kja....omigosh - staying in a hanok would make me feel that I was in a Korean drama....I guess toilet facilities are shared?

This shopping area, Insadong, is an outdoor market? Or are you saying you could actually bargain in a regular shop?

40 cents US for a postcard is pretty good - from Japan it was 70 cents. From Paris if I recall it was more like a dollar.

Caught up with you! Yes, I spent an afternoon in Insadong and really enjoyed mooching around. I'm not a shopper either.
I know what you mean about returing to somewhere you had been before. Second time it feels very familiar when it was all new and strange first time. Was your hanok near Insadong? It's a convenient location.

@ Mara - Sounds like you are destined for a stay in a hanok! Mine – the Haemil Guesthouse -- had en suite toilet facilities, and I think several others do, too. When you plan your time in Seoul, I suspect that you’ll find several options that each meet most of your goals, even if none is perfect. And for a long weekend, you won’t have much to lose!

Insadong is a shop-lined street, not an outdoor market (although some shops have a stand or two outside). Although most shops were not shared, there were a few retail spaces that several vendors shared, each with a counter or two or three – but not like an Asian market, more like the cosmetics floor of an American department store – each counter (plus) was devoted to a vendor, much as a counter in an American department store might be devoted to a single cosmetics company.

And yes, I did bargain in these shops. It seemed to me that the worst that could happen is that they would say no, and I would either agree or not. No harm in asking, or at least, I assumed there was no harm as long as I was pleasant about it, and no one seemed to take offense. I think there was only one shop where my request was flatly rejected; the clerk said (quite nicely) something like, “I’m sorry, our prices are already rock bottom.” That store’s prices WERE lower for comparable items than any other store I visitied. The items about which I inquired were things I thought might be good “add-ons” if I found myself running short of gifts, not anything major and not anything for which I was willing to pay above a certain price (which was lower than the ticketed one), so I said I understood, thanked her, and left. It was all quite cordial.

As for postage, 40 cents US for a postcard struck me as REALLY low – I have paid MUCH more! That's why I didn’t pass out when I thought she said $4 per postcard! ;-)

BTW, the next “installment” includes my last glimpses of the Han River, which I know is something that has caught your interest....


@ gertie – I’m glad you are still traveling along with me! If we crossed paths while in Seoul, it would have been around this time. I have an image in my mind’s eye of us passing each other in Insadong or you leaving a palace just as I enter it or whatever….

My hanok was within a 10 or 15 minute-walk of Insadong – very convenient indeed! For my purposes in visiting Seoul, staying within a few blocks of the main Chandeokgung gate could not have been better, whether in a hanok (the end of my visit) or a hostel (the start of my visit) or a real hotel (and there are a few around).

I love that feeling of finding familiarity in what was once alien – it seems to me a testament to the growth that comes with exploration and the challenges that come with novelty and the ways in which my personal vision of the world changed through the course of my journey. No matter the actual space I occupy, my inner universe is still expanding, and to me, that’s part of the reasaon for travel. :-)

I have just caught up with you! My sister has been staying with me this week, so we have been doing a lot of sightseeing and staying busy. Am now on the train to Washington. (Yes, wifi on a non-Acela Amtrak!)

Such a great TR! I think you have convinced me to go back to SK. Especially as there were so many places I didn't get to last time that you enjoyed.

BTW, I had trouble with the lockers in Daegu station too, even before the fingerprint pads were installed. When I had my fingerprints taken for my US naturalization, the guy doing it got very annoyed because I have worn most of the print off with too much keyboarding! I'm not sure I could get those lockers to work at all now.

@ thursdaysd – LOL, now THAT ws a lot of keyboarding! (i'm going to hazard a guess that you don't need me to tell you that.... ;-) ) Thanks for the kind words! I hope you and your sister enjoyed your time together.


<u>Day 27</u>: <b> Seoul </b>

After a tasty breakfast of bibimbap and a cup of coffee at a nearby café, I headed to …

<b>Gyeongbokgung,</b> the largest of Seoul’s palaces. I bought my ticket and found a good place to watch the <b>changing of the guard.</b> Yet another reenactment, this one had lots of intent-looking men marching from place to place, many carrying flags. There was a call-to-arms by drum-beat, and great ceremony, and some wonderfully colorful costumes. Again, it may be for tourists, but I am a tourist, and I enjoyed it!

