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.

Two good Korean meals and relaxing are fine by me, especially when they allow time for legs to recover. I needed to save my energy for one last day of Seoul adventure.

My legs were killing me from the hike up the mountain; I was totally tripping on lactic acid. Every step felt like my calves were going to blow up. I’d hoped that a day of walking would help me “walk off” the soreness, but it didn’t. I’m not a young man.

While we waited on the pier for our 2:10PM departure, we ate snacks and watched a family take turns on a speed boat tour. Our vessel had a pirate theme and was named “Pirates of the Carribean” despite having no connection to the Disney property. We sat out on the sunny bow and watch the city pass by. Seoul is a town of many bridges, and we got to go under many of them. Again, the weather was perfect.

Tomatoes growing at the guesthouse.

Black chilies?

Barbed wire.

Beer storage on a nearby street.

Tree I.V.

Couple in a world of gray.

Serious and casual bikers.

Bee on a blossom.

Butterfly on a blossom.

Wilflowers along the river.

Businessman contemplates suicide.

J. resting in the shade of a bridge.

Golden building, blue sky.

City and mountains.

Spilled snacks.

Subway crosses bridge.

Under a bridge.

Man, car, and measuring mural.

Sign and bridge.

Double decker bridge.

Insulator.

Church at the top of a crowded hill.

Yellow water containers on rooftops.

Another colorful bridge and sign.

Ritzy hillside apartments.

Bridge.

Me.

Cloverleaf and subway station meets bridge.

Massive infrastructure.

New residential towers.

Windurfing area.

Pirate seats.

After disembarking at Jamsil terminal, we decided to walk through a massive residential complex in search of food and the subway that would take us back home. Everything in this part of town looked brand new except for some of the businesses along a road that had an Olympics theme. We wandered around a massive department store called Lotte in search of food and toilets, but we only found the latter. As we were leaving the building, J. noticed a map that indicated the building we were in was far larger than we had realized. Besides the department store, there was a duty free store, a bowling alley, shooting range, ice skating rink, and an amusement park both inside and in a separate island out back. The whole park was connected by monorial. J. and I watched the iceskaters for a while while debating weather admission was worth the fairly steep ticket price. We decided against it. They didn’t allow photos inside the mall, but trust me, the amusment park above the skating rink was massive and surreal.

This scooter was from the future.

Old residential tower.

Lotte World’s Magic Island. A surreal amusement park hidden behind a mall in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

Geese in the water around Magic Island.

Lotte the Fox standing between the twin towers of Lotte Castle.

Shrimp fried rice.

Cheese stuffed pork cutlet with side of slaw, seaweed rice balls, and corn. Very good.

That evening, we had a combined lunch/dinner of fried rice and pork cutlets. And like the nights before, two hot lattes. We strolled around with the other happy couples, trying our hardest to look cuter and happier than they could ever hope to be. Unfortunately, my smelly clothes, dusty shoes, and new pimple worked against my plan.

The bus that took us to Mt. Bukhansan was packed. It dropped us off at the base of the hill and we began our hike amongst a large group of over-prepared hikers. Literally everyone hiking that day was wearing an excessive amount of gear: sleek mountaineering pants, lightweight reinforced jackets, hats, bandanas, gloves, hiking poles, heavy-duty climbing boots, packs full of pouches and water bottles. I stuck out in my slacks, button down shirt, and leather clogs. J. was wearing jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers. Neither of us had any gear.

The trail to Baegundae Peak was only a few miles, but it was all uphill and very steep near the end. It took us about three hours to ascend. The trail started out along a nearly dry creek full of boulders, before heading into the forest. It felt good to smell nature again, that dusty mix of soil, leaves, and stone odor. Despite all the hikers, most of the trail wasn’t packed. However, the final stretch was crowded as rails were necessary for getting up the last steep slopes. My shoes had little traction, so I relied heavily on the ropes. To free both my hands, the plastic bag of provisions was hooked to the straps of my camera bag. As I climbed, the sack whacked against the mountain like I was some potent god tea-bagging mother earth.

Looking up into the mountains from the road.

The beginning of the hike.

Walking along a stream full of boulders.

Boulder.

Shed with chair covered in ivy.

