I read various articles and guidebooks about Seoul before I arrived and expected it to be difficult travelling as apparently very few people speak English. I’m happy to say that the guide books are wrong and Seoul is a very easy place to find your way around. Transport is cheap, food is good and I’ve never seen so many coffee shops in one city in all my travels so the South Koreans are as addicted to coffee as I am!

Arriving in Seoul late in the evening, I decided to catch a taxi to the hotel. My taxi driver was probably the best driver I have had anywhere. He spoke good English (not necessarily a pre-requesite) and told me all about Seoul on the way into the city. He even asked me if I was in a hurry because if I wasnt he would drive in the slow lane where I would get a better view of the city.

Turns out that Mr Taxi Driver had a Masters Degree in English and had been working for an import/export company before he decided that he would rather drive taxis because that way he would get to interact with more foreigners.

He was asking me where I had travelled and I told him that South Korea was my 106th country and that I had been to North Korea already. He wanted to know all about the North so we had a long chat.

When I got to my hotel he not only took my bag out of the boot of the car but carried it all the way up to reception telling me that since I had been travelling, I must be tired. AWESOME cab driver!!

On my first day in South Korea, I thought I would just wander around Seoul and see that was happening. I was staying in a very central location so it was far to go for anything. Whilst wandering around, I heard what sounded like a large gathering and possibly a concert so I went to investigate. It certainly wasnt a concert. Turned out to be a Construction Workers Strike. Tens of thousands of very militant looking Trade Unionists had gathered in the park next to City Hall so I snapped a few photos and headed back to my hotel where I found extra security had been put on to cope with any possible trouble. As it turns out, I didnt see any trouble. I heard some breaking glass at one point but when I went downstairs after the protests were over, I didnt see any damage.

Construction workers strike in Seoul

According to the news there were 30,000 people here!

I counted around 70 Police busses

As I said, Seoul is a fairly easy place to get around. For WON10,000 (about £5.50 0r US$8.60) I jumped on the Seoul Tour Bus (hop on, hop off tour bus) and made my way around to the various attractions. Saw the changing of the guard at one of the palaces. Went to the National Museum. Basically did all the touristy stuff.

Palace Guard

When I got to the War Memorial, for some reason a young 18 year old American Korean girl started talking to me. She was on holiday after just finishing school from Atlanta, Georgia and was going around by herself. To be honest I think she just wanted some company and I was the first foreign looking face she saw. We wandered around the memorial and the exhibits in the Museum together for a while until she saw a group of young Korean boys at which point she promptly dumped me to watch the boys rather than the exhibits. I was quite amused 🙂

I found the War Memorial and Museum particularly interesting. When I was in North Korea, I was very aware of the propaganda that we were being fed and that probably made me more aware of what I was seeing in Seoul. Although the South Koreans are much more subtle it seems there is propaganda on both side of the fence and then I realised that the things they have been told about the North is from defectors so that is going to carry it’s very own special level of negativity.

Was a little strange to see photos of buildings in North Korea that I had been inside of. One in particular was where they signed the armistice for the Korean War.

Picture of the building were the Armistace was signed in the South Korean War Memorial

My picture of the Armistace building from when I was in North Korea

Being the geek that I am, I decided to visit Korea’s Electronics and Computers area. I spent 2 hours walking around looking at all manner of technology and finally realised that there was nothing I wanted that I didnt already have. I think that would probably have to be a first for me so either I am spoiled or technology isnt evolving as fast as it has done in the past. Not a single thing interested me.

Highlight though had to have been the Korean BBQ and I didnt take my camera with me that evening because the batteries were dead… DOH! It was 1000 times better than the BBQ that I had in North Korea and I seriously enjoyed it.

Seoul ===>> 2 thumbs up from me!