May 22, 2022
Another break from the bikes
We gave ourselves four days in 서울[Seoul]. We had errands to run and people to meet, but we still had time to just be regular old tourists, too. We booked our motel based on proximity to the river. We had no idea how much cool stuff was within walking distance. The map showed this huge undeveloped area to the east, which we thought was a park. At least some of it is. I'm still not sure about the rest of it. The 국립중앙박물관 (National Museum of Korea) is located there. Everything except the special exhibits are free, and even the special exhibits are cheap. This is how you keep history, science, and the arts thriving in a culture.
The buildings and adjacent plaza are huge. Scaled for bus loads of students and tourists.
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We spent an hour there on the first day. Realizing that we were tired and that it would be easy to return, we took the bus back to our room.
On Thursday, we not only finished our visit to the National Museum, but we walked over to the nearby Hangeul Museum. It's also built for large groups. Unless you can read old Korean documents, an hour is about all the time you need to enjoy the main exhibit.
That evening, we met old and new cycle touring friends for beer and food. We hadn't seen 승하[Seungha] in almost six years, when she visited us at the start of her bike tour of Pacific Coast breweries. You might remember 유진[Yujin] and Matt from our serendipitous encounter near 칠곡보[Chilgokbo]. Needless to say, there was plenty to talk about and celebrate.
Friday we met with some family who live here. Afterwards, we walked to the river and enjoyed some night scenes.
On Saturday, we met with our friend 정윤[Jeongyoon] for a hike to the peak of 인왕산[Inwangsan]. It was another lovely day. We got an early start, but it being the weekend and all, the trail was packed. For me, hiking is all about solitude and communing with nature. It took me a while to come to terms with the fact that there are other, equally valid approaches. I have stumbled through that acceptance process with so many aspects of Korean daily life. I wish I could adapt more quickly, but I'm grateful that I'm able to get there eventually.
We had a great time catching up with one another while climbing. It was hazy but the views were still marvelous.
Afterwards, we walked to 성수[Seongsu], which has a traditional market, a street of eating/drinking establishments, and a lot of pretty cafes. We ordered separate dishes for lunch, as well as sharing a sampler plate of 전 (fried pancakes). They were delicious.
We then walked to a cafe, where we snagged an outdoor table in the shade. We finally had the peace and quiet to have a long conversation. It's fun to see everyone enjoying themselves on a Saturday afternoon, but I also need down time to recharge the batteries.
Sadly, we had to part with our friend afterwards. Before she left,, she let us know that there's a museum at the nearby palace of 경복궁 (Gyeongbok). We visited, expecting to stay about a half hour, but the exhibits were extensive and captivating. Two hours later, we had finally seen everything. We were tired and hungry. We found a cheap place to eat and then had a little adventure finding the right bus stop to ferry us back to our room in 용산[Yongsan].
Somehow we struck the right balance of activity and rest, errands and tourism, socializing and time by ourselves. I agree with many bike tourists that it's wise to avoid cities when on teo wheels. Our strategy is usually to find a place on the outskirts and to venture in for day trips using public transportation. The circumstances are different for us here. Lodging is cheap, incredible bike trails along the rivers make it easy to get to the city center, and we know our way around pretty well.
Now it's time to ride again! Yay!
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