Cairn.

Rocky stairs through the woods.

Looking downhill through the trees.

Rock climbers.

A group of hikers.

Getting crowded near the top, especially along the slow going steep sections that needed rope.

A man forges his own route.

The people look like ants on the side of the mountain.

Insubong Peak.

Hikers eating lunch and looking at the wonderful view.

Don’t mess with bandana man.

Hikers on a rock with the city in the background.

Seoul Tower in the distance.

Looking down.

J. and I stare into the sun.

Informational signage.

In marketing jargon, the peak offered a 360° integrated view of the whole Seoul experience!

At the apex, hikers sunned themselves and ate their lunches overlooking the wonderful views of the world below. Large pears were cut. Sushi was unpacked. Little containers of fermented vegetables were popped open. J. and I sat on a sunny rock and ate our granola bars, delicious apples, bananas, peanuts, and water. In the distance, rock climbers explored the neighboring apex twin called Insubong.

J. and I descended before sunset. The trip down was hard on the knees. By the time we made it to the base, we were hungry. One of the bustling outdoor restaurants was preparing an expensive but large Korean seafood pancake. We accepted.

The rails on the steep parts of the trail.

Autumn is in the air.

The base of the trail had bustling restaurants near dinner time. They were full of hungry hikers.

Bacon for grilling.

J. at the table.

Our massive seafood pancake. Pretty good except the mussels and octopus inside.

Abandoned table and chairs.

The fixings for vegetarian sushi rolls to take on the hike.

An old stone gate.

The road back to the bus.

Sloppy signage.

The hill in the setting sun.

Sunday was memorable. My legs would remember it for days to come. My heart, forever.

After being crammed on the tram, we took in the spectacular views of the city from atop the mountain. The air was very clear, revealing just how vast this city is. Masses of white residential towers extend in every direction, broken only by verdant hills, water, or neighborhoods of smaller buildings. I imagine the sprawl of Shanghai would feel the same from a tall enough viewpoint and without pollution, but it would still be lacking the picturesque landscape.

Besides the view, another feature of the tower is the railings covered with locks. Each lock was left by two lovers, often with a sweet dedication written on it. The locks completely cover the rails, making them a chaotic and metallic living memorial to love. J. and I have a lock up there, but the label we put on it has already started to fade. The fading isn’t symbolic, but the lock is.

The view from inside the tower itself is a little better, but the space is glassed in and crowded. We had coffee overlooking the view south. It was the highest I’ve had a coffee outside an airplane.

The gate to Gyeongbokgun Palace.

Purple rails.

Traditional weird rolling aluminum door. These are all over town, painted the same way.

Modified motorcycle.

Neighborhood near the base of Namsan Park.

Tunnel.

Spider.

Another spider.

Stairs.

Gourd growing on hospital rooftop.

Gingko berries everywhere.

The tram heading up to Namsan Seoul Tower.

Lamps and amazing view.

Body sculpture in mesh.

Kid posing with bears.

On ever square inch of railing at viewpoint, locks symbolizing love have been left by lovebirds. It’s a wonderful sight.

Warning to impetuous love.

J. and I’s lock in the middle.

Making hearts with bike locks.

A wall of love.

J. and I sitting on a sloping bench.

View of the city on the southwestern side of the river.

Another view.

Shadow of the tower on the treetops.

Looking east.

More city.

Looking down at a church.

Residential towers, endless towers.

After little time in the crowded and vertigo-enducing tower, I was ready to be on the ground. We took the tram back to the street and walked down the hill towards a massive urban renewal project. The whole Cheongyecheon river park extends for blocks and is below street level. The water is clear and rushes over rocks and stepping stones like a real creek. Little glinting fish and larger koi swim about. Both sides of the water are lined with river grasses and flowering plants whose rustling drowns out the sounds of the city. It’s hard to image that not too long ago, the river would have been dry with an elevated highway above it.

We walked most of the park towards an area J. thought would be good for lunch. But because of the holiday, most of the stores were closed. Lots of people were getting a weird clump on a stick from street vendors. We gave it a try and were surprised to be eating basically a corn dog coated with crinkle-cut fries and ketchup. Not healthy, but good for an empty stomach. Still hungry, we found a small Korean restaurant amongst the empty stalls of the market. We ordered bimimbap and a kimchi pancake for 15,000 Won ($12.50).

