andyhwaiting

We did most of our packing the night before which was suppose to have been an easy task until we tried to overstuff one our luggage bags causing the zipper to tear away from the fabric of the bag. With departments stores closed, our hopes rested on the luggage store in the Yeong-chun Market still being open and having a bag of the right size. My Aunt and I rushed down while my mom tried to repair the torn bag with stitching. Luckily for us, we caught the owner just as he was about to close shop. I got to see my Aunt’s bargaining skills at work as we were able to haggle the price of a large luggage bag from about 80,000W down to about 65,000W. First she lowballed him like at 55,000W using the old “I only have XXX amount of dollars” line and then proceeded to count her money with her back turned to the owner. It was funny to watch. I have to admit that I was skeptical about being able to find a good quality bag being a department store kind of guy (though desperate as we were, we ...

I finally made my way back to the gate of Dongnimmun at the foot of Seodaemun Independence Park feeling a little tired and dirty from hiking Inwangsan. It was almost 2PM and I didn’t really have a lunch, unless you call a Snickers bar and a Gatorade a proper meal but I forgot about my hunger just like most days while travelling around the city. Where I was staying, it didn’t seem like there were any of the mega chains that I was accustomed to seeing around Seoul. There was a Pizza Hut (but unfortunately it was delivery only), Paris Baguette, and BBQues close by but the closest Lotteria and McDonald’s were down by Gyeonghuigung which was not really within walking distance from my Aunt’s place. The businesses in the area seemed more locally rooted, all anchored by the Yeong-chun Market. It struck me the number of merchants I saw who were seemingly senior citizens, selling produce like farmed vegetables in and around Yeong-chun Market (and in other parts of Seoul) and along the streets. I...

I finally made my way around to the East entrance to the Inwangsan and was happy to be in the right place to start my ascent. I could tell that this route was definitely open with the increased number of people heading up with me or passing me on their way down. On the right hand side just as I started my ascent, I found a military outpost and came across a foxhole/bunker further on up. I was reminded of the time I went for a walk with my Aunt through the hills near Dongnimmun Station and Independence Park. On the route, there’s a military output where my Aunt warned me not to take pictures. I thought my Aunt was exaggerating and laughed not taking her too seriously but found that I was the only one laughing. For a hike that I thought was going to be relatively easy, it turned out to be a lot more challenging than I expected. At the very beginning, the ascent is pretty easy going. It’s not too steep with the gradual incline in the terrain easily manageable and where it does get steep,...