South Korea

Flying over South Korea from Hong Kong.

 

Good morning from Seoul.

Heading to the North Korean border, it took about an hour.

 

Watching the countryside.

The Citizen Autonomous Zone is a buffer before the actual DMZ.

Freedom Bridge where POWs were exchanged in 1953.

Some monuments for the Korean War (1950-1953) including one for the USA.  South Korea lost 137,899 (another 24,495 missing) and the USA 33,686 (another 7,586 missing).

Stopping for a Korean Hot Dog, which has become a trend in the US. Unlike our corndogs, these have a lighter and crispier coating.

Bridge bombed during the war.  The newer one was used by the UN to get supplies in until they learned that nutcase was using proceeds to develop nuclear weapons.

 

At the DMZ, there is a passport and security check.

Since the war never officially ended, the demilitarized zone is a buffer on either side of the border.

Cheesy tourist picture after going into an infiltration tunnel (no pictures allowed). Discovered in 1978, it is one of four tunnels found that the North Koreans would have been able to deploy 30,000 troops per hour to invade South Korea.

Saw miles and miles of walls and fences with guard towers.

Looking at a propaganda village in North Korea. It's a fake village to showcase how prosperous they are...but everyone knows they live in squalor and you can tell these are fake buildings even from a distance.

 

Close-up.

 

Goyang goes across the horizon.

 

Back in Seoul at Sungnyemun Gate.  Reasonably sure it is older than the surrounding skyscrapers.

Namdaemun Market

Walking the undulating Hoehyeon District.

  

Took a lot of hoofing to get to Mokmyeoksanbang.  No. I have no idea how to pronounce that.

Bibimbap was a must have.  

Subway to....wait...what's that, English, hotbread, see them putting bakery straight from the oven? It was phenomenal.

After that interruption, in the Jungno District in the NE.

Changgyeonggung Palace was built in the 1400s.

 

There are halls, living quarters and temples.

  

Immediately next door is Changdeokgung which is older dating to 1392.

 

Today, there are 13 building remaining on 110 acres.

   

Bukchon Hanok Village retains some of the original and most traditional residential dwellings.

Cheeez Caroon, tasted like cheese popcorn.

Hadn't gone two blocks seeing 136 things I had to eat until stopping at Anguk.

North part of Jongno District.

Insadong and the main drag of Insadong-gil.

Insadong-gil runs across this district with allies packed with restaurants.

Cheonggyechoeon Stream flows 11km west to east providing a respite to the city.

 

Jonggak Avenue of Youth.  Well then, I am welcome here. 

Good night.

Good morning.

An entire day of almost all walking.

Around every corner a new image.

From modern.

To blocks with hundreds of hardware type stores.

Gwangjang Market, images seen the world over. 

Always astounded how many people there are trying to make a living.

Just a mind boggling amount of product in markets like this around the globe.

 

The food section.  Lots and lots of food.

See!  Gwangjang food alley.

Wandering the allies and streets.

Could just amble on and on.

 

Heunginjimun Gate

 

Dongdaemun Market.  Like JoAnn Fabrics times a million.

Saw a guy making donuts at that booth to the left. Red Bean Paste, a favorite.

   

Nuine Yukhoe Bindaetteok- ground mung beans pan fried.  They were OK.  At least I know with the frying they are germ free.

 

Heading back west.

 

Back to the central Jongo District.

Quite the contrast from the morning sites!

 

Mijin has received a Bib Gourmand since 2018.  And I was grateful (again) for Google Translate to figure out how to get a reservation and order.

Nice lady took pity of the Westerner and mimed how to prepare the hot broth. You stir in seaweed flakes, chopped onion, chopped radish and mustard sauce; dip cold buckwheat noodles and slurp with contentment.  One of the best meals of the trip.

 

   

Gwanghwamun Square is the anchor of Seoul.

 

King Sejong the Great with Gyeongbokgung Palace in the background.

 

Gyeongbokgung Palace was the center of power from 1394 until the 1592 Japanese invasion.

  

It sat as ruins until 1868 when the restoration began.

 

Today it is a major tourist draw.

 

On the north end looking back over the palace grounds and skyline.

 

Enjoying Bingsu (shaved ice, red beans and condensed milk) in a quiet neighborhood to the west.

 

It took an hour on the subway to get to the Gangham District.  That is how big Seoul is.  

Yes, that Gangham.

 

Bongeunsa Temple is Buddhist from 794.

Lanterns

 

Starfield Coex Mall is the largest underground mall in the world.  It was indeed huge.

Cool library in the mall!

  

Another subway ride to emerge to another wall of skyscrapers.  

While in Seoul felt like I had to visit the Samsung flagship store.  It was actually lame.

Food truck guy saw me using Google Translate, came out and spoke English.  How kind!

 

And to imagine how many districts I wasn't able to marvel at.

 

Every subway station in Asia seems to have an underground mall.

It was packed.  As in packed!

   

Myeongdong Night Market

Which is all about food.

  

Almost out of  ₩ currency, I only had this cheese egg bread thing.

So.  Many.  People.

  

Off to my 49th country!