Seoul.

I made a spontaneous trip to Seoul during the beginning of September, it was a four day exploration of one of the top cities I desperately wanted to visit . The four day excursion meant that we had to cram many places/areas per day which led to exhaustion by the end of each day but it was the type of tiredness that gave me adrenaline and euphoria as I succumbed into my wanderlust.

The trip started of with an all-nighter, our flight was at around 9:45 am and my regular sleeping time during then was around 4/5 am... classic screwed up summer sleeping pattern.Safe to say the 3 hour plane journey was well used. I slept like a baby, literally.

From the minute we landed I had the urge to document everything via SNAPCHAT(quickly gave into it). Walking along Incheon International Airport was somewhat surreal, not to mention the weather that day was absolutely beautiful.The taxi ride from Incheon to the outskirts of Myeondong (where our hotel was located) was pretty long but at the same time therapeutic , I caught myself marvelling at the hustle and bustle of Seoul, a city of which I had only dreamt of visiting.

I decided to make this post quite a lengthy one, I apologise for the constant scrolling but I hope you get to experience something through this short glimpse of my visit to Seoul.

Part 1: Myeondong area 
I'm not entirely sure as what the area where our hotel was situated called, when booking it we were told it was in Myeondong so I'm guessing it's within the area. The closest subway station to us was Euljiro-3(sam)ga and the main, myeondong shopping street was only about a 10-15 minute walk away. I would personally suggest getting off at Euljiro-3(sam)ga rather than Myeondong's exit since you'll be able to walk along the hidden markets alongside the road. The area itself was filled with hardware stores(quite a lot of them),convenience stores (your typical 7/11 , CU and  GS 25) ,offices and a fair amount of local restaurants and cafes.

Myeondong's shopping street is exactly as to how it's depicted everywhere else, except for the fact that it's alot larger than you'd think it is. Every corner and turn led to another pathway full of beauty stores. You'll see a repetition of the same stores a lot, the shopping street is that big. Out of all the areas in Seoul,Myeondong's shopping street was definitely a street in which I had managed to utilised fully till my last day. Visiting a numerous amount of beauty stores has caused in quite a slight obsession with samples, I've accumulated a small mountain full of them from just entering stores and purchasing a few items.  There are a clothing stores scattered within the corners of the shopping street, I found that they varied in pricing as some were decent whilst some were just BARGAIN CENTRAL. You'll also see a lot of stalls alongside the street varying from food to clothing. The diversity in the food stalls were truly a sight to behold, just watching the vendors cook and prepare the item in front of you was like watching a performance, done with care and excellence. 

                                              

   Part 2: Anguk// Gyeongbokgung Palace 

I would have to say this was probably my favourite place we visited due to it's rich history and stunning architecture. The palace itself was quite massive and took up at least 3 hours of our time to fully admire all the nooks and crannies within it. The palace was filled with both tourists and locals dressed in the traditional Korean attire(Hanbok), emphasising the palace and it's beauty even more. At the end of our visit in the palace I couldn't help but marvel at the binary opposition in front of me, there I was stood against the historical pillars of the royal palace of the Joseon dynasty whilst looking out at the mass of buildings and industrialisation that laid outside the walls of the palace, the stark contrast and evolution was truly a sight to behold. A reflection of how we, humans have evolved through time. 

For those who want to visit this historical place, be sure to get off at Anguk station through exit 2 and keep walking straight! The area in itself is just like any other place in Seoul, you'll spot a few cafe's and little pharmacy like stores where they sell skincare and makeup.

 

Part 3: Namsan Tower

This spot was initially a lot closer to Myeondong than I thought it was, an easy climb if you'd ask me but we had still taken a taxi up there from our hotel. (Note; make sure to pick your taxi's wisely unless you want to get scammed. One taxi driver told us it would be 20,000 won to get back to Myeondong's shopping street when it was around 3,000 only) I had seen the tower in a few Korean TV shows and was excited to go and see Seoul's view from a high point up. The view in itself was spectacular, post-card worthy as the darkness of the sky contrasted with the city's glimmering lights. I was told that Namsan was best during the night and the view certainly didn't prove me wrong.
Overall, I think Namsan is a great location for couples, the tower itself is filled with heart ornaments and the infamous 'locks'. A beautiful place to take your significant other.

 

Part 4: Hongdae & Dongdaemun 

We had went to Hongdae and Dongdaemun for the sole purpose of shopping, to ease our retail therapy hence why I did not take my camera with me to both areas as I knew beforehand that I wouldn't get much footage/shots either way. For those who are visiting Seoul for a small girly excursion definitely hit Hongdae and Dongdaemun! The best way to describe the two areas is ; a shopper's paradise (an array of boutiques and stalls filled with distinct Korean clothing.) 

Out of all the areas we went to in Seoul, Hongdae was probably my favourite, filled with buskers and the most current and top charting Korean songs blasting from every corner.Hongdae is filled with youthful florence. Within the outskirts of Hongdae's central shopping street you'll find aesthetically pleasing cafe's and restaurants, summoning you to bask in the youthful Korean culture. If I were to ever visit Seoul again, I would definitely try getting a hotel within the Hongdae area, an area glowing with never ending activity. 

Dongdaemun,however, is a place I would suggest visiting during the night. The malls and stalls are open from late at night till 5 am in the morning. Whilst scavenging through the mall, I often found a number sales ladies sleeping in their tiny stalls as people walked around looking for clothing to purchase. The area itself is scattered with small stalls on the pathway, clothing at every step and there are many malls within a few walking distances. Bargaining is one's prized possession in areas like this, don't be afraid and don't be subtle. A little push and pull is all that's needed for a cute item of clothing bought at a low price. Safe to say, I had spent quite an amount on that specific night.