The <b>National Folk Museum</b> is in a far back corner of Gyeongbokgung’s grounds, and the path is not particularly well marked IMO. I had reserved an English tour that was to begin at 10:30 a.m, just after the changing-of-the-guard ceremony, and I barely made it!

I was the only person to join this tour, and my English-speaking guide could not have been better! Instead of the usual 1.5-hour tour, we spent almost 2’20” together, and I found her absolutely delightful and informative! Those of you who have travelled along with me will know that I have an interest in local customs, and that I had pursued those interests as I made my way through South Korea, starting with my visit to the Korean Folk Village on my initial stay in Seoul. Visiting this particular musuem at the end of my journey, and with the benefit of a knowledgeable guide, provided a bit of a “capstone” experience, allowing me to see things with a more clearly articulated perspective (local vs. national, pre-Joseon vs. Joseon, etc.). Awesome -- I couldn’t thank my guide enough!

I had enough time to meander a bit as I returned to the entry gate for an English <b>tour of the palace</b>. There are, IMO, some very impressive elements to this palace, and I learned some things that I might not otherwise have known by joining the tour (e.g., that the traditional paints used on the eaves help preserve the wood). But I will also say that – for me – this palace truly paled in comparison to Beijing’s Forbidden City. I’m sure that a huge part of the difference is that Gyeongbokgung is almost entirely a reconstruction. Still, the imperial “business” halls seemed less imposing, even if measured only by the number of dragon-paneled staircases that led to them. And in contrast to the Forbidden City, where one of the things that impressed me most was the intimacy of the living quarters, the imperial residences at Gyeongbokgung seemed far less intimate – but maybe I just couldn’t place what I was seeing in context. That said, I still thought Gyeonbokgung worth visiting, and I appreciated the chance to see it with the help of an English-speaking guide.

Once that tour ended, I had JUST enough time to reach the <b>Palace Museum</b>, also within Gyeogbokgung’s grounds, for which I had also reserved a tour – or so I thought! The people at its desk seemed truly surprised – they had no record of my reservation, and unfortunately, none of their English-speaking guides were available. OK, I thought, if no one is here who speaks English, well, that’s unfortunate, but I’ll go on about my way. But the staff were upset that my reservation had gone without notice, so they asked for a copy and they called in a supervisor and in the end, we got to the root of it: My reservation was for the National Palace Museum … of Beijing! =-o OMG, I do not know how that happened. But once the supervisor identified it, and we each looked at each other in dismay, I laughed and (thank goodness) they all did, too. I apologized profusely, rented an English audio-guide, and moved on.

I thought the Palace Museum exhibits a bit thin, undoubtedly because so much had been lost to wars and fires. Perhaps the most interesting display (from my perspective) was a “self-ringing water clock.” I saw this odd and, I thought, rather uninteresting 2-story contraption from a distance, and was just about to turn away when it rang. OMG! With that fortuitous timeliness, I spent some time reading the signage and looking more closely at this wierdly interesting clockpiece, which seems to be driven by the spillage of buckets that tilt when enough water fills them….

I spent a little bit more time exploring corners of the palace grounds that hadn’t been covered, or had been covered only quickly. My favorite area was by the dining pavillion, which was surrounded on three sides by a man-made pond that held a few stationary “centerpieces.” Almost every bench along its edges held couples, young and old, who were enjoying the scenery. As I watched some ducks fly up and land again, I realized that one of the things on that pond was not stationary – it was a floating island! A rectangle of sod, maybe 8 feet by 4 feet (give or take a LOT), topped by high grasses and other plants, was meandering about. How cool!

<b>Transit to Namsan / Seoul Tower.</b> By the time I left Gyeongbokgung, it was after 5:00 p.m. I was only steps from Insadong, and from “my” refuge there, so I enjoyed a beer before moving on. My goal was to reach Seoul Tower in time for sunset, and I had read that getting there can take quite a while. So I wasn’t terribly surprised by how VERY long the wait for the cable car to the base of the tower was (WELL over an hour). But I somehow managed to time it right: the sun was JUST dipping toward the horizon as my cable car ascended.

<b>Seoul Tower / N Grill.</b> I had considered making a dinner reservation at the N Grill, the restaurant at the tower’s top, but hadn’t done so – I wasn’t sure that I would reach the tower in time or that I wanted to spend a chunk of change for a meal that wasn’t Korean (it’s French/Continental). But there I was, whooshing upwards on the elevator, and the woman who controlled the ascent asked if anyone was going to N Grill, and I said, "yes." I decided to let opportunity rule: If they had a table, I would take it; if not, so be it.

