Seoul, Day 4

My last full day in Seoul! This trip has gone by so quickly. I have really enjoyed my time here, and I really like this city! It's such a good mix of the old and new, with a great public transportation system, and tons to see and eat. If not for the language barrier, I think this would definitely be a city I could live in!

In the morning, I headed to the Bukchon Hanok Village, which is a residential neighborhood comprised of traditional Korean homes. The architecture of this historical neighborhood is quite unique, and it's the last of its kind in Seoul that houses real tenants. Of course, it wasn't possible to see inside the homes, but it was nice to walk around the hilly streets.

Traditonal Korean homes

This house has a nice view!

Ah, the popularity of Korean dramas! This is a tourist destination!

The inside courtyard of one of the traditional homes

Afterwards, I strolled back to the Insadong area for lunch. It was seriously a problem of having too many options! I finally decided to have some tofu stew, and found a place offering very reasonable prices.

Yummy (and large!) lunch

The meal came with a whopping 5 banchans, and a small bowl of pumpkin soup to start. The tofu stew was savory, with silky tofu and egg mixed into a spicy seafood broth. All this for about $6!

I was tempted to take a nap after eating all that food. But I retraced my steps and went back to Namdaemun market to walk around some more. This place was massive, with dozens of winding streets full of shops, as well as lots of indoor spaces housing even more vendors. I passed by rows of people selling children's clothing, then adult clothing. There were dozens of shops selling socks and underwear, and even household goods. There was a street of just eyeglass shops, and a street with just shoes.

I literally walked around for an hour and a half, and thoroughly got lost. The only place I have been to that resembles this is the Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok. I didn't even bother taking my camera out total pictures... I just immersed myself in the experience!

I feel like I've walked around many different kinds of commerce situations in this city. And I have comparatively bought so little! But with cash still left in my wallet, I finally descended into the madness of a supermarket (conveniently located and teeming with Chinese tourists).

Did I go overboard with the seaweed? No??

And with that, my trip has come to an end. I'll have enough time to grab lunch at the airport, and then I will be flying back to Japan. I hope this isn't the last time I visit this country though, as I feel like I've barely even scratched the surface of this one city. Seoul ended up bigger than I expected, and so I didn't even visit the area south of the river (where the infamous Gangnam is located).

I recently read a small quote written by Kim Gu, one of the leaders of the Korean independence movement. Although written back in the 1940's, it is extremely relevant in today's world.

...I want our nation to be the most beautiful in the world. By this I do not mean the most powerful nation. Because I have felt the pain of being invaded by another nation, I do not want my nation to invade others. It is sufficient that our wealth makes our lives abundant; it is sufficient that our strength is able to prevent foreign invasions. The only thing that I desire in infinite quantity is the power of a noble culture. This is because the power of culture both makes ourselves happy and gives happiness to others.

What an amazing sentiment. I would definitely say that South Korea is pretty darn beautiful then. :)