“You have to find that place that brings out the human in you. The Soul in you, the love in you. ” -R.M Drake

The inner whisper to travel and explore is calling once again. This time our adventure brings us to the capital of South Korea. Did you know that Seoul has the 3rd most high-rise buildings in the world? And for your information, to be considered high rise, the structure has to be at least 35 metres (115 ft) or 12 stories tall. Also, per Wikipedia, Seoul is the 4th most economically powerful city in the world, measured by GDP and the 5th most populous city in the world. All those info are all well and good but being there during the peak of their coldest season is another story.

Brrrrrutal .. the cold air was brutally unbearable. 7 degrees farenheit  was a tad bit much for our group.  I felt like sobbing and retreating back to my cozy home in sunny San Fernando Valley.

Setting aside the bone wrenching cold, the fact that our business meeting   coincided with the Winter Olympics in Pyeongyang, appeased my temperature shocked self . The sheer energy, pride and excitement can be felt all over town . The sight of the various delegates and athletes in their colorful jackets with their country flag from around the world was a welcome bonus. It was surreal to see all the pumped up athletes.  I can just imagine the adrenaline gushing through there core as they smiled and waved at the crowd.

 

Immediately after our 2 day back to back business meeting in  Geumcheon Gu, few miles outside the world famous Gangam district, we rolled up our sleeves and mapped out 5 days  to explore and “educate our palette ” , as my college Economics professor fondly once said.

Now let’s hash out the must-see, taste , experience and good-to-know tidbits when in Seoul:

I. Must see :

• Chandeoukgung Palace- A Unesco World Heritage site.  It is one of the 5 grand palaces built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. The name literally means ” Prospering Virtue Palace” and was rumored to be the most favored  by many Joseon princes. Time your visit during the spectacular changing of the guard ceremony. Also, take advantage of their free guided tour to get the most learning of their history.
  

  

  
  Bukchon Hanok Village- Take a nostalgic walk from the Changeoukgung palace to this traditional village. The alley ways and the historical homes dating back 600 year old allow visitors to experience the atmosphere of the Joseon Dynasty. Since locals actually still live in those homes, “Silence Please” signs are plastered everywhere.
• Tongin market – Back in 1941 this market was for Japanese residents  After the Korean war, with rising population, the area’s local street vendors slowly moved here as their marketplace.  Today it boasts  75 stores with traditional community mom & pop stores and restaurants. Meals are cooked at the market. They have a neat system were you pay 5000 won or less than $5 US dollars in exchange for 10 traditional coins and a tray. You can take this coins to any participating restaurant and pick the food you want.  Usually it requires not more than 2 coins to get the food you want. This is a very traditional food market. Be prepared to enjoy authentic Korean food. 5000 Won gets you tons of food!
• Dongdaemun Market – This is a designated  ‘Special Tourism Zone” since 2002. This place is huge  divided into five shopping districts with ” 26 shopping malls over 10 blocks, 30,000 speciality shops, and 50,000 manufacturers.” Name it they have it, from shoes, clothes, silks, purses and for entertainment they have k-pop dancers, fortune tellers and street food galore. No wonder it’s considered part of  Asia’s 10 greatest food cities for their sundaes and mandu ( Korean dumplings). Information booth catered to English speakers makes getting around a breeze
  

  

  

• II . Must Taste-

• Tosokchon Ginseng chicken soup -It is a complete nourishing meal by itself. A cornish hen is stuffed  with actual ginseng root, glutinous rice, medicinal jujube, pumpkin seeds, native chestnuts and other special ingredients. My first time to try. It’s different. Not used to all those exotic herbs.  Definitely taste healthy and filling. 
  

  
  Egg cake- This really is a must . Moist , freshly made , sweet but not overpowering, with  a surprise hard boiled egg inside . It’s fun to eat and extra delight to watch them make it.
  

  

  
  Steamed buns and gyozas – Surely you don’t have to go to Korea to taste these as most major cities in the world have  Korean restaurants. But as usual, eating it at the scene where it originally came from intensifies the experience.
• Korean BBQ- Like the dumplings and steamed buns, this type of BBQ are available elsewhere in the world but my group agrees that the meat , marinade and the fact that it’s charcoal grilled vs electric grilled heightens the flavors several notches up.
  

  

  
   
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  Different rice wine and assorted flavor teas . We tried the raspberry rice wine for the first time . It’s naturally sweet and has the right amount of alcohol to warm you up especially during their winter cold weather .Their assorted exotic teas are a winner. The presentation from the dainty cup , elegant saucer, wooden native tray to the colorful assorted side rice cakes are very well presented and an experience on its own . I tried their rose , jujube, jasmine , ssanghwa-cha, barley tea to name a few and they were all unique and bursting in exotic flavors . I particularly liked the rose flavored tea . It has a subtle hint of floral taste that’s smooth and light.
  

