My flight arrived late at the Incheon airport Saturday night. By the time we made it to Laurie’s house, it was after 11pm. They live right in the middle of Seoul. Their location is perfect for exploring the city!
Sunday morning, we went to the Seoul Tower. It is located in a large park in the center of Seoul.
We had a short walk to the top and stopped for pictures along the way. Seoul Tower is the tall structure in the first picture. The city stretches out for miles and miles. So many tall buildings.
As we approached the area around the Tower, we saw the actual Geographical Center of Seoul.
Part of Seoul’s history is the stone wall surrounding the city. The city has since spread beyond the wall, but the wall continues to be maintained and preserved.
We arrived a little early and wandered around the park while we waited for the Tower to open. Seoul has their own version of “love locks.” They were mostly concentrated in a specific area of the park. We did observe locks being cut off that were not placed in the appropriate area.
Shortly after 10 am, we bought our tickets and took the 25 second elevator ride to the top of the tower (236m high – 480m high including the mountain). As we walked around the observation deck, we enjoyed a tub of popcorn and a beer. Sightseeing and beer at the top of a tall tower. What a great way to start the day!
Can you guess where I took this picture?
Yes! In the bathroom stall! Check out the sign.
After our visit to the Tower, we worked our way through the park and back to the house for lunch.
We stopped near the base to look at the many different kimchi pots. They are very cool, but I don’t think one of these will fit in my luggage! The shop owner was very nice and offered to take our picture.
We returned home to eat lunch and relax a little bit before walking over to the National Museum of Korea. I still can’t get over where they live – literally right in the middle of the city. Conveniently located to everything!
The National Museum of Korea was built on the land that used to be the US Army golf course. It has since been turned into a beautiful museum with lovely gardens.
Throughout the gardens were numerous statues and pagodas.
It was easy to identify the distinctive differences in the color patterns of Korean structures compared with Japanese structures. There was much more elaborate painting using blues and aqua. This shelter housed a large bell.
Inside the Museum were numerous exhibits about Korean history, shipwreck artifacts, pottery, and crafts. We walked through about half the Museum before running out of time. The Museum is free to visit. If we have time later during my visit we can return. There really is so much to see and learn!