Whirlwind Tour of Seoul

My friend Jon's mom ('mum' for all of you UK readers) and stepdad have been in Korea for the past week. Fortunately, Jon's school was nice enough to let him have the whole week off to show them around. In just under a week, they have basically seen much of what I've seen in nine months. This is part of their whirlwind tour of Asia (China, Korea, and next is Vietnam).

Yesterday, we went to Seoul for the day. This was my fifth time going up. In order to make the most our day, we took an early morning KTX (bullet train) from Ulsan to Seoul. We were there in just about 2 hours which gave us plenty of time to see the city. We opted to take the Seoul City Bus Tour. This worked out well for me because I was able to visit different places.

See pictures below:

Entrance to traditional Hanok village.

Jon and myself =]

Seoul Tower off in the distance.

Basket weavers at the Hanok village.

Some buildings in the Hanok village.

Contrast of old and new.

Another view of Seoul Tower in the background.

Oongi pots used for making kimchi and other fermented Korean foods.

At the base of Seoul Tower

View from the observation deck of Seoul Tower.

Namsan mountain, shadow of Seoul Tower, and a glimpse of Seoul.

Seoul's Highest Post Office

Contrast: Old and new 

Entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul

(R to L) Jon, Rathi, Jon's mom and stepdad.  

King's throne at Gyeongbokgung Palace

Throne room building at Gyeongbokgung Palace 

Not sure where this door leads, but I liked it. 

One of the many streets of Namdaemun Market in Seoul -- one of the most famous markets in Korea

The weather was perfect, but my feet did not appreciate walking around in Converse all day. I promised them I'll wear proper walking shoes next time. At the end of the day, we hopped back on the KTX and headed back to Eonyang -- the center of the universe.

I have really enjoyed getting to know Jon's mom and stepdad. Now I have more people to visit in England! =]