This post is a continuation of our Seoul farewell series of November, 2021. Every weekend, we’d revisit an iconic monument or a spot that held a special place in our hearts. After visiting Gilsang-sa Temple and the Seoul Wall (Baegaksan Trail), we followed it up by hiking Namsan on the next weekend. We had visited…
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Autumn is one of the best times to visit Korea. Seoul puts on a fantastic display of colour and every street is pretty. And, if you have the time, quiet walks — in nondescript streets — are just the thing to do. For me, autumn was the perfect transition between summer and winter. The mountains…
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No one can prepare you for expat life. It’s hard. It’s exciting. It builds you up — only to tear you down again. Add a raging pandemic to the equation and you’re set for an experience that you’d never forget. My dear friend, Teresa, left Seoul a-year-and-a-half before me. We couldn’t even say our farewells…
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Hangang River at Banpo Chuseok (or Korean Thanksgiving Festival) is a long holiday period in South Korea. It was always hard for us to get out of Seoul before the crowds picked up. So, we started our own tradition of hiking on Chuseok. However, during the pandemic, we spent most of our public holidays either…
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Most writers have their fair share of irrational fears and insecurities. However, none are as compelling as the fear of losing one’s ability to put words to paper — to build stories from nothing. Can you ever forget how to write? This question plagued me during the course of the last 3 years. Do you…
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“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” ― Paulo Coelho I started this year on a positive note. We had spent Christmas in Uzbekistan and the change of scenery had done wonders for me. January, the coldest winter month, wasn’t over; but I had found ways to beat…
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Namsan is our favourite mountain in Seoul. It’s reasonably small (can be confused for a hill) and is easily accessible from Myeongdong Station (opposite UNIQLO). The mountain has multiple access points (Itaewon, Noksapyeong, & Hannam) and trails. We’ve walked along most of them, but there could be many routes that we’ve not explored. Namsan (NSeoul…
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Life can get excruciatingly real at times. And when things get tough, the tough go looking for silver linings. Momentary escapism isn’t such a bad thing after all. It’s what keeps us going. And as long as we have our feet stuck in reality — escapism is: a flicker of hope, the light at the…
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Getting There There are many ways to reach Seoul Forest. It’s a sprawling spread of green cover that can be accessed by Seoul Forest Subway Station (Bundang Line/Yellow Line) and Ttukseom Station (Line 7). Ttukseom Station may be a better bet if you don’t want to walk the entire length of the forest and prefer…
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We thought we’d spend a quiet Christmas in Seoul this time. The past year had been chaotic with back-to-back travel. We had to tweak our plans because Basil had a work trip to Shanghai — on the next day of Christmas. We’d effectively have to spend most of Christmas Day at Incheon Airport. But we…
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