They ain't no other brother like a Seoul brother:

Visiting a first world country is a delightful way to spend five days:

Friday- Manila to Seoul, Myeongdong
I went to Seoul South Korea to visit a good friend of ours, Matt Bell. Matt was there reporting on a number of things, but ended up doing quite a few stories about the North Korean train explosion near Ryongchon. It dominated the news the weekend I was there. The most notable thing for me was that the South Korean Red Corss had trucks loaded and ready to drive aid directly there, but the North Korean officials refused to accept it overland. The Sejong Hotel where I stayed was less than a block away from the Red Cross offices.

I left Manila on Friday afternoon to a Philippine Star newspaper front page article about terrorist threats against the Republic of Korea for their role in the Iraq. The sensationalism wasn't lost on me as I boarded a flight from the (not so security conscious) International airport in Manila to a country the was the supposed target. If you think the media has you jumping stateside, try flying regularly where sleeping is a way of life for hired security.

Though I did get to fly east, over the island of Luzon during daylight, so I was able to look out the window and see lots and lots of mountains, and dirt roads, and the east (Pacific) coast of Luzon. The Pacific is a greenish-blue that is indescribable.

Incheon airport was clean, organized, and nearly an hour’s bus ride from Seoul. The bus(es) were all marked clearly, and cost 7000 won (roughly $6.50 USD). The ride was nice as I grabbed a window seat and watched the unfamiliar landscape roll by at dusk. When I arrived at the hotel, I phoned Matt’s room and found him sleeping. One of the hazards of working for an east-coast-based radio program is that they keep you up all night working on stories. The time difference is a rough one for dealing with the US. He woke up, and got back to work on a story, and I wandered around Myeong-dong until late. I bought Misty a knock-off Michiko umbrella because I knew rainy season was about to start in Manila any day, took lots of photos, and got an Apple-Banana-Soy Protein-Vitamin C smoothie at a cool little (New Orleans-based) smoothie bar. I also found an Uhm Jung Hwa CD. I’d seen a video of hers on television here, and she strikes me as a cross between Britney Spears (though not as nasty) and Bjork (though not quite as cool). Talking to some Koreans that I met later in the weekend she’s no longer cool there, and was even described as ‘a bitch’ by one of them.

Saturday – Insadong, Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup, and Soju
Saturday morning Matt had a bit of free time so we went to Insadong to have breakfast and check it out. The weather was beautiful, roughly 55-60 degrees farenheit and sunny. Just lovely. I had a hotdog wrapped in a bun, and juice. I tried a bean paste pod thing, but it was too sweet for my taste. Insadong has a high concentration of palaces, tea houses, and good food (link to spicy chicken noodle soup here).

The funniest thing to relate about Insadong is that we went to Hu Won (Secret Garden) on the grounds of Changdeokgung Palace. There were so many plants in the greenhouse that I got a buzz from all the oxygen. The air in Manila isn’t quite as rich and clean. Matt and I had lunch up the hill northish of Insadong at a small bar/tea house and while he sat in his t-shirt (fresh from Boston) enjoying the warm weather, I (fresh from Manila) remained bundled up in my sweater enjoying the cool weather.

Saturday evening we went out with Matt’s friends, a couple of sales engineers with a company based out of California, and Jack, their Korean colleague. Jack took us to a tent bar south of the river and we ate and drank until the wee hours of the morning. Several things were to be learned from this experience… One, sales people, and evidently sales engineers can drink a lot, and two I cannot. Oh, and three, Koreans have cast-iron mouths. They drink boiling soup right out of the pot. They introduced me to soju that night, and it resulted in some nausea the next morning, Sunday. There are a BUNCH of Korean drinking customs too. You NEVER pour your own drink, and you hold out your empty cup to be filled with both hands, or with one hand, and the other crossing your meridian (on your arm or chest). The pourer holds the bottle with both hands. The exchange of money is the same way. They’re pretty forgiving of foreigners in Seoul, but I imagine that it’s rude to offer someone anything with one hand.

Sunday – Itaewon and Dinner at Jack’s
Sunday was another beautiful day with temps in the 50's(Farenheit). There is photographic evidence of me eating at a McDonalds, but I’m not going to push for it to come to light. We met up with Matt’s buddies again and walked around Itaewon. I didn’t really care for that neighborhood at all. It was definitely my least favorite part of Seoul. Itaewon was complete with American soldiers riding loud Harleys, street hawkers, and strip clubs. Not really Korean enough for me. That night we all went to Jack’s place (again south of the river) and ate a traditional, delicious Korean BBQ. Nothing is better than home cooking regardless of where you are. Well, the Philippines _might_ be a notable exception. I met lots of cool, smart people that night, and Jack was a wonderful host. I hope I didn’t do anything offensive (I was informed that I mentioned to him Saturday night that we should go see some hot, naked, Asian chicks). I was pretty wrecked, and therefore I think forgiven. Sunday became a day of rest for my liver.

Monday – Waterlogged in Dongdaemun
The weather changed dramatically between Sunday and Monday. It was overcast, and raining, and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. In a word, miserable. Walking around on Monday made me realize that 80+ degrees on a daily basis isn’t so terrible. I walked around Dongdaemun market all morning taking pictures and browsing. I finally found a place that had a wonderful selection of second-hand cameras. I found everything from Hasselblads to weird, old, Yashicas. I tried to go to the art museum but it was closed. At that point I was cold, waterlogged, and needed some soup. I found a little hole in the wall near the City Hall stop, and spent about a half hour there eating and writing in the journal. The proprietress didn’t speak a single word of English, and my Korean was limited to thank you (gamsa hamnida), but she watched me eat my egg and thought that maybe I wasn’t into the rest of it so she brought me another. Motherly instincts are possessed by women worldwide.

Tuesday - Namdaemun
Left the Hotel early and looked around for some breakfast. Ended up eating these awesome little triangle sushis that they sell at 7-Eleven, a couple juices, and fresh milk. Afterwards I walked to Namdaemun market. What a cool place that was. Even on a Tuesday the place was bustling. They sell everything there from clothing and ginseng in every form, to fresh fish, shoes, and purses. Walked around there most of the day and then went back to collect Matt for my last dinner in Korea. I liked Namdaemun so much that I insisted we go back there to eat. We found a cool, out of the way galbi place and filled our bellies with grilled garlic, beef, and mushrooms wrapped in lettuce leaves. We walked around Namdaemun a bit and I got some nighttime shots, then back to the hotel to pack up all my booty.

Wednesday - Back to Manila
I got to the airport without a hitch. Reliable, public transportation is the one thing that sets countries (or regions) apart for me. If it’s lacking, I’m in a backwoods sort of place and if not, I’m not. I got to ride back sitting next to a bonafide sex tourist. I think so at least. He broke my image of nasty, overweight white guys that can’t get any loving at home so they across the world to buy young women for $17 a day. This guy was educated, well off, and simply looking for some relaxation time in a warm climate. The Philippines gives him a lot for the money, and he wasn’t ashamed to say so. I guess as long as he’s smart about it, and doesn’t have a penchant for children who am I do judge?

I missed Misty terribly (and she I), and we realized during the trip that it was the longest we’d been apart in nearly a year. I’m going to keep the single travels to a minimum from now on. Although coming home to her was a very nice indeed.

Next stop… China? Thailand maybe? A Philippine beach resort?