Blogs from Seoul, South Korea, Asia

We decided to head up to Seoul and take care of some errands. Jen wanted to go to Insadong, a touristy part of Seoul loaded with antique shops, art galleries and keepsakes. She wanted to pick up some (spoiler alert) gifts for people back home and for those who will be in our wedding. And I wanted to walk around a crowded area of Seoul wearing a bulky backpack and lugging around a roller suitcase full of old books on bumpy streets dodging tourists and street vendors. Wishes granted. There are really four ways to make it up to Seoul. The bus, which is the cheapest option. The regular train, which is te cheapest option but somehow takes longer than the bus. The KTX uber fast laser train that speeds you towards Seoul in style and ... read more

"I'm a freak bitch, baby." The purple and pink lights in the dark pulsated as the hands holding them pumped the air and the heads wearing them slammed up and down. The neon amoeba sang along with Lady Gaga's monotone statement from the song "Bad Romance". "I'M A FREAK BITCH, BABY!," wailed the crowd. Olympic Stadium was the most packed it has been since Michael Jackson performed there. We had paid around fifty dollars for our nosebleed seats, which were so high up that I felt almost removed from the glittering crowd below. Gaga and her dancers moved in unison around the stage in white, as she chanted "RA-RA-KO-REA-RA-RA-KO-REA". The crowd went wild, stomping and clapping along. The problem with our seats was that we couldn't actually see Gaga very well, just blurs of white courture ... read more

I wasn’t sure if my 3-hour flight from Tokyo to Seoul would warrant any food, but apparently it was deserving of a full meal. Gotta love international flying. After landing at Incheon and going through immigration and customs, I called my friend, Brian, who I would be staying with, and told him I was on my way. But first I needed to stop at an ATM and withdraw some money. However, when asked how much I wanted to withdraw, I was not given any “Fast Cash” options, which are very useful when you haven’t researched the exchange rate of the currency you are about to withdraw. Luckily, there was a currency exchange right next to the ATM, and I was able to lean over and determine that it was a little over 1000 won per US ... read more

The “countryside” was an hour drive outside of Seoul. My friend (Y.) and I took the subway to the outskirts of the city to meet his pal (J.), the other guy I met on the Everest trail. He came into the city just to see me, which was sweet (although his parents live there as well so his family had a chance to visit). He lives about 4 hours from Seoul and is a physician (traditional Eastern medicine and acupuncture) in the army. He has a wife and 2 small girls now. Y. is also a physician, but is in between jobs—he will be managing a clinic starting next month. We hopped in J.’s KIA and drove an hour out of the city through the mountains to a place called Namyang Ju-Si. Korea is really beautiful, ... read more

We were greeted in Seoul by a plethora of English signs and western amenities. There were 7-11’s and Dunkin’ Donuts everywhere! It’s hard to believe it’s only a 50 minute flight from Dalian! Incheon airport is the best airport in the world. Literally. Furthermore, the transportation system in Korea is phenomenal – so efficient, organized and vast. Getting to our hostel (Phil House) was easy. On our first day in Seoul we went to Gyeongbokgung Palace in the middle of the city. Upon exiting the metro station we were offered a free English speaking tour guide. Its a great deal for both the tourists and the guide. We had no idea where anything was or what it was and she, Helen (14 years old), wanted to practice her English. Gyeongbokgung translates into ‘Palace Greatly Blessed by ... read more

Seoul, South Korea. Hadn’t really pictured myself coming here ever, and was not really sure what to expect. I just knew it was a big city with lots of people in a developed country. It is clean, organized, safe, and very populated. There are poor people, very wealthy people, and most people are working hard just trying to live their daily lives. KIAs and Hyundais, mostly in white, black and gray, are everywhere. Koreans love signs and hang them all over the place. They love pop stars and rice. They respect their elders, to the point where some older people are rude to younger people on the street and there is no recourse (someone old woman on an elevator snapped at my friend). Baseball is the most popular sport, and I keep seeing men in what ... read more

With a very cold temperature. Weeks before we (the HolyWeek Travellers http://www.byahengbarok.com/holyweek ) even left Manila, I’ve been religiously checking out the weather and the temperature in Seoul and Busan. A year ago, it was suppose to be spring at this time of the year (April). But as we were nearing our departure date to Seoul (March 30 to be exact), the climate doesn’t seem like spring to us at all. Blame it on climate change! Nevertheless, we prepared for the battle… against the cold temperature, of course. I dug up all my long sleeve shirts, jackets, bonnets, gloves and tights. I asked my sister, who’s based in the US, to bring us (me and my son) thermal jackets when she came to visit last February. I even went on a last-minute shopping spree in Greenhills ... read more