They could seat me! :-) It was not a window-side seat, and so I was not on the rotating part of the restaurant, but it offered magnificent views nonetheless. Even better: Not long after I was seated, a window-side table opened up, and the staff kindly moved me there, and I ended up with a full rotation from that seat.

The views were gorgeous! As the sun set and lights came on, I saw different parts of the city come into focus and then, in a beautiful dance of colors, various parts of the city yielded center-stage to others -- and not just because of the restaurant's rotation! Once the sky darkened, the massive Han River claimed it’s place in the panorama: It formed a huge loop through the visible part of the city, separating brightly lit areas from others, with narrow lighted lines demarcating the bridges that spanned it. Breathtaking!

Here’s my TA review of the N Grill:

“I ate one dinner at the N Grill and thought the food good (but not great), the service excellent, and the views outstanding. It was by far the most expensive meal I ate while in Korea, and it cost more than I would have paid for comparable or even better food in (say) NYC, Chicago, or Washington, DC, but I knew the prices in advance and made the decision to go for the views. And yes, I thought the views worth it.”

Oh no - I think the last day of your trip is coming up.....oy...I'm not ready to go home yet. :(

@ Mara – You are correct, it is nearly time to pack your vicarious bags. :-( You have been a fantastic traveling companion! When I began this LONG trip report, I wondered whether anyone would read anything I had to say. I am so pleased that you, and others, decided to travel along with me! I’ll miss your wonderful questions... but let’s not jump ahead of ourselves – it’ll take at least one more post for me to finish up....

Well, we had an almost identical day! But how interesting that it was different probably because of our different personalities. I think I am a later starter than you: by the time I got to Gyeongbokgung the changing of the guard had almost finished. Yes, there were crowds of tourists pushing and shoving to get their pictures taken with the participants...who as you say, were splendiforously dressed in wonderful bright colours. I am not good with crowds and tend to walk in the opposite direction if I see a 'spectacle' that I am supposed to gawp at.
So I too made my way into the temple and was almost swamped by big very noisy groups of mainly Chinese tourists. Lots of school groups. Very few non-Asians. I avoided the guided tours simply because I always do: hate being herded and told what to do and where to go. But it sounds like I should have joined the English-speaking tour. Not only were there few people, I might have met you!!
So off I set with my guidebook and camera. Spent hours just walking around the gardens, sitting watching the grass grow and keeping away from the big groups. Once off the main 'concourse' this was not difficult.
The Palace Museum was mobbed. There were vast numbers of tour buses outside and throngs of yelling schoolkids all around. I told myself I would go back later in the day but....
Around 4pm I too set off for Namsan. I must have been a bit ahead of you. There were no crowds, no long lines. I walked up to the cable car station, got a ticket and got on the next car. No other gaijin either. Nice views from the top but again I was put off by the queues for the lift up to the Seoul Tower so didn't go! There were a lot of families taking the late-afternoon air and waiting for the sunset. After a fair bit of walking around and enjoying the views from all sides, I took the cable car down again just before the sunset. I was constrained by time: had to get back down and to the hotel for dinner! But I would certainly recommend a trip up Namsan. There are walks around the mountain and what looked like quite easy walks up and down. If I had had more time....
Where are you going tomorrow???

@ gertie – LOL, we really were crossing paths that day, and probably parts of this one, too! I wonder how many pictures we have of each other. ;-)

Like you, I usually skip group tours, relying instead on my guidebook(s), but I had heard so many positive comments about the English-language tours of Gyengbokgung and Changdeokgung that I signed up for them, and then added in some time for individual exploration. BTW, I got to the Palace Museum at about 4, and found it extremely quiet – there were just a few other people around. I guess timing really matters!


<u>Day 28</u>: <b> Seoul </b>

I began my day with a very tasty dish of rice with an egg and other goodies and then asked for some help from my proprietor. I think I mentioned, as an example of the difficulty I had while planning my time in South Korea, that I hadn’t been able to nail down WHICH two weeks in May the Gansong Museum would be open. (I’m sure you have all been anxiously awaiting the answer…. ;-) ) Lucy called for me, and learned that it was not open. :-( BUT some of its most prized items were on display as part of a special exhibit at the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park, and Lucy showed me where that was. She also helped me confirm a reservation I had for a performance at the Korea House that evening, because the e-mails I had received about it had been a bit confusing. We also made arrangements for my early morning departure the next day.

