Back in Seoul…
Not much to to do with cycling, but worth sharing…
My first visit to Seoul was back in 2013 when I was participating in a special leadership development program. Back then I spent only a few days in South Korea’s capital before making my way back to the U.S. That time around I was here with a work group, and our activities were closely organized and coordinated. We had very little time to explore this immense city on our own.
This time it has been different.
My daughter Ari is well into her study abroad year and had spent the last eight weeks taking courses in Asian Cinema, Philosophy and Korean at Yonsei University. With her summer classes over, and at least two weeks between semesters, I decided to come spend some time with her and let her show me around her current home. It was the perfect opportunity to bond with my daughter and enjoy some quality time together.
Other than checking off some of the “must see“ Seoul sites we really didn’t have much of a plan. My primary goal was to just spend some time together and explore the city. I wanted her to share what she loved most about it with me…
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Gyeongbokgung
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Changdeokgung
ABOVE: Other than checking off some of the “must see“ Seoul sites, including two of Seoul’s five Royal Palaces (Changdeokgung & Gyeongbokgung), we really had no planned itinerary.
BELOW: One of the things Ari loves most about Seoul is it is easy to use bus and subway system. We used both daily to “experience” as much of Seoul as we could.
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Riding the Subway
Our plan was to ride the bus and subway and “experience” as much of Seoul as we could.
Ikseon-Dong
We lucked out. We knew that our base of operations was in a central location and close to several key attractions, including two of Seoul’s most distinctive Palaces, but we were completely unaware of the treasures just out our door. Neither of the “travel guides” I had brought with me listed Ikseon-Dong as a “go to” spot.
I arrived early in the morning, and after settling in, I headed out for a quick walk to survey my surroundings, find a cup of coffee, and get a sense of where I was. I was immediately delighted with our location.
No more than a block away from our door was a network of narrow streets and alleys filled with coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques and Hanoks (traditional Korean homes). The early morning walk gave me a quiet glimpse of this up and coming trendy area. I immediately knew that we would be spending lots of time “close to home.” Over the course of the next 14 days we would start and end our outings along the narrow streets of Ikseon-Dong.
ABOVE: Walking and exploring the narrow streets and alleys of Ikseon-Dong feels like you’re in a completely different part of Seoul.
BELOW: Seoulites love their coffee. Ikseon-Dong has a myriad of small coffee shops where you can enjoy a simple Americano, or a full fledged mocha along with tasty pastries.
Bukchon Hanok Village
One of the places we really did want to visit was Bukchon Hanok Village. We had planned on spending more time there, but once we discovered Ikseon-Dong our priorities changed. Still, Bukchon is a must visit in Seoul for its views and the juxtaposition of old and new.
Unlike Ikseon-Dong, which is relatively flat, Bukchon is perched on one of Seoul’s many hills. The terrain is what makes this place special, since it offers great views of the traditional Hanoks and the bustling city beyond. Like Inkseon-Dong, Bukchon is also filled with coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques and traditional tea rooms and Hanoks.
Seoul is a mix of old and new and Bukchon is the perfect place to see it...
Seoul is a mix of old and new and Bukchon is the perfect place to see it...
Walking the steep streets of Bukchon is not easy, especially on a 90° + day
Namsam
One of the sites I did visit during my first trip to Seoul in 2013, and which I did want to visit again, was Namsan. Our initial plan was to hike up to the base of the tower along one of the hiking trails that lead to this landmark, but it was simply too hot to do so. Instead, we rode the elevator and cable car to the top and spent the afternoon wondering around the tower’s base.
Despite our “lack of planning” we actually planned our visit to N Seoul Tower perfectly and grabbed a coveted table along the west side of the tower’s observation deck, where we watched the sun set. It was great to just hang out and see the city transition from day into night (below).
ABOVE: The view from the N Seoul Tower as the sun sets and the city transitions from day to night.
Dongdaemun
We had originally not planned to visit Dangdaemun but resolved to go on a whim after I decided I wanted to get some new pants. We did a little research while sipping coffee and enjoying some strawberry cream toast at Mil Toast, then ventured out to Dangdaemun Market shortly after.
