Please press play to set the vibe for the South Korea read – multiple options for you
Friendly Pressure (Into The Sunshine Mix)
Undercover Martin – Two Door Cinema Club
Crazy Tings – Tems
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) – Talking Heads
Strange Overtones – David Byrne
SEOUL
DAY 73 – TAIPEI TO SEOUL
I hopped on the plane after a rather tasty and good value soup meal at the airport. I was especially pleased to have hit the jackpot with the additional legroom once again. Everybody on the plane was asleep within 10 minutes of the 2 and a half hour flight, most without neck pillows, eye masks and earphones (unlike yours truly). I thought this was really cool but someone said afterwards it’s because everyone works really long hours so they’re knackered all the time.
I got the train to Hondik University station to the area of Hongdae where I had booked a room in a guesthouse. It was a really cool place where there was lots of places to sort myself out such as getting my simcard. My initial thoughts of Korea were; there are so many couples here, everyone is very attractive and it is significantly busier than other places I had been to in Taiwan (you’ll just have to trust me because it doesn’t look like it in this photo).
I decided to splurge on some delicious vape products and was beside myself when I saw that they had tea flavoured vape juice. Ches also happened to be in Seoul and he took me out for a pre birthday Korean BBQ and an Earl Grey highball. I have to say this really exceeded my expectations, the flavours were sensational and I loved all the little side bits they give you with the meal, pickle style. We mooched around the night market and I bought myself an ice cream covered in marshmallow which was burned with a torch. It was tasty but expensive so I haven’t dared get one since.
DAY 74 – Reunited With Ken
I got the train to the nearby area of Itaewan where Ken, who I had met in Hoi An, was staying. There is a whole street of vintage and antique goods and the whole area close to the train station had a mysteriously French vibe.
I bought a really tasty treat from a French bakery which was a cookie on top of a croissant, and I would later come to discover that the Koreans really know what they’re are doing when it comes to baked goods. Ken and I enjoyed some espresso martinis and went for a swim in the pool of his hotel. It ended up closing in the middle of the day for it to be cleaned (it seems like a lot of pools in Korea work in allotted time slots, even if you are staying at the hotel you have to pay an additional fee). Due to this we grabbed some bibimbap lunch down the road and enjoyed more pickled goods, followed by some more espresso martinis.
In the evening Ches and I ventured to a street food market, which felt fairly touristy but we did get to try some new food. Ches had been to the Demilitarised Zone Tour in the day so I tried to hide the fact I had drunk one million espresso martinis in the day. We paid a pretty penny for some steak and below average pineapple juice and then grabbed a croiffle which was really delicious and a fabulous fusion of 2 tasty treats.
DAY 75 – Hair Dye and Stye
I was very sad to see my stye had worsened overnight and I looked like some kind of gammy maniac. I had booked into get my hair bleached pink to match all the cool ladies I had seen in Seoul and I was worried that the hairdresser would somehow bleach my eye and make me perminantly blind. My eye had been panging for a few days which is usually the sign I’m going to get a stye, this recurring illness has only been happening to me for about a year but usually with sufficient sleep it doesn’t worsen. In hindsight the unlimited espresso martinis probably didn’t help, but I did feel I was sleeping well. As well as this I had some really bad mosquito bites from the hike in Taipei which were not healing, so I was just feeling a bit down in the dumps (and gammy).
To relieve my anxiety I had a phone call with Denk and stumbled upon ANOTHER French bakery where I couldn’t keep my grubby minx off a baguette and basil cream cheese dip. It really did taste tres Francais so I was temporarily cheered up. The hairdresser had assured me that it was okay to bleach my hair twice back to back to get the colour out and that it would also be okay to dye it pink straight after. The chemical burn on my scalp begged to differ. I hope she enjoys my £150. I did manage to book the rest of my Korea and Japan trip during the appointment so at least this is something positive, and I was actually pretty pleased with having pink hair again.