<b>Changdeokgung.</b> I didn’t wait long for the English tour of this palace, which was led by a very nice young man. Unlike Gyeongbokgung, this palace is not aligned in a single axis, instead branching in various directions based on the lay of the land. I thought it had some very nice features, including a blue ceramic roof on one of the buildings that would have served as an office for the king and a lovely residence built for the last king’s concubine.

Once the tour of the palace buildings ended, I joined the tour of <b>Biwon, aka the “Secret Garden,” </b> another UNESCO WHS. One can only visit this area with a tour; an advance reservation (which I had) is recommended. The tour group was quite large – maybe 40 people or so. We spent about 1.5 hours seeing the highlights of this hilly, forested area that held some lovely pavillions and man-made ponds and restful corners. Gorgeous!

I stopped at a café within the palace grounds for a refreshing glass of “citrone ice tea” and then explored just a few more nooks and crannies before leaving.

<b>Tapgol, a park.</b> On my way to this park, I ran into another person who worked at the hostel in which I initially stayed; I was greeted warmly and asked about my trip. :-) By coincidence, I had asked this particular staff person about Tapgol early in my trip, noting that one of my guidebooks said it would be a good place for people-watching. His response had been something like, “Well, sure, I suppose … if you want to look at a bunch of old men sitting and doing basically nothing.” ;-) I had thought that he was exaggerating. Not! But the 10-tiered stone pagoda that is the small park’s centerpiece was impressive. It was a bit hard to see through the glass structure that protects it, but it had some beautiful reliefs and elegant proportions. The park also held an impressive stela and some grand, old trees.

<b>On my way through Seoul.</b> I walked a bit of the recovered stream that I had walked during one of my first nights in Seoul -- <b>Cheonggyecheon</b> -- in daylight. This time, I could see some of the huge fish that make a home here, watching them swim a bit upstream and then ride the current back into a shaded spot. I then walked through the <b>Gwangjang fabric market</b> -- what an astounding array of tiny vendor’s stalls, each seemingly filled from floor to ceiling with bolts of fabric!

<b> Dongdaemun History & Culture Park – Exhibit from the Gangsong (aka Kangsong) Art Musuem.</b> As I understand it, the private G/Kangson collection was begun by a man who, during the days of Korea’s Japanese occupation, tried to purchase some of Korea’s most notable works of art before they left the country – and he had some remarkable successes. I felt incredibly fortunate to see any of this collection; to see some of its most valued pieces in a well-spaced display with good English signage and a good audio-guide was a real pleasure – and not merely because I had almost given up on seeing it!

<b>Namdaemun area. </b> Next, I made my way by subway to <b>Namdaemun (aka Sungnyemun)</b>, one of Seoul’s reconstructed city gates. It was a bit difficult to find and hard to circumnavigate (because it is surrounded on several sides by a traffic circle), but it might merit a moment if you haven’t seen other similar city gates.

I then roamed around the <b> Namdaemun market.</b> The parts I saw had more dry goods and fewer foods or traditional items than other markets I had seen, but there were lots of lively street-food stalls and great people-watching opportunities and interesting things for sale and (you can trust me on this) PLENTY of opportunities to become seriously lost…. :-( But, of course, people were very helpful, so I eventually found my way back to the subway and on to Korea House, where I had a reservation for a performance.

<b>Dinner at Arirang.</b> OMG, just across the street from the entrance to the Korea House was a branch of Arirang – a restaurant that Robert (@ AskOksana) had recommended! It met my needs perfectly – I had a delicious meal of mushroom bulgogi with a ton of banchan and a beer and attentive service. :-) (Thanks, Robert!)

<b>Korea House performance.</b> The show at the Korea House features traditional music and dance with the full benefit of make-up and costuming and lighting and a degree of theatricality that lifted the performances enough to make them seem worthy, IMO, of my last night in South Korea. (The Korea House also serves dinner, but not for solo diners.) I had seen some of the dances before in various folk performances along my way, but most of the segments were new to me and quite lovely. Sadly, I think there were less than 10 people in attendance. I hope the performers knew that their efforts were appreciated!

I returned to my hotel to begin preparing for my departure early the next morning. Shortly after I got there, I heard a knock on the door -- Lucy (my proprietor) was there with a delicious treat of Korean melon and makgeolli. :-) What a perfect way to end my month in South Korea!