Our exploration yielded some great results. Not only did I end up getting a couple of new pants, but we had lunch inside the busy market, walked a portion of Cheonggyecheon stream, strolled inside a modern well air conditioned mall and visited the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DPP).
Lunch in Dongdaemun
Exploring the Market
Micro bookstores along the top of the Cheonggyecheon
The DPP is a unique architectural marvel
ABOVE: The Cheonggyecheon river is a six-mile stream that flows west to east through downtown Seoul.
MORE…
Beyond the above we visited other Seoul landmarks and neighborhoods, including Itaewon, an area popular with foreigners where we ventured multiple times to Sam Ryan’s Sports Bar and Grill so we could watch the Women’s World Cup, Insadong, where we purchased gifts and souvenirs to bring home, Gyeongui Line Forest Park, The National Museum of Korea, Lotte World Tower, the War Memorial of Korea, Songdo Central Park and Triple Street in Incheon Songdo.
I can’t imagine doing more than we did in the short two weeks I was there.
Taking a break in Myeongga
Paths in Gyeongui Line Forest Park
Lotte World Tower
Exploring Insadong
The War Memorial of Korea
Songdo Central Park
A few Tips…
To really enjoy and experience this city to its fullest you must make use of its excellent transportation system. As soon as you arrive purchase a transportation (Tmoney) card. As the balance depletes, you can easily add money to it at one of the myriad of convenience stores around the city, or at kiosks in every subway station. Having this card is your ticket to buses, the subway, cabs and even some attractions within the city. Unless your cellular plan includes international roaming, I highly recommend you purchase a temporary SIM card as well. You can get both the SIM card and Tmoney card immediatley when you arrive at the airport. I also recommend you download these apps:
Kakao Metro app - allows you to easily plan trips between subway stations and bus stops.
Naver Map - allows you easily navigate Seoul - Google maps simply didn’t work for me as I expected.
Google Translate - a life saver. If you speak or read zero Korean like me, this app allows you to easily communicate with locals.
For me it was unavoidable, but if you can, you might want to avoid visiting Seoul in the summer. The heat and humidity were brutal. We tried to limit our outdoor activities and missed out on visits to a couple of places, including Bukhansan National Park and Buamdong.
Seoul is a BIG city and there is so much to see and do. We only scratched the surface but got a pretty good taste of its people and culture.
I absolutely enjoyed the buses, subway rides and the “no tipping” culture.
Korean BBQ is not the only dish in town, but it IS really good. There are so many good places; the three we visited were all great. Ari hadn’t had Pizza in a while and we were both pleasantly surprised at how good it was at Bogle House - not to mention the tasty IPAs. There are coffee shops everywhere, but most open at 11. I had a hard time finding early morning coffee the first couple of days.
We found a Peruvian restaurant and had some great ceviche, lomo saltado and Pisco Sours.
Ari approves. Great pizza at Bogel House in Ikseon Dong.
Gimbap and pork rinds at Dongdaemun Market
Steamed rolls at Mil Toast in Ikseon-Dong
Peruvian food? Yes we're everywhere. Ceviche 210 in Pyeongtaek
Udon Noodle Soup & pork cutlets in Ikseon Dong
Korean BBQ in Ikseon Dong Hanok Village
I was initially anxious about the trip because of the language barrier, but I could simply not pass up the chance to spend some time with my daughter in a place and within a culture that she has grown to love. Having her shepherd me around Seoul was an experience I will never forget, and one I will cherish for as long as I live. Seeing her communicate, navigate, and interact with the people in this city has made me even prouder of her than I already was.
This place now holds a special place in my heart, and the memories I’ve made with Ari over the course of these 14 days will always be with me.
This journal entry is a “summary” compilation of entries I made in my Moleskine travel journal. Whenever I travel I bring it along for the ride and jot things down so I don’t forge them. I also bring with me a small Digital Bluetooth Printer so I can print out selected images, some of the ones you see here. The photo paper used on these little Zink printers has an adhesive back so that I can easily peel and paste it in my journal.