To cheer me up from the chemical burn, eczema, stye and mosquito bite issues, Ken and I went out for some more espresso martinis. He also took me out for a really delicious Korean BBQ which made me very happy, they even cooked it for us. We proceeded to get very drunk, take some pictures in the Photo Booth and laughed the whole night.
DAY 76 – Goodbye to Ken
I woke up feeling a little bit worse for wear but I had agreed to meet Ken at the dentist as moral support as he was going to have his wisdom teeth removed. It is significantly cheaper in Korea than in the States for dental work, but Ken would sometimes explain the cost of healthcare in the US and it re-affirmed that it is a completely dystopian country. Thank God for the NHS. Even post surgery Ken was looking for some espresso martinis, but I managed to settle him into some Soju instead. We grabbed a naughty little lunch and did some shopping where I got myself a new COS top. Ken proceeded to venture into Loewe, somewhere I have never been in and I felt significantly underdressed.
I said goodbye to Ken as he was heading back to America that afternoon and spent the rest of the evening tending to my decomposing scalp.
DAY 77 – Locked Up
I moved to a hostel because everything in Seoul gets booked up so quickly and it was horrid. There was a bucket in the corner of the room because the ceiling was leaking. The bathroom was horrific, I don’t know how I ended up in this prison. I knew this was not my style but tried to get into the traveller spirit.
I went to a really cute cafe down the road, where it was basically just a man in a room (it could have been his home?) where the owner takes great pride in selling the premium good stuff. He brought me some yellow kiwis and crackers which was very sweet and after a small miscommunication I ended up with both an americano and a cold brew, both of which were strong and tasty.
I spent the day shopping as I was looking for a canvas skirt, but everything was either too small or too short. I found some really cute clothes, but having such a small bag and knowing my next stop is Japan, I refrained from buying any miscellaneous items of clothing.
I found a really good value restaurant where I was able to find the infamous cold noodles Shayna and I seek out in London. They really were one of the nicest things I have ever eaten, and £4.50 for a huge bowl of noodles AND BBQ meat means you really can’t go wrong.
Later that evening I went out for dinner with some people from the hostel, a family BBQ if you will, where we had Dakgalbi, a spicy chicken hot plate with cheese, cabbage and rice cakes. This was a highlight of Korea for me so far and was possibly one of the best things I have eaten on my travels. Alongside this sensational meal was free flowing Soju, so again, I proceeded to get very drunk.
Now I am taking the time to write this, it is no surprise I was feeling so rough in Seoul, I will be re-entering the city with a new perspective next time. Post-dinner, Cassie and I hit the clurb where I was pleasantly surprised at the cost of drinks (2 long islands and 2 tequilas for £10). We returned to our respective prison establishment at about 4.30 in the morning, very unusual for me as I’m generally the first one in bed. In conclusion, Seoul has turned me into an animal, a goblin, a decaying shell of a woman.
DAY 78 – Gangnam Style with a Brief Cameo of the Czech Republic
Surprise surprise, woke up feeling like shit again. I did manage to make it to Gangnam to see the famous library which was pretty cool. I stumbled into the nearby mall where there was a really impressive food court, so I got to try little Earl Grey canele and one more cookie croissant.
At the rooftop of the mall was an installation dedicated to the Czech Republic. This country is so random I can’t even tell you, there has been so much stuff here which makes no sense to me.
I met a lovely girl in my room called Fahima who is living near Busan as an English teacher. We decided to hit the clurb where we proceeded to return home at about 4am again after a few too many long islands. They’re just such good value I can’t help myself.
DAY 79 – BBQ and Bar
I returned back to my favourite coffee place down the road in the early hours of the afternoon. Feeling quite horrendous and sorry for myself I did manage to have a stroll around. I perked myself up in the evening for some rather tasty Korean BBQ and a light tipple at a really cool underground bar. They put the football on this huge projector and it was very amusing watching all the mens attention visibly shift from their girlfriends to the screen, safe to say this definitely ruined the date night vibe for some couples.