The beautiful promenade of Cheon Gye Cheon.

Man in hat.

Crossing the stepping stones.

Purple berries.

Another view of the urban oasis.

Old olive green building.

White textured wall.

Pigeon grooming.

Kids in traditional dresses begin to cross the stream.

Old man and pigeon.

Grasses.

Colorful mural..

Another old man in gray hat.

Building tops.

A quick snack: corn dog with attached fries. Healthy.

Old gate to the city.

Warning flag.

Inside a brick-lined subway tunnel.

In the evening, we went in search of earplugs along a crowded tourist street in Insadong. Crowds of Koreans were strolling, eating, and chatting excitedly over the smallest things. If we hadn’t been stuffed from lunch, we would have tried more of the unusual snacks for sale, including a lot of the literally nutty desserts and fish-based snacks.

Silkworms cooking.

Don’t know what these are.

Fish snacks.

More fish snacks.

Beneath a batting cage.

The batting cage. 1,000 Won per round. I tried three times.

A popular fried dough vendor.

Bears! Bears! Bears!

Ear plugs were found at a pharmacy near the guesthouse. They only had two pairs left. Ready for a night without hearing mosquitoes buzz by our ears, we went to bed excited over thoughts of day three. An epic hike onto a mountain would be waiting for us in the morning.

Incheon Airport was as wonderful as everyone says.

On the ride into Seoul along the highway, I knew immediately I was going to like it. Bright blue skies, large bodies of water, and clean streets were a refreshing sight. Our bus dropped us off near our guesthouse in a trendy and older section of town called Bukchon. The neighborhood lies between the Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung Palaces and is comprised of a few shopping streets and old, restored buildings. Coffee and desert is plentiful.

We’re staying at Anguk Hankok Guest House, a four room traditional style building with a small courtyard and paper thin walls. The ceilings are supported by heavy timbers and resemble a ribcage vaulting above sliding screens and narrow doors. It feels like being in another era. At night, the place is completely quiet except for the lady snoring a few rooms down. There are mosquitoes. And they will be smeared against the wall.

Our first afternoon, we wandered around Bukchon and watched the sun set over the older buildings. The neighborhood has a great feeling. There are lots of narrow alleys, cats, kids playing outside, old people cooking in their kitchens and pumping wonderful smells outside, potted plants and vegetable gardens on every vacant surface. The restored buildings have a lot of charm, and even the newer ones in completely different styles seem to fit into this quirky neighborhood. There are narrow walkways, staircases up hills, birds singing.

The air smelled clean and the temperature cool. After months in Shanghai, it felt odd to not be breathing dust and all manner of unpleasant smells.

J. on the platform to the maglev train in Shanghai.

Little crumbling buildings along the futuristic route.

Planes at the airport.

Incheon Airport.

Fishing net on a boat.

Farms amongst high rises on Incheon.

People recreating along the river.

Highway.

The Yellow Sea.

J. outside the guesthouse.

The doors of Anguk Hanok Guesthouse.

Decorative pattern on wall.

The guesthouse courtyard.

Plants on the roof.

Paying for the room upfront: 420,000 Won ($350).

Enormous, crispy pears.

Pomegranates growing outside.

Walking down a narrow street.

Decorative roof cap in metal.

Decorative roof cap in stone.

Old smokestack.

Clear doorknob.

Road.

Ubiquitous & Beautility.

Looking west over the neighborhood.

Another view as the sun sets.

Gas meters.

Vegetables on the sidewalk.

Playing baseball in the alley.

Gutters.

Beautiful view down one of the old streets.

Decorated door.

More patterns.

Sea foam greens.

J. and one of many little doors.

Me at another door.

Rusted letter slot.

Door covered in buttons.

Flowers.

Kimchi pots.

Studded pole.

Clay court.

Kimchi.

Pancake.

Beef.

Dumplings.

J. eating soup on the floor.

CASS Beer. The extra “C” is for decency!

After an expensive and difficult to order Korean dinner, we went to bed excited over thoughts of day two.