Seoul Trippin 2

By the time Tonya & I finally connected it was probably pushing 2 AM, which is when most people find themselves (or would if they could have out of body experiences) deep in a relatively peaceful slumber. Having been conditioned, over the years, to be a night owl, my biological clock sees it as an opportunity to continue whatever productivity may have emanated from my pores a few hours earlier. As most great friendships are fostered over cocktails, it seemed apropos that Tonya should suggest grabbing beers once I'd dropped my pack on the floor of her boyfriends apartment.

Although a majority of Koreans own automobiles (namely Hyundai's & Kia's but to a lesser degree, there are a couple other Korean brands & occasionally you'll see a Lexus, Mercedes, Chevy, Honda, Range Rover, etc), it seems the cities are conveniently centered around either quality public transportation or human power (i.e. walking or riding a bike). Most cities have distinct commercial & entertainment centers which are easily accessible. It should be noted, though, many of the cities are built around mountains, therefore, many of the roads undulate & wrap around....something that could certainly cause a newbie to become disoriented if left to wander home from a night out.

Seoul Tower, the wee hours

We worked our way down a few hilly streets & popped out on the main drag of Itaewon. It's a very international part of Seoul & there is a US military base located at the west end of the strip. The street consists of a plethora of Western bars & restaurants, including major chains like McDonalds (of course), Burger King, Outback & Subway as well as some unique joints offering things a bit different yet still contentedly Western in their style.

Seoul Tower, early morning

We wound up hitting a couple spots that were just closing down. We finally found ourselves in a great little spot  located up & off the street but serving tasty beers, so I was a happy kid. We spent about an hour downing a couple beers & 'catching up,' even though this was the first time we'd actually ever talked face to face. She regaled me w/tales from her time after Huxley, adventures in CO & finally her months traversing exciting & exotic locales across the globe before 'settling down' in Korea for the past couple years. Her story is one to envy & appreciate from a perspective like mine, so I was completely content hearing about her travels.

Seoul Tower, early afternoon

With management urging it's patrons to head elsewhere, we made our way through the winding streets back towards Mark's apartment. As we got closer, we decided to stop at a little hole in the wall to suck down a couple IPA's that they'd recently discovered. I'm not a big IPA fan but these were definitely tasty & the guy serving them was typical of most Irish I've met along the way....sarcastic, jovial, good-natured, antsy to consume & converse & genuinely interested (mostly) in helping others enjoy life as much as they are. He was actually filling in for the regular bartender who had a bit of an 'emergency' and couldn't work the shift.

Sensing he was ready to close up shop as the morning was quickly approaching, we said our good bye's, joked about arbitrary nonsense & made our way out the door & back to the apartment for a few hours of early morning shut eye. I was lucky to have a huge, inflatable bed covered w/an equally large memory foam mattress on which to rest my weary head. Upon completion of the pre-sleep rituals, I was fast asleep in no time & a few hours later, found myself rising from my slumber w/the acute senses & sharp mind of the lethargic basset hound, Flash, from the Dukes of Hazzard.

 As most mornings tend to go, it takes a bit to shake off the morning fog & seeing how I'm not a coffee drinker this can make for a frustrating process if there are activities planned. Fortunately, we spent about two hours catching up/getting to know everyone better, as well as a tour of Mark's place. Most apartments in Korea are pretty simple but he had quite a set up, both space-wise & location. He had an upstairs as well as a rooftop that both offered plenty of extra room to stash items or host get-togethers. The roof offered some great views of the expanding city in nearly all directions, probably a great spot to post up most mornings for some coffee/tea, breakfast & light
reading!

Tonya's boyfriend Mark taking in the view

The day was scheduled to be fairly low-key as Tonya & Mark only had a couple things to do, aside from serious hydrating & carbo loading for the big race on Sunday. We tooled around Seoul some in Mark's Korando (imagine a classier Jeep w/out the removable top), met one of their Australian mountain biking/drinking buddies who'd literally 'busted a nut' riding his bike through a park a couple days earlier after a healthy night of revelry & inability to be convinced a cab was a better option than navigating a dark, hilly Seoul park in the wee hours of the night.