DAY 80 – Seoul to Busan
After a fairly tame night (by Seoul standards) I woke up actually not feeling so horrendous. I did some last little bits of mooching where I stumbled upon some really cool vintage shops where I still managed to exercise some self restraint. I opted for a light lunch in my favourite cold noodle spot and met up with Fahima to debrief her previous nights events.
I was really pleased when I found a canvas skirt which actually fit me, and after a brief panic of losing my phone in the shop, I paid my £13 and went on my merry way.
I got on the train to Busan, the second largest city and prepared to leave the chaos of Seoul. Because I am a cheapskate I booked the 4.5hr train rather than the 2 hour, and after a little sleep and a catch up with Solene I had arrived my second South Korean location. On the train I managed to find the name of a song I have been singing in my head for months, please see Friendly Pressure Mix (audio attached at the top of the page) and some other good tunes including, but not limited to:
Love TKO – Teddy Pendergrass
Relax and Mambo – Machito
You and I – Delegation
Dear Moon Hostel was a really nice vibe and I decided to have a stroll around. Turns out the area I was in was actually the fish market, so I spent the evening avoiding ghastly smells of cooked fish and rather sad sights of huge fish in tanks ready to be cooked up. I found a gorgeous vinyl bar and had a few beers while I had a long overdue catch up with my Louis.
BUSAN
DAY 81 – New Clothes
Feeling slightly replenished I decided to explore the local area, avoiding as much of the fish prominence as possible. I found some really cool second hand stalls at the market and got myself a lovely canvas top to wear with my skirt. As well as a kangol bag to take to the beach.
New outfit here she comes. I stopped for some noodles which I thought were cold but turned out to be hot, always an unpleasant experience, as well as grabbing a milk earl grey tea on the way back.
I knew I was sleep deprived but I rather thoughtfully invited myself out with a girl from my room who was heading an hour East to the beach area. I slapped on my new outfit and prepared for an adventure. We stopped for my first Korean hotdog, which although cheesy was slightly underwhelming and we ended up bumping into a guy I had met at the shit hostel in Seoul, Mark. He joined us for some drinkies, but the tiredness became me and I had to head back early.
DAY 82 – Capsule with Anne and Pre-Birthday Celebrations
When you book your hostels through the hostel world app you are invited into group chats where you can meet other travellers. The day prior I had seen a message from somebody at Dear Moon who wanted to go on the train capsules but needed at least 2 people, I volunteered my services.
Anne and I met on a beautiful summers day and enjoyed our excursion as well as getting to know each other. I was well on my way to making friends to spend time with on my birthday, which was the following day. Anne has been travelling for almost a year and is now on her bike travelling through Korea, a very cool lady. We stopped off for some beers post train which then spiralled into a perfect pre-birthday celebration.
We invited all the people we could club together to join us on the rooftop of our hostel, including Mark et al who we had bumped into the night before. I proceeded to drop £30 on beer, soju and snacks to accompany the ambiance which was being created by my speaker.
I was being a very good hostess getting everyone very drunk and when the clock struck 12 everyone sang me happy birthday and made me feel like a rather special birthday girl. We all danced to Murder on the Dancefloor and Undercover Martin. After failing to find some karaoke and also a Photo Booth which would accept my card, we called it a night at about 4am, not my usual birthday style.
While Anne and I were drunkenly eating some noodles we began speaking with a lovely girl called Emilie who was jet lagged from her flight from Paris, so naturally she was also invited to the birthday meal set for the evening.
DAY 83 – 24 Years Young (Geburstag)
I woke up feeling 24, possibly still drunk but definitely on the incline of a mega hangover. Nevertheless, Anne and I got a taxi to Spa Land where we took all our clothes off and went in the hot baths.
