We were less impressed with the humidity of
the city24 degrees Celsius feels, in July, like 36but
flabbergasted at the scale of Seoul. A subway ride from where we
stayed, in the north of the city (but still "town", mind you, and
not "the suburbs") to a conference centre nearer the south, took
over an hour. It is helped, thankfully, by a logical subway system
with Korean, Chinese and transliterated Latin signage and relative
comfort that doesn't seem as choking as similar travels in New York
(tolerable cars but dull stations) or London (the smell). If you
are game to learn to read Korean, one westerner we spoke to told
us it took her 20 minutes. It's a logical language that was developed
to increase literacyand it works.
The Korean people are among the most civilized
in the world. They will go out of their way to help a foreigner,
but with one exception: they seem to remain slightly sceptical of
a Japanese tourist. There is still a great deal of animosity about
the colonization of Korea by Japan, so if you are an east Asian
travellereven a han like the authoravoid holding
a map with Japanese script. Travellers from other parts of the world
need not fear as much. If you are a Caucasian or African resident
of Seoul, never mind that you have been there for 10 years, you
will be frustrated that the locals consider you to be so daft as
to need help; but for the tourist, this is a godsend and a wonderful
reflection on the citizens of Seoul.
One experience we had was on the first day of
our arrival. Not speaking much Korean other than yes, no, thank
you, the numbers, and Hyundai Lantra, we were trying
to ask a subway clerk about tickets. Seeing this, an older gentleman
approached us to translate. He even guided us to the train and changed
stations with us. But when he realized he would not go as far as
us, he talked to a neighbouring gentleman, asking him to take over.
It happened again, with a woman deputizing for him and exiting at
the same stop as us. While we helped with her groceries, taking
them above ground (past a KFC) we did not expect what would happen
next: she told a cabbie where to take us and put 3,000 won in his
hand. When we protested, she insisted we get in to the cab.
Taxis are a less efficient means in Seoul. While
there are plenty, the best drivers have a sign on the top of their
cars with 'Best driver' on them. We saw none. Driving in Seoul is
a tough call, far tougher than Torino or New York, with bus drivers
treating traffic lights as merely advisory as they travel at 50
mph. Cabbies do not always accept customers, particularly foreigners.
Look out for the black cabs if you want to pay a bit more, but the
regular grey ones should be fine if you don't mind getting turned
down once.
Those staying at a hotel might not have many
problems, but those staying with friends in regular apartments may
wish to note that there is no proper sewerage system in the city.
Therefore, toilet paper should go in the bin, not down the drain.
We avoided Seoul in August, but we're told that the communal sewerage
tanks begin to smell just before the city comes and pumps them empty,
trucking their contents to a location outside Seoul for treatment.
That aspect was not the greatest cultural shock,
as there are numerous cities around the world where that is common
practice. What did get us is that this bustling, modern metropolis
of 40 million has no street addresses. Postal workers face a nightmarish
situation as addresses are found by building, not by route. Our
friend in Seoul, Kelly Davis, advised us not to write her at home
because 'no one knows where the building is'. However, we should
contact her at work. It was the same with the cabbies: building,
not street. Be prepared to fill out your South Korean visas with
an "obvious" address accordingly.
While we did some shopping at Insadong, there
is a huge bookstore beneath the streets near City Hall that makes
a large Barnes & Noble seem like a Mom and Pop outfit. From
(legitimate) CD-ROMs to art books, the tourist can find bargains
at the Kyobo Book Centre.
Our only concern this year is the World Cup,
but the Seoul police and its riot unit have been practising how
to deal with football hooligans. Still, the presence of additional
tourists, raising the 0·5 per cent non-Korean demographic temporarily,
will make visitors feel less alien.
Where Lucire stayed: Somewhere in Seoul with no postal
address. Our thanks to Kelly Davis.
Flight: Air New Zealand's Pacific class transports its
share of Japanese tourists to and fro New Zealand and has the most
comfortable economy seats, with footrests. Service from a multicultural
(Japanese and New Zealand) onboard staff was magnificent. We flew
Osaka to Seoul on Air Nippon Airways (ANA), with a neat on-board
camera that showed a view from the front of the aircraft as it taxied
down the runway and another one that showed the view from the undercarriage
as the runway fell into the distance. Interesting in-flight movie
on ANA: Bewitched, c. 1967, dubbed into Japanese,
Korean and the original English; still, better than Air New Zealands
Dharma and Greg. Stopover: Lucire stopped
over briefly in Japan and had an amazing experience. What surprised
here was the amount of non-Japanese music being broadcast at the
ANA partner hotel. 'Secret Love', 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' and
other instrumental tunes came over the muzak system. Osaka will
be remembered for its startling airport at Kansai; but surprised
us with the fact that many Japanese are monolingual. Worth a longer
visit, to be sure.
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