Seoul, Korea
This was my first trip to Korea. Overall, I had a pretty good time. People seemed friendly, and there is a decent subway system that moves you around.
On a hill, in Namsan Park, s Seoul Tower. Just getting to the top of the hill is a feat of endurance, but there is also a tram, which I took.
At the base of Seoul Tower, I noticed a lot of locks stuck on the railing. I guess the thing to do is take your girlfriend, or whatever, up there and you each put a lock on the fence to show some sort of everlasting commitment. I also noticed some solitary locks, so I suppose you have to go up there and cut your lock off in case things don't work out.
It was pretty hazy the day I went up the tower, so the view wasn't that great.
There's lots to do in Seoul. One of the first places I went to was the National War Memorial nad Museum. There's lots to see here, and I spent about 3 hours roaming around.
The inside of the museum is very modern. It doesn't just cover the Korean War, but there is also a lot of stuff from when Korea was independent (pre-Japanese colony times). There were a lot of school groups in the museum the day I was there, and many of the children wanted to try out their English skills on me.
There are plent of static displays outside with tansk and airplanes you can climb over. Inside, the displays are more educational, but there is also this large boat in the central hall.
... statues from outside the museum.
A war drum inside the atrium. You could buy smaller versions of these at souvenir stores around the city.
There is also the National Museum, which mostly deals with art and history. Entrance is free.
... some sort of pot. pretty boring, I guess.
I had an ambitious plan to do some serious hiking around the city and visit numerous parks and museums. It was hot out, and I didn't get that far. I did manage to visit Gyeongbokung, "Seoul's Grandest Palace", according to my trusty Lonely Planet.
There are several acres of pavillions, all similar to this one. Each one had a specific name, and a purpose, but after awhile it was all lost on me so I concentrated on taking in the scenery.
Inside on e of the pavillions, was this "throne". You couldn't actually go inside, so I had to take the picture from the doorway.
The walls and ceilings were ornately decorated. Excessively gaudy, but, I guess that is what palaces are all about.
As I recall, this pavillion was where they developed the Korean writting system, but I could be wrong.
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Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Seoul. There was a lot to see and do there, and the locals were friendly enough.