After 19 hours of flying and an hour drive to the hotel, we had finally arrived at our final destination. I still find myself having a hard time accepting that I’m actually in South Korea! It was amazing to get to hit the shopping and markets in Seoul not to long after our arrival. Shops were tightly packed next to each other with streets going every which way, providing so much to choose from. After walking around, getting some various street food, experiencing a cat cafe, and eating ramen at 7-Eleven, we had called it a night to prepare for the next day.

When walking around the streets of Seoul, one of the things that was surprising to me was the lack of access to trash cans. Instead of throwing your trash away at a trash can, vendors would have signs telling you to give them your trash. With this, it was quick to notice how clean the streets were compared to the US. Another thing I noticed was the greater usage of cash across all stores. Especially with the street food markets, vendors would have containers or boxes that they would keep cash across purchases. Seeing how cashless the US has gotten over the last few years, it was interesting to see cash kept handier and more used in Seoul.

For Day 2, we got up for breakfast at the hotel and went to navigate the Seoul subway system for the first time in order to reach our first location on our itinerary: Cheonggyecheon Square and Stream. This stream is sourced naturally by the city of Seoul. We got to walk around and along the stream for a few minutes before heading to our next location that is pictured above, Gyeongbuk Palace. We first got to watch the changing of the royal guards and then proceeded to walk further within the grounds. This was also my first time seeing hanboks, which is traditional Korean clothing.

Our last few destinations for the day included the Bluehouse, Jogyessa Temple, and Namdaemun Market. The Bluehouse was formerly the presidential residence that is now a park to the public. The Jogyessa Temple is a Buddhist temple in Seoul that also contained lanterns of the living and dead for Buddha’s Birthday which will be celebrated on May 15th. Lastly, Namdaemun Market contained many street vendors that served food, clothes, jewelry, and many more items. Going into this market, we were told that we would be able to get better prices elsewhere, especially since we were tourists. In this market, I was able to negotiate a price and buy a tote bag.

Overall, the day was incredibly amazing, and I cannot wait to explore and learn more in South Korea.