Seoul, South Korea: What I Did, What I Ate, and Everything else
WHAT I DID
Looking through my photos, the most appropriate way to describe my Seoul trip would be “a nature trip”. You’ll see why, hang in there.
The first trip I made was to the Jogyesa temple, which was fairly close to my hotel. This is apparently the primary temple for the Jogye order of Korean Buddhism and at over 600 years old, it’s an impressive structure made primarily of pine wood. For those who are spiritually inclined with a fondness for older areas of worship like me, I’m sure you’ll agree there’s something *divine* here that gives the whole area a soothing and calming aura. This is why I sat in this temple for about 20 minutes, doing nothing beyond letting the prayer chants wash over me. Just a beautiful experience! From there, I wandered over to Insadong, taking in my first sights of Seoul. Cafes, metalwork shops, boutiques, you name it, they’re all there. A very interesting way to spend time if all you want to do is have a gander, perhaps a snack while you do so and just take in the sights of the life around you. Seoul Forest was such an interesting discovery because it was this little (okay, little is an understatement) pocket of nature amidst so much urbanisation. I would say you should spend a morning here - just stroll through nature and lose yourself in it! I won’t lie, the main reason I went was to see cherry blossoms in full bloom but sadly, they had already bloomed and were shedding - BUT! Tulips were in bloom and overall, it was an interesting take on a botanical gardens.
Changgyeonggung Palace may be one of my most favourite palaces ever - so open and at one with nature that it’s impossible to stop and ask yourself at some point, “When and how did humans get it so wrong?? Why is so much of urbanisation about being AWAY from nature or about forcing nature to grow on our terms rather than learning to grow WITH nature on ITS terms??” Anyway, rant aside, while the complete palace ground is MASSIVE, the actual structures are so understated and humble - no flaunting of wealth, power, or superiority. I doubt I saw anything in gold, or metal for that matter. It made me wonder if it was much like the way a tour guide explained the simple architecture of the Jongmyo Shrine: “The kingdom of Joseon believed they had better things to spend their money on, such as their people, rather than themselves.” Okay, I am definitely paraphrasing but I promise you it’s the crux of what she shared. Jongmyo Shrine was another beautiful space it made me almost sick that the admission was a mere 1000 won. I feel like the heritage of the place, and the beauty with which the guide explained the shrine, and her openness to all questions warranted a bit more of an expensive ticket. But, to flip it, it’s like with just a 1000 won, someone can walk away having learned an entire legacy. Through Jongmyo Shrine, you can learn about ancestor worship, and the Joseon kingdom. I would say if you’re going on a historic/cultural tour or are looking to learn about Korea, make this one of your very first stops! Speaking of affordable places, I went to the National Museum of Korea thinking it would take me two hours at best. I took two hours just for the first floor. And I was speedreading. The museum is THREE floors. And you know what hurt? The museum is FREE. SO. MUCH. INFORMATION and so well-organised that it’s impossible to ask yourself questions and actively learn rather than passively read as you go! Don’t worry, I hear myself when I say these things, like, duh, knowledge should be free and so a museum should be free. But it almost feels criminal in this capitalist world where it feels as if you’ve taken advantage when you have learned a little too much! Do you know what I mean? There were a few school trips, some which were clearly from kindergarten so I would say this is a kid-friendly space; the docents were happy to interact with the children and engage them in conversation too!
On one of my days in Seoul I took this trip out to explore Alpaca World, Nami Island and the Garden of Morning Calm. The trip was the cheapest way to access these places (with tickets included) so if you’re considering traveling out, you can consider this! Only thing is, you get an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes at best at each spot and that can feel like you’re on a schedule. We were given an hour and with that time, there was just enough to catch the alpaca feeding show at 10am and have a look at the alpaca enclosure. The place is steep so keep this in mind! Garden of Morning Calm is what my retirement dreams are made of. I was desperately wishing I lived near this place so I could take my books out there on Sundays to sit on a bench and read. If you ask me, it combined the best of Seoul Forest and Changgyeonggung Palace.
