After leaving China, we spent the next week in Seoul. This part of the trip was my chance to show E around and convince him of the awesomeness that is Seoul. I also enjoyed having a chance to meet up with friends I haven’t seen in four years or more. Nostalgia can be great sometimes.

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To continue the food tour, we ate our first meal in Seoul at 육회자매집 in Gwangjang Market for 육회 (raw beef) and 산낙지 (live octopus). We ordered a dish called 육탕이 (yuktangee), that I initially did not realize contained live octopus. I’ve never been much for seafood, so I do not know Korean seafood dishes well. Even for this dish, I would probably classify it as raw octopus with the tentacles still moving rather than live octopus, which still has its head and body. However, you want to consider the dish, it was delicious and E enjoyed it as much as I had. We then walked around Gwangjang market and along Cheongyecheon in downtown Seoul, before heading back to our AirBnB in Hongdae.

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I took E to Ilsan and also Paju on our first full day in Korea. I always would say that if I ever had a chance to move back to Seoul, I would want to move to Ilsan. Ilsan, to me, is like a mini-Seoul. Lively satellite city, with many of the attractions that Seoul has, yet Ilsan has significantly fewer crowds. We recently found out that our dog used to live at a rescue in Ilsan. Our first stop then, was visiting our dog’s old home and thanking the people that took care of her. Talking to our dog’s old family in Korean not only made me feel grateful for her, but it also gave me a confidence boost in my Korean language ability. I took to the conversation as easily as when I had first left. After our goodbyes, I showed E the area around 호수공원 or the Lake Park.  We grabbed some 냉면 (cold noodles) for lunch and rested under the shade of trees.

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Day two in Seoul was the main touring day. We did the traditional circuit of Gyeongbok Palace, Bukchon (a little bit), and Insadong. Although quite touristy, Insadong is one of my favorite areas. I enjoy looking at the traditional souvenirs that are most sold to foreigners. Yet, E isn’t much for shopping (and was tired), so the mood wasn’t as good as I had liked. Still, we wore ourselves out and crashed when we got home.

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The next two days were some of the most enjoyable of the whole trip. Without a fail, when you meet with friends that you haven’t seen in awhile, you always have the most fun. Over the weekend, E and I met with a couple of friends from when I lived in Mokpo. We mostly just hung out in different parts of Seoul — 찜닭 (steamed chicken stew) in Buamdong,  coffee shop in Bukchon, beer at the Han River, and makgeolli in Hongdae, with various Korean dishes throughout the day. On the second day, we met up with my friends for some 평양 냉면 (North Korean cold noodles). However, we had to say our goodbyes by the afternoon as my friends had to return home. E and I then spent the evening at Dragon Hill Spa, where we enjoyed a massage and the bathhouse.

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The next two days consisted of hiking at Bukhansan, eating more Korean food, and wearing our feet out in Myeongdong and Namsan Tower. although we enjoyed these activities, the highlight of the last two days would be visiting a Raccoon Cafe! Animal cafes — dog, cat, meerkat, owl, etc — are quite popular in Korea and Japan. While raccoons in the US can cause problems and are dangerous, they are quite cute in a cafe setting. The raccoons lived with a couple of dogs, seemed to not be bothered by people and were vaccinated. Yet, after those two days, it was time for our next destination. Onward to Capitals of Asia – Tokyo.

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Until next time,