Spring in Seoul I wanted to visit Seoul during winter to see how real the scenes are from that very famous drama series starring my favorite Korean actor, Bae Yong Joon. However, my friend who is now stationed in Seoul as the Vice Consul at the Philippine Embassy informed me that spring is the best time of the year to visit Seoul. This was confirmed by our South Korean hosts, who were very kind to invite us to visit their country by holding the training in Seoul. Indeed, we were greeted by a lovely weather and an array of markets that are all walking distance from the Lotte Hotel (where we stayed). I must say that this hotel has a very good service and a very nice atmosphere. We almost did not want to leave the hotel after 6 days. This is the first hotel I visited that has a very nice smelling lifts, with a rose in a vase tucked in as a décor. The hotel has a water fall as a backdrop and the food is so great tasting! And to think that they do not expect any tip. Really a wow! Seoul as a city is divided by the Han River. Spring in Seoul means a temperature of about 8-10 in the evening and about 15-20 during the day. Quite a nice weather to wear a light jacket, tucking in your hands inside your pocket and just walking up and down, inside and out of the various market places all over the city. We visited no less than four such huge market places: the Dong Dae Mun Market; the Myong Dong Market; the Nam Dae Mun Market; Insa-Dong and the Itaewon market. Each of these markets has a special and unique characteristic to it. Dong Dae Mun is where you will be able to shop from 10.30 in the morning until 5.00 the next morning. This is the epitome of an almost 24-hour market. Here one can find all sorts of stuff from Korean food items to shoes, bags and clothes. And the market is surrounded by other shopping malls, which can confuse you and make you give up on walking. Myong Dong Market is frequented by young Koreans, with their stylish dresses and hippy looking gears. Here the shops emit loud music that entices you to stop and look and of course buy their wares. The stuff here is similar to the Dong Dae Mun Market. It is just that they are more targeted at the younger crowd. If you are lucky, you can catch a live show featuring some Korean artists in the evening. Nam Dae Mun Market is the wholesale paradise of Seoul. Here, if you are not careful you can get lost in the maze of stalls. A Korean friend of mine tried to follow us when we visited this market and after one hour gave up on ever finding us that day. It is just too big a market. So what else to do? Seoul has a lot to offer. There are palaces, folk villages and museums. One of the palaces, Changdeokgung, was accorded a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1997. This is the most well preserved palace of the Joseon Period. It was constructed in 1405 as a secondary palace of the Joseon Dynasty. The palace boasts of a “Secret Garden”, a must visit with its soulful ambience and dynasty-like charm. One can almost feel how it must have been in the past. A must visit museum is the National Folk Museum of Korea, which has a very nice restaurant inside where you can sip and enjoy a nice cup of tea with one of Korea’s favorite dish. Korean food I must say is so healthy and so tasty. And I never realized that there so many types of kimchi. Another must see site is the Korea House museum where we had an opportunity to watch a traditional Korean wedding between an ang-moh guy and a Korean gal. It was such a privilege to be able to see what happens during the wedding. And the costumes are so colorful and very lovely. Even the ang moh guy wore the traditional Korean outfit. What was also interesting was to see cherry blossoms! Truly a sight to behold! First time I have seen it and hopefully soon can compare it with that of Japan. With the shopping, the visiting of the historical and wonderful sites, Seoul in spring time is really a must for wandering souls like me.

I visited Seoul, South Korea last April 2005