I was free on my first Monday morning in Seoul so I decided to take a look at a couple of historic sites in the north of the city, namely Jongmyo Shrine & Changgyeonggung Palace. Having looked it up on the web earlier I noticed that they offer free walking tours which I thought might be interesting so signed up. What I hadn’t quite bargained for was that I was the only person who had signed up that day! My guide was Lee Bog-nam (Ph.D), a retired professor of economics with an interest in history, who showed me around and gave me the historical background.
Jongmyo is the royal ancestral shrine of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) where the spirit tablets of its kings and queens are enshrined and memorial rites are observed in respect of the Confucian tradition. It has two impressive main halls and numerous other pavilions. Changgyeonggung Palace is one of Seoul’s 5 Joseon era palaces and follows in a similar style to the others. During the Japanese occupation (1910-1945) both sites were extensively damaged and so needed heavy restoration.
If you have a couple of hours to spare in Seoul its well worth to pay Jongmyo & Changgyeonggung a visit - just a 10 min walk from Jongno 3(sam)-ga subway station.
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The first stop off point on my trip to Korea was Dubai International Airport. I arrived at midnight on a surprisingly pleasant Emirates flight (even in economy the service was second to none I’ve experienced before). The first thing that hit me was the 36 deg C heat, and this was in the middle of the night! After a short shuttle bus trip I arrived at the rather incredible terminal building…
This has to be the most opulent airport in the world (that I’ve seen at least). It basically consists of a single very long tiered hall with shops and gate entrances on either side (all comfortably air conditioned). What really enhances it is the clever use of lighting which draws the eye along its length and is especially effective at night. Fit for a Saudi prince I think!
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It’s been a busy few days in Korea… many interesting things seen and much to report on but not enough time to go into detail right now!! The last two days I’ve been in Gwung ju (a historic city in the south) but unfortunately the rainy season decided to begin hence the phrase “drowned rat” wouldn’t look out of place! That said I still managed to see the sights, albeit dressed in a plastic bad like coat. I’ll be in Seoul till Friday when I’m going to visit Pusan (a city on the coast).
Pictures and details to follow next week 
Update (10/09): I’m at Incheon airport, Seoul, now with a couple of hours to kill before my flight. I’ve got a killer 24 hours of travel ahead of me at its already 10.30pm here 
Sometimes you’ve got to wonder if international travel is worth it!! Back in +1 days.
Update (11/09): I’m back. Very tired but alive! A few weeks of musings from Korea to follow shortly.
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