Seoul

Itaewon

 

Itaewon a place with a reputation


And it's a good reputation, actually. My first visit there showed me the potential to be what I had heard from service people all over. It is a place where people, foreign and domestic, travelers and artists, and connoisseurs of international quisine gather and enjoy each other's company. There are tons of international restaurants. I was told, even a small German place that brews their own beer, and lots and lots of stores to shop, for the usual souveniers, and the unusual antiques and works of art. I will have to visit there sometime after dark to get the real character and flavor of the place. It's just minutes outside of Yongsan Army Base.

 

A small stature commemorating the sacrifices of the so-called Comfort Women, who were not treated very kindly by the Japanese conquerors. The Japanese military made few friends wherever they hit the shores and began an orgy of destruction of historic sites as well as the brutal domination of the locals. This statue is a constant reminder of the Japanese army's rampage and a thorn in the eyes of the Japanese, who'd rather have it removed.

 

A very busy part of town. It is connected with the rest of Seoul by subway and buses, with stations in easy reach everywhere.

 

There are many convoluted alleys and passages, stores, and restaurants, literally everywhere, and at the same time, the place was clearly being renovated all over.

 

 

 

 

 

Braving young pirates, climbing steep stairs to get back to the main drag, there was a landmark, the international Methodist church, that pointed me toward the extit of Itaewon. While planning to definitely get another look at this promising, and to me, new, area of Seoul, I proceded to the Gyeongbokgung Palace.

 

Descending into the depth of the metro system, enjoying RPG game ads along the way, I relearned how to get around via the subway.

 

Gyeongbokung - Palace

 

When I arrived, on a Tuesday, I learned that the Palace was closed on that day. Fine, I vowed to do it all over again the next day, but meanwhile discovered that the closed site had its own charm. First of all, very few visitors, hardly any foreign tourists, and locals taking advantage of having the outside gardens to themselves.

 

Walking around the outside walls I got to see the great gate with nary a tourist cluttering it up. This area is typically mobbed by visitors.

 

 

Then again, there are visitors I could not particularly object to

 

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