We made it to Seoul!! After a relatively uneventful 10 layover in LA and long overnight flight we arrived in South Korea. With no clue how to communicate, Casey and I were able to figure out the Korean subway system with just a few hitches, and even successfully made a transfer (woohoo) to arrive at Sadang station, where Ryley T. was waiting to meet us. Korea is pretty crazy, the buildings are covered in neon signage, it is about -10 degrees Celsius outside, everyone is bundled up and scurrying around town in the snow. The air is incredibly dry, after a few hours outside Casey and I were both on the verge of nosebleeds, luckily we made it back to Ryley's little Korean apartment in the town of Maseok (like Mah-Sock), about an hour outside of Seoul proper.
Riley P. and Ryley T. are great tour guides. After a few rounds of Irish Coffee (I know we're in Korea, but sometimes you just can't say no to whiskey and baileys, especially when your nose is about to freeze off and you haven't had a drop of caffiene in days) we decided to take a stroll around town to explore this curious little town of Maseok. Ryley T. desperately needed a nap as he had just arrived home from his trip to the Phillipines the previous night, so Riley P., Casey and I geared up (it has become incredibly apparent that we definitely did NOT overpack on the warm clothes) and hit the streets. I struggled to lumber myself down the icy streets, donning every article of clothing that I packed, and resembling something in the way of a giant American marshmallow.
We were stoked when we stumbled upon a huge Korean market, quite a sight to see! Amidst all of the snow and ice there was a bustle of activity on every street. Rickety tables set up along the cobbled sidewalks, wrinkle-faced Korean grandmas slinging tentacles, chicken intestines, silk-worm larvae, ginger roots, every type of seafood you can imagine, even corn dogs! We had quite a time strolling through the market, sampling little bits of raw fish slathered in red chilis, seaweed rice cakes, Casey even tried his hand at Silk worm larvae. He thought they were 'sugared' when in reality they were just dusting with snow as it was freaking freezing outside and everything was subject to the sub-zero temperatures. He claims it just tasted like crunchy protein... looked pretty gross to me! The boys were thrilled when they came across the corndog booth, there are hot dogs everywhere here.Hot dogs on pizza, baked into bread, served on a stick. I was thrilled when I sighted the sugary popcorn booth. The way they pop the popcorn is so exciting, Casey took a video of it, which I'll try to upload. This little Korean man squats down next to what can only be a pressure cooker, which looked like a Civil War cannon, and pours in the kernels. After heating for a minute or two the cannon EXPLODES, shooting popcorn straight out into the air, where a second little Korean man catches it in a net. We were cheering, and of course I bought a bag. A shout out to Jackie: OH MY GOD, it is just like the popcorn from S.America! Slightly stale, salty/sweet, and VERY addictive. I'm a junky all over again!
After scouring the market completely, eating everything we came across that looked slightly appetizing, and freezing our bums off we headed home for a much needed nap, as the jet lag was kicking in and we were drunk off of fish bits and popcorn. After waking up and playing a few rounds of Cribbage we headed out for a massive Korean dinner called Shabu Shabu, i think I have a new favorite food. You take your shoes off and sit on little mats on the floor around a low table with a burner in the middle. The little Korean waitress scurries over (I've decided that is the only appropriate way to describe how Korean people move) and timidly takes your order, thank got Ryley T. speaks Korean. He hooked up up with a plethora of cheap Korean beer, Soju (domestic Korean liquor which tastes like cheap vodka and has much the same effect) and a giant pot of bubbling broth on our burner, with bowls of little bits to add in as we pleased. The broth was incredible, spicy and rich, full of big mushrooms, onion, potatoes and herbs, to which we added thinly shaved slices of beef which cook in the heat of the liquid. We gorged ourselves, only to find that there were more courses on the way, thick egg noodles, seasoned rice with vegetables and spicy chilis. We ate, laughed and were jolly, definitely a memorable first night in South Korea. After dinner we rolled ourselves back to Ryley's little apartment, enjoyed a Soju nightcap, and slipped away in to an intoxicating sleep.
Today Casey and I woke up early (thanks to the time change) and went for a walk. The city was just creaking to life. The sun is melting the snow and everything is sparkling. It's even colder today than it was yesterday. As soon as the boys are up were heading into the city to explore Seoul, I'll let you know how it goes!
