TRAVEL: korea 韩国首尔 @SEOUL

SEOUL KOREA 韩国首尔🇰🇷

Sunday 4th March 18

My stressful Visa run，

I was nervous having been told by the girl for the school that it was hard to make student visas especially from work to student. I had my flight on the Sunday night. Only a couple hours plane ride and then once off I got the limousine bus to the city centre to the stop nearest my hotel: I was staying in ibis styles ambassador. Korea was colder than shanghai and there was a slight drizzle of rain when I arrived. The staff were lovely, my room had a flat screen bathrobe and good internet, no vpn needed internet!!! (Facebook was used freely)

 I booked the spa trying out their small gym briefly. The spa had a steam room and sauna pool. Just me. Bikini optional, the view overlooked the hillside and a Korean tower relaxing music played, and even though it was open air I was soon roasting! A great relaxing start to korea. 

Monday 5th 

Went to the breakfast international with Korean stuff too, tasty fruit juice and a coffee machine. A nice view looking over the mountains and Namsan Park 

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264320

I finished up and got the metro to the station nearest the Visa place 中国领事馆 it’s sort of in a shop/mall like place in the second floor. I spent ages there and  the staff were super helpful. I had prepared photocopies of flights, my old visas etc but it was just handed back to me, I was also told to do the form again not listing the work Visa and info just applying for student. They were so chill. I was ready to have a panic attack wth the stress. 

Once handed in I strolled around the city heading through the namdaemun market and camera shopping street, full of little shops. The market itself was full of herbs, food, fresh fruit and veg and so many different varieties of kimchi 泡菜 it was lively for a weekday morning, not jam packed either though. Went past the start or many palaces and gate houses done in a very chinese influences style due to the history. They had been refurbished to an extent so an inbetween of looking old and realistic and too new and fresh. But it’s hard to get that exact balance or restoration. Especially for buildings with painted surfaces. I went on into the centre of three city seeing the statue of

Admiral Yi-Sun-SHin. A large statue, there were officers around it but not the sense of security like that felt in Beijing 天南门， more like that of VIetnams, a force of loyalty duty and respect.

 I continued on to the main palace, GYeongbokgung palace, the national palace. Outside there is a changing of the guard and many visitors locals and tourists opt to dress up in traditional clothing 韩服, with places nearby available to rent. The ticket price was reasonable but with discount only available to local residents. People were few a huge place I strolled around slowly. Similar to the forbidden palace 故宫 you couldn’t really go into the buildings but u like it, there was a decent supply of information telling you about the different areas, making you more able to get a sense of the place and history, understanding more why so similar to chinese palaces. To the east of the main palace was the smaller lodgings like hutongs, this is were the children and the wives lived and studied. To the west was Gyeonghoeru pavilion and with a pool of water surrounding it. It was beautiful. Here they also had a little cafe and handcraft shop were I chilled for a while. By the time I was leaving the sun had come out and it was a little warmer 

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264337

I headed towards Dogdaemun to start exploring the shops for 买样衣 buying samples, en route I explored a variety of little shops passing and checking out a beautiful Buddhist temple Jogyesa temple. Here, the religion is approximately half Christian catholic and half Buddhist. Showing the mix of Asian and Chinese influence along with American influence after the war. Like japan it’s stylish and clean but there are more roadside  food stalls , the cheap markets are a plenty along with outdoor vendors, all this plus the obvious Chinese influence seen present in the old palaces’ , to me seems like  (to personify it simply) daughter country of china and japan, smart clean tidy stylish a mix of both, living cost wise too.

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264352

The metro is dearer than china but cheaper than japan, it’s odd,You first pay a deposit for the metro card and having used it, you insert into a vendor after and get your money back? 

And if I was to compare korea china and vietnam , id described vietnam as the crazy rebellious and more disordered son of the two countries, china， the stricter dad, and Korea a more calmer warmer mother, in terms of the simpsons, vietnam would a bart Simpson to Korean lisa. 

I stayed out late going round the malls thats were open, some seem to open late to early morning, some onlyday time and they closed on different days confusing and annoying. There was obe or 2 decent ones. One mall, the first floor was designer boutiques with expensive one off pieces but really nice the rest were like cheap markets flogging clothes- bit like Shanghai’s cheapclothes market area  able to haggle a mash of clothes/ shops all very similar  I stayed out and went round countless takingpics and asking prices etc, all very winterynot spring summer...  I walked back to the hotel tired.  Checking out the ‘tulip light’ flower field and ancient city all Enjoying another sauna I stayed up late doing a ppt with pics prices etc sending it to paul. He replied the next day to say have another look

Tuesday 6th, 

got up again for the breakfast they seem to do different things each day. The weather was still cold but clear. I checked out the ‘old town’ namsangol Hanok village and namsangoi Park beside it which then led up to the mountian. Korean style introducing the original area as 2/3 families and there lives, the houses had been made again and you could go around looking and reading about them, again quite chinese. I strolled around the park watching a couple playing some weird outside spinning top game, the girl was unable to do it hahah 脱落

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=561382

Went to get my Visa and success!! Such a relief! 

I then made my way back to the markets again with theirs silly different openinghours.

There was even worse selection for he ones that were open. I checked Out the design mall/exhibit shop but it was mainly technology stuff

I didn’t stay out as late, not much point. I bumped into some English speaking older Korean ladies, one was even learning some Chinese.. even turns out they were Mormons and invited me to a Mormon thing.... typical. Back at the hotel I Updated the ppt and sent it to paul saying about the situation I offered to go get anything in the morning but he said no need. I went and enjoyed me last night in my glorious sauna and pampered myself wth the free cleanser and moisturizer! 

I stayed up late enjoying a life of no vpn (Facebook haha and ofc posted about Paris fashion week - letting the fake reality world think I was there, my stuff is, just not me) chilled and watched the large tv there was decent stuff on the Korean tv - English programs! Including history stuff! 

Didn’t rush too much and enjoyed my

Last morning of the breakfast before packing up. Unfortunately fell over with the suitcase on my way across the road but I was helped up. Got the airport bus and arrived on time, yet the flight got delayed! I ended up Skyping reb and not going to work as I would have only arrived for an hour. Korea is nice, but just for shoppers and foodies 购物狂/卡奴/吃货。 exactly as phil said lol