<u>Day 29</u>: <b> Seoul to home</b>

It wasn’t easy for me to get up at about 5:30 a.m., but I did so, and I finished the last of my packing. I didn’t expect it, and so was very pleasantly surprised to find that Lucy was there as I left; she handed me a bag of finger-food for my journey. :-) It was only steps to the stop for the bus to the airport. I was also surprised to see that it was already almost full – I hadn’t even considered that! Thankfully, there were still a few seats.

Once at the airport, I checked in, bought treats for my friends and co-workers, relaxed with a cup of coffee or two, and eventually boarded my flight. It was a LONG (~14.5 hr) flight. At least it had good service and decent food. It could have been much worse!

By the time I reached home, I was completely and thoroughly exhausted, and not just from the flight! Throw in some jet lag, and it took my quite a while to get back into my normal routine. But OMG, I would not have given up a single moment of this wonderful journey just to be better rested upon my return!


<b> FINAL THOUGHTS: </b>

My fear, prior to this trip, was that I would end up thinking it a waste of my very precious travel time. With good fortune, I’ll continue to travel well into the future, but I already think that it will take until I’m about 105 to cover my A list <u><b>if </b></u>I maintain my current travel style – and that’s certainly not going to happen! ;-) So I KNOW that I will never see all the things in the world that I would most like to see, and that makes me think very carefully about each destination I select. I had a long-term, but nonspecific, belief that I would like to see South Korea, and as I researched my options, I kept finding things that I thought I would enjoy. In fact, I ended up with way too many things on my wishlist for South Korea, and had to both cut some destinations and extend the number of days I allocated to the trip. But there wasn’t any single, specific thing that I anticipated seeing or experiencing in Korea that was a lifelong dream, and I kept wondering why so many very well-traveled people I know, in person or on this board, had never been to South Korea at all, or had visited only briefly. As a result, I felt an undertone of dissonance throughout the time I planned the trip and especially as my departure date approached.

I have NO regrets about having chosen South Korea! :-) Despite the loss of so much of its cultural heritage to wars and fires and looting, etc., I found a great deal that I thought well worth seeing – temples and museums and scenery and markets…. I encountered a diverse array of things (one of my goals) and saw a wide range of folk traditions and performances (another goal). The food far exceeded my expectations – so many, many wonderful dishes! And I have a supply of “shower towers” that I hope will last me for many, many years! ;-)

Perhaps more than anything else, it was the South Korean people who made this trip so special for me, and I hope that I have given ample evidence of the incredible warmth and hospitality that I encountered. :-) I’ve said before, and I will say again – I have been the fortunate beneficiary of untold kindnesses from people everywhere I have ever gone, and even against that background, the people of South Korea stand out. I wish that each and every one of the many, many people who made this trip so memorable could know how much I appreciated them!


BTW, with so many temples in the forested foothills of South Korea, I would think that fall would be a great time to visit – I bet the views of autumn foliage would be lovely! Or if one could hit cherry blossom season, that would also be special.


Once again, <u>many</u> thanks to all of you who offered help as I planned this trip – amin, AskOksena, gil8713, JC98, LiveLearnTravelTeach, SeeHag, shelemm, and thursdaysd. Much appreciated!


And <u>many</u> thanks to all of you who joined me vicariously for part or all of this journey by reading and commenting on my words – I have truly appreciated your interest and encouragement! (And a word or two from those of you who read this report after it is completed would always be welcome! :-) ) I ended up with the best of both worlds, because I was able to take advantage of the complete freedom that comes with solo travel, and I also get to share my trip with some thoroughly delightful companions. Thanks so much!

Thanks for taking me along KJA. I packed up my vacarious bag lst night (didn't take long) and had been anticipating the wrap along with your usual fine insights.

You tell a great travel story, and I for one look forward to our next journey :)

This report deserves a PhD! Great writing Kja. Busan - Seoul in 2:18? That's fast.