We continued to fall asleep in every relaxation room we entered while talking about how terrible we felt. The spa was a really strange yet hilarious experience for the following reasons;
- They give you a set of clothes to wear when you go into the relaxation rooms as these are mixed gender. Everyone is walking around this ginormous spa complex (which I later found out was built to be a waterpark, so think a waterpark scale establishment where everyone is wearing matching culottes and t shirts). It felt like a black mirror episode or like we were in a terrarium being watched by aliens. We were going in and out of these really hot rooms so everyone is seeping through their clothes.
- People brought their phones into the relaxation rooms, so in some everyone was just laying on the floor like sardines, in our matching clothes, some people have their feet on the walls but most are just on their phones. In one room someone was even playing a game out loud on their phone.
- They sell beer, loads of hardboiled eggs, and shaved ice cream. There was also only one woman working on the food bit at this really busy spa. Anne and I did get some hard boiled eggs and shaved ice cream and ate them on the floor because there were no seats here. We were genuinely rolling around on the floor laughing because we were so confused the whole time
- You get a voucher for a free ice cream when you get in (so random), but they give you the voucher on a bit of paper so you’re expected to carry it around when you’re literally sweating through your pyjamas/swimming which also have no pockets. Didn’t make any sense to us.
- We couldn’t find anywhere to fill up our water bottles even though some of these rooms were so hot they near made you pass out
- When we went to the foot spa outside they were playing pop music really loudly, so random
- We went upstairs to this other massive part of the spa where there was a games room, think arcade, where people were shooting hoops etc. It was really noisy, like when you walk past an arcade at Southend beach. If this wasn’t weird enough, right outside are loads of massage chairs where so many people were just pretending there wasn’t a really loud arcade next to them. On this floor there was also an instant noodle bar where you just make yourself a pot of instant noodles.
- You only get a 4 hour time slot, but there were no clocks anywhere so we never knew how long we had left. We had to keep asking people who had phones what the time was. But to be honest it seemed that time, logic and sanity did not exist in this spa water park.
Despite all of this, we had such a fantastic time together, laughing at how nothing made any sense to us. We stepped out of the spa feeling rejuvenated, this was until we got back to the hostel where we both started to feel very sick. We grabbed some food where we enjoyed some tasty cabbage and cucumber dishes hoping a cold Coca Cola would bring us back to life.
I had a quick nap and was ready to celebrate. To finish off the geburstag I met up with the guys from the previous night and we went for Dakgalbi, my favourite cheesy chicken hot plate. Everyone was still hanging out of their arses so it was a slow, yet beautiful experience.
We ventured for one final birthday celebratory cocktail at the vinyl bar I had been to on my first night in Busan. The bartender came over and said a man at the bar would like to get us a round of drinks, so we proceeded to order more cocktails. The man in question then came over with his girlfriend and was so kind, telling us how much he loves Korea and how he really wants us to love it too. He ended up covering our entire tab and then sticking some extra credit on there, as well as buying us a round of his favourite whiskey. We thought this man must be famous, but I think he was just a genuinely kind man who happened to be wealthy and wanted to share his love of his country. In future I will take a leaf out of his book because it really made our night, a perfect birthday surprise.
All in, this birthday was so special. I was getting slightly stressed before the 19th that I would be celebrating alone, something I was not looking forward to because back home I always do something big with friends and family. But 24 never looked so good. I am so happy to have met the people I celebrated with, especially Anne who made my whole day so special, even when we weren’t feeling 100%. This is a really strong start to a new chapter for me, I’m 24 with new friends, new confidence and a newly healing scalp. What a result.
DAY 84 – Dinosaurs and Chicken Supper
Emilie and I had to go back to the spa because I had forgotten my sunglasses in my birthday haze. We went to the mall next door, but not before walking through a dinosaur park which took us there (so random).
I enjoyed some tasty pastries and then we mooched on to do some cosmetics shopping where I bought myself a cream blush which makes me look more like a person and less like a Victorian child. The heavens opened rather quickly, so we romantically ran through Busan looking for shelter.
