J+L in Transit

We Arrive in Seoul & Mago Guest House

The KTX train got us from Gyeongju to Seoul quickly and comfortably. When we got to the Seoul train station, the food court was a welcome sight. We then took the Metro to our accommodation, Mago Guest House. The staff went out of their way to help us every day — booking our trip to the DMZ and even taking us to the bus station at 6 AM to catch our flight to Hanoi.

James Eating Bibimbap at the Seoul Train Station

Train Station Bibimbap

Train Station Kimchi-jigae

Entrance to the Excellent Mago Guest House

Myeongdong

Myeongdong is a district (dong) of Seoul very near to our guest house. It’s filled with clothing shops, restaurants, tall buildings, and bright lights at night. We had to buy jackets here because the weather in Seoul was so cold! We treated ourselves to a gimbap lunch and then coffee at Hara Donuts in Myeongdong.

Walking from Chungmuro to Nearby Myeongdong

Delicious Gimbap from a Cafe in Myeongdong

Hara Donuts in Myeongdong, Yum!

Motorcycles are Trucks Here

Cheonggyecheon (Cheonggye Stream)

Cheonggyecheon is a beautiful stream running through the middle of downtown Seoul, between Myeongdong and Insadong. There are peaceful walking paths alongside the stream and lots of green space.

Hanging Out on the Banks of Cheonggyecheon

Cheonggyecheon Runs Right Through the City, Great Place for a Walk

Lin at Cheonggyecheon

James Looks Down into the Stream

Walking Path Along the Stream

Insadong

Insadong is a bustling neighborhood in Seoul. It was the best place we found for traditional art and souvenirs. There were many musicians performing in the street and lots of food carts.

Halmonis Shopping in Insadong

Busy Street in Insadong

Gyeongbokgung Palace

We were lucky enough to arrive at Gyeongbokgung Palace during the changing of the guard. We watched the ceremony and then explored around the palace grounds.

Drums from the Changing of the Guard at Gyeongbokgung Palace

Changing of the Guard at Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace Gate

James at the Gyeongbokgung Palace Pagoda

Gyeongbokgung Palace Pagoda

Kimchi Pots at Gyeongbokgung Palace

Sidewalk City Map Outside Gyeongbokgung Palace

Samcheongdong & the Best Coffee Shops We’ve Ever Seen (So Far)

Samcheongdong is a neighborhood near the Blue House (basically the White House of Korea). Samcheongdong ended up being our favorite place in Seoul and we visited several times. The neighborhood is filled with hip coffee shops, jewelry, art and clothing boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. Everywhere we went in Samcheongdong had it’s own unique style and character.

aA Cafe

Coffee Shop

Woodside Coffee

Coffee Shop with a Giraffe on the Roof

Cafe with Rooftop Seating

Cafe Menu

Jazz Club in Samcheongdong

Cafe Heaven

The Streets of Samcheongdong

Cafe Terrace

Delicious Waffles & Ice Cream

Snail Soup from Samcheongdong

Crab Kimchi from Samcheongdong

Cafe in Samcheondong

Samcheongdong Boutique

We Took This Picture for Jed

Garage Coffee & Lounge

Boutique in Samcheongdong

Another Boutique

Trendiness Overload

Travelers' Cafe

Sangria & Rice

Kimchi Pancake

Travelers' Cafe

Inside Another Cafe

Another View of the Cafe

More Ice Cream Waffles!

Another Dinner in Samcheongdong -- Soup!

DMZ & North Korea

We took a tour to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the border of North and South Korea. Our tour was closely monitored by the South Korean military. Our first stop was the Reunification Bridge once used to swap prisoners between the two nations. We then visited the Third Infiltration Tunnel, dug by the North Koreans under the border to facilitate a sneak attack on the south. There have been four tunnels discovered so far, but there are probably more. It was a long walk down into the tunnel, and at the farthest point we were only about 300 feet from the North Korean border. We then visited an observatory post and got a clear view directly across the border into North Korea. We saw the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a fake propaganda village, and a real North Korean village across the border. Our final stop as a train station built by the South Korean government as a gesture of unity. This train station will one day serve as the connecting point between the two Koreas, if their relationship ever improves.

