3rd Weekend in Seoul

Days 16-18. Well, what do you know, after our last weekend, we took not one, but two trips to Seoul! The first day was wet and drippy, but we still had fun. Our day started off with a pleasant lunch at Mr. Pizza, which actually has its own cheerful theme song by a pop band called 2PM. I thought it was cute that the same record company also worked with a band called 2AM, which has a softer, more mellow sound. Makes sense, doesn't it? Something that didn't so much to me was the door of Mr. Pizza. Shouldn't you love women and men just the same? I suppose they felt women didn't get enough love.

A small, cozy place with good food and a self-serve salad bar.

A pizza, spaghetti, sampler basket and salads later, we were on our way to Seoul on the bus.

Mountains and fields blanket the lands surrounding Seoul.

Our favored stop is Gangnam station, where there are shops both above and below the streets. Gangnam is a hub of activity for travelers and shoppers alike and buzzes until the wee hours of the morning (although I have heard that it doesn't ever stop at all!).

It is seriously crowded everywhere in Gangnam....

Despite the crowds made slower by the rain and umbrellas, we made our way into the underground stores, where they sell everything from make-up to clothes to waffles (and what good waffles they are!) at usually discounted prices. The same with the street vendors lining the sidewalks next to the higher end department stores.

A favorite of mine with its cheap, cute jewelry. Called, interestingly, the Naughty Cat.

Wandering a little further from the known areas, we find that Seoul is very hilly, very colorful and bursting with life and activity. One phenomenon that never ceases to amaze me is the drivers. Car, van, bus or motorcycle, Korea must have the best and most patient drivers in the world.

That, and some super efficient brakes, for all of those hills...!

Pedestrians flood the streets and part like the Red Sea when the cars come by, but mysteriously enough, everyone is so patient and kind. I rarely hear horns, never hear brakes squeal and as close as they are, the motorcycles never seem to hit anything! It's about magical. This would never happen in New York City. Rush hour in New York City while on foot is something to be experienced once and never again, but that's another story for another time....

The national pride in Korea is immense. The flag flies proudly everywhere, including as decorative banners on the street.

Modern skyscrapers and the 태극기 (taegeukgi) dating back from 1883 (original version).
Thank you, Wikipedia :)

One more rather notable thing: the public transportation system!

Brightly lit street while we wait for our bus.

Buses seem to cover all of Seoul in addition to leading to and from it almost all times of the day. We'll be back soon enough!

Although Saturday was quiet again, we returned to Seoul on Sunday. By some lucky chance, we were late for the bus we had intended to catch, and met the second of our guides when we first came to Korea! He was going to meet a friend, and was waiting for the same bus we were taking.

Everything happens for a reason :)

It turns out, we had the wrong room number, and had not been knocking on his door for two weeks! Now we know :) Soon after, we were back on the bus to Seoul. Heavily involved in robotics as I am, of course, I needed to snap this street sign:

I wonder what the subjects are...?

This time, we journeyed to It'aewon, a foreigner's destination. There is more English there, as well as touristy little vendor stalls and items catered towards foreigners such as clothes and shoes in large sizes. It's announced with a lovely arch.

Even with the excellent drivers, I do prefer not to stand in the street, in
front of oncoming traffic. This is the best angle I could get...

We stopped at several places, including an interesting shop that sold sculptures of all different shapes, sizes and colors. There seemed to be many different cultures mixed up in this curious shop. Oddly enough, I didn't find anything particularly Korean...