I was so excited when I found out that one of my best friends from college was going to get to visit me while I was in South Korea. I've known Megan for about 12 years now, and I couldn't wait to introduce her to a new country and adventure.
I picked her up from the airport, and she had done all the pre-registration I'd sent her for tourist entry and COVID registration. As soon as she landed, she got a PCR test to enter the country (and passed with flying colors), and we were off. I wanted to keep her up and fighting the jet-lag, so once we got back from Incheon Airport to Seoul, I took her to a local Korean BBQ by my house for a welcome dinner. We pigged out on pork belly, talked about how excited we were for her to be here, cheers with some somaek (beer & soju mixed), and then called it a night.
On Megan's 1st full day in Seoul, we started off with lunch at my favorite local Korean hot pot place (Bulgogi hot pots & lots of side dishes), and then drove up to N Seoul/Namsan Tower. It's a communication and observation tower located on Namsan Mountain in central Seoul. The 236-meter-tall tower marks the second highest point in Seoul. We road the cable car, bought a lock and locked our love/friendship to the tower, took pictures, etc. Afterwards, we had some Donkatsu (Pork Cutlet) and Korean Pancakes for dinner. Then we met some of my friends from work at a noraebang (karaoke room) and sang for hours (again fighting the jet-lag) thanks to many soju purchases.
Day 2 involved a more traditional outlook on South Korea. We went to the Bukchon Hanok Traditional Village and got outfitted in traditional Korean hanbok and hairstyles. We then walked around and took a TON of photos, saw the architecture, met other tourists and locals who liked our outfits, and caught a bus to Changdeokgung Palace for more photos. The palace was constructed in the 15th century during the Joseon Dynasty, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and features a secret garden amongst other things. After the palace we wandered over to Insadong Shopping Street and enjoyed some spicy chicken dakgalbi, then explored all the booths, shops and kiosks for some souvenirs and gifts.
The weather was not entirely on our side on Day 3, but we made it work. We went to Lotte World Tower & Mall and spent the day. First we started with Seoul Sky, located at the top of the Lotte World Tower, the world's fifth tallest building standing 123 stories and 555 meters high. As the tallest building in South Korea, it is the only place where you can take in a gorgeous 360-degree view of Seoul. You can also stand on a glass floor! It was very overcast, but we managed to still get some cool pictures despite the fog. We then continued on to Lotte World Adventure, an indoor/outdoor theme park built in 1989. Some of the characters and themes are very 'similar' to Disney, but not quite. It's very cheesy and very fun. It rained off and on the rest of the day, so we timed it right between in and outdoor fun.
On Day 4, we decided to be early risers, and hop a bus to the DMZ for a tour. We started at the welcome center, where tickets were purchases, some different memorials and monuments were shown, we got to see an old bunker, and the freedom bridge. Then we hopped on the bus and went to the Third Tunnel where we donned hard hats and hiked down and back (LITERALLY, it was painful and freezing). The tour ended at the Dora Observatory with viewfinders to see towards the DMZ, and marked areas to spot land-mines. After riding back to Seoul, we cleaned ourselves up, then headed to Gangnam for my friend Ivy's birthday celebration. We enjoyed a fancy steak Korean BBQ dinner, went to a few bars, and enjoyed some drinks and games at an Air BnB that was rented out for the occasion.
The last day I'm going to cover for part one or week one, is Day 5. We decided to have a bit of a slower day, so we slept in and then when we got up and moving I drove us to Namdaemun Market. We got fresh noodles and mandoo dumplings for lunch. Then did some more souvenir shopping. Megan made out like a bandit. We got home and showered and prepped for a welcome party I had in the works. I invited all my friends from work and that I had met in South Korea in general so they could meet Megan. I ordered food and set up snacks, we had games and drinks. It was an awesome night with wonderful people! A great way to conclude Megan's first week in South Korea.
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