A Soldier Checks Our Papers on the Bus to the DMZ

Out the Side of the Bus: Looks Like a Billboard, Actually a Tank Trap Rigged with C4 Explosive to Stop or Slow a Tank Invasion from the North

Ribbons Tied to the Fence as Wishes for Peace and Reunification

Barbed Wire in the DMZ

This Train was Damaged in the Korean War and Saved as a Memorial

Reunification Bridge in the DMZ

Ribbons from South Koreans

Prayers for Peace

More Wishes Tied to the Fence

Descending into the Third Infiltration Tunnel

North Korean Liquor, Available Only Here

James Looks Across the Border into North Korea

Everything in the Background is North Korea

Observatory Building on the DMZ Border

Empty Train Station Built as a Gesture of Unity -- If and When the Koreas Reunite, This Railway Will Connect Them

Next Stop: North Korea (Someday)

Han River & Ducky Boats

The Han River divides the city of Seoul into two halves: Gangbuk (north of the river) and Gangnam (south of the river). We rented a ducky boat and took a little spin on the river.

View from the Southern Bank of the Han River

James by the Han River, Seoul in the Background

Getting Our Ducky Boat Ready

Lin in the Ducky Boat

James Having Fun Driving the Duck

Another Duck Boat

Ducks in a Row

Duck, Duck, Goose

Bridge Over the Han River

River Bridges

Gangnam

Gangnam is the part of Seoul south of the Han River. The neighborhood was made famous internationally by Psy’s song “Gangnam Style”. Gangnam has many of the fancy brand name shopping and highrise office buildings. It’s the newest part of Seoul, only being developed in the last 50 years. We went for lunch at a famous barbecue restaurant and ordered the kalbi ribs. They were pretty good, but didn’t even compare to Mr. Park’s kalbi ribs. We’re convinced his are unbeatable.

Tall Buildings in Gangnam

CNN Cafe in Gangnam

CNN Cafe

Famous Kalbi Restaurant in Seoul -- Not Even Close to as Good as Mr. Park's Kalbi!

Meat All Wrapped Up

Meat and Soup

Lin at the BBQ Restaurant

Bongeunsa Temple

We visited Bongeunsa Temple in Gangnam, a peaceful Buddhist temple surrounded by city skyscrapers. It was a great break from the hustle and bustle.

Heading into Bongeunsa Temple

Bongeunsa Temple Courtyard

Bongeunsa Temple Paper Lanterns

Bell at Bongeunsa Temple

Bongeunsa Temple

Bongeunsa Temple

Lin at Bongeunsa Temple Statue

Bongeunsa Temple Ceiling

Bongeunsa Temple

Namdaemun Market

Namdaemun Market is a street market in Seoul’s city center. There were tons of street food options, clothing shops, kitchen shops, handbag shops, and everything else you can imagine. We saw a huge line in front of a food cart and decided if a cart was so popular, we should probably try it. We ended up getting the most delicious japchae in a fried pancake-like bread.

Crowded Namdaemun Market

Vendors at Namdaemun Market

James Shopping at Namdaemun

Namdaemun Street Food

Namdaemun Market

Shop in Namdaemun Market

James Among the Crowd in Namdaemun Market

Pepper for Sale in Namdaemun

Fried Japchae Street Vendor

Frying the Japchae

Fried Japchae -- So Good!!!

A Sad Farewell to Korea

We bid a sad farewell to Korea at the Incheon International Airport. This is probably the most pleasant airport in the world with theme-coffee shops and delicious food options.

Incheon Airport Food: Awesome!

Charlie Brown Cafe in Incheon Airport

Inside of Charlie Brown Cafe

Charlie and Snoopy!!

Our Plane Awaits

In-Flight Meal