Seoul, South Korea

Feb 01, 2024

Seoul, South Korea

This is it for Korea, at least for now

My lunch place grew its own vegetables.

Last week, I teased that I would tell you about getting kicked out of a hotel. Here is that story. Plus, we have almost three weeks of travel before we are due back in the US. What to do, oh what to do?

We had been traveling rough and rugged for a while now. We needed a break, and our daughter needed to catch a flight to California in a few days. So we headed to Seoul and a posh hotel to recharge and rejuvenate.

As you may know. When I'm traveling solo, a posh hotel is paying an extra twenty bucks to get a suite upgrade at the Best Western. When my wife takes the reins and books a hotel for us, it's gonna be nice. Like, super nice. Of course, I'm okay with that. I mean, why not? We deserve some comfort and pampering. This hotel was no exception. The first clue that it was a swanky place was the registration desk. The lobby on the ground floor was only that - a lobby. We had to take the elevator to the twenty-fifth floor to check-in. Talk about getting away from the riff-raff.

Like I said, we had been traveling rough for a while. Somewhere along the way, I developed a sinus infection, a cold, or maybe even (gasp!) Covid. I had been masking up all the time, just in case. But we figured it was a sinus infection since my family didn't catch whatever I had. The thing was, I couldn't shake it. The drugstore meds weren't doing the trick.

Meanwhile, at the snazzy hotel, my wife and daughter had had enough. After another night of me snoring so much that it kept them up til all hours, they mounted a mutiny. The next morning, I was told to go find an Airbnb and shake the sinus stuff.

They kicked me out!

I had gotten a prescription for some meds that were starting to work. But they needed more time to kick in on whatever I had. I found a studio apartment in a nearby neighborhood and checked in. I was able to rest up and do some exploring on my own. The photos I'm sharing today are from that time solo in Seoul. It was a short three days, but well worth it since those prescription drugs worked like magic. I doubt they are FDA-approved. How could they be? They worked almost too well.

Oh, and as for making plans for the time we have left in Asia. We decided to pivot. Flights to Japan are super affordable, and the dollar goes a long way in that country. Off we go!

At the top, I'm leading with this photo because it's so different. I was out for lunch, and this was the view on one side of the dining room. As it turns out, this place grows its own food. I'm not a big salad guy, but after weeks of eating nothing but Korean cooking, a salad sounded good.

Below, top. In the photograph, this looks like a miniature train station model. It's an odd illusion, and I can figure out why it seems that way. Actually, it's a reproduction of the original stations along an abandoned train route. A nearby plaque says that the reproduction is intended to evoke memories of former stations. The area was vacant the few times I passed by it.

Below, bottom. Serenity in the city. There is an island in the Han River. On that island is a park. And in that park is a pond with a pagoda. This area of Seoul is called Yeouido. The pond's still water with the pagoda's reflection was too good to pass up. The skyscrapers in the background add an odd contrast to the peaceful park.