Living in a hanok

We woke up early to have breakfast at another nearby Sukiya, and then after running back because I left my umbrella, we returned to pack up the rest of our room.

Due to silly scheduling pricing, we were taking different flights from the same airline, leaving and arriving at different airports in the same cities, and an hour apart. I left with trepidation about navigating Tokyo's subway system alone, and failed spectacularly at not getting lost.

My fan helped me cool off some embarrassing evidence of my morning struggle as I rode the train to Narita. I ended up finding and having just enough money left for Cremia after being far too full every other time we passed by.

Sandwiched between Japanese schoolchildren and a Korean of the same age, the flight attendants were confused as to which language to address us in. My seat mate and I decided to stick with English as the flight attendants also spoke a different variety of languages. 

I've always been a subway and walking type of traveller. I find subways (at least... the non NYC and Tokyo subways) to be a lot easier to navigate than bus routes, that sometimes don't announce the name of stops. However, this time, in the interest of saving time and money, I decided to try and take more buses and went for the airport buses that would bring me a lot closer to the door of my hostel.

After getting in line and seeing everyone else with a ticket, I was beginning to worry about being able to use my T-money card... thankfully, after nearly an hour of panicked waiting while a couple buses filled to the brim and left the rest of us behind due to lack of luggage space despite an abundance of seats, I was on my way to Seoul. 

Greeted by familiar faces, I enjoyed the ride into the city. It is definitely more scenic than the subway and not as expensive as the quick train. 

Surprise, surprise, I got off the bus at the correct stop and immediately started walking in the wrong direction. Just as I stopped to take out my phone to try and orient myself, a kind man who had been watching me came up and offered his assistance. I only knew the street and building names, while he was more familiar with landmarks, but nonetheless, he was able to point me in the right direction with guidance that I actually managed to follow without getting lost. 

I met up with my travel buddy again at the guesthouse, offloaded my luggage and got ready to go out for the evening.



Walking around the narrow alleyways of the historical district was a lot more fun than the main tourist spots, with cafes and stores galore. After wandering for awhile in an unsuccessful attempt to find a certain hotteok vendor, we decided to head to Insadong for dinner. In search for a cheap and comforting meal, I somehow found my way back to the same restaurant I visited last year.

After dinner, we embarked on another journey to find a cafe I was unable to visit last time due Seoul's decided unfriendliness to my early bird schedule. We must have walked up and down the same strip five times before I finally spotted their tiny sign on the side of the street.

After some late night caffeine with an abundance of sugar, we decided to retire to our hanok for the night. 

While I enjoy the idea of a rolled up mattress to save space, I don't think I enjoy wet bathrooms when they're large and the weather is decidedly humid. It took a long time for the bathroom to dry, and it definitely made our sleeping area feel soggier than I would have preferred. 

I must have been tired as I had no trouble falling asleep despite the earlier drink. Thus concluded our first night in South Korea.