Advertisement
Published: June 12th 2012
palm reader
nr Tapgol Park - Insadongstarted: heading out of Seoul 12 June on train 1034, a 16.05 depart Saemaeulho (express, not superfast KTX) train to Cheosan, as a bit of a stab as to where to go to which is more or less interesting. It also needs some detail which I get from the Lonely Planet (LP) E guide I have to the province of Chungcheongdam-do. So we will see what happens. Ticket was cheap, only $8. So backwards now.
11 June:
I decided I would belatedly check out in more detail Insadong which is otherwise probably the most foreign touristed area with Itaewon (and I was less than impressed with all that). I had walked thru it before only being half aware where I was. Went there via the Chongyecheon stream as per pix. This time decided to make an effort to find somewhere interesting to eat for lunch as plenty of options here. The restaurant called Sanchon and run by a Buddhist monk sounded worth a visit and being totally vege not too heavy for lunch. After checking about 3 laneways of the main pedestiran strip found it as an English sign or two pointing to the end of the alley (at nighttime
Chonggyecheon stream & Sutton Hotel
my 1st of 5 hotels in Seoul - check the serious greenery - maybe not). It was almost 2pm and not many people in. I declined the choice of sitting on the floor (those knees do not agree with it) despite the preferred or apparent appropriateness and chose a table sitting near a Western guy.
This proved to be an Israeli guy called Saki who however lives on the Sunshine Coast (Queensland for foreign readers) at a place called Eudlo. And his day job - translating Buddhist scripts from Tibetan into Engish at a Buddhist monastery there (as you do). And yes, he did have a long pony-tail. The set menu lunch was about 16 dishes or so and was for the main part interesting - although the 6 separate little bowls of spinach-like green vegetable prepared only slightly differently seemed a bit of overkill. The interesting little wrapped pouring jug was apparently a home-made wine (from pears and pine-needles) which is matured for 6 years It was quite tasty and probably only very light in alcohol, like 1-2% from the length of maturation.
Saki was only stopping over for 3 days on the way back to the Coast from Israel so pointed him in the direction of my download
of the Rough Guide to Seoul for his Ipad. When we were leaving after chatting for a while I realised that I had left my wallet at the hotel (it was safe and locked up in my big bag - just missed in a back pack change) so had to ask him to contribute to the balance of my lunch price - will send him a note to the monastery when I get back. So obviously headed back to the hotel, just to make I still had it (I did). The meal, although interesting, query whether it was worth 33,000Krw (about $29) - noted the 33K sticker was over the previous 22K so obviously a big price increase. All those writeups (the NY Times feature way back in 1986 features on the wall)
Had a cup of tea at the hotel then headed out towards Dongdaemun market, or rather the camera shop mentioned in this very detailed blog re buying cameras in Seoul. As I had checked out the other 2 sources, Yongsan and Techmart, decided I should be completist and visit Mr Choi's shop. I had already bought the macro lens so it was relatively an academic exercise.
Sanchon plate 1
Buddhist vege style He did not have it, but a few doors away another place had it used at 250,000Krw (I paid 380,000 so could have lived with used for that price - about $215Au) as it looked pretty clean. There were market food stalls around there but I was not really up to pointing at stuff to be cooked, so went to a chicken restaurant with English subtitles. Had a boiling broth in an earthen ware pot of likely half a chicken in a ginseng and what not broth. The usual sideplates of kimchi etc - must say I have not been freaked out by the chilli strength of any of them yet. Then back to La Nuit for my last night.
The room I stayed was huge (26.5 sq.m.) and had a separate spa bath and shower. I discovered on my way out, assuming that the digital lock automatically locked the door, that it did not appear to be. Got a guy up from the front desk and agreed likely problem and he was considering a room change. But then the best English speaking guy came up and of course it worked OK for him - as it always does.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.178s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 16; qc: 64; dbt: 0.1318s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Huddo
non-member comment
Saki and more.
Hi Mike, Amazing the people you meet on the road. Saki sure has an interesting profession! Some translastion work that must be. Some neat doggie clothes with that vendor. The ol'e trick of leaving my wallet at home eh, he he. Good you have the luxury of a large room again, think of the back. Love Huddo and girls.