Today was a long day of touring trying to find the soul in Seoul. Also, today was the last excursion on this cruise for us so there was a bit of sadness. All good things must come to an end, but I don’t think we are really ready for it. We are thinking about packing tomorrow and will have to say our good-byes. At least we have five days touring in China, so that will ease the transition of having to leave the ship, our home for the past 66 days.
Seoul seemed to be a drab place to me. It might be because there were no leaves on the trees, or there weren’t any flowers planted in the parks. But I don’t think that is the case. The metropolitan area has no color. All the buildings, and there are plenty, are the same color – shades of tan or beige. Their favorite color of cars is white, black and grey, although the buses were colorful; the color of the bus indicated where the service area was.
This is a very dense and crowded city, with a population of 12 million people in the city itself and 25 million in the metropolitan area. Most people use public transportation as driving and parking is too expensive relative to the salary the average person makes ($2,500 per month). Gas costs around $8 per gallon and daily parking downtown is $40-50 per day. There are modern freeways (which we had the pleasure to ride on for several hours – really, not bad because there are bus lanes just for buses so no traffic). Yes, the bus and subway is the way to go.
Seoul seemed to be a drab place to me. It might be because there were no leaves on the trees, or there weren’t any flowers planted in the parks. But I don’t think that is the case. The metropolitan area has no color. All the buildings, and there are plenty, are the same color – shades of tan or beige. Their favorite color of cars is white, black and grey, although the buses were colorful; the color of the bus indicated where the service area was.
This is a very dense and crowded city, with a population of 12 million people in the city itself and 25 million in the metropolitan area. Most people use public transportation as driving and parking is too expensive relative to the salary the average person makes ($2,500 per month). Gas costs around $8 per gallon and daily parking downtown is $40-50 per day. There are modern freeways (which we had the pleasure to ride on for several hours – really, not bad because there are bus lanes just for buses so no traffic). Yes, the bus and subway is the way to go.
Housing is in identical highrise apartment buildings that look like “the projects.” They all look alike and the only way to tell them apart is with the number and a company name high up on the side of the building. These blocks of highrise buildings dominate the skyline and you can see construction all over the city. At one point, 80% of the population was farmers; today only 20% are and the rest are moving to the cities for jobs. They can house a lot of people in each building as there is no room for urban sprawl. Korean families tend to be very small, usually with just one child. Many grown children live with their parents because they cannot afford to rent or buy an apartment.
Most people learn English in school, but unfortunately, don’t get a chance to practice it. Therefore, parents send their kids away to school so they can learn to be proficient in English, thus ensuring a competitive edge to getting a good job in the city. Speaking of jobs, Samsung is the largest employer making computer chips, and most everything else. Hyundai is by far the biggest automaker here with Kia as it’s biggest, but still much smaller competitor. The two of them make up 90% of the market share. LG Electronics is here, too.
The most common surnames are Kim, Lee, and Park. If you look in the phone book, 50% of the population has one of these names. If you page Mr. Kim at the airport, half of the people will answer. Parents hire a “professional name maker” and will pay $100-300 to ensure a distinctive name for their offspring.
Most people learn English in school, but unfortunately, don’t get a chance to practice it. Therefore, parents send their kids away to school so they can learn to be proficient in English, thus ensuring a competitive edge to getting a good job in the city. Speaking of jobs, Samsung is the largest employer making computer chips, and most everything else. Hyundai is by far the biggest automaker here with Kia as it’s biggest, but still much smaller competitor. The two of them make up 90% of the market share. LG Electronics is here, too.
The most common surnames are Kim, Lee, and Park. If you look in the phone book, 50% of the population has one of these names. If you page Mr. Kim at the airport, half of the people will answer. Parents hire a “professional name maker” and will pay $100-300 to ensure a distinctive name for their offspring.
No trip to Korea would be complete without the telling of the story of Kim Chee. This must be the national food along with rice. Ewww, the smell is awful, but they eat it morning, noon, and night as a side dish or over rice or noodles. What is this delicacy? Pickled cabbage! (although you can make it using other vegetables). It takes a whole lot of time to make and today, they just buy it. They used to make it, and then seal it in large clay jars which they buried in the ground. They would build a straw shed over the burial area. This was a way to control the temperature while the cabbage fermented. It also ensured produce for the winter months.
The last bit of trivia is that 70% of the public toilets use the squat over a hole instead of a porcelain throne. I, for one, did not conduct a firsthand investigation into this matter. I am also consciously avoiding the subject of the Korean War as I think most of you know about it, especially if you used to watch MASH.
The last bit of trivia is that 70% of the public toilets use the squat over a hole instead of a porcelain throne. I, for one, did not conduct a firsthand investigation into this matter. I am also consciously avoiding the subject of the Korean War as I think most of you know about it, especially if you used to watch MASH.