I stopped by the infamous Gwangjang Market too, but as a vegetarian, you guys, I did not have the stomach for this place. I did NOT go in with the right understanding of what the market is about. I did buy gochugaru from a store though! Am I on a mission to try every type of chilli from every country? Well, I am now. Also checked out Myeong-dong as it’s popularly referenced but again, it’s just not a personal vibe. I had a quick walk through the Bukchon Hanok Village as well, and it was cute seeing couples walking around in hanbok but based on the way I spoke so far, I’m sure you can figure out the places that have my heart!
WHAT I ATE
As a gluten-intolerant vegetarian who has the occasional chicken, food was fairly challenging in Seoul. Something as deceptively simple as a mushroom soup premix in a convenience store had bone broth or a desert cup had gelatin. And even if I found something vegetarian, it wasn’t always gluten-free. It’s for this reason that I highly recommend you Google Translate labels before you decide to buy something, or if eating in a restaurant, to make sure you see a clear vegan/ vegetarian label if you’re extra sensitive about things being vegan or vegetarian like me. Never assume anything! I had packed some gluten-free bars which came to my rescue but when I was that cold, I just wanted a hot bowl of soup to warm up my belly and refresh my senses to continue my day – and sadly, this was a little hard. That said, I had some of the BEST meals I’ve had in my life in Seoul! Take for example, the boneless fried chicken combo I had at Kyochon! The BEST fried chicken I’ve had in my ENTIRE life. And like I said, I’m 98% vegetarian so that should tell you something! The combo I had was a half and half of two flavour series; “Red” and “Kyochon”. “Red” was an extremely unique flavour that numbed you just a little bit, with definitely enough spice to make your eyes water a little bit but somehow not put you off all at the same time. “Kyochon” was a soy sauce, garlic flavour that paired nicely with “Red” by offsetting the heat but having enough flavour of its own to make you want to eat that as well for the flavour, rather than to escape from “Red”. Very lightweight and not oily at all, but so crispy and tender. I also took a trip down to an unmanned ramen convenience store in Jongno just for the experience of having ramyeon in a convenience store! Was it worth the risk of gluten? Probably not, but I couldn’t help myself seeing the ASSORTMENT of vegan flavours they had! Plant Cafe Seoul in Itaewon gave me the best vegan moussaka I’ve had in my life - so tangy because of the tomatoes and served with soy curls that gave so much texture and depth, it was oh so good, especially when it was oh so piping hot served on a cast iron skillet! It just so happened I was trying to run away from a downpour as well so the cosy vibes and the warmth the dish gave was 10/10. Really good vegan, gluten-free chocolate hazelnut cake too! I had the best vegan Korean meal at Maji complete with banchan. I had a lotus leaf wrapped rice meal that was so comforting and wholesome, it felt like I was eating at a friend’s who had invited me over for a meal rather than at a restaurant. The restaurant owner explained she only cooks for 60 people a day so it’s really best to get a reservation in before you show up - I nearly got turned away myself! Ooh and Alpaca World had these adorable alpaca bread with cream cheese/ chocolate/ custard fillings and it was oh so good!
EVERYTHING ELSE
Where I stayed: Shilla Stay Seodaemun. Great location, there were two metro exits right outside the hotel so it made every day travel really easy! A couple of bus stops that were 3 minutes away also made it really easy to get to the hotel/ Incheon International Airport via an airport limousine bus (6002)! Hotel’s breakfast spread was concise with the standard toast, pastries, hash brown and eggs and some Korean dishes such as soup, rice, and dumplings too!
Getting around: Seoul is extremely well-connected so everywhere I needed to go was always 15 minutes away at best by bus or train. I don’t just mean when I set out for the day, I’m talking about everywhere I needed to go next. It seemed everything was always a mere stone’s throw away so commute was a dream! I used the Naver app for increased accuracy within Seoul, but it was a bit tricky as I had to key in the places in Korean! A quick heads-up though, most metro stations only had one lift and the location the lift was in wasn’t always consistent. It differed from stop to stop. Most metro stations had stairs (escalators were also few and far between) and required you to climb a few levels!
Other notes: I went in spring, and I anticipated the cold (average temperatures were 13°C to 15°C, a stark contrast to Singapore’s average of 30°C) but I did not expect the strong winds. These really, really dried out my skin and I already have dry skin to begin with. So, if you’re like me, I would ask you to check the winds and pack your most heavy-duty moisturisers! Making an effort to so much as say “hello” and “thank you” in Korean really helps but if you’re not proficient, Google Translate will save you!
