South Korea part 3

Seoul felt like a mixture of all my big city Asian experiences so far. The malls are not as plush as Singapore, but they are modelled in that way. The outer areas of the city, the subway, reminded me of Tokyo, the markets and the men delivering goods on their backs, motorbikes just driving down a pavement reminded me of Shanghai. In some areas Seoul felt raw, not as clean as Singapore, not as sanitised. More Asian, if that makes any sense. Art is a big thing; sculptures and statues outside city hall, lights and wall carvings along the amazing Cheonggyecheon river - this we highly recommend. I was completely unfazed when I saw it first. Ok, so there is a stream that runs through Seoul, and the city has turned it into a walkway, below ground level but open to the sky, with a few lights and rocks and pretty things thrown in. But by the last night as we walked back to the hotel I was smitten; you are in Seoul, but it feels a world away. The noise of the shops and city are in the background but all you hear are the patter of feet of those walking with you, the water trickling or gushing on the rocks. You could be anywhere except in the middle of a busy city. And of course, no traffic, no cars and sidestreets or having to give way to mad motorbike drivers. I can totally understand why the locals love it. Think..... think Oxford towpath, but take away all the cyclists, the goose shit, the drunks, the dog walkers, make the path wider, better, looked after.....forget it. Look it up on google!

The Seoul Design Museum outside our hotel was also amazing, aerodynamically sleek with its curved silver shell, with sculptures and statues dotted around it, and inside so much cool stuff! Gadgets you just don't need and would probably never use, but they look good. I almost bought a suitcase. Didn't have much space inside, was on the heavy side empty, kind of impractical as an item to assist in travel. But it looked so good!
And temples...we saw lots of temples...elegant and colourful, I couldn't stop taking photos of the curve of the roof, the eaves. Changgyeonggung, Changdeokgung, the secret garden, so much charm and culture, solitude and peace, inevitably spoilt by screaming teens, tourists taking selfies, or posing in standard "Asian V" formation  .✌.
No trip to Korea is complete without visit to the demilitarised zone, DMZ. It left us with a sense of sadness; families from the south split from relations in the north. The tour guide talked about reunification, when it happens. But I think we all understand that China and Russia and the US won't let that happen without certainty that it will benefit them. As we stood looking out to North Korea, and the "fake villages" I couldn't help but wonder who was looking back at us. Should the north and the south ever be unified, I will definitely be up for a train ride to Paris via China, Siberia, Russia. Dorasan station is ready - but currently stands as another symbol of the separation.

On the lighter side of our trip, we visited Gangnam! Yes, it's a real place! Nothing particularly exciting about the area....shopping mall, nice locale, it's not far from the Infineum office in Seoul. But it has a statue of some hands, in a particular pose. A statue that plays a certain song when you get close to it, and gets tourists and locals dancing a particular dance. It's as cheesy as you can get, and utterly worth it for the ridiculousness and laughter it induces. Go there!! And feel the K-pop....

So that was Korea. Completely worth it, even so short a trip. Will definitely go back as when we were leaving I discovered something I just must see. More on that next year I hope.

Before signing off this entry, I only added lesson #1 previously I think.....

Lesson #2 - do not trust your Apple iPhone maps app
Lesson #3 - if lost in Dongdaemun market, as the only 2 non-Asians, with a suitcase, maps and travel book open, no-one will offer help. And if they do, they won't know where the hotel you want is. You need to find another way, but do also see lesson #2
Lesson #4 - beware when trying to order food, or understand what food is being offered, by using animal noises. Apparently "miaow" (like a cat) can mean "baaaaaa", as in sheep. We almost walked out of a restaurant as there was only miaow on the menu. I was almost too intrigued to stay anyway....maybe in another few months? Who can tell.......