Pictures from Seoul, Part II

A second collection of pictures from my last couple of days in Seoul, featuring some lovely shots of Lena’s. Hong Kong will be next!

As far as how these past days have gone, we are taking our time in Hanoi as our stomachs reconcile with the differences in food in Vietnam. When we finally feel better, we will make our way to view the mountainous karsts of Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay, including some trekking on Cat Ba Island.

Taking nods from the I amsterdam sign. In the background, you can see some Korean on the skyscrapers. I think it is a beautiful looking language in the hard edges and shapes. Feels very sci-fi and cyberpunk to me.

We got lost trying to head to a market from the N Seoul Tower, and ended up in a dead end set of apartment buildings that reminded me of those dystoptian hong kong apartment buidlings that seem to go on forever.

We made it to the market, to find out it was all closed except for this small section of child’s clothing. Needless to say, we did not stay long. We had bad luck with Seoul’s famous markets, with this and the other one we went to both being closed. Though the other closed market had one street food vendor selling glass noodles and a sushi roll with american cheese and topped with a heap of canned tuna for 2500 won ($2.25). It was strange, if decent and a good bargain.

The trendy onion cafe taking heavy nods from Brooklyn. As pricy as it is stylish. A good place to warm up from the cloudy day.

Inside onion.

The upstairs is where the action is, featuring some lovely Japanese maples.

The exterior of Seongsu metro station

From Seongsu station we headed to the Zaha Hadid-deigned Dongdaemun History & Culture park. A architectural marvel, and highlight of the city.

It’s super cool.

Can you see the piano in the back? Lovely touch.

Piano in question.

Dongdaemun Park from above.

The aforementioned sushi roll

The closed market and 1 open street food vendor.

Cheonggyecheon expressway-turned park. Lush and lovely.

One of our last meals in Seoul. Delicious Korean BBQ with another large and varied selection of veggies. I learned (thankfully) that it is not expected (or usual) to finish all the veggies. If you do, they just bring more.

In our silliest blunder on this adventure, Lena and Forrest and I wanted to get a picture in from of Psy’s ”Gangnam Style” statue. We got this picture. This was not the statue (this and the rest of the pictures are Lena on her super nice camera. Hence the better [by far] quality).

Sigh.

We went to a really cool food truck weekly event our Saturday night there with Forrest. Thousands of people, and fantastic nightscapes with upbeat, cosmopolitian vibes.

This food truck butane-torched their sushi. The food showed they put all their money on production value.

Their chinese pork was much better.

Hard to tell from the picture, but this really was a DJ food truck, for some reason.

They also sold Britto products here? Odd.

Sitting by the Han river. The view was beautiful!