We had a minor issue with our names being written backwards on our plane tickets (not sure how we missed that) however, the staff at Asiana Air was able to make a quick correction and we were on our way... until I happened to pack a tube of toothpaste that was confiscated at security! (I swear it was literally 2g over the allowed amount!) I should have known better - I've been through security at Logan! Anyway, the flight was great and we quickly found ourselves wandering the streets of Seoul.
The first night was rather quiet since we arrived late but we sat down and talked about our plan of attack. How to conquer a city that houses over 10 million people but see it all in 2 days?! (not gonna happen but we tried!) We walked along streets of Bukchon Hanok Village which is where you will find traditional Korean style homes. It's a little oasis set amongst the city - beautiful boutiques and restaurants surrounded the village. It may be the only place you can go in Seoul to slow down and catch your breath.
After I was drug out of the village we saw Changdeokgung and Gyeongbok Palace. The line outside of Changdeokgung was HUGE so we decided to visit Gyeongbok only (which had a longer line) but Lonely Planet gave it rave reviews. Reviews it deserved. The grounds of the Palace were expansive! It was originally built in 1394 and was destroyed during the Japanese invasion in 1592 and remained vacant until 1865. Halls and different buildings of Gyeongbok Palace are still being rebuilt today. It was said that at one time there were at least 3,000 people living inside the walls of Gyeongbok Palace. It's hard to imagine what it was like when the king actually resided there with his family.
Our next destination was a restaurant that served bibimbap! Dayle spotted one up on the 2nd floor of a building so we took off after it. Best bibimbap I had on our entire trip!
After lunch/1st dinner we continued walking towards Seoul Station since we still needed to buy train tickets from Seoul to Busan. Of course we got a little turned around so we did some sightseeing! Which turned out great since we wanted to see most of the places we ran into anyway but it was getting late and we had so much more to do! We finally got ourselves to the station but still needed to figure out where to buy our tickets. Luckily, Dayle ended up chatting with 2 students from France studying in Korea so they lead the way to the ticket counter and after they invited us to join them for coffee. With our caffeine boost we continued on and walked through Namdaemun market for a little while. I was ready to keep walking but Dayle and Matt convinced me to hail a cab back to the hotel (before we got lost again) to catch a little R&R before dinner. Dinner was back by the village area so I was able to get one last glimpse before we left Seoul.
The next day was the Fish Market, lunch (not from the fish market) then catch our train to Busan. The fish market was an experience that I'll never forget and I kind of wish I could. If you've seen the Anthony Bourdain episode where he visits Seoul then you've seen the fish market that we went to. After starring at the sea life/creatures/objects that move that have been pulled out of the water, I'm not sure you'll go swimming again. I had no idea some of these "things" were lurking below! Dayle was a champ getting up close and wandering through the market with Matt. Me, I had the camera and did my best to take pictures and get through the market without breathing or tossing my cookies! Let me just tell you, my stomach was in my throat the whole time! I don't think it settled for hours.
It took about 3 hours to get to Busan. I must admit, we picked too nice of a hotel so we played around in it for the remainder of the evening! We had dinner at a Pub that was inside of our hotel, then wandered into the Casino (Dayle and Matt played - I just went along to make sure they didn't do too much damage!!) we also took a dip in the hot springs and pool, checked out the spa and called it a night before our next adventure. After tackling 3 different subway lines we finally arrived at the bus station where we were to catch bus #90 for a ride up to Beomeosa Temple. The temple is located at the edge of Mt. Geumjeongsan. We spent most of the day here wandering around with headphones in our ears listening to the history of the temple. Once again, a peaceful place to wander...
After our tour we caught a bus back into town and followed Dayle's nose for another round of bibimbap - another delicious meal!
The rest of our time consisted of wandering the streets of Busan, eating more delicious food, soaking in the man-made hot springs and walking through Haeundae Market. Oh, did I mention I stopped for a 1 1/2 hour massage. (Matt made me do it!) Gotta love my hubs. xo
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