As my plane back to the UK wasn’t until midnight on Monday I decided to have a final explore of some of the things I hadn’t yet seen which included both Dongdaemun and Namdaemun markets, centred around the historic city walls.
Dongdaemun means “Great East Gate” and was the major eastern gate in the wall that surrounded Seoul during the Joseon Dynasty. Today it’s marooned in the middle of a busy roundabout looking somewhat forlorn, no longer gatekeeper to a city which is grown way beyond its original boundaries. Surrounding the gate is Dongdaemun Market, consisting of over 26 shopping malls, mainly specialising in retail and wholesale fashion items. With over 30,000 shops you’re pretty spoilt for choice if you like that sort of thing!
I choose to steer away from the modern shopping malls and headed for the backstreets which looked a whole lot more interesting. Packed between narrow streets lay an array of curious vendors selling all manor of various goods. I particularly liked an alleyway which sold nothing but shoes of every type and size, stacked high against the walls. The place reminded somewhat of Silk Street in Beijing with many counterfeit brands!
If you’re curious to see what the more modern side look like at night check out this video. Next up, the final instalment from Korea (normal service to be restored shortly!).
After a leisurely afternoon in Busan it was time to catch the KTX back to Seoul. Unfortunately I had rather underestimated the amount of time it would take to get back to the accommodation to collect my things and then get back to the train station. This turned into a mad dash to make the 8.55pm train which I made with barely 5 minutes to spare. Funnily enough the KTX train journey was faster than this little detour!
Having made it back to Seoul it was back to the guest house for a final few winks sleep before my last day. Unfortunately I woke Monday morning to find a huge cockroach on the wall above my bed. For someone who is only used to seeing to occasional small spider the sight of a 2 inch long cockroach presented somewhat of a problem and a definite end to sleep! I eventually knocked it off the wall where it scurried under the bed. It was time to bid a hasty farewell…
Having been running around Korea like a crazed manic the previous week I decided to take Sunday a little slower (at least that was the original plan). Late morning I headed to Chungnyeol Shrine, “where the spirits of the patriotic martyrs in Busan region, who have bravely fought against the Japanese troops in the battles under the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592 and died heroic deaths, are enshrined.” You probably get the picture, just a hint of anti-Japanese fervour here!
…along with some massive fish but surprisingly few people. One of the benefits of travelling in Korea is that you generally don’t seem to find massive hordes of foreign tourists at the big sites (even less at the small ones) which can make for a much more enjoyable experience. The only downside is that, as an Englishman, you’ll probably be mistaken for being American due to their large military presence in the country! Putting this right is an obvious priority, but I digress…
The shrine is set into the side of a hill on tiered levels with various halls, monuments, displays, and well-manicured gardens. If you fancy a traditional Korean wedding ceremony they’ll also lay one on (for a measly 100,000 won/£50). Being visibly surrounded by the city, the shrine almost feels like the last place of sanctuary from the ever encroaching urban jungle - the polarised differences couldn’t be more striking and perhaps places like these are good for finding a sense of reality outside the controlled chaos…
On a lighter note - To those in Korea happy Chuseok (harvest festival)! To those in China happy Mid-autumn festival! Be sure to eat lots of moon cakes and watch the sky tonight
One of the highlights of my trip to Busan was visiting Jagalchi Market; Korea’s biggest seafood market right next to the port where all the produce comes from. On display were the most amazing array of strange creatures from common mackerel to huge squid, and even whale meat being sold by old women (’Jagalchi Ajumma’) on small stalls along the road. Whilst I’m not much of a seafood fan the market was a great place for photography and I think I got some nice results…
I’m not sure how anyone could put up with the smell of raw fish and guts all day long but I guess they get used to it! Perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that eating live squid/octopus is considered a delicacy (as seen in Old Boy) - how anyone could manage to eat something which has writhing tentacles covered in suckers is beyond me! In case you think I’m making this up, here’s the proof:
Warning: not suitable for those with weak stomachs!
Looks lovely but this is one experience I decided to pass on
So I was sitting on the subway in Seoul early morning minding my own business when I felt something rest itself on my shoulder. Looking down in horror I saw a faceless head uncomfortably close to my own and for a split second wondered if Sadako (from Ringu fame) had finally come to reek her terrible revenge on me… (her victims “die of fright”)
Alas no, a local had unconsciously decided my shoulder looked like a comfortable place to sleep! Whilst I awkwardly tried to nudge her off me a friend who was conveniently sitting opposite (now in hysterics) took a pic - censored to preserve my anonymity and dignity
N.B. I meant to post this before the Korean Folk Village episode, which is when it happened, but somehow overlooked it!
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