Day 2 and up bright and early (not yet adjusted to the 13-hour ahead time difference)! I started the day off with a morning walk around
Cheongdam Park in the
Cheongdam-dong area of Seoul. This park is absolutely gorgeous- it's like a forest right in the middle of this concrete metropolis!
This certainly helped me build up an appetite, and I was lucky enough to find a street vendor right outside of the park (I love eating street food in other countries). I ordered what everyone else was eating- something called special toast. Special toast is an omelet with scallions and carrots which is served on grilled white bread with ketchup, mustard, and sugar! Yup, sugar! Who knew it would taste so good on eggs??? It was amazing! I washed it down with coffee flavored milk- again, just like the locals were drinking.
Next, into a cab and onto
Rodeo Street...
Rodeo Street is also known as the "Fashion and Art Street" or "Yuppie Street" since a lot of professionals who are in their 30's are mostly the ones who shop here. On Rodeo Street you can find more than 50 shops for imported foreign name brands (like Louis Vuitton and Gucci), local fashion designers' shops, and 30 art galleries. Just be aware that you will find high prices for clothes and coffee which can be 3 or 4 times much as in other places! I found a little handbag that wasn't terribly expensive at a little boutique called Boy + Supermarket (it's inside the black shopping bag).
After a morning of walking and shopping, it was time to head to the
Noryangjin Fish Market for some really fresh fish.
Noryangjin Fish Market is Seoul's largest and oldest fish market, with more than 700 shops inside. You can find every kind of fish you could imagine- all pretty much caught just a few short hours before. The place is very cool to see!
We went to a stand that Danny and Lilac know about, and they ordered a huge flounder and a small octopus.
We walked downstairs to a small little restaurant where we sat on the floor and were served our fresh fish. The octopus is still moving when it's served to you ( a testament to how fresh it really is)...very weird! I have to say, other than the squirming sensation which is a bit bizarre, it was quite good. I felt like Andrew Zimmern from Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel!
This was also my first sashimi experience- it was AMAZING! What have I been missing out on for all of these years? I would never have thought to order the flounder, but it was so fresh- like butter!
Our lunch lasted for two hours and included all the sashimi and a fish soup (made with the bones and the fish head)- it was very spicy, but very good!
After lunch, we walked through some of the stands outside of the fish market, and of course had to try one of the popular things you will see for sale on the street everywhere here, a pastry filled with sweet bean paste...yummy!
From there, on to the
63 Building or
63 City- one of Seoul's tallest buildings.
It's pretty cool to see. When you go, you get into a glass elevator and you can look out on to the entire city on your ride up.
The view at the top is incredible! Seoul is huge- 10 million people, but it is such a wide, spread out city- it seems like the city never ends when you look out from here!
On the first floor of the 63 Building is a coffee/dessert place called
Beans & Berries. We stopped in here for a Korean specialty- a bowl of shaved ice that has milk in it, and comes topped with ice cream and fresh fruit- delicious!
After the 63 Building, we went to the
Hyundai Department Store. I know, you are probably thinking, "department store," why would you fly half way around the world to go see a department store??? But, if you are anywhere in Asia, it's something you must do!
That's because the department stores in Asia are nothing like the department stores back in the U.S. The stores in Asia are large , multilevel stores, with the bottom floor being a grocery store and a food court!
The first floor is where you can find cosmetics and jewelry, the middle floors clothing, furniture and home goods, and the top floor is reserved for restaurants. If you want to see where Seoul's fashions will be heading, then check out the Hyundai Department Store.
Dinner that night was at
Phil Kyung Jae-a fancy traditional Korean restaurant where we were served a dinner fit for a king!
This restaurant is located in the south part of Seoul. You wouldn't really notice it from the street, but once inside, the place is gorgeous! The grounds of the restaurant are these beautiful gardens with trees and flowers. The restaurant used to be someones home, so there are different rooms, each decorated in stunning Korean decor.
The flight to Tokyo was short (only 2 hours), but then it is a one hour train journey from the airport all the way to the city. I decided to stay in the Asakusa area of Tokyo (as recommended by Danny's friends from Japan who were at his wedding). But, as for a place to stay in Asakusa, well...that part I had not planned. I found out from someone at the airport that it might be difficult finding a place to stay in Asakusa because the weekend I would be there was the weekend of the Sanja Festival (the BIGGEST festival in all of Tokyo). So, I looked in my "trusty" Fodor's guide and looked for a Ryokan (a Japanese-style room where you sleep on the floor). The one with the Fodor's Choice star was the Ryokan Mikawaya Honten. The location was perfect (in the heart of Asakusa- right next to the Kaminari-mon gate, the Senso-ji Complex, and the Nakamise souvenir market), and the price was right (Japan is SOOOOOOOOO expensive, so it was okay staying in a not so place for just two nights). Well, I have to say that I can officially no longer trust Fodor's!!! The place was basically a youth hostel! Don't get me wrong, the staff was very nice and very accommodating, and the room was clean, but the ryokan overall was not! Look at the room...This was the Jet Set Smart way to travel from a financial aspect, but not from the perspective of finding a great place for a great price!
Well, I finally got over it (figuring I would only be there 2 nights), and decided to head out and check out the area of Asakusa. Asakusa is located in the northeastern area of Tokyo. It is rich in history and traditional culture, and is considered a "top-of-the-list" destination in most Tokyo travel material. You will find Asakusa to be a unique and spiritual place (with a bit of a commercial and tourist vibe), but it's definitely the sort of neighborhood where you will see locals walking their dogs. Life in Asakusa is slow-paced and uncomplicated. Heading out that night, I got to see some of the beginning of the Sanja Festival. The Sanja Festival is held annually over the third weekend of May, and is said to be the biggest, loudest, wildest party in Tokyo.
I also got to do a lot of eating...Asakusa has these great outside eateries where people go to munch on fried foods and beer...so when in Rome...