@ sartoric -- greetings and thanks for your compliments! I'm glad to know that you enjoyed the ride and hope we travel together again soon! But I'm jealous: If there's ONE part of a trip I could do vicariously, packing might well be the one I would choose. My ACTUAL packing took a chunk of time, and just before I left, when I had SO much else to do! ;-)


@ colduphere -- thanks so much! I'm not sure I want to go through another round of orals, though.... And while I can't swear to the accuracy of the KTX schedule (since I took the LONG way from Busan to Seoul), I can tell you that a LOT of South Koreans move REALLY fast, especially on routes that left me huffin' and puffin'. :-)

I'm not really ready to pack up yet I'm afraid. I have so enjoyed this journey. I have to agree that South Koreans are exceptionally welcoming and helpful but I've know a number of visitors who haven't felt that. Your experiences say as much about you and your attitude as it does about the wonderful residents.

I plan on going to visit Namdaemun Gate this trip if only to see the roof tiles. I met an elderly man - 82 at the time - who was the last remaining maker of traditional roof tiles. When the gate was destroyed, the government decided that it should be rebuilt with proper handmade tiles even though modern copies look pretty much the same. The potter had more or less given up as he had little work and was getting too old for the heavy work. Its not work I'd wish on anyone as it really is heavy. With the order for the Gate tiles he needed help but as he had lots of daughters who didn't want to take over the business and no sons, he was stuck for getting them done. The government came to his aide and found a few young men who he could train up. It was going to be a 2 year job. When I visited they were making tiles but having many crack because of the intense heat of August.

Anyway job done as the gate was reopened this year.

I mentioned the Human Cultural Treasures - my understanding is that the government has selected crafts/arts etc that they want to see preserved. They then seek out the person who is considered the best in that field and appoint him or her as an HCT. It is their duty to transmit the skills to the next generation. They have students at different levels and from these eventually they will find their successor. The HCT is paid an amount of money to compensate for their time and it is of course a prestigious position. If they become to old or sick to continue (as opposed to just dieing off) they are classed as an Honorary HCT to preserve their dignity. I met a number of potters who have this status in their specific narrow field of expertise. Some of them do other work as well but are HCT for just one area. With only one exception they were all humble people who would go well out of their way to help and advise - pretty much that South Korean nature I guess. The one exception was still a nice man but rather liked to state his superior level probably with reason as he did have the highest status!

With potters it seemed that many trainees are the sons or daughters of the HCT - these days probably the only ones silly enough to take on the job. Other potters did similar work to the HCTs as quite a lot of the work in SK is still traditional and much respected. I didn't hear any remarks about anyone's status but then I don't think they would say anything as it would be impolite and very unSK.

There are also appointments as "Masters" but these seem to be done by a different process and its usually about being exceptional craftsmen/artists in their field which isn't necessarily a traditional one. The man I spent time with last year is a Master - truly one of the greats in his field anywhere in the world. Again quite happy to help and pass on his skills even to a foreigner. Such luck for me.

Well I'm so glad to have been on your trip with you and its given me lots of information for my own upcoming one. Thank you.

Next day I set off through some back streets, quite off the main drags, hoping to see something of life in Seoul as it is lived by ordinary people. And there was lots to see! Mainly small workshops specialising in hardware and little motor-repair shops. And I crossed your waterway further up, lots of people walking along the bank.
Finally got to Umhyeongung, in between the other two huge palace complexes. This one was quite small, no entrance fee, and looked like a series of long low buildings with individual rooms. These were rather spookily set up with life-sized figures of mainly women and children, indicating who lived there and how! No-one around, which suited me fine.
Next I went to Changdeokgung. Of the two big temples, this is the one I preferred. It is like you say a place to meander and find nooks and crannies off the main drag! The Secret Garden Tour was very good: our group was huge, at least 70 people, so it was quite easy to lag behind and become disconnected. We seemed to walk a long way and cover a lot of ground. Our guide was a charming young woman in traditional dress. At the end we were more or less left to our own devices so I spent a bit more time walking around...though closely observed by the staff on guard.
Right next to the entrance to the Secret Garden was the entrance to Changgyeonggung Palace. This was almost completely deserted. I wandered around the huge space scattered with buildings though not as picturesque as the previous ones. There was less greenery too, lots of big open gravel spaces.
Back into Changdeokgung and spent more time looking for interesting angles on pictures. Big loud groups arrived, one of them with a loud-speaker system to call them to order. Time to go! I saw very few, if any, independent western tourists so you were probably not there that day kja!
I finished my sightseeing hoping to see Jongmyo Park but when I finally found the entrance, it was closed until the following day. So I meandered back to my hotel, encountering some American tourists en route with huge suitcases who were looking for a particular hotel. I didn't know where it was, and although I showed them my map and suggested they jump in a taxi, they didn't seem inclined to do that! Certainly wasn't you kja :)

Thanks again, kja, for taking me along on your wonderful trip. As I said earlier, you have inspired me to consider a quick trip to Seoul at some point.....:)

@ MaryW – Oh, I wish I had known that wonderful story about the Namdaemun’s roof tiles before I went – I would have paid much closer attention! And thanks for the information about Human Cultural Treasures – I really appreciate that South Korea is taking steps to preserve and maintain its traditional crafts. Given my experience with South Koreans, it doesn’t surprise me at all to hear that the honorees are almost all humble and generous with their expertise.

