Our first stop today was Gyeongbokgung Palace - a beautiful and HUGE compound. (And I'd like to take this opportunity to say that we totally rocked the Korean subway system, even with a transfer. Yep, once Amy found out I used to live in NYC, she figured she was set -- and with her blonde hair, people are asking us if we need help if they sense even the slightest hesitation). The architecture was amazing and we got lost in the beauty and history there.
After the Palace, we went through the Korean Museum of Folk Art. It was just as incredible. We didn't check out the Children's Museum, but we did see lines of adorable little Korean children walking onto the grounds.
After a morning of culture, it was time to do some shopping. It was a 10 minute walk to Insadong, one of the popular market areas. As we meandered through the narrow cobblestone streets, there were many different types of stores: souvenirs, antiques, clothing, and of course, many restaurants. We were very successful shoppers and I was able to use some of the few Korean phrases I know. Soaking in the sights and sounds of Korea has been an incredible experience in itself.
One of the shops we went in is known for their name chops. They hand carve stamps with names or sayings on them. I got one for Joe that has the Korean symbols for his name: Sung Min Kim and one for Olivia that has her name in English and also in Korean -- also picked some up for friends. Amy purchased some for her children as well. The shopkeepers are amazing artists in their own right and are known for their work. The Queen of England is among the famous people who have visited their shop. We enjoyed a delicious bibimbop in a stone dish lunch (not sure of the correct terminology) while we waited for our chops to be created. I have thoroughly been enjoying the food -- but I admit I didn't try the anchovies that were one of our side dishes...
In this last picture, I'm watching the woman carve the Korean symbols for "happiness" onto Joe's name chop. She did that for each of them -- and they were generous enough to also give us ink (in a ceramic) pot for each of the name chops as a gift. I know Liv will LOVE using her stamp -- but she definitely will not be able to use it without anyone watching.
As we continued on our journey, we noticed a group of young adults wearing hanboks and holding different signs, one of which read "Free Hugs". This gentleman motioned to me and I was happy to oblige. It isn't often one is able to receive a free hug in Korea from a man in a hanbok. What a great memory!
At this point, we were weary travelers and headed back to the hotel to take a little siesta. Our little siesta ended up being three hour power naps. Guess we were tired!!! I knocked on Amy's door to tell her it was after 8:00pm -- and after we fully woke up, we decided to hit an area with nighttime shopping Myeong-dong. We shopped, we ate, we people watched... and then the real excitement started.
We had taken a taxi to Myeong-dong and were charged 3,000 won, or $3. Awesome. On the way back, we got into the cab, gave the driver the card with the address in Korean and he said 10,000 won. We said no thank you and got out. The next driver we approached shook his head no and drove off, so we finally decided we'd take the subway since we were such pros. We started off well, got on the correct subway to Seoul Station, only to find out it was a different Seoul Station than the one by our hotel. We thought the underground passageways would take us there, but we ended up somewhere totally different. So much for our navigational skills!!!
We stopped at one of the ubiquitous 7-11 stores and, after much discussion with other customers, were told to take a cab for 2,000 won. Suddenly a minivan taxi appears and we give him the card and he tells us 10,000 won. Amy says, 5000. He says 10,000 -- that a smaller amount would be appropriate for a sedan, not one his size. Out of desperation, we got in the cab. He talked to someone on the phone and realized where the hotel was and suddenly, he was the happiest taxi driver ever and he flipped a switch and lights went on that would have made the decorators of the Cash Cab jealous. It. Was. Amazing. And totally unexpected -- and turned our frowns upside down. We noticed he had a hunting motif and a license plate inside that said "REBL" with a confederate flag. This was NOT your average taxi. I wish we had taken his number so he could be our driver the rest of our trip.
After stopping at the 7-11 across the street from the hotel for a beer, we got back to our room and settled in after our busy day. Tomorrow (later today, actually) will be less hectic as Mr. Choi (and maybe the rest of the family) will be picking us up and taking us to their house for Joe's (Sung Min Kim's) dol celebration.
I'm so excited to see -- and be able to hold -- my son for the first time. (And of course, I wish Brian and Liv were here to share all these experiences with me)
Thanks for joining us on our journey.
To be continued...
Seems like yesterday. Love.
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