THE SEOUL METRO IS A SPARKLING JEWEL. For less than two dollars you can ride in comfort almost anywhere on the system and make some (un) necessary purchases along the way. Pesky stains on your favorite white shirt? Bad back? No problem. The hawkers climb aboard, unpack their trolleys and begin their spiel.
Spot remover for sale ... But Wait!
We were headed to Suwon, the once almost capital of Joseon Dynasty Korea, home to Hwaryeongjeon Palace and its surrounding fortress wall. The language issue once again bit us in the butt when the bus driver dropped us where he thought tourists should go, not where we hoped to get off. No harm, everything is in the same basic area. Very little of Suwon is in its original late-18th Century state. Much was destroyed during the Japanese Occupation in WW II and more during the Korean War but the reconstruction is based upon the original plans.
Hwaryeongjeon Palace
We spent an hour rambling around the Palace with architecture reminiscent of Changdeokgung in Seoul. After a tasty lunch - and my first taste of kimchi - we climbed the reconstructed fortress wall. This isn’t the Great Wall of China and we were soon sidetracked by birdsong from the trees; only one new species but it was quiet and cool in the bushes. The proper bus to the metro was waiting as we descended to street level. We saw our first Americans on the trip back, five GIs out for the weekend. Language and kimchi aside, I think Korea would be a nice duty station.