Thank you so much for your kind words to me and for sharing my journey and for providing so many insights into South Korean ceramics. Best wishes for your continued success and many more opportunities to work with these extraordinarily gifted and knowledgable people!


@ gertie – Aren’t the back streets of Seoul fascinating!?! Quite a different world than the main streets and IMO, well worth exploring, even though I got lost a few times. ;-) My tour of the Secret Garden may have been with a smaller group, but it was also more controlled – the guide made absolutely certain we all left at the end. ;-) I didn’t make it to Umhyeongung, but was welcomed to Seoul by my night visit to Changgyeonggung, so it holds a special place in my heart. I especially enjoyed its lovely pond.

Thanks so much for sharing some of your fascinating experiences in South Korea over the years and for reading along. I’ll look forward to the next time our paths cross!


@ Mara – and thank you again for joining me! I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of Seoul.

Thank you for the wonderful report! Reading it has made me even more excited for my upcoming trip. We finally have our tickets and we leave five weeks from today with a one week stop in Japan because my husband has a business meeting for a day and a business associate has invited him to golf while we are there. It means more plane and train trips than I would prefer but how can I not be excited about a week in Japan followed by a week in Korea!

I agree with colduphere, this is a master trip report! Thank you for taking so much time and care in putting it together. I don't suppose you have a link to your photos? :)

@ SeeHag – I’m sure Mara will agree that you could do MUCH worse than spend a week in Japan! :-)

If your son’s wife and her family are even a little bit like the people I encountered while in South Korea, then you will be blending your family with a very welcoming and warmhearted one. I’m looking forward to hearing your reactions to Jejudo – enjoy!

Thanks for the compliments, and thank you for posting before I left and as I wrote my report. No link to photos – I haven’t even pulled them onto my computer yet!

Thank you kja. Yes, what a great trip report. It has been fun travelling along with you in Korea and finding out all the places I didn't go to this time. And something I have realised: the palaces and temples I saw in 2014 were simply not there in 1978-1982. They hadn't been restored. Seoul looked totally unrecognisable because it has been completely transformed in the past 40 years. For the better :)

Joining in on this thread VERY late. What an amazing trip report! And I am not using the word 'amazing' like I'm twentysomething, and it is merely ok, like how TGIF serves an 'amazing' Jack Daniels BBQ rib dinner. It truly is an astonishing record of a complex month-long experience with rich detail. I am so throughly impressed on how much you found out so much to see in S. Korea, and that you put it all together. Traveling with a language and cultural barrier is never a snap, and using public transportation is usually one of the more severe challenges. To borrow from the modern vernacular: Best. Trip Report. Ever.

I was in S. Korea for two weeks. In my mind it makes for an ideal country to visit. First world in its communications, clean water, educational system, transportation, highways, comfortable and plentiful hotels and motels, a gazillion palces to eat, and quality infrastructure. But right up against this first world environment is the traditional: expansive markets where you will sometimes see items being sold from the ground, traditional buildings and villages (where people still live), at every restaurant and in every hotel ondol seating/rooms where people sit on the floor. temples where people are actually praying, well tended gardens and agricultural plots, unspoiled mountains, in cities large swaths of alleyways where people live and work, preservation and continued enrichment of folk culture, a uniuque cuisne which preserves its traditions for everyday consumption. and rural people living on seemingly little money. Get out of Seoul and prices drop dramatically. That pair of shoes lying on the ground at a market (sometimes in a huge pile) drops from $25 in Seoul to as little as $5 in Busan. In addition, S. Korea is an intensely mountainous peninsula with a dramatic coastline and hundreds of islands. All the makings of breathtaking travel amid an exotic culture and gorgeous scenery.

For such a little country right off China and dominated for so many years by Japan, the culture is thoroughly and unapologetically distinct.