After a very long hiatus (nearly 2.8 years since we visited Singapore and Indonesia in December 2019!) the Beaver clan packed our suitcases and headed overseas. This time, somewhere new (for most of us at least), South Korea, and specifically Seoul.
What followed was a whirlwind 7 days of walking (10-12kms per day), eating (4-5 meals per day - and a lot of fried chicken), shopping and tourist-ing.
This blog is a little unorganised (I think in our excitement we didn't filter the photos, but we had a great time, and it is so good to be avle to travel the world again!
Our first meal... Chicken & Beer (well Soju in this instance). We got to the hotel around 10pm, but that was just about right to head out for dinner!
On our first full day, we visited N-Tower, famed for the love-locks featured in many a K-Drama and TATBILB.
Getting to Namsan Tower involved a cable car, and some decent walking. A great start to the holiday.
Keira placing her 'special message' for the world.
Claire placed the family lock...as her lock was saved for a 'Peter Kavinsky pack'.
And a family sticker photo added to the wall for all future visiters to admire.
An important safety message from the graffiti artist in the family.
The Love bridge...
After visiting the tower, we wondered through a little 'village' decorated by the Sticky Monster Lab...and each found our spirit monster.
One of many (many) eating photos!
At some stage, we ended up a a cafe called Eden, which featured some friendly animals, including wallabies, foxes, a chubby raccoon, and meercats!
Keira become a meercat mum for the afternoon, at one point having three curled up sleeping on her lap.
And another dinner... Chicken Galbi....
Sulbing Bingsu.
Myeongdong at night.
Another day...another set of adventures. This time to Kwangjang Market (which we'd seen on 'Someone Feed Phil')... an opportunity to eat...eat..eat. Mungbean Pancakes, Dumplings, Handcut Noodles, Chicken
The onto DongDaeMun and the massive markets / shops which make up the centre of Seoul's fashion heart.
Egg toast...a must try.
Seafood Pancake (this one had more spring onion than pancake but was great!)
Shopping in Insadong.
COEX Mall in Gangnum, featuring an amaxing library in the centre of the mall!
We couldn't visit Seoul without visiting the Gyeongbokgung Palace in the heart of the city. We spent a very blustery and wet morning exploring the grounds and imagining life back in time.
Posing with their birth-characters.
And some questionable artwork.
And bingsu (again)
Dumplings at Myeongdong Kyoja (get there before the doors open...its crazy busy).
An afternoon enjoying Samcheongdong...a village like street in the hills surrounding the palace.
And a wonder through the Bukchon Hanok Village...giving another glimpse of life in times gone by.
One of the must try dining experiences in Seoul is 7/11 or GS25 convienience stores... they have everything (and tables and chairs).
We spent a day shopping in Hongdae (university town... cool young trendy people)
Chicken and Beer (again), and whats not shown in the photos is we managed to get takeway one night..and a very late night (near midnight) feed of (you guessed it) chicken and beer!
Something we'd never heard of, but saw EVERYWHERE in Seoul was HBAF (Honey Butter Almond Friend)... its a big chain and all over the place.
But...apparently the H is silent... and they go to quite some (questionable) lengths to get this message acrosss.
Another day...another round of chicken and beer.
As always, the photos don't seem to do justice for the 100's of things we did, saw, and ate while we enjoyed our time in Seoul.
