On Saturday morning we got an email at 3am saying that our flight out of Seoul at 7pm Sunday night with a 5pm Sunday arrival time in Minneapolis has been delayed until 8am the next day which means we wouldn’t be getting in until at least 6am. This didn’t work for Joanna and Kimberly as they had packed schedules on Monday so we were frantically trying to figure out different options to get home. While on the phone with the Delta rep, I realized my work schedule was pretty flexible and I’m always daydreaming about traveling anyway so I should take the opportunity to spend a day in Seoul. I ended up getting placed on a Monday night flight which allowed me 36 hours to hang out in the city. My credit card includes trip insurance that covers up to $500 worth of transportation, hotel, and food costs if your flight is delayed more than 6 hours. I basically got a covered trip where I’d spend the savings on Korean skincare and makeup because it’s the best in the world.
We had a redeye at 1am leaving Hong Kong and arriving in Seoul at 6am. I wanted to hang out with Kimberly and Joanna for a few hours as their flight to Atlanta wasn’t until 5pm but we were forced to split up where I went to immigration and they transferred to another terminal. They were able to find an in airport hotel room to get some decent sleep and a shower before their 14 hour flight back to the states.
I was going to book a hostel to recreate the good old days of traveling but considering Amex was going to cover my room, I went with a middle of the road hotel that was right next to the subway station. It took about 2 hours to leave the airport and arrive at my hotel in Meyongdong, one of the big shopping areas of Seoul. I arrived at the hotel around 8am but my check in wasn’t until 3pm. They were gracious to allow me to do an early check in for a slight fee.
The room was nice, clean, and met my basic needs for the next day and a half. The thing that stood out to me in the room was this flat pack sponge that was placed next to the body wash. It was slightly abrasive and great to use in the shower. I asked the housekeeper if I could take a few and she was happy to give them to me. These would be convenient to travel with as it helps save on using liquid soap.
My plan for the day was to get some breakfast, take a nap, and then explore the rest of the day. The hotel had a restaurant that served typical American style breakfast. I wanted to eat what the locals ate for breakfast and found a rice congee restaurant right next door.
I walked in and realized that not only did each table have multiple bottles of beer and soju at 9am on a Sunday morning but they were all speaking Japanese. Even the menu was in Japanese. I thought it was hilarious because we told Uncle Lincoln that we were heading to Seoul and he said “But they don’t speak Japanese there?”…smartass lol
I ordered a congee with shiitake mushrooms and oysters and a bottle of beer because everyone else was doing it too. This was such a hearty breakfast, it was almost like eating a bowl of risotto. I had no idea that this was a typical Korean breakfast, it was delicious and I’ll have to find a place in K-town in LA that serves it. I must have chosen a good restaurant because the line was wayyy out the door to get in.
I set a 2 hour nap alarm so I wouldn’t end up sleeping away the day but ended up waking up over 3 hours later. I guess I was more tired than I thought.
The Meyongdong shopping street was 2 blocks away from the hotel. I didn’t realize that there were a bunch of food vendors too, not that I was worried about what to eat for lunch :p
There were a lot of people shopping for clothes, cosmetics, and skincare. I even met BTS!
There’s definitely a more lax adherence to mask wearing here. While almost everyone was wearing masks outside, it felt like they weren’t being forced to like in Hong Kong. Also it was 45f outside which made it easier to wear as opposed to 80f and 80% humidity in Hong Kong. I was in a HK mall a few days ago holding a bubble tea. I handed the cup to Kimberly for a second while I grabbed something out of my backpack and security stopped me to “remind” me to wear a mask. I told them I’m drinking something and they backed off. I’m all for mask wearing but at some point it’s a bit much.
I definitely have a different appreciation for Seoul than the first time I was here 10 years ago. I don’t remember it being so clean, quiet, and serene. I loved the little stream that ran through the middle of the downtown area. City planning here feels so purposeful with a focus on the aesthetic.
My goal tonight was to take some pics of the view from Seoul tower and wow this city is friggin pretty at night.
I normally don’t like spending a lot of money on sightseeing things but I came across the cable car that goes up to Seoul Tower instead of walking up a very steep incline. It was $11 for a round trip ticket and worth the cost because I got this cool looking timelapse.
