The Heart of Seoul

I spent the last five days with a few friends visiting Seoul. It is a far, far cry from the little town of Uljin I currently call "home". In my opinion, Seoul, like many cities, its good points and bad. Of course, everyone does not agree on all things, however, I will take this entry to give you a few of my thoughts on the Heart of Seoul.

Seoul is a huge, bustling, crowded, lively city. If ever there was a city that never sleeps, I would think of Seoul. It seems like no matter what time, day or night, there is always something to do. I spent time shopping, sightseeing, soul-searching, eating and, of course, one cannot go to Seoul without checking out the nightlife. Our accommodations were simple and clean at Hong Guesthouse near Hongik University subway stop and we had easy access to everything we needed and/or wanted. Seoul is a place where you can find just about any type of thing you are looking for whether it is a great band to check out, an awesome dance club, traditional Korean fare, or a taste of home (like Taco Bell or Quiznos!). Seoul truly can be defined as an international city.

Let's break it down a bit.

SUBWAY: I found the subway to be quite easy to navigate and definitely the easiest, cheapest way to travel around the city. Everything is clearly marked in Korean and English and maps are available everywhere. I have a "T-Money" card that is reloadable, so all I had to do was swipe that puppy on the reader and trot on through to my train. The trains run quite frequently and we were able to get just about anywhere in less than 30 minutes. Try doing that in rush hour back home! As far as safety is concerned, there was only one place where there were quite few homeless people sleeping in their little cardboard shelters. Other than that, I really had no worries.

PEOPLE: Hmmm...this is a tough subject. On one hand, people were generally friendly and helpful when I asked for assistance. I do take issue with the taxi drivers who did not seem to want to take you someplace that may only be a short ride. I mean, money is money, right? Guess not.
The restaurant staff are second to none! This seems to be true in most of Korea. Yes, even in Taco Bell! This is one thing I cannot seem to get used to in Korea. Wait staff are INCREDIBLE!!! I mean, I N C R E D I B L E!!! They hustle to your table to fill your glass and make you feel like the most important guest they have had all year. They don't meander around or act like they are too busy for you. These servers are there for you! They WANT to serve you. To top it all off, there is no tipping! I mean, I want to tip these people, but it is not customary. I feel a bit spoiled after dining out in Korea. I'm not sure I will be able to tolerate some of the lower standards some restaurants have back home.
The last thing I can say about people in Seoul is that there are LOTS and LOTS of them!! Seoul is crowded...very crowded. If you don't like crowds, Seoul is definitely not the place for you. People push and shove and move quickly, but if they stood and waited patiently, they would never get anything accomplished. That's just the way it is in Seoul. Deal with it, or go home.

SHOPPING: Markets, markets and more markets!! Of course there are department stores, specialty shops, food shops, foreign markets, and much, much more! We had great fun visiting Dongdaemun Market and Namdaemun Markets as well as Yongsan Electronics Market. We found great deals on hats, socks, souvenirs, clothes, electronics, and more. In my opinion, if you cannot find what you are looking for in Seoul, you probably don't need it! Additionally, it seems to me that everything can be bought in Seoul...for a price, of course.

EATING: Mexican, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Thai...you name it, you can find it. Itaewon seems to be the place for most western food finds as well as foreign markets where you can find blue cheese dressing, pop-tarts and even baked beans! Itaewon lured us with it's promise of Taco Bell, Quiznos, Cold Stone Creamery, Outback, Mr. Kebab, and many other fine eateries! ;-) Although not the safest place to be after dark, one can find food to satisfy the most refined palates as well as those of us who are ready to hurt someone for cheese fries and ranch! Head there during the day for lunch and shopping. You will not be disappointed!

SIGHTSEEING: There are so many things to see and do in Seoul, it is almost impossible to do it all in one trip. We managed a bit of culture by visiting the N. Seoul Tower and the Korean War Memorial. Both were well worth the time, though it was a bit foggy to see much from the Tower. There was, however, plenty of entertainment on the plaza level as well as many photo ops. The War Memorial was even more fascinating than I could even imagine.

NIGHTLIFE: Suffice it to say the night club streets are as jam packed as the actual clubs. The really good dance clubs charge a pretty hefty cover charge (around 15,000-30,000 won) but you do get 'one free drink'. Yeah, free...riiiight... If it is "Ladies Night", one can expect some freebies and plenty of hip beats to keep you dancing until the wee hours of the morning. I'm not certain what time many of the clubs actually close, but I do know many in our hostel rolled in between 5 and 6 a.m. and had been dancing all night! There are many street vendors offering wares and food for those who can party hard, and we even saw a man peddling cute little puppies (yes, for pets) in a heated enclosure. Yep, this city does not sleep!

OVERALL: My overall take of Seoul was simply this. It was a great place to visit. I'll definitely go back, but I would not want to live there. It's big, there are thousands and thousands of people, the subways are excellent, and the food is the best I've found in Korea. It is, however, just a bit too overwhelming for me. For now, I'll stay in my little seaside town of Uljin and enjoy the green grass, friendly people, fresh air, and salty sea!