Today in Korea was packed from start to finish, and it ended up being one of my favorite days of the trip so far. We started the morning with an archery activity at the fortress, which was something I had never tried before. Using a bow and arrow looked much easier than it actually was, and I was not very good at it, but it was still really fun to try something completely new. After the activity, we explored the fortress itself and walked along the walls. One thing that stood out to me was the contrast between the historic fortress and the modern city surrounding it. Seeing such an old structure still standing in the middle of so many tall buildings and busy streets was really interesting and made the history feel much more real.
Later, we visited a palace that once served as a temporary palace for the king. The architecture and design reminded me a lot of Gyeongbok Palace, with its colorful details and traditional Korean style. After walking around for a while, we searched for lunch and ended up grabbing ramen and snacks from GS25, which honestly ended up being a fun and quick meal.
My favorite part of the day was definitely visiting the Samsung Innovation Museum. We had a private tour, and it was fascinating to learn about the history of Samsung and how the company grew into what it is today. I especially enjoyed hearing about their newest technologies and future innovations. It was really inspiring to see how much they have accomplished over the years.
After the museum, we were dropped off at Namdaemun Market, but unfortunately it started raining pretty heavily. We had to walk back to the hotel to grab umbrellas and warmer clothes. By the time we returned, many of the market shops were beginning to close because of the rain, so we headed to Shinsegae The Reserve instead. We found a huge underground food court with so many different options. I got three spring rolls and a pound cake, and I shared a beef bulgogi dish with Anshi. It was really nice getting to sit and eat together with everyone from the trip.
To end the night, we went back to Myeongdong Street for shopping. I bought gifts for my family along with skincare, makeup, and clothes for myself. We stayed there for a few hours, and even though I was exhausted by the end of the night, I had so much fun that I ended up falling asleep almost immediately once I got back.
