We came, we Seoul, we conquered."
The view from the top.
This is one of the milder inclines, but it helps you get the picture in terms of what the “trails” were like.
We headed straight for dinner when we returned to civilization. Since we hadn’t had any traditional Korean food yet, we both decided it was time for some Bibimbap. We found a place near our hotel and devoured it before slowly walking back to the comfort of our bed. Don’t think either of us will have any trouble sleeping tonight!
Bibimbap for two plus beef bulgogi to share.