July 2010 -- A Trip with Students to South Korea
During the summer of 2009, I'd scheduled an 8-hour stopover in Seoul with five students on the way to a summit in New York. It was just enough time for a tour of that beautiful city, and I resolved to return.
The countryside (that which hasn't yet been urbanized, in any case!) is complex and calm, while a morning commute on Seoul's metro was simple but hectic. The shopping districts are tremendous stomping-grounds of Korea's unique trend-setters and trend-suggesters. We took a day-trip to a beach near Incheon (the island that hosts Seoul's primary airport). My favourite part of Korea, however, is the food: Korean barbeque, kimchi, bulgogi, and bibimbap are words that make my stomach rumble. I also had the sannakji, raw octopus: less impressive.
Advice: We stayed at Mr Sea's, a backpacker hostel. The location wasn't bad (and transportation around Seoul is so easy with the metro) but the place was cramped and the singular bathroom was in high demand. Be sure to devote at least an afternoon to quiet meditation at one of the country's many monasteries. And, if you're the sort to enjoy this sort of thing, take a tour to the de-militarized zone (DMZ) with North Korea.