Back by our hostel, Emilie and I stopped for some top tier chicken and beer which was so filling, we even managed to save some for dinner. We spent the evening sticking fake tattoos on each other and I proceeded to eat the majority of the leftovers past 10pm.
JEJU ISLAND
DAY 85 – Very Expensive Tomatoes and Grapes
As it transpires I had not actually booked my flight to Jeju Island like I thought I had, so Emilie and I managed to book the same flight and head to the airport for an early, hour long flight. We were both absolutely conked the whole way and the tasty Gimbap nestled in my belly made me feel even more sleepy.
After parting ways at the airport as Emilie was meeting up with her family in the West of the island, I headed South. People had told me that Jeju is a pain in the ass to get around if you don’t have a car, and I got a sweet taste of this on my 2.5hr and multiple bus journey. Alas, I made it to my hostel.
I had a really good feeling being here, the hostel was lovely vibes and although it was a bit overcast, I knew this place was going to give me ample space for rest and relaxation.
I mooched around and stumbled upon a homely restaurant where it was only women working there.
I headed to 7/11 and grabbed some really pricey tomatoes and grapes, but thought it was worth it in the interest of health. I had a nice FaceTime catch up with Aaron and Hannah who I had met on the Ha Giang Loop and headed for an early night. I have a year long VPN at the moment because I missed the cancellation for the refund and free trial to was able to watch ‘A Very Royal Scandal’. I love Emily Maitlis and have been looking forward to this coming out for ages.
I had decided to stop drinking in Jeju because my skin really needed to heal from whatever hell I had been putting it through the last few weeks, and the blackout curtains really reaffirmed that I would be feeling well rested at this hostel.
DAY 86 – Cafe with Anne
I woke up feeling refreshed, the air felt so clean and the weather was mild. I went on a drizzly yet refreshing stroll to meet Anne who was cycling around the island and happened to be in my area and we stopped off at a really beautiful cafe.
Anne is one of those people who my brain shuts off with, she is such a good listener and makes me feel really calm. She is a silly woman with an infectious smile and I love hearing all her travel stories. I like to entertain her with some very basic German which she finds amusing. We grabbed a tasty lunch and I continued by boring yet necessary health journey of napping, not drinking and resting.
I managed to get some Australia admin done in the evening and had another early night – feeling good.
DAY 87 – Investing in Mind Body and Soul (and grapes and tomatoes)
I didn’t recognise myself after another really good sleep. I went for a walk to one of the nearby islands feeling like a new woman, the sun was shining and the sunnies were on.
I took some time to slow down and listen to my headspace app which is for meditation and mindfulness, I literally felt my body and mind rest.
On the walk back to the hostel I focussed on taking in my surroundings and thought about what I had learned from my weeks of boozing and how my body was reacting to it. In this mindset I spent £7.50 on a bag of my favourite grapes and a big box of tomatoes at the market and stopped off for an orange and carrot juice. For lunch I had gimbap, tomatoes, grapes and instant noodles and watched life go by at the hostel, listening to The Song Society Playlist by Jamie Cullum.
Later on in the evening I walked to Seogwipo Jongbang Waterfall (5 stars on google reviews) and watched the sunset on my favourite bridge, it was a good one I must say. Ayn and I grabbed some Dakgalbi for dinner (yum) which he thought was very spicy but I thought was reasonable.
DAY 88 – Beach with Anne
I woke up bright and early to meet Anna who had now made it to the North of the island on her bike. It took me over 2 hours to get there on the bus, but I was happy to be up early and very excited to see Anne again.
We ventured to the beach where we had some tasty pastries (almost too many tasty pastries) and took in the scenery, discussing how much we love Jeju. We also managed to make a dent in my massive box of tomatoes. Anne actually said it was one of her favourite places she’s been to so far, and believe me this woman has been to many places. Next time I come to Jeju I will really consider doing it on a bike, she said she has seen the most beautiful sights.