Regardless of his current testicular predicament & the pressing need to continue preparations for a party they were hosting the next day (which was why Mark had to visit, to drop of some supplies), he was easily coaxed into late morning beers & a little 'lunch' at this great German restaurant at the base of his towering apartment building in downtown Seoul . The whole ambiance was an amazing oasis tucked discreetly into the hustle & bustle of an important commercial nerve center of the world.  He, much like many Australians I've met, had the same whimsical, upbeat & jovial demeanor I've come to appreciate - reminds me of the Irish in this way: 'Let's just work hard, play hard, have a good time & not get too worked up over the little things that ultimately don't make a bit of difference in the grand scheme!'

The 'Floating Island' along the Han River

After a couple hours of entertaining stories, grand schemes of wealth & & generally enjoyable camaraderie, it was back to the apartment before heading off on a bike ride down to the Han River for some sight seeing. We poked around the newly opened 'floating island,' although we weren't really able to figure out it's actual purpose aside from a spot for tourists like me to wander through & snap a few pics.

Seoul less than a half century ago

We came to the conclusion that it was likely meant as a minor entertainment venue to host musicians, artists & the like as well as a spot for locals or tourists to relax, grab something to drink or nibble on as they make their way up & down the riverfront. I'm impressed, again, at how convenient it is for people to get around in the cities & the obvious dedication made by planners to incorporate walking/biking paths into all aspects of development.

The bridge, looking back at the 'Floating Islands'

In one of the buildings on the 'island' there was a photography display, showing a vast array of Seoul cityscapes, both at day & night. We also stumbled across some photo's of Seoul about 50 years ago, when it was just beginning it's development. I've said it a few times but I'm still amazed at how quickly this country has evolved into what we see today. So much growth & development in just a few decades - considering this was essentially a third world country half a century ago, you have to tip your hat to guys like Park Chung Hee (Korean President/Dictator who was born in Gumi, just a few blocks from where I'm living) who really made the initial push towards modernization & legitimacy on the world stage.

Spending just enough time to suffice our curiosity, we headed back towards Itaewon, back up the beefy hill on the bikes to indulge on some enormous Crow's Nest pizza - actually pizza, as opposed to the goofy stuff most Koreans consider 'pizza.' Before grabbing some 'za, we dropped off the bikes & wound up wandering around the busy streets for a bit as they noted various points of interest & we attempted to formulate a sleeping plan for me. 

 

I was planning to get a cheap hotel room but everything was already booked for the holiday weekend, so we scouted out a Jjimjilbang (Korean bathhouse http://wiki.galbijim.com/Jjimjilbang) that actually allows it's visitors to sack up for the night. For the low, low price of 8,000 won (about $7), I would have a place to not only rest my weary head but also attend to the necessary hygiene requirements in the morning....I'm a simple guy but I do still like to be clean whenever possible. We also had the trouble of finding a relatively secure place to lock up one of Mark's bikes, as he was going to let me use it on Sunday in order to tool around the city & cover more ground.

A Hot Room to Relax in the Jjimjilbang

Having locked up the bike & gotten an idea of where I could call home for the night, it was time to eat. The Crow's Nest was certainly delicious & a welcome addition to a nearly empty stomach still swimming in beer from the previous night. After kicking back for awhile, enjoying the food & washing it down w/more beer, it was time for Tonya & Mark to head back to their place as I was left to my own devices for the night.

This is actually typical, amazing!

Sadly, there isn't a whole lot of nonsense to report. I pretty much hung out, wandered around Itaewon, got hit on by prostitutes on Hooker Hill, sucked down a few beers & wound up calling it quits early enough to secure decent sleeping quarters at the bathhouse....not after a quick workout, some wandering around the immense building, soaking in the natural hot springs & lulling myself into a zombie-like stupor watching about 30 minutes of what appeared to be Korean Dramatic/Historical Television, documenting some important clan warfare from a few centuries ago, with just enough modern day effects to keep the kids interested. 

These last two photos are from the Jjimjilbang link a few paragraphs up but thought it'd give you an idea of what the places are like. I'm quite certain you're not allowed to take pics but apparently somebody didn't pay much heed to the rules.

Aside from these 'sit & scrub' showers, there are usually normal showers available, too.


I'll do another blog covering the rest of the weekend, as this one has certainly exceeding my desired amount of words.

Until then, be well, live happy, stay cool, hold no grudges & see the world - it's a pretty amazing place out there!