Seoul Day One

After hitting the breakfast bar, which was a fun experience - Nick had rice for breakfast! He loves Korea, rice at every meal! we came back to our room and got ready for the day.

Nick asked me like a million times what our plan for the day was and I kept telling him I didn't have one. He wasn't game for just wandering through the streets of Seoul, so I had to at least give him a few destinations we were going to.

Outside our Hotel, on the way to Insadong

Our hotel is located right between Insadong and Gyeongbok Palace, a great location. We walked down to Insadong. It's this tiny, one way street, with store after store after store. We just walked up and down and through a few shops to just get a feel and so I could scope out the shopping. We plan on going back here to do some major shopping!

Insadong Street

The Starbucks at Insadong

After Insadong, we went down to the subway station and attempted to buy a T money card, which is a reusable reloadable subway card. All we had were 50,000 wons (which is more than $50) and the machine wouldn't take it, so we walked back to the hotel and asked the front desk for some smaller bills. Then we were back to the subway to buy our T Money cards for the week. The machine was sold out! So we figured out the one way ticket machine, once Nick put the machine in English, and bought our tickets to the Seoul Station, which is where Lotte Mart is.

We navigated the subway with ease and got to Lotte Mart without any problems. Lotte Mart is like a super Walmart, they have groceries, toys, electronics, bedding, childrens clothes, everything. We explored around for a bit and then decided we were both starving!

We walked out of Lotte Mart and found a big bus station that had lots of food options, we opted for Burger King!


On the way back to our hotel, we bought our T Money cards. (Just FYI for future travelers, the card cost 3,000 won, then you have to load money on it. But it's a better deal, our way back ticket was 90 won and it cost 175,000 won for a one way ticket)

After lunch, we didn't have any plans, so we ended up just coming back to the room, cause we were exhausted, it was about 3 pm here. We told each other we would stay up till at least 8, before going to bed. Well, lets say, I woke up at 5:30 on the couch and ended up going to bed! Oops!

So now it's about 6:15 am here and I'm wide awake! Nick is still in the bed sleeping, but we will get up shortly and get our stuff together for today because today is the BIG DAY, we meet Bates!!!

Here are some things I noticed about Korea:

• High Fashion, everyone wears black, and nobody, but us, had on jeans!
• When you need to get off the subway tram, you line up and MOVE! No dilly dallying, you MOVE!
• Americans are funny! When we'd pass other Americans, they would smile at us!
• Not everyone that I thought was American was, there are lots of Europeans here too.
• There is no such thing as personal space. This one lady followed Nick around the entire store. I told him I thought she thought he was stealing!
• I wouldn't trade coming to Korea for anything. I told Nick as we were walking that I felt like an outsider, I didn't look like anyone else, and this is how Bates will feel.
• Their rooms and building and subway cars are HOT! I mean I was sweating. Room temp here is like 85! Luckily I figured out the AC in our room!
• STAIRS! Oh my word, STAIRS! We must have walked up and down a MILLION flights of stairs. My legs are a little sore today. I laughed and told Nick we will have to plan better routes when I have Bates in a backpack, I can't do all these stairs!