Korea!

You probably already knew (and forgot) that I took a solo trip to South Korea in early April.  Our friend Sara was going to be there for a business trip, so I flew into Seoul 4 days early for a vacation by myself.

But fear not, I wasn't wondering by myself through a scary foreign country on the brink of war.  (Though all of the news channels would have us believe that, as I was in Seoul right when they all picked up on the threats from North Korea.  In Seoul, everyone just shrugged and said "Is he saying threatening someone again?"  

For two nights I stayed with a family at this house.  Homestays (or renting out a room) are very popular in South Korea and this one was aimed toward women traveling alone.  

This is what a modern kitchen looks like.  In fact, it was featured in several home design magazines and right after I left, it was used to film this commercial.

(Yes, all Korean kids are that cute.)

Normally, guests stay in the extra bedroom, but it was being used, so I was offered their daughter's bedroom.  June could have died when she saw I was in a pink and purple room filled with Korean manga (comic) books.

On my first night out, I ventured out long enough to get some food.  In Seoul, most restaurants have pictures and prices posted, so it was very easy to order, even if I didn't always know what I was eating. (But it was all delicious.)

Here's my neighborhood.  I stayed in Bukchon- the historic old part of town filled with tradition hanook homes and artists' studios.  At the bottom of the hill, you can see all the skyscrapers in the distance.  

For my first full day, I had a packed itinerary.  I visited Gyeongbokgung, one of the 5 palaces inside the city. This is the front gate.

And a view through the gate to the Palace Hall. 

I got a full-day history lesson from this wonderful woman, Joong Mae.  The Seoul Tourism Board offers foreigners free tours of specific itineraries or you can request a day long tour guide.  I put in my request and Joong Mae was gracious enough to volunteer to spend the day with me.  I was very lucky as she was retired from the World Heritage Organization for Jogmyo Shrine in Seoul.  In other words, she was an expert.  

A view of the interconnecting buildings.  I learned that you could tell who was allowed through which doorways and what each building was used for just by the height and features of the intricate roofs.

Inside one of the palace halls, you can catch a glimpse of how most Koreans dress- very western conservative.  Joong Mae was the only Korean I met who wore color.

There were hundreds of tiny buildings inside the palace halls, but this little room on an island was the only place the king could go for privacy.

Just out the back gate of the palace was the Blue House- where South Korea's president lives.

Of course, Seoul has preserved and recreated much of their historical sites, but just out the gates, the city was built around it.  

Next, we walked to a fairly new feature in Seoul- Cheonggyecheon Riverwalk.  

Tucked below the city, the park follows the river through the city.  

Next, I got a lesson in the subway and we headed to Namsangol Hanok Village, which is essentially the Sauder's Village of Seoul.  It's full of traditional buildings and people in traditional dress.  And a ton of couples getting wedding photos taken.

A quick break for lunch and we took a bus up Namsan Mountain to see North Seoul Tower.  I went up the mountain twice in my trip, but never made it to the top of the tower.

Even without the extra height, the view of the city was great.  Imagine this many buildings times 50 in every direction and you can get an idea of how massive Seoul is.

It also has the beacons used to signal war to the city.  When all 5 beacons are lit, war is coming.

But today, they are lit once a day at noon.

A cool feature of Seoul Tower is the love locks.  They set up fences for people to put locks on to declare their love.  I know it's a tourist trap and a gimmick to sell a bunch of locks, but it's still pretty cute.  This is about 1/6th of the total fence.

On the way back down the mountain, you could see the original South wall of the city.  Considering South Korea has been invaded and destroyed twice in the past 100 years, it was pretty cool to see something that is still standing.  This wall was built in the 1300s.

Back into the fray (we never left the city but were on a mountain in the center), we took a bus and walked a fair bit back to Bukchon.  The old building is the city library and former city hall.  The new city hall is that crazy looking building behind it.   

And so concludes day one of my trip.