We tried to do some light tanning and swimming at the beach, but the looming and ominous raincloud above made us apprehensive about getting in the water, and I didn’t really fancy being wet on my mega journey home. After a few hours of precious quality time, Anne and I parted ways, agreeing to meet up in Japan where she was headed the following day. I listened to Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You by Gloria Gaynor on the bus home.
I went to the rooftop of the hostel with my roommate Darcy and watched another beautiful sunset across Jeju island, continuing my streak of early nights.
DAY 89 – A Day of Gratitude and Good Food
I woke up nice and early and then proceeded to have a nap before 11am, a recurring pattern I am noticing in Jeju. Feeling replenished I strolled to a coffee place and had a salad, I have been craving raw vegetables for so long and this really hit the spot. I had originally found this place online, and went because it had good coffee reviews, I thought the coffee was particularly crap. Turns out the coffee place was a few doors down. My mistake.
I managed to find a clinic in Seoul that could do me a very comprehensive allergy test for under £100 so I booked in for next week on my road to recovery. I sat down to write some blog and after writing about the cookie croissants, I noticed that I was on the way to buy one. After an unexpected mooch and ending up on a really nice path, I was feeling very grounded, happy and rested. I saw that the ‘How To Fail’ podcast had just released an episode with the author of my favourite book Yuval Noah Harare who wrote Sapiens, so I thoroughly enjoyed listening to a philosophical take on AI, such a fascinating man.
I walked past a pasta place that has a Korean twist with really good reviews, and before I knew it I was enjoying my first pasta dish of my travels. I have to say it was definitely worth the wait, the spicy creamy porkie dish put a smile on my face for the rest of the evening.
I caught one last sunset with Darcy on the roof. She had completed the famous Halasan Hike, the mountain you are supposed to be able to see from Busan (about 8hrs long), something I was genuinely going to do but didn’t want to fuck up my skin any more than it was already fucked up. She hiked all day through the rain (the national park in the middle of the island seems to have a different climate from the rest of the island) and I was so happy to hear that the rain cleared up for 5 minutes while she was at the summit and she managed to get some gorgeous photos. She was so tired and excited for a proper sleep, however at 10.30pm we were rudely awakened by a girl who was going to be spoiling our precious room and actually woke up Darcy, not happy.
DAY 90 – Chilling and Blog Time
Writing the blog made me realise that I wanted to go to my favourite bridge and island one last time before I left the South of Jeju. I spent the morning getting my steps in, and even managed to jog for a little bit which was a rather unexpected turn of events.
I packed my bags ready to get the bus to the North of the island to check in to my naughty little Air BnB in preparation for my flight back to Seoul the next day. I had a delightful breakfast with the people at the hostel and managed to get the number of a lovely English couples who are on their way to Sydney, hopefully I will see them there! I feel a bit lazy leaving Jeju without having seen much of the island or doing many of the trails, but I’m sure you will be pleased to hear that my eczema has basically fully healed and so has my scalp. It was very nice having a shower this morning not having think about the shower gel getting into the cuts on my hand, so actually I feel that every decision to my activities in Jeju have led to this rather massive success story
DAY 91 – Jeju Si
As previously mentioned, Jeju island is not that big but the busses take fucking forever, so I headed to the North of the island for one night, ready to catch my flight the following morning. I slept the whole way and eventually checked into my air bnb, continuing my week of rest and relaxation.
I was really in the mood for some cold noodles and eventually found a nice looking place in the city. Little did I know this was actually a Japanese restaurant and their cold noodles are NOT the same, I repeat NOT THE SAME as the Korean ones. I really didn’t enjoy them, there were whole chunks of ice in the soup and the flavour was really poor. Yet, the fried pork and sesame cabbage brought up the meal average to a 4/10 and of course I ate all the noodles anyway.
