Friendcation.. Friends on a vacation.. This sweet word was adapted from the K drama Friendcation.
Eager to implement Gypsy knots into action Minae and I set out on a friendcation to Seoul. The thought of travelling back to Korea has me smiling through the weeks .The visa formalities, Covid protocol and tons of documentation for Gypsea Knots were all sorted well in time. We are both meticulous and way ahead of time. The time seems to tease us and the clock seems to take its own time to tick but finally the moment arrives... Bags in the car and we are on our way to Seoul..
As we were Boarding the familiar whiff of the jetty and a sense of belonging on the Aircraft took me back yesteryears. Each step closer to the aircraft was a step closer to Seoul. We sat on our seats and we were both so exhausted. Neither knew who fell asleep first.. I could tell we were about to land as my ears started to pop. I look out of the window to steal a glance at the blue and turquoise waters.. It is so picturesque.
Immigration and customs formalities are a breeze but now passengers are required now to take an RTPCR on arrival and the way to the Centre at the airport is clearly marked. It costs approximately US dollars 80. It seems expensive but it is better to be safe than sorry. Upon clearing customs I glance at Minae who is home.. Her eyes are fixed on hands waving to her. Her friends are here to pick us up and I see her silently swallow a lump in her throat. She's home where she belongs and before I can be happy for her, I'm smothered in hugs and warmth of hospitality showered upon me by her friends.
We drive to our hotel downtown and since the check-in is only after 3 PM we leave our bags at the reception and head out for a hearty Korean lunch. Korea has a superb safety record and we know our bags are safe to leave at the reception as Seoul, is one of the safest city in the world. The hot spread of a delicious Korean meal, the colourful bouquet of vegetables in Bibimbaap, hot flavourful soup and the nonstop chitter chatter fills the local restaurant with a sense of home coming . Our truly traditional Korean meal after so long. Our friends need to go back but since we have a few more hours Minae and I decide to indulge in a traditional Korean massage. We opt for a sports massage in a quaint Korean spa to take care of our jet lag. We head back to the hotel check-in and unpack, freshen up and snore away our first day.
Day 2..Its 6 AM and Minae is already up. We have meetings lined up and places to visit, shortlist and make new itineraries as a lot has changed after the Pandemic. We need to survey and formulate tours for all ages. We need to visit vegan and vegetarian restaurants for our Guests. We need to meet our appointed staff and agents to streamline our business. We have no time to rest. After a hearty breakfast we head out for a first appointment. We go through the day visiting places, meeting people and conducting surveys, Its a lot of hard work and I can tell that by my Fitbit. We are exhausted as we have walked 15 kilometres and we need to rest. We decide to call it a day and have Cheonggyecheon Stream as our last stop. We sit by the stream and and dip our feet in the crystal clear water. The water bath gives us a new energy. The whole body is awake and fresh. I see the freshness in the passerbys and people besides us. Everyone is silent as if they were meditating. The couples are holding hands but quiet. Everyone seems to Bask in the flow of the stream. I look around and marvel. The water is so clean , the area is so green. Minae informs me that the Government has worked very hard on this project. She further informed me that there are no mosquitoes and hardly any dustbins in Seoul. We enjoy the freshness of the water, go back to our hotel and wait for dawn.
Day 3- We are now heading to Namsan Tower for a panoramic 360 degree view of Seoul at 480 meters above sea level, Insaedong to see the temple and have tea at traditional tea houses and my favourite retail therapy. Seoul has something for everyone. From Shinsegea to Namdaemun it offers an array of shopping aisles and streets. It's the land of skincare and make up and you are spoilt for choice. Home goods, fashion, food, pet accessories, Art shops here are an artist paradise, handmade handicraft souvenirs,,, there is something for everyone's budget. Days done and gone the sun..We detail another day before we sleep and continue making our own notes on the handmade paper we bought from Insaedong. We are both Old School of thought and still prefer the power of the nib to a Stylus.
Day 4 and its the day for the Majestic Lotte Tower, Lotte World the prominent theme park and The Lotte aquarium.. The world's fifth largest tower in the world and the tallest building in Seoul .The grand tower stands at 555 meters tall. It houses an observatory, a hotel, offices, a coffee shop, an Acquarium and even an art museum. The Massive Lotte tower has a World Mall shopping complex within and a global food court. The Lotte department Store is adjacent to the building. We don’t know where to begin. We start by clicking our supermodel The Show stopper of Seoul The Lotte Tower. As we proceed to stand in line to board the fastest travelling elevator in the world the ceiling greets us with a heliographic neon stained glass view. We are asked to deboard the elevator on 117 floor and watch a spectacular video of the various skylines of the world lovingly called "An invitation to Heaven". We then walk up to 118 floor to view the highest glass floor observation deck to view the world beneath our feet. Believe you me its not for the weak or faint hearted. Even though it looks easy at a glance one look down and your feet seem to freeze. I walk towards the window looking down admiring the view as I have never had a fear of heights but then suddenly for once I feel my legs freeze. I can’t seem to move. I try to convince myself that I am not afraid and I can walk back but it all seems in vain till I see small boy lying down on the floor looking down and showing his parents the tiny buildings, dinky cars and and miniature trees. Child is the father of man. I use the wall as my walking stick and remind myself of the fearless boy and walk back. Minae is waiting with cool iced drinks for me in the Sky Lounge. We finish our day with a cruise along the Han River at night with a spectacular view of Seouls skyline and a drive through Gangnam.
Day-5 Is reserved for the Grand Gyeongbokgung Palace, a walk through the Buckchon village and a Blue house Tour. There is a massive book store around and we settle for a food court lunch. We are off to Dongdaemun.. The Rain Gods dare and we accept the challenge..Rain cannot dampen our spirit. There is so much to do and so little time.
To be continued....
