South Korea Day 8: To Seoul

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The weather cleared and we exited the Daegu hotel by conventional means, no ropes needed. 


We caught separate trains to Seoul. Roger, whose back was not behaving, caught the fast train and spent two hours in relative comfort but largely in tunnels in order to get to the hotel more quickly. I took the slower train in order to appreciate the South Korean countryside.  Although to be honest the South Korean countryside was at times uninspiring, consisting of acres of hot houses under which, I presume, South Korea's fruits and vegetables were grown.




My train boasted a 'buffet car' which did not live up to the name, providing only one vending machine and violently uncomfortable seats although the windows were bigger. Everyone who hadn't reserved a seat crammed into the buffet car, along with those who wanted to plug in their laptops. 

Views not worth the seats.

An announcement came over the PA: "We will be checking tickets. If you have not bought a ticket please buy one now. The fine for no ticket is 30 times the fare." The buffet car exploded in activity as everyone scrambled to find a conductor and buy a ticket. I went back to my comfortable, paid-for seat.

South Korea has large rivers, and lots of them.


The functional cherry trees were still in full blossom.

"Don't get the subway," messaged Roger. "It's madness, and only 1.5km to the hotel. Better to walk."  So I did, which was its own kind of madness as turns out I'm staying in the centre of one of Seoul's major tourist/shopping strips.

Our hotel was somewhat confusing given as it was two hotels in one building, all mixed up between floors.  


We had a Simple Descending line which failed engineer approval given a) the attachment bolt was attached to the aluminium window frame and b) the window was bolted shut. There was, however, a floor mounted bracket at the end of the hallway where I suspect one was expected to line up an orderly fashion awaiting your turn to leap into the abyss as flames licked at your toes. That would be after lugging your safety line down the hallway from your room.

He's not convinced.

Outside our hotel foyer a roster of street performers belted out songs and gave their best karaoke/gangnam/kpop performances. Street stalls lined the road and a river of people poured along the streets, parting reluctantly for an occasional car or overloaded motorbike. Tour groups clogged the alleyways, trotting behind flag-waving guides like obedient ducklings. Over whelmed by choice, we wandered up and down.  I tried baby crabs for dinner.

Crunchy.

And finished up with kimchi pancakes to get the shell splinters out of my teeth.


Tragically, I was too full to finish up with hotteokk, but tomorrow is always another day.

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