My flight to return back to Minneapolis was at 7:30pm which meant that I had a majority of the day to make the most of it while in Seoul as long as I was packed up and ready to head to the airport at 3pm.
I decided to check out Gyeongbokgung Palace, maybe I’d get some nice pictures or run into something else that was interesting along the way. Cost of entry was around $2 which didn’t break the bank but right as I entered, it started raining. Thankfully it didn’t stay long and I got my nice picture with a rainbow in the back. I also tagged along with a tour group that was in progress and learned that in the 15th century, King Sejong the Great developed the Korean written language as a majority of people were illiterate because Chinese was so difficult to read.
One thing that was on my list of things to eat was to get dak galbi, a dish that I had the first time I came to Seoul. I tried to go the previous night at 10:15pm when google listed the restaurant to close at 1am but they said they close early now due to covid. I got to the largely empty restaurant at 11am for lunch and ordered the dak galbi. I felt awkward because it’s a dish meant to be shared and they only sell it in portions for 2 or 3 people, but it was a good thing I did all that walking around the palace because I was hungry.
The dish consists of chicken thighs marinated in spicy gochujang, served with rice cakes (tteok), potatoes, corn, cabbage, and cheese. They serve it in a cast iron pan and place it on top of a burner in the middle of the table which keeps it hot and bubbly. They also had an all you can eat side dish (banchan) station where you serve yourself. The macaroni salad was SO good. I managed to eat 75% of what I ordered which I was pretty proud of. If you find yourself in Seoul, the restaurant is Yoogane. Definitely worth a visit.
I wish Joanna was able to come with me on this trip but unfortunately she had to make it back home in time as she had a full patient load on Monday. Kimberly was also fully booked with important work meetings so she wasn’t able to make the trip either. Joanna did give me a shopping list of things to buy as Korean skincare and makeup is some of the best in the world. She asked me to get this rice based SPF 50 sunscreen from Beauty of Joseon which I guess people are raving over. I tried a sample and was incredibly surprised how not greasy it felt. I got several boxes for $23 each, when they sell for about $35 at home. My mom also asked me to buy korean facemasks as they are supposed to be more comfortable. I picked up a few which were buy 2 get 1 free, tried out the Kleenex brand ones and I had to go back and buy more. Thankfully they were on sale but I may have gone overboard a little…
I got my bags packed and was actually half an hour ahead of schedule. I remembered one of the perks people wrote positive reviews about the hotel I was staying at was the rooftop foot bath. Even though it was raining, I figured I’d just try it out. After all the walking I’ve been doing the last week, the hot water felt nice. Joanna gives me a hard time but zip off khakis are made for these types of situations, I don’t care how much of a dad I look. It’s function over beauty!
I took the subway to Seoul Station and then the direct express to the airport. I had to snap this picture of course for the blog because that takes priority.
After about 55 min, I arrived at the airport and made my way to departures where I realized I didn’t have my wallet on me. I immediately started sweating at the thought of losing my wallet when I’m about to leave the country and rushed back to the train station. The front desk said they would ask staff to check the train for me but I was not allowed to get on as it’s about to leave to return to the city. He asked me for my phone number and to return in the next hour in case they do find it. THANKFULLY I took the picture of myself on the train because it showed my seat number. I showed it to the attendant and within a few minutes, a woman came out of the elevator with my wallet. What a close call!
Even though it was an unplanned short trip in Seoul, I had a blast. I never considered coming back or planning a vacation to South Korea to explore outside of the main city but I might just have to now.
I’m home now and severely jet lagged as I’ve been waking up around 3am the last few nights. This trip to visit my grandma was extremely fun and I’m glad that we decided to do it considering you never know how much time you have with your loved ones. Thanks for following along for another edition of the Loosyourselfabroad blog. I may be going to India in February for a work trip and we have a trip to Japan to finally do our honeymoon after 3 years of waiting in May so stay tuned!
