Anneyonghasseo!
The Korean equivalent for ‘hello’. While waiting for my visa for Australia I decided to leave Kuala Lumpur and head to South Korea. A new place in Asia for me where I spent just enough time to meet locals, see something of the capital Seoul, the second largest city Busan and the nearby island Jeju. As usual, time flew but in the meantime I’m so many adventures richer 🙂
The capital
I arrived in Seoul where a travel buddy (Jinu) lives. Bu tbefore that I had to make my way to there. It’s very pleasant that Koreans are very helpful even though you didn’t ask for it. Not so easy in a country where little English is spoken, a different alphabet is used, and the language has no resemblence with a language I learnt. A whole story in Korean and just nodding ‘yes’ is the best for both sides. It definitely shows that Koreans are not shy compared to fellow Asian nations. It’s easy to get contact with them and even become friends. It’s expecially this reason why the capital has in fact many foreigners in this otherwise very homogeneous country. In most families interracial marriages are not appreciated. Therefore I found many Koreans from Canada or the US in Korea to ‘shop’ for a girl to marry.
The capital has not many sights to visit. The temples are mostly restored buildings that disappointed me. The national museum is worth a visit to learn about the Korean history. The displays are very nice and informative. Together with Jinu and his friends we explored the night life in Gangnam. A place to what you got and to be seen. It doesn’t matter which day or what time you’re there, as it is always busy. The districts are spread throughout the city and have their own distinctive public and atmosphere, which is enjoyable everywhere.
