UMTravels

We took the train to the main station, then cabbed to our hotel – The Ramada by Wyndham Seoul Dongdaemun.

Clean and warm, but a little short on things like outlets and reading lights near the bed.

Sadly, the front desk staff, while friendly, is clueless about what restaurants are open within a couple of blocks during Lunar New Year week. Off we go into the bitter cold!

In a bit of “traveler’s luck”, we end up down an alley and upstairs to find an Uzbekistani restaurant.

Nothing like trying to be a tourist when the temperature is -14F windchill.

In the morning we set out for some palace, passing though the main station again where we grabbed a traditional breakfast:

However, several doors down as a different breakfast option….

Off to the palace we go!

It being Lunar New Year week, closed, but the National Folk Museum of Korea, also on the grounds was open (and free).

With some interesting things near the entrance…

Thanks to Mari Jo Girdner Vigil, it’s a game of malttukbackgi or piling game, explained in The Korea Herald article by Min Byoung-Chul “Land of Squid Game”: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20221004000680

And, not unlike Kyoto in Japan, the grounds serve as a backdrop for photos in traditional clothing.

With the temperatures, there was a lot of tea/coffee drinking!

This lovely place was across from the museum.

Between the weather and the walking, I was beat – but Sean went off exploring. I got food from the mini-mart next door to the hotel!

Tomorrow, off to Busan.

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