Liking it here. Pale skin is fashionable so I expect to increase my inluencer numbers with my pasty legs now out. Selfie numbers are increasing in hot spots, so looking to learn: trick seems to be to have someone else do it for you and look away into the distance – a selfie two.
Buses work well – how did we manage before Google Maps or Naver Maps to navigate the complex system (there are 4 colours of buses, 5000 of them on over 400 routes)? Frequent, though we seem the lone westerners frequenting them.
Gyeongbokgung Palace was the first stop. A reconstruction of a massive 14C palace from the royal dynasty that lasted until 1910. Flattened by the Japanese during their 1910-1945 occupation, 25 %has been rebuilt in the last 30 years. Lots of people get in free wearing the local dress (hanbok). We paid.
An insight – how to capture a castle. Wait until changing of the guard. They are spending so much time prancing up and down, looking at each other, you can just walk right in. The one we watched recreated a 15C choreography – at one point the lead guards had to check each other’s ID. How did they do that back then?
The Catholic Cathedral, from late 19C has gone very modern, TV screens offer diversification opportunities. The snooker final wasn’t on though – we might go back for the racing.
We took a short stroll along an urban river. Cheonggyecheon is an 11-kilometer (6.8-mile) restored, uncovered stream and public recreation space flowing through downtown Seoul. Reopened in 2005 after removing a concrete highway, featuring walkways, waterfalls, and art installations – a mural of a King’s progress showed inequality has a long history.
Two outdoor libraries. There’s none near us at home for some reason.
Travelling reflections 