  
  III. Must experience:

• Korean spa – Back in Los Angeles , I visit the local Korea town quite frequently to go to their spas . I’m a fan of their body scrub, facials and massages . Naturally, that was the first thing I tried . Good news, I’m not really missing much. The LA version is just as fabulous . But and it’s a big BUT. The one service that stood out in this popular 24 hr “Dragon Hill” spa is a rare service  called “Imperial Oriental Medicine Bath” .We were told that this type of spa service is not available anywhere in the world but in Korea. With that type of labeling , predictably, I had to try it . They describe this one of a kind service as a traditional medicine of the Royal Imperial family. It is supposed to target women’s health from the uterus, skin pores , reproductive organs and help release toxins among other things. Let me attempt to describe this unique and exotic service . First imagine, you’re  in your birthday suit and you sit in a wooden chair . In the middle of where you sit there’s a hole or an opening . Under the chair is a steamer with assorted medicinal herbs . These herbs are boiled and the steam from this concoction is supposed to  be really good for you. Now to keep the steam confined, trapped in and absorbed by your whole body the attendant puts a plastic over your head and it drapes all over your body like a tent with just your head sticking out. For the first few minutes you are instructed to have your head also inside this plastic “tent “. The steam with the alchemy of these medicinal herbs supposedly carries the preventive and curative components that can do wonders to a woman’s health and skin . My take away is that , while the body scrub and facial were pretty good and a must- experience , the imperial bath is more of a novelty that you may or may not like . Personally, I was just being adventurous and curious . But hey , I’m still glad I tried it ..
• Night market – There’s Hongdae, Myeongdong, Yeongdeungpo night market to name a few that we checked out.  The most popular one is Namdaemun market with 4,448 “5 star” reviews . With all the buzz,  they are pretty much the same. The difference is just on how vast and diverse the retail and food selections are .Each place is flooded with all sorts of merchandise from skin care , souvenirs ,winter clothes, accessories, shoes, branded and copycats abound . Most of the items are relatively inexpensive with somewhat good quality.  The highlight for me is the endless rows of food stand or kiosk with various delicacies prepared fresh right before your very eyes. The plethora of choices are overwhelming and could be confusing. You follow one tempting smell and then you follow another and before you know you have several bags of to-go and more half bitten delicacies . Frankly you’d wish ,you have more room in your belly to give space to all these treats from their ultra delicious egg cake , beef steak, sweet steamed potato, fresh dumplings , fish cakes, breaded shrimp , crabs , etc etc . The diversity is overwhelming and if ever, it is a separate blog on its own. 
  

  
  Dog cafe – A place where you can enjoy your tea, coffee or smoothies while petting, and hanging around with different breed of dogs . They also have cat, raccoon and meerkat cafe to name a few . Lots of themed cafe scattered all over Seoul.. It’s a craze over there and it works. Care to pet a raccoon while seeping your tea ?
• Bonus – having a local Korean family host us for a day was the icing on the cake . It was heart warming to see the reunion of our L.A based translator and her family in Seoul. Meeting her sweet and agile 82 year old grandma , her cousins , aunts and uncle was endearing . How they chatter away with excitement trying to catch up more than a decade of gap in each other’s lives in a language that I understood max 5 words yet I felt the energy so strong it made me miss mine back in my own hometown .

IV. Good to know –

• Tourist info reps-  Be on the look out for the tourist info reps in red jacket with a furry hood with the letter “I” (for info ) plastered on the center of their hood . Hard to miss . They speak good English and are very helpful and knowledgeable .

 

Taxi system – Yes you can hail a cab in major streets but do download “Kakao ” app. This is the equivalent of “WhatsApp” in Korea.  Best part is you can order a cab 🚕 with this app. It’s like an Uber without having the need to add your credit card info .

• Won- Exchange your dollar in the airport or local banks. Not all ATM dispenses cash from foreign debit card. Carry cash with you at all times. Most cabs and retails stores especially street vendors only prefer cash . However , most restaurants and bigger shops accept major credit card.
• Common Courtesy- When you accept or give payment like your credit card or cash try to hold ends of the credit card or cash with both hands. Even when pouring drink for someone like a plum or raspberry wine accept it with both hands holding the cup . It’s apparently  considered rude if not followed or at least I was told by a good natured local.
• Good words to know “Anyong ha Seo” – hello; “Kamsahamida”- thank you; “Chogiyo” – excuse me; “Mashisoyo”- delicious
• Stay connected- You can rent a mobile wifi for $8 day at the airport or get a SIM Card unlimited 4 G for $35/week.
• Use Google translate and their audio feature . Click the mic  icon to translate back and forth instantly in  English and Korean. SO nice to live in this digital age with all this handy gadgets. There is just no excuse not to be able to somehow communicate. I’m still amazed.
• To Rent a car – Important: Get an Intl License  from your embassy over there. No international license, no rental car. Period. Unless you have a local resident friend who would take the car out for you. It can be done but not advisable.
• Winter jackets – To withstand that kind of cold consider getting a battery powered jacket and get some heat packs for your hands .
• Naver app- Google map doesn’t really work well there. Naver app is going to be your best friend in navigating the streets including their bus and subway system. 
• Traffic – Plan to hit traffic especially during week day rush hour . Their subway is pretty reliable and inexpensive so it’s a good alternative to get around .

In closing, Seoul is where skyscrapers and digital cutting edge technology intersect with traditional temples, palaces and ancient traditions.

 

It’s  a mecca for shopping, skin care and land of the K pop phenomenon.

8 days have gone by fast. After 18 hours of travel time, it’s back to the familiar Tom Bradley terminal . Mission accomplished. On the business side,  we had a productive meeting . On the personal side, it was an enriching experience. We gained new friends, rekindled old friendship, explored new places and tasted new delicacies. Recharged and now back to the grind .

Yes, winter in Korea is beyond cold, but the memories of the night market , spa and food indulgences will warm my thoughts for days to come .. Till next take off .. Kamsahamnida Korea !