I woke up nice and early, feeling productive. I had a good shower, organized my gear at the hotel, and headed out ready to take on the day. Then, reality hit.
Setting up my eSIM took an hour. Then I went to get a T-money card, only to realize I needed cash to buy it. Since I hadn’t converted any currency yet, I headed to the bank—where I found a massive line because it was the day after a holiday. By the time I finally had everything settled, the morning felt like a total bust.
The Metro Nap
I finally hopped on the metro for the 30-minute ride to Gyeongbokgung Palace. Well, "30 minutes" turned into a lot longer because I managed to fall asleep and completely missed my stop. By the time I realized that I had missed my stop, I was 30 minutes past my destination, had to turn around, and backtrack all the way.
By the time I reached the palace area it was lunchtime. I grabbed lunch at Tosokchon, a classic Samgyetang restaurant (chicken Soup). It was a good first meal in Seoul. I finally arrived at the palace gates around 1:30 PM, only to find out... it was closed.
Turning the Day Around
Needless to say, I was frustrated. However, I checked out the museum on the grounds—which was a fascinating look at Korean royalty—and then started the walk toward Bukchon Hanok Village.
Of course, that’s when my phone died. I took it as a sign to grab a coffee and recharge (both the phone and myself). Once I was back up and running, Bukchon Village saved the day. It’s such a cool neighborhood. I stumbled into an amazing art gallery, chatted with the artist, and even bought a small piece of her work.
Old Fashions Fix Everything
I headed back to the hotel to regroup for the evening and recharge my phone. Decided to go to Pub 29 in Gangnam area. It was kind of like a speak easy down several flights of stairs. I enjoyed 2 delicious Buffalo Trace old fashioneds. Looking at the alcohol on the bar, made me thing about how small and homogonized the world has become. I could have easily been in the US.
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