So what did I get to do today? It was COLD and I had to wear gloves as I had an outdoor excursion. I went to a 19th century recreation of a rural Korean farm village. Life was tough, but you already knew that anything before electricity and flush toilets was hell. We saw a dance troupe who beat drums and symbols, and had hats with a long ribbon attached to a springy thing on the top that would swirl the ribbon around as they would swing their heads.
Next, we saw a tightrope walker. What does this have to do with a 19th century village? I dunno. He would talk for awhile and then walk across the rope. We did not understand anything he said and we received no translation. So we made up some comments he may have said:
“Ow, that hurts the nuts.”
“Oh, I’ve broken that leg 4 times.”
“I must be crazy to do this for people who have no idea what I am saying.”
We then had a typical Korean lunch. The rice was good and I drank a beer. Kim Chee – icky, stinky, no way! That’s all I am saying about it.
Our final stop was the Namdaedum Market. Woo hoo, shop til you drop extravaganza! It was the wholesale market for the retail stores, and did they have stuff! I walked the maze of streets and searched and searched and couldn’t find anything to buy. I will admit the whole scene was a bit overwhelming. Stores with food items I could never hope to identify, huge jars of ginger root, vendors cooking foreign looking and smelling food, and clothing and accessories. There was a factory right in the middle of the market that made and decorated hair and jewelry accessories. I knew Michael was coming to the market, so using the handy dandy walkie talkies, we actually met up with each other and walked around the market. Michael had some Korean money left over, so I actually purchased a box of jewelry storage bags.
Then the long ride back to Inchon where the ship was located, did some laundry, and dined with a friend. All in a day’s work. Tomorrow is our last sea day before arriving in Beijing.
Michael’s turn:
I escorted the “Grand Tour of Seoul” today and it was a most enjoyable experience.
Did you know that all Koreans are born with the exact same birthmark? This is true. All Korean babies, boys as well as girls, are born with a blue bruise on their butts. Fortunately these disappear by age four. It is known as the “Mongolian Spot,” so named as all Koreans are descended from the Mongolians who all had this genetic characteristic.
Our first stop was the New National Museum of Korea, opened only three years ago. It is the world’s sixth largest museum and we could only touch the surface of its 11,000 items. We did get to see the fabled golden crown, a few striking Buddhas, Caledon pottery and some paintings. I bought my first coffee mug of this entire cruise in the museum’s gift store. From the museum we went to lunch at the Chon Korean BBQ restaurant and I was in heaven. I love Korean food, particularly Kim Chee, and I ate a lot of it. The BBQ beef wrapped in lettuce and spiced with chili sauce and garlic was wonderful. By the way, Kim Chee is very good for you as it kills the germs in your stomach. If you read the above you know that Beverly and I have a different read on this delicacy!
Did you know that all Koreans are born with the exact same birthmark? This is true. All Korean babies, boys as well as girls, are born with a blue bruise on their butts. Fortunately these disappear by age four. It is known as the “Mongolian Spot,” so named as all Koreans are descended from the Mongolians who all had this genetic characteristic.
Our first stop was the New National Museum of Korea, opened only three years ago. It is the world’s sixth largest museum and we could only touch the surface of its 11,000 items. We did get to see the fabled golden crown, a few striking Buddhas, Caledon pottery and some paintings. I bought my first coffee mug of this entire cruise in the museum’s gift store. From the museum we went to lunch at the Chon Korean BBQ restaurant and I was in heaven. I love Korean food, particularly Kim Chee, and I ate a lot of it. The BBQ beef wrapped in lettuce and spiced with chili sauce and garlic was wonderful. By the way, Kim Chee is very good for you as it kills the germs in your stomach. If you read the above you know that Beverly and I have a different read on this delicacy!
After lunch we drove by the Blue House, the presidential residence, which is actually teal colored. We were not allowed to take photographs, even from the bus, for security reasons. We then proceeded on to the Deoksugung Palace for a guided tour. Located at the corner of the busiest intersection of downtown Seoul, this palace is noted for its elegant stone-walled road as well as for standing alongside western styled buildings. It was an amazing contrast. Our next stop was Insadong, one of Seoul’s premier shopping districts. I walked down “Mary’s Alley” and watched them make these spun honey confections that were out of this world. We then drove to the Namdaedum Market, Korea’s biggest traditional market for clothing, dairy goods, and I think everything else. It was something to see! It was then back to the ship for some R&R.
You are right all good things must come to a end! It going to be really hard to get back to the normal routine after this cruise! I would not be surprised if Michael has not already booked you on another cruise!
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