Subway to Seoul

Saturday was supposed to be a staff public transit trip to Seoul but it was canceled (missed the "why" part of the explanation).  This was probably for the better since the new faculty "welcome" party was the night before.  However, with a later start, a few of my new coworkers/friends (Tiffany, Dave, and Tamara) and I decided to head into Seoul anyway.  

This was my first time taking the subway in Korea, Tamara was the expert in the group, and it  is actually very easy to figure out.  Subways and buses are a quite zone and many Koreans use that time to catch up on sleep or watch TV (on phones).  Americans use that time to chat, cackle, and talk on their phones.  The former is so refreshing (and something the four of us probably should have been aware of before heading out on Saturday).

We headed to Jongno--gu, Seoul where Changdeokgung Palace is located.  This is one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the kinds of the Joseon Dynasty.  This was the kinds secondary palace to Gyeongbokgung Palace.  However, all palaces were destroyed during the Japanese invasion (1592-1598).  Changdeokgung was restored in 1610 and served as the main palace for 270 years.  Gyeongbokgung was finally rebuilt in 1868.  A little history lesson for you.  

The exterior of the palace has been restored and is vibrant with color and intricate details.  The interiors are a bit more aged but still maintain the color and details of the exterior.  

Tiffany, Dave, Tamara

We got to the palace about 3+ hours before the English tour of the Secret Garden.  Initially we thought maybe we'd stay long enough to catch it.  Then our bodies reminded us that it was 95 degrees with about 70% humidity.  I think the Secret Garden will be a lovely fall activity! 

Extreme heat aside, the palace was quite picturesque...

One of my favorites...

Tiffany, Tamara, and the author

This is the part of the tour where we thought we could quite possibly melt into nothing.

This is a doorway...a slider door between two rooms!  Add this to my dream home right behind shoe closet and professional grade kitchen.

Next we opted for something indoors, so we headed to Intaewon.  This is known as sort of the cultural melting pot of Seoul.  Really, it's like little New York City.  It's were you go when you need your Mexican, Italian, Indian food fix.  I wasn't that impressed but maybe in six months that will be a different story when I'm jones-ing for a burrito.