Our second stop was Gyeondong Market off of Line 1. The market specializes in traditional herbal medicine, but it also has produce and meat (including dog). There is a large central cluster of buildings surrounded by herbalist shops. The whole area smelled wonderfully of various herbs, particularly ginseng. There was a wide variety of interesting food stuff on display, much of which I couldn’t identify. I’m uncertain how all of the vendors can stay in business selling so many similar products to the store next door. It must come down to forming relationships with people. Or that the population of the city is enough to support so much competition.

Ginseng.

Potatoes and tomatoes.

Herbal thorny wood.

Herbs and fungus.

Jumbo aloe.

Sacks of bees and wasps for unknown purposes.

Some of the wasps were the size of finger. Scary big.

Inside the main covered building of the market.

Dried fish.

Massive cabbages.

Dried stingrays.

More dried seafood.

Spice sacks and signs.

I think this is caterpillar fungus.

Little shrimp.

Miscellaneous foods.

Jumbo chestnuts.

Half dogs for sale.

Seaweed balls.

Preserved whole vegetables.

More shrimp.

Octopus.

My favorite stand: garlic and chilies.

Mushrooms.

Another market lane.

Tubs of spicy preserved things.

Caterpillars.

Snails.

Box of chicken feet.

Beautiful marbleized beans.

Green onions in abundance.

Herbal wood on a shelf.

Squash for sale on the street.

Under the bridge eating snacks.

We bought two sizable apples at the market and ate them in likely one of the least scenic intersections in town. I had to go back to the guesthouse to type up some scripts for work, so we took the subway home. Than evening, we celebrated our last night in Korea with a thin crust pizza and two glasses of wine from a cozy restaurant. As a side, they gave us a plate of sliced pickles and jalapeño. A gnat flew into J.’s wine, so I fished it out, dried it off, and watched it fly drunkenly into a window. After our meal, we had used up all of our cash, except the 18,000 won needed for the airport bus. No currency exchange was necessary at the airport.

Seoul was wonderful. I’m not sure how much of it was because I didn’t have to work, but the place definitely left an impression. The city is a perfect balance between clean, comfortable, and exotic. I want to go back.