Day 1

Day 1 was a mix of bad decisions, transit issues, yummy food, and historical monuments.

After spending about 6 hours in the airport working on my online course, I dropped off my luggage at a storage location and went in search of food. The variety and level of food available at the airport was far beyond that of Toronto's. For 8,800 won (approximately $10 CAD) I had a huge meal of traditional bibimbap (mixed rice).

The meal ended up being fairly spicy but it was delicious!

After my meal I went and purchased my T Money card, which is kind of like Toronto's Presto card. It can be used for their subways, buses, and some taxis. I later found out that there are BTS ones available so maybe I will try and get one of those next time I run out of money on this card. The card was very easy to purchase and it can be reloaded at any convenience store.

I wandered around the airport for a little longer and then hopped on a subway to go to my Airbnb. The subway took me all the way to Seoul Station in about an hour and then from there I took a bus for 5 minutes to my hostel. The subway was very easy to get on and I understand the stops because each announcement came in several languages, including English. I used an app called KakaoMap to plan my route.

Once I got off the subway though I got so lost trying to find the bus stops. When I finally made it outside of the subway station I went to the wrong stop and missed my first bus. I eventually found the right bus stop and then proceeded to miss the next two buses...

The buses in South Korea move through the bus stops very quickly and if it seems like there isn't someone waiting they go right past it. I finally figured out that you have to kind of run to the bus to make sure it notices you and I got on one! From there it was 3 quick stops and a 5 minute walk to my Airbnb. Fortunately, I know how to read Hangul (the Korean alphabet), which made transportation much easier. I had lots of fun on my trip looking at all the different ads on buses and subways for actors and k-pop idols that I like.

Actor Kim Soo Hyun from one of my all time favourite k-dramas, My Love From Another Star. His ads are all over the subway, the airport, and huge billboards everywhere.

After making it to my Airbnb I took a quick nap and then met up with a friend to go to Namsan Tower (similar to Toronto's CN Tower). I had met her briefly once while I was living in North York for one of my co-op terms, but she was so welcoming and nice that it felt like we had known each other for a long time! She recommended waiting until it was later in the day to go to Namsan Tower so we drove to Gyeongbokgung Palace to pass the time. Gyeongbokgung is the largest of the five major palaces in South Korea and it is one of the most beautiful! This palace is where their king lived and it is maintained as a historical monument. Typically you need to pay to enter but because we went during Chuseok (Korea's Thanksgiving), it was free! There were also so many people dressed up in beautiful hanboks, which are traditional Korean dresses. This palace is also a popular filming site for many historical dramas.

The weather was very warm and sunny and about halfway through exploring the palace I wasn't feeling too great. The combination of hot weather, 36 hours without sleeping, and the time change was hitting me hard. Instead of heading to Namsan Tower I ended up going back home early to crash and sleep for over 15 hours. Next time, I won't make plans on the first day after travelling for so long, but I was thankful that we were able to go see the palace!

Hope everyone is doing well,

Emily

P.S. thank you Hana for trying to help me figure out the bus system and for answering all my questions about the T Money card!