It’s been over a week since I came back from my most recent trip to Korea. It’s been five years since I was in Korea this time of year and in that time I had managed to completely forget how insufferably hot it gets in August. It didn’t help that my stay pretty much overlapped with a nationwide heat wave and if I had thought that one t-shirt could easily last me two days (which I did) I was wrong 😉
Aside from the scorching heat, I had a wonderful trip full of happy reunions and plenty of new memories. I thought I’d share the highlights with you here.
Day 1 – settling in and touring Seoul
I had brought a friend with me this time, and since she had never been to Korea before, I wanted to show her as much of Seoul as possible. On the first day we braved the heat and headed for Gwanghwamun where we quickly sought shelter from the burning sun under King Sejong (many people don’t know that there’s a museum under the gigantic statue). Then we headed to Jogyesa where a service was being held and then to Cheonggyecheon to cool off before exploring Gwangjang market and the surrounding area.
After a day of walking all over Seoul (with jet lag) we took a well-deserved break at the hotel before heading to Sinchon for dinner.
Day 2 – Gangnam
We headed to Gangnam after breakfast, because I was meeting two Korean friends for lunch. We went early so I could show my Danish friend around the area, so she wouldn’t get lost for the few hours she’d be on her own. Then I headed to the restaurant where I would meet two Korean friends and it was great to be able to catch up after 1.5 years. Even though we were at a Western steak house, we still ordered everything to be shared Korean style, and it was so delicious.
After lunch and coffee, I met up with my Danish friend (who did manage to get lost) and we went to Starfield Mall and Bongeunsa Temple before meeting another of my Korean friends for dinner.
Day 3
In the morning we headed to Yeouido park and since it was a Monday it felt like we had it all to ourselves. Then the clock struck noon and suddenly we found ourselves surrounded by office workers heading out to lunch. We didn’t stay very long because it was so incredibly hot but we did manage to walk around a little bit along the Yeouinaru river park.
We mostly rested in the afternoon before meeting my cousin (who was traveling in Korea by himself) and then joining some of my students from my Korean class for dinner. It was so lucky that my stay in Korea overlapped with so many lovely people from home.
I hope you enjoyed following along on the first few days of my Seoul trip. More to come soon!