DAY 92 – Seoul to Seoul
The airport food is very reasonably priced here, to be honest everywhere I’ve been so far I’ve been able to afford airport food. Each time I have something I ponder on the fact that English airports are a scam and are completely unreasonable when it comes to a £14 wages or a £7 Pret sandwich.
I ventured to Itewan, an area I had been to in Seoul but not stayed in. It’s a very multicultural area by Korean standards, with bustling Turkish restaurants and cafes. I met some nice people while waiting to check into the G Guesthouse Hostel and then met up with my friend Lisa who I met in Busan. She had ventured to a really cool, hippy area about a 40 minute walk away. Google maps failed to mention that this was a borderline hike up some of the steepest streets in Seoul, nonetheless we enjoyed some nice coffee and French patisserie.
Later on in the evening Lisa and I headed to what is essentially Koreas answer to magic mike, and while the show was good I was hoping to see more nudity for my £25.
Lisa felt slightly uncomfortable at the amount of eye contact the half dressed men were giving her, while I found the whole event rather amusing. We continued the night in a rather swanky cocktail bar called Sip/D where I had a negroni and we were intrigued when the waitress offered us some paper and pens to draw portraits of each other. As I started to draw Lisa I noticed that the outline became rather phallic so I scrapped the portrait and engaged in some calligraphy instead. Turns out Lisa is really good at drawing so now I have a really nice picture of myself to hang in my room when I get to Australia.
Starting as we meant to go on we headed back for some beers on the rooftop where we met some insufferable travellers, and after a series of other miscellaneous alcoholic drinks we decided to hit the strip. The nightlife in Itaewan is crazy. I wouldn’t say the music was all to my taste but Lisa and I danced the night away to some Pitbul and other euro pop hits.
DAY 93 – Feeling Quite Rough
I am now quite accustomed to the vortex which takes me over when I am in Seoul, but I was still unprepared for the intense vomitting which I engaged in at 4am. I was starting to re-think last nights concoction of Negronis, lemon beers, tequila and rum and cokes. I moved to my next hostel location of Zzzip Guesthouse, notoriously the best hostel in Seoul (not hard because they’re all quite shit) and notoriously difficult to get a reservation in.
I had arranged to meet some friends at the War Museum and managed to pick up a really tasty, rather pricy sandwich on the way.
Safe to say I was feeling quite revived, even though I arrived at the meet and greet 30 minutes late to 2 friends who had never met each other. This was probably one of the best museums I have been to, and while not able to retain much of the information, I enjoyed the interactivity of the days excursion so far.
Rachele, who I had met at the hostel the day before, and Emilie, who I had met in Busan went to a bustling food market for some gyoza, when Rachele and I decided to walk to the Palace in the North of the city. There were hundreds of police in the area, I couldn’t believe it. We weren’t sure if there was a protest, or some kind of festival going on, but as we walked closer we could see that the whole main Street was closed down for some kind of speech. Think the whole length of the Pride parade in London but instead of dancing it’s just people sitting down and instead of rainbows its people in matching hats. I can’t even begin to calculate how many chairs there must have been on this street, but we walked for 30 minutes and hadn’t even arrived at the main stage yet. As we encroached we saw that it was a Buddhist man making a speech so presumably this was a big event in the Buddhist calendar. Ironically, it reminded me of a reaping from the Hunger Games but I imagine it to be more District 2 than District 12. I think this is just because of the way the screens were set up and the brutality of the buildings rather than the Capitol reminding the citizens of Panem of the revolution.
The Palace was really a highlight of Seoul for me, the grounds were so vast and there is a rule that if you wear a traditional Hanok you get in for free. Not really my style as I wondered if it bordered cultural appropriation, nonetheless it was like stepping back in time and seeing what Seoul might have been like many years ago. Rachele and I really clicked, and spent the whole time nattering about her year in Melbourne and her journey back to Lake Garda in Italy.
