Despite being in South Korea for almost 2 months now, this weekend was our first opportunity to explore Seoul. The capital is a mere 4 hours away on a plush and spacious bus that only cost around $25 each way. We left immediately after school on Friday night, leaving Gwangju bus station at 6:50 and arriving in Seoul around 11pm. Seoul's subway system is very well planned and cheap, making it the easiest method of travelling around the city. After a quick subway trip we made it to our hostel. However, we weren't quite ready for bed so we walked to the Lucky Seven Casino, just down the street. The funny thing about Korean casinos is that Koreans aren't actually allowed to enter, only foreigners. As such, most casinos, like the Lucky Seven, are attached to hotels where guests spend their late evenings and early mornings. Baccarat was by far the most popular game, but there were the usual games like blackjack, roulette, slots, and poker.
On Saturday, we woke up early to go to Myeongdong, one of Seoul's best shopping districts. This shopping mecca included every store imaginable, from H&M to Forever 21, Nike, upscale second hand stores, and street vendors selling knock-offs. Although the area itself is less than 1 km squared, it is said that over 2 million people pass through it everyday. By the late afternoon, it was a struggle to walk through the streets, especially while carrying many shopping bags. Later in the evening we met up with some co-workers and friends to go to Itaewon, the foreigner district. Although this area is a little gritty, it was the perfect place to spend a Saturday night in Seoul. There are countless restaurants and pubs serving Mexican, Thai, French, American, Latin, and Indian food and beer with many shops specializing in "big sized clothing" suitable for foreigners. The area is also popular with U.S. Military personnel, so a dominant American influence is always felt. 'Hooker Hill' is also in Itaewon, which is Seoul's version of the Red Light District. We decided to embark on our own mini pub crawl through the area which included:
- Strawberry pina coladas and jerk chicken fajitas at the Bungalow, a Caribbean restaurant where guests sit on swings with their feet in the sand
- Coronas and enchilada's at Los Amigos, a Tex-Mex restaurant with fake cacti and painted desert murals
- Big Rock brews and Rockie Mountain Prairie fires at Rocky Mountain Tavern, a Canadian bar where the staff celebrated Movember surrounded by hockey paraphernalia
- Budweisers at The Grand Ol' Oprey, the MOST country bar I have ever been into where the patrons two-stepped to Toby Keith and Garth Brooks
Sunday was a touristy day, with a trip to Seoul Tower, Seoul train station, and the traditional Namdaemun market. More on that later... We hopped back on a bus to Gwangju at 6, returning home very tired at 10, but certainly satisfied after a whirlwind trip in an amazing city.
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| Lucky Seven Casino |
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| Who knew the White Wizard lived in Seoul? |
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| Myeongdong shopping district |
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| One of the many cowboys in Itaewon |
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