Suwon-derful

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An early morning train out of Busan took me to Suwon, about 30km south of Seoul, just before 1pm. My hotel was so out of way that even the local cabbies struggled to find it. But I eventually checked into the New Suwon Hotel (small room, too much ambient lights at night, but a comfortable bed and a way too big TV) and went off to explore Suwon, or at least I would have if the temperature wasn’t at an unbearable 38°C. It was so bad that the streets were practically deserted. I simply dived into the nearest eatery for cutlet lunch and had to constantly duck into convenience stores for temporary respite.

There’s no metro in Suwon and you need to catch a bus to get round. That is. If you can find a bus-stop. I practically walked all the way back to the main station before eventually getting a train out to Hwaseo and then a bus way into the outskirts of Suwon to possibly the most unusual museum in Korea; Haewoojae, the Suwon City Toilet Culture Museum. AKA Mr. Toilet House. You might poo-poo the idea of a building shaped like a lavatory devoted to the toilet as a load of crap, but this is no bog standard museum. There is some serious shit here to be learned about sanitation. The educational interactive exhibits are done in a non-puerile way you’ll be relieved to hear, and massively popular with the kiddies they proved to be too. Though the sculpture garden chronicling the khazi through the ages is admittedly hilarious. Haewoojae is the former residence of Sim Jae-Duck, ex-mayor of Suwon who lead efforts to clean up the city’s public toilets for the 2002 World Cup, decorating them with flowers, artworks and classical music (many of them remain to this day). Mr. Toilet House is also headquarters to an NGO established to improve world-wide sanitation. It all made for a surprisingly fascinating visit.

In the evening, I catch another bus from Suwon station eastwards towards the Suwon World Cup Stadium for the K-League match between the Suwon Bluewings and FC Seoul. The last time I visited here was to witness Ireland’s loss on penalties to Spain in the 2002 World Cup (little did I know it would be the last time I would see Ireland in the World Cup for at least 20 years). Tickets were cheap at 14,000 Won (about £10) and it was unallocated seating, i.e. sit where you want. Upon entering the turnstiles, you also get a free Bluewings bandana and a banana, hmm… The match going experience in Korea is a more relaxed family-oriented affair, coming not just for the game, but also to eat (security checks seem more concerned about what food you are bringing into the ground! There are all manner of western and eastern food options, there are also tanks of hot water if you bring your own instant noodles). Some even bring footballs for a kick about beneath the stands at half-time. Only 13,853 spectators were in attendance in a stadium with a 44,000 capacity. But those who were here certainly created enough of an atmosphere. The fanatics behind the goals sang and chanted throughout the game and could match baseball fans in obscure choices of tunes for chants. ‘Zeit, Dass Sich Was Dreht’ by Herbert Grönemeyer, anyone?

The Korean national anthem isn’t usually played before matches, but it was today on account of it being Liberation Day. The standard of football was depressingly familiar for an Ireland fan; solid defending, plenty of running – which, to be fair, was no mean feat given the still humid temperatures. This also accounts for the stoppage midway through each half for a water break – but little invention up front and few goal chances created. Bosnian striker Dejan Damjanović opened the scoring for Suwon on 5 minutes but, as an ex-FC Seoul player, refused to celebrate the goal. Ko Yo-Han equalised early in the second half before Brazilian Anderson Lopes sneaked an injury time winner for Seoul. Suwon Bluewings players were roundly booed when they took their bows at the end of the match.

The bus back into town straightforward and quick in a way that would never happen in Europe. Attempts to get a drink in downtown Suwon came to nought, and I took it as a sign to return to my hotel. Sleeping in my room required much covering of indicator lights and displays before it was sufficiently dark.

When I was here in 2002, I didn’t stay for long and missed out on exploring the sights, in particular the World Heritage-listed Hwaseong. And so Thursday morning I set off on trek along the fortress walls that protected the then capital of 18^th century Korea. Like Cheong-gye-cheon in Seoul, it made for a scenic hike on a gloriously sunny morning. Also like Cheong-gye-cheon it was a mistake to attempt a ramble on such a ridiculously hot day as this. So draining was the heat that I had to stop and rest at every gate, command post, observation tower and fire beacon platform along the way. By the time I completed the 6km length, three hours had passed and I was drained and famished. Sustenance was sought at Yeonpo Galbi, a restaurant near the Hwahongmun water gate renowned for its galbi (beef rib), a Suwon specialty. Washed down with a cold beer, the galbi made for a magnificent lunch. It came with a vast array of accompanying vegetables that I didn’t think I could manage, but made short work of tucking away the lot.

And with that, my short stay in Suwon came to an end. Collecting my luggage at the hotel and a taxi to Suwon station, I caught the next train into Seoul for the final part of my Korean sojourn. I had now been in Korea for a week and it’s all flown by. The end is sadly in sight…

Annyong





Cathal

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Comments

[Edwin Blosch]

Picture request
Hello, may I have your permission to use this photo of Mr. Toilet House in Suwon? (https://www.travelblog.org/Photos/9900380). It is for a personal blog post. I went to Mr. Toilet House and just thought it was cool, so I wanted to write a blog about it. Thank you, - Ed

[cathalchu]

RE:
Sure, use it on your blog.