Cybersam's Blog - A random walk in Seoul

Friday, June 29, 2007

A random walk in Seoul

I am currently sitting at Book Cafe (I think that's what it's called) in Seoul, S. Korea. It's like any other cafe with one notable difference: it has a library (hence the name Book Cafe). After a long day of walking around downtown Seoul in smoggy, hot weather, I am ready to take a break at a local cafe and blog about my experience in Seoul.

Other than the language barrier, Seoul is an amazingly safe place and its people are extremely friendly. I am still having problems speaking the language. The Korean language is different from the Chinese language. No Chinese characters are used; although I have seen Chinese characters only on maps and road signs. Regardless, language barrier didn't stop me from taking the path that is less traveled. Back alleys are abound in Seoul and these are the places I love to explore. I found mouthwatering treats and fascinating insights to local lifestyle. Earlier today, while walking through the winding alleyways around Anguk Station, I stumbled upon a Korean noodle shop. In Asia when you see customers sweating while slurping loudly from their bowl of noodles, it can only mean one thing: this place must have some kick-ass noodles. This restaurant is really small but it didn't stop people from eating there. It was a full house when I sat down. The cooking of the noodles is actually done in two huge pots outside of the restaurant (see picture below). The place serves only one dish, so no menu is needed to order. Once I was seated, the waitress simply brought me a big bowl of noodle soup (vegetarian, as far as I can see and taste) and a side dish of kimchi (kimchi to Korean is like baguette to French). Before long, I, too, was slurping my noodles loudly and sweating like a pig from the heat of the soup (temperature and taste), a testimony that the noodles were indeed delicious. The cost of the meal was a steal. I paid 3500 won (around US$3.50) for it.

The bowl of noodles I was slurping on

The staff were cooking the soup and noodles in the alley

After lunch I went on a random walk in downtown Seoul passing through Cheonggyecheon, Namsan, Namdaemun Market, and Myeongdong. Myeongdong is a high-end, trendy shopping district for fashion accessories. On the other side of town, you will find Namdaemun market, which offers a different market experience. Here you have street-side vendors selling cheap clothes, shoes, bags, medicine, and other items. Shouting and bumping against other shoppers in this area are the norm. It is quite enthralling to watch Korean customers haggling with the retailers. A excursion to Namsan, a 262-meter peak in downtown Seoul, was a nice diversion from the urban experience of Namdaemun and Myeongdong. The top of Namsan offers a specular panoramic view of the city. It is definitely worth the trip. Forget about hiking up. Save time and energy by taking the cable car (it's only 7,000 won for a round-trip).

According to Lonely Planet: "You can't really say you've done Korea unless you've been to a public bath." Really! Intrigued and coveted for the full Korean experience, I stopped by at Hurest Spa. Going into the spa was intimidating at first. No, it wasn't the stripping down naked part, that was the easy part. ;-) There is actually a process that every bather needs to follow in a Korean bath house. By adopting the "monkey see, monkey do" approach, I quickly learned the rules of going into the tubs. Basically, one would pay 6,000 won (around US$6.50), get the key to the locker, go to the locker room, strip down, lock your belongings, take a shower to clean yourself, and finally jump (not literally) into the tub. It is suggested that the best bathing experience is to alternate between the hot and cold tubs. This technique improves blood circulation and creates a tingling sensation. I tried this technique a few times but didn't get the tingling sensation until the last rotation. I ended my time at the spa by taking a long shower and thoroughly cleaned myself in the process. What a great experience! It is definitely worth it. I plan on doing this again tomorrow.