We trekked all over the city, which is huge. Twenty five million people in the greater metropolitan area, nearly half the population of South Korea. People here have been extremely nice and helpful. We walked along the Hangpo River, which is wide and lovely and bisects the city. There’s a huge Metro train system and we’ve used it to get around. There’s a wonderful mix of old and new, markets on narrow streets with butchers, green grocers and cooks of various kinds. And then there are all the tall, modern buildings with high tech offices directing global markets.
The Chinese influence in Korea is strong as it is in all of Asia. The Chinese influenced the language, art, literature, food and culture. At the same time Korea used many of these things and developed and evolved them in their own way. The Chinese invented printing, but the Koreans developed the first movable type. Chinese pottery making was imported to Korea, but Korea developed the beautiful greenish blue Celadon pottery, which then made its way to other Asian countries. There’s been a lot of melding over the centuries. Korean culture is at least two thousand years old and so one of the oldest in the world.
Things I’ll remember, the luminous, pearlescent complexions of the Korean women. How do they do it? The meal at the Chowhound recommended Budnamujip Restaurant, a traditional Korean meal where they cooked ribs at our table and brought us umpteen side dishes, not all of which I could identify. The public art that adorns so much of the city and the beautiful parks placed among the tall buildings is wonderful. Walking miles and miles just to look and eating in little hole in the wall places we found along the way.
Tomorrow on to Tokyo.
Leslie
Rating the subways as I travel is an ongoing minor hobby of mine. Seoul has a fairly new extensive and inexpensive system that’s easy for a tyro to navigate. Fare is under a dollar a ride. They run ten-car trains linked into a single unit, probably with rubber tires (can’t see because there are walls protecting you from the track) that draw their power from overhead pantographs on alternate cars. The good news is that the signage is bilingual. Better news is that the second language is English. Sometimes they’re busy as subways tend to be. Tunnels seem to be extraodinarily deep, perhaps as a security measure. In unrelated travel news, I was extremely delighted to see that one of the big black executive sedans here is called the Chairman. Anyone who’s spent extensive time responsible to a chairman realizes what important people they are. I’m sure many of my friends in Congress would find the designation of an upscale brand appropriate.
Jim
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