Solo in Seoul

One of the ten largest cities in the world? ... Intimidating.
A metro system with arms like tentacles reaching across landspace housing millions of inhabitants? ... Overwhelming.
A lack of language skills or even a phrasebook to afford me a shot at the most basic of communication? ... Stressful.
But impossible? Absolutely not. I've dealt with worse.
I simply couldn't let another weekend pass by without taking the plunge and attempting to day-trip to Seoul. It didn't have to be anything large-scale... it's been a while, after all, since I've flexed the ol' backpacker biceps. Just to spend a full day walking around the city, see what I see, and hopefully meet up with an old friend in Seoul, that was my plan. I had my chance to explore Seoul just this past Sunday, despite ugly weather forecasts and foreboding skies. Granted, I almost got stranded at the bus terminal... but that's another story.
I biked to the bus station in a gray drizzle, and managed (with the help of an absolute stranger) to buy a ticket and find myself on the road northward, aboard a comfy if tattered bus. I had intended to sleep on the trip, but excitement for the day's adventure kept my mind spinning as I leafed through one page after another of my "Lonely Planet Korea" book. By the time I arrived in Seoul, a mere 1h33 had elapsed. It pays to take an early morning bus... little or no traffic to contend with. I spent the next hour hopping along Seoul's many metro lines and walking in circles through busy city streets, trying to get my bearings. (It really sucks not having my trusty sidekick compass...) But finally, it all started to click and before long I was standing outside the entrance gate to one of Korea's ancient palace complexes, Changyeonggung. The air was buzzing as young women, dressed in vibrant blue dresses, scampered across the stone bridge leading to another palace hall. As I poked my head inside, I was delighted to find billowing bundles of flags, dragon-bedecked drums, and carefully arranged plates laden with colorful fruits and other offerings. I spent the next three hours meandering along shady, forested trails, admiring the gracefully sloping rooftops of one palace structure after another, marvelling at the beautiful wood craftsmanship and balance of nature and structure that the Koreans seem to have perfected.
As the afternoon wore on, I took a walk along the pedestrian-only thoroughfare known to tourists throughout Seoul as souvenir headquarters, Insadong. Shopfronts, food stalls, and kitsch-covered carts beckoned to the thousands parading along this busy merchant quarter. I eyed a set of traditional-looking clay bowls and plates with longing, before my attention was caught by yet another, then another enticing display. Certainly this was no place to hurry through -- the din of voices in myriad languages, the abundance of solid bargains, and the joyful exuberance of shoppers anxious to take back with them a little piece of Korea all melded into an atmosphere that almost insisted you linger. Only, I couldn't. I had a timed-entry ticket to another of Korea's old-world gems, the UNESCO palace known as Changdoekbang.
By this point, my feet were growing tired. But I felt another wave of energy overtake me as I entered the palace grounds and walked again among centuries-old wooden masterpieces. Something about Asian design, its simplicity and gracefulness, resonates with me. I couldn't seem to get my fix of the contoured rooftops and the harmony of all elements, both natural and manmade. The highlight was a walk through a secluded area known as the "Secret Garden," complete with a lily-pad topped pool and octagonal pavilion. The earthy green of abundant foliage bled across the scene, and the serenity I felt was inescapable.
Afterwards, I followed one street after another past a huge English bookstore (I'll definitely have to make a return visit there!!), and into a very artsy section of town. A right turn across from Changbukgong (yes, another palace!) landed me smack dab in the middle of... Greenwich Village? Some little European plaza? Where was I?? This place reeked of class, with boutique after cafe after cutesy coffehouse spilling one after another in succession down an ambling sidestreet. Old-world buildings butted up against others boasting a modern design, and vines and flowerboxes peppered the walkways and window sills. This was definitely a happening area, and I was already planning my return visit to Samcheongdong.
Before evening came, I made connections with a friend from the U.S. that I haven't seen in years, another brave soul who decided to break from the norm and come to Korea in search of teaching work. After two years teaching in Busan (Seoul's little sister on the southeast shore), she decided to make her stay here a bit more permanent when she accepted the marriage proposal of her soon-to-be husband Sung Jin. We met at the Daeheung metro station and walked to their flat, a cozy little space on the 8th floor of their high-rise, overlooking a beautiful section of the city. Over rice, quail eggs, and some yummy vegetable banchan, I got to know her husband and hear a bit about their lives over the intervening years.
And before I knew it, time had run away. Literally. So I found myself running to the metro in hopes that I could make my 18 metro stops and line transfer to the Nambu Bus Station in time to catch my bus to Seosan. For the next 40 minutes, I eyed my watch impatiently, counting the seconds between stops as though life depended on it. I had seriously underestimated the time involved to traverse Seoul's metro system, and that lesson hit home with a decided bang as my clock chimed 8:00 PM. I was still 3 stops away. At this very moment, my bus -- the last bus of the night -- was pulling out of the station. I knew I could ride the metro back to Dionne's place, wake up early, catch a morning bus back to Seosan and make it in time for my noon staff meeting. But I was tired, grungy beyond reason, and wanted a warm shower and a good night's sleep in my own bed.
And then, the silver lining shone through. I remember Terry, my boss's wife, telling me that there were two bus stations in Seoul. Maybe, I told myself, I still have a shot of getting on a bus from the other terminal. A mere 40 minutes later, I was cruising out of town on yet another cross-country bus. I had to eat that ticket leaving from Nambu, of course. But at W6,800 (approx US$7), it fortunately didn't set me back too much. By 11 PM Sunday night I was back home again, reliving the highlights of a spectacular Sunday in Seoul. I have a feeling it won't be long before I find myself kicking around the big city again...