Travels in South Korea

So it's nearly 9:30am here in Seoul, and for some reason I'm awake. I'm not a morning person so this is unheard of for me without an alarm clock there to wake me up.

South Korea so far has been an interesting, albeit tiring experience, and it's only going to get more tiring as time goes on. In a few hours we'll be off to the cinema and doing some shopping around, and then hopefully going to a sheep cafe, or a raccoon cafe. Or hopefully both!

Yesterday was spent in Gangnam, and honestly it wasn't what I had expected. In a way I had pictured Gangnam to be a bit like Manchester in terms of shopping, but it was totally different.

The main road was essentially gridlocked from the second we entered Gangnam via the subway, to the moment we left via the subway. We took to the back roads instantly where there were hundreds more shops and cafes as far as the eyes could see. People walked in the middle of the road, as cars manoeuvred slowly down the narrow streets. Not a pavement in sight. Cars and bikes honked at oblivious people who hadn't heard their approach, frightening the life out of more than one unsuspecting person and causing them to quickly scurry out of the way. The heat was intense, but the rain provided a small amount of relief at least. The shops and cafes we dipped in and out of were well air conditioned, and a welcome retreat from the sweltering heat.

The food we ate was different, but interesting. Not something my usually rather simple palette was used to. Some foods I enjoyed, and others not so much. But I'm glad I tried them at least. Lunch was a bolognese, which was more like chilli if I'm honest. Fairly spicy, but just within my range of tolerance. Only barely though. My friend's pasta had a more creamy sauce that I tried and sadly wasn't a fan of. The bread bowl it came in however was deliciously soft and a welcome cleanse to my burning mouth. As well, we had steak with some oddly shaped chips, and a choice of sweet chilli, or barbecue dipping sauce. The steak was cooked wonderfully and was beautifully tender. It melted in my mouth and tasted fantastic. I'd gladly have eaten that to myself! A blue lemonade shocked my eyes, but was powerfully sweet, with a slight tang that was refreshing and delicious.

Next, at a Paris Baguette, we bought cake and more drinks to cater to our chocolate cravings. A large chocolate volcano cake was my sweet of choice, though maybe a bit too ambitious for me, as I was sadly unable to finish it. The cake was beautifully moist and dusted in icing sugar. Sticky chocolate sauce was dribbled down the side and made eating it a little messy; but added to the wonderful experience.

The peach and mango drink was too sweet for me, and most of it was left to the bin. That being said, I wasn't a fan of the grape one my friend had either!

One my friend's boyfriend had left to go to a talk he was part of, my friend and I wandered the streets. The second the heavens opened, almost everyone took out an umbrella to take shelter under. My friend and I only having the one we took from the hotel, we nipped into a store called Art Box. It had just what we were looking for and so much more. Umbrellas a plenty, and lovely cool air conditioning; amongst other things. Racks of socks lined the walls, stationary and unbelievably cheap notebooks were everywhere. The temptation was so overwhelming, but I stayed strong. For now at least. We bought our few pieces, and went on to look for a cosmetics store called Tony Moly. One that is very popular, but that I had never seen. It took us a lot of walking to find one, but left without making a purchase. The time wasn't right, it seems. A young Korean woman tried her hardest to communicate with us, her English clearly lacking, with my Korean in the same state. However, my friend and I highly appreciated her attempt.

It wasn't long before the heat and pure exhaustion kicked in, my friend becoming rather unwell and myself suffering a headache that was verging on a migraine. After locating the boyfriend of my friend, we retrieved the room key, and made our way back to the subway station. Rush hour must have just begun, as people were everywhere. The subway was extremely crowded and we had to squeeze to get on board. After getting on the wrong direction on the second leg of the journey, we quickly made amends and were on our way back. The subway unbelievably quick, a shock to anyone not expecting it. Thankfully I was pre-warned before we got on the first time, and held on for dear life as we sped from stop to stop.

The biggest relief of the entire day, was that flop onto the bed. The bed I am in isn't the softest or the comfiest, but it provides respite to my weary body.

And now, as I sit here at 9:30am, I wonder what today will bring. What new experiences I will have after it, and what wonder will come to behold me.