HEART AND SEOUL --Seoul, South Korea April 2018

HEART AND SEOUL 

Seoul, South Korea  April 2018

A photo bomb invitation

Palatial proportions

We almost didn't make it to South Korea. It seemed a little crazy that in the middle of a whirlwind tour through Japan--covering Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Sendai, and Shiogama in less than two weeks -- that we would jet off to another country for a few short days.

But we were so glad we did. Seoul was like being in a hyper-caffeinated version of New York City (and just happened to have coffee shops on literally every corner.) 
As long-time lovers of kimchee and Korean hot pot, we were not surprised to find our senses in overdrive, not the least of which being our sense of taste. More on that later. 

Pajama party

Korean "Kute"

The Dormy Hotel was perfectly situated in that upscale area which gave us a true sense of "Gangnam style." Part and parcel of the style were the comfy matching pajamas and slippers we were encouraged to wear throughout the hotel. 

So, of course, they were the uniform for the next few days at the ridiculously sumptuous breakfast buffet. 

We did, despite the odds, leave the hotel for some sightseeing. Top of the list was the Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was inundated that day --and probably every day-- with tourists who rented traditional garb to get in free. 

Under the sea

Frigid fun 

In the "waaaay fun" category, we decided to go to the Trick Eye Museum--an adventure into the wonderful world of AR or augmented reality. 

Our fairly awesome videos included Mike being pursued by a dragon, Eileen as a butterfly, and a few others that we won't mention in a G-rated blog. Let's just say they won't make it to Instagram now..or ever.

Food fun on a stick

Included was entrance to the Ice Museum which had--you guessed it--all sorts of displays made of ice, including an entire living room, toilet, and even an ice slide. Of course, if we knew we would be reenacting Frozen, we would have brought jackets. It was a very quick trip. 

Savory street food

Finally, a word about the food:  yum. We wanted to stop at almost every street corner to try what everyone else was lined up for. It wasn't just Korean food--Japanese, Chinese, and other cuisines all happily coexisted in place that seemed to have something for every palate. And our palates seemed to be on a nonstop marathon--we wouldn't have it any other way.