Being away from our families and friends over the cozy, festive Christmas holidays was heart-wrenching. To ease the homesickness, Pepper and I visited the bustling capital city of South Korea: Seoul. The city where we currently reside, Busan, is about a 5-hour car ride away from this international hub, and having no car overseas, we selected a terrific option: the KTX, or (Korea Express Train). This bullet train has been channeling people across the country for many years, and I admit that we NEED one of these in the U.S. The train is so efficient that we departed at 10:00 a.m and arrived at exactly 12:36 p.m. Train tickets were just under 60 Korean won, which is nearly the same in U.S dollars. Like many people, we prefer traveling when the weather is comfortably warm, but being in a foreign country (and basically having to work nonstop) means we have to see the sights whenever opportunity arises. South Korea is surprisingly cold, and Seoul is quite a bit colder than Busan. So, we avoid Georgia's unseasonably warm Christmas...well, this year at least ;)
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| While in Seoul, we decided to tour some of the traditional tourists spots that Seoul has to offer. |
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| Perhaps Pepper is taller than the ancient rulers of Korea. |
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| There's something special about these houses. Personally, I believe these "hanok" homes are way more fun than your standard high rise apartment. Due to lack of space, most Koreans live in apartment buildings. Thus, traditional homes are just that: traditional, old-fashioned, yet respectable. |
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| I found a tiny door! Aw! |
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| Strolling through Bukcheon Hanok Village. |
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| Gyeongbokgung Palace! This was just a few subway stops away from our hotel. |
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| While strolling through Bukcheon Hanok Village, I hopped inside and snapped a quick photo of this traditional Korean house (called a hanoks). There's something so peaceful about this entryway. |
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| Pretty coloring on the palace structures. |
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| Though much of the surrounding foliage is asleep for winter, the lake, along with this unique Korean building, still looks quite pretty. Welcome to Seoul, where traditional history and modern high rise buildings reside a few feet from each other. Can you see Seoul Tower peeking up from the right-hand side? It's a pointy white structure behind one of the skinny tree limbs. |
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| Palace tours. |
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| Posing in traditional Korean garb is a cutesy thing to do at many of the special, historical sights in Seoul. This type of women's clothing is called a hanbok. You can buy one from one of the many stores in any Korean city! |
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| Hands in pockets. It's cold out. |
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| After touring the traditional Korean village in the Bukcheon area, we stumbled upon a Japanese restaurant. Dinnertime!! |
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| Buildings with fancy lights help to enhance Korea's night sky. |
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This was one of the many structures in the Changdeokgung Palace area.
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