We went for one of my favourite snacks, a croiffle, and I then took her to my favourite restaurant in Hongdae. It’s actually very nice to be in the same place again, I felt like a really shit tour guide who had lots of enthusiasm for Korean food, but limited knowledge on the language, culture or history.
We went for some drinks with Emilie and Lisa, but after a long day of exploring, still not fully recovered from the previous night and an eagerness to avoid getting a stye again, Rachele and I decided to part ways and reconvene the following morning.
DAY 94 – Larp in the Park
I was very pleased to return to my favourite French bakery in Hongdae in pursuit of a baguette and some cream cheese dip. Armed with an Earl Grey Milk Tea I brought my picnic to Seoul Forest Park.
This was another highlight of Korea for me, I was so pleased to sit in the sun and have some time to reflect on my travels so far at one point even laying on a bench for a little siesta. I was starting to see the city in a very different light which was a really pleasant surprise.
I went back to Itaewan to have some drinks with Rachele on the rooftop of G Guesthouse where I bumped into Yoshi, someone I had met in Seoul the previous time and had spent my birthday in Busan with. The trio were ready to head for some Korean BBQ when a French man rudely invited himself out with us, so what would have been an evening of catching up with friends ended up being a slightly draining evening of small talk. The food was fucking fantastic though.
DAY 95 – Seoul Sisters
I woke up nice and early for some breakfast at the hostel, eating copious amounts of jam on toast, eggs, cereals and apples and drinking one thousand black coffees. I then headed for my allergy test in Itaewan and surprised Rachele with some Turkish treats on the rooftop of the hostel. You can never go wrong with a Baklava breakfast.
I took her to the hippy area I had been to with Lisa the next day and then we walked to a restaurant I had been to with Ken.
The food was really sensational and I got to try Beef Bulgogi for the first time, again sensational. Rachele and I had spent the last few days together and we began to get very sentimental about leaving each other as she was headed to the Phillipines that day.
We went for some final goodbye drinks on the rooftop where we bumped into Yoshi again. We laughed all evening long, sharing good music and enjoying the sunset. The newly acquired songs on my playlist are as follows
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) – Talking Heads
Strange Overtones – David Byrne
Crucify Your Mind – Rodruigez
Oostende – Spinvis
Romeo and Juliet – Dire Straits
It Ain’t Me Babe – Bob Dylan
Homeward Bound – Simon and Garfunkel
Lente ’22 – Spinvis
When we said our final goodbyes I was really fucking sad. She was my Seoul Sister and the reality of being so far away from home hit me hard. If I was going anywhere else other than Japan for my next stop I think I would’ve gone with her, but in the interest of my financial situation I decided to stick with the original plan.
Yoshi and I proceeded to have some more drinks on the rooftop where he consoled me about my long lost friend, but I was then cheered up by the fried chicken we bought together.
Writing this post has already made me nostalgic about Korea. Honestly it was not all sunshines and rainbows, especially internally at times, but I actually think these series of emotions have given me the opportunity to grow. Experiencing some harassment and general hostility sometimes made me feel uncomfortable, and the beauty standards and general beauty of the people in Korea can make you feel a bit self conscious. As well as this the eczema situation got pretty horrific and I had to really take some initiative with my health.
HOWEVER, as per usual the people I have met have been astounding. Being able to meet up with people along the way has been something I have yet to experience so frequently, as well as re-visiting an area and not being lost all the time. The food in Korea is unbelievable, even the worst thing I ate was probably some of the best food I have had and I would return just for the food.
Being able to really take some time unwinding, resting and sleeping in Jeju as well as meeting up with Anne was a really special highlight. And ending up back in Seoul with Rachele and Yoshi reinforced the feeling that everything happens for a reason, and you are always where you are supposed to be and there is a lesson in everything. I am looking forward to Japan even though I am getting slightly sick of cities, but what a position to be in for this to be my most significant concern.