Our next adventure has begun. Hello South Korea.
Self Portrait - Gangnam
Our room with a view. South-Side Han River.
Hampered with jet-lag, followed by a quick lesson on the Seoul train system, it was a relief to arrive at our hotel in Gangnum. Thankfully it was spacious and very comfortable - contrary to the reviews we had read.
This will be just a brief stay in Seoul, but after we have travelled round the country we shall be back for longer.
So what have we discovered so far?
Seoul is an undulating, sprawling metropolis filled with industry and urbanisation overshadowing the pockets of the old traditional life. Waterways and greenery weave their way through the capital, the nearby backdrop of green mountains remind you just how small South Korea is.
One quarter of its population live in Seoul and it has similar issues to Japan where the countrysides are becoming depopulated.Comparing Seoul to Tokyo is inevitable but certainly not welcome by the locals. So I think I will leave it at that.
American culture and Western brands are in abundance, as is the selfie phone culture.
There appears to be a lot of prosperity and the younger generation have a substantial share of it. Shopping is a major pastime catering for all budgets. There are huge Malls underground and overground, whilst the underground markets seem to go on for miles selling everything and anything.
Underground
Overground
Tiny cubicle shops are a part of everyday life.
The escalator to nowhere.
The roads and metro are wide and spacious which is a good job because the cars are plentiful, huge and driven very fast - the car is king not the pedestrian. Traffic congestion is a huge problem but the metro is super efficient. The sound of trumpets hail the incoming trains.
Vertical gardens and birds enhance the Metro.
Photo Zones are are identified for the all important selfie.
We found our way to a very old Buddhist Bongeunsa Temple built in 794 AD nestled into the hillside, engulfed by the high-rise modern architecture and flanked by the mountains.
Preparations are underway for the Lantern Festival next month.
There are a number of wooden temple halls, housing hundreds of Buddhas.
Carefully pruned trees and an abundance of flowers create a colourful display. Prayer ribbons hang from lanterns forming canopies outside and inside the temple halls. The colours are vivid almost cinematic - a welcome touch from blandness of the high-rise.
Contemplating the view.
Military is not an uncommon sight in Seoul as Conscription is compulsory, for 18 months, as a result of the Korean War.
Coffee shops are everywhere as are bakeries, fried chicken and alcohol. We were told to say goodbye to fresh vegetables and fruit but that hasn’t been completely true. Being a vegetarian is awkward but I’ve been saved by google translate and the Bibimbap - veg mixed into rice with chilli sauce, minus the fried egg. It’s certainly going to get a lot harder further down the road.
Dinner is early and there are an eye-watering array of restaurants that you really just have to take a gamble on, but that’s half the fun. Food Alley seemed a good place to start. No word of English just beautiful typography, steamed up windows and the sound of happy diners made our decision.
So much to see, but for now it’s bedtime.