Upon finishing my contract, I had to be out of the country within a week or so so I took a few days to chill out in Seoul. The lead up to my last day involved trying to sell or give away household items and packing my life into a large suitcase. It was chaotic and stressful. When I got to Seoul, I still didn’t feel like it was all over. And even now, I think I’m still processing it all and missing it.
Admiring some great artwork in the many galleries in Insadong
I went back to some of my favourite places like Insadong to have a look one final time in some galleries and then to the nearby Gwangjang Market for a traditional bowl of noodles (this time I opted for sujebi which is hand pulled noodles and hand pulled…..dough which are just odd shaped depending on how they pull it off but it’s oh so chewy) from one of the friendly grandmas and my last sikhye (sweet rice drink). This market is always so busy and is a great cheap eats place around countertops with such fresh looking ingredients.
There is an infamous stand which was featured on netflix but there is always a line.
Sujebi (hand pulled noodles)
Gwangjang Market which is busy everyday
sikhye (sweet rice drink)
Cheonggyecheon stream
I spent time walking along the Cheonggyecheon stream which is filled with office workers, tourists and locals. There are places to sit along the stream too and some wildlife to spot. Further down in Seoul Plaza, I finally was able to catch the book event that was currently happening. They have bean bags and seats around the field where you can read or simply enjoy the free music and or sun.
I went to Kyobo bookstore in Gwangwhamun one last time. It was one of my favourite places to check out every now and then.
I also took a day trip out to the countryside to bike ride. It was easy to get to by taking the metro to Paldang station. Once outside the station, there are plenty of bike rental stores. I rented a bike from the first place I saw outside the station on the right. It was less than $20 to hire a bike for the whole day. I was pointed to the direction of the bike path and off I went.
It was solely a bike and separate pedestrian path so it was easy to just keep following the path. It went along a river with mountains either side. There were some cafe’s throughout but if you want a meal, you will have to stop where the locals stop at a shed with plastic seats and tents outside (or pack your own lunch). I stopped at one to have bibimbap and regret not taking any pictures! I went on a weekend and the track was filled with cycling teams and enthusiast. I imagine it would be less busy on a weekday.
Bukhangang Railway Bridge
To get to Bukhangang Railway Bridge, it was a 11km ride from Paldang station but fairly easy and the beautiful route makes the time pass so quickly.
Stopping at a cafe on my way back
And finally, I didn’t pass up the chance to stroll through Bukchon Hanok Village one last time. I found a rooftop cafe with a nice view albeit it was sunny and hot but they had umbrella’s on hand.
Despite having a few days left in Seoul, there were still some places that I wanted to see but didn’t make it to. Seoul is such a huge city and even to get from somewhere north of the Han River to somewhere south of the river will take at least 30 minutes on the metro. I guess, that will be for next time.
I’m now currently on a few months holidays before going back to Australia.
Goodbye South Korea!
Lingo in Transit 
I can relate to these feelings when I left the countries I lived in.
Knowing that it’s the last few days gives them a different tone. It’s a mixture of last times and desire to do everything we haven’t done yet but wanted to do. Everything we’ve been putting off for another day until there’s no another day.
Exactly! There was a sense of urgency but I didn’t have the physical strength to be able to do EVERYTHING.
I remember the various exchange students who stayed at our house having exactly the same feeling. I encouraged them to plan some activity each weekend early in their exchange to avoid the rush. Like most teens, they didn’t always listen. I guess that last minute rush is part of the experience.
I bet they didn’t listen! I feel like I still had planned so much throughout the year and still failed to complete it all.
Mostly the students didn’t listen but I did what I could to support them by making family plans for the weekend to different destinations. That way they could attend if they wanted to do so.
That’s great that you did that!
It’s quite sudden you had to leave the country within a week of the school year ending, which was a surprise– was it due to your school’s contract/visa reasons? All the same, you made the most out of the last few days in Korea, and I’m excited to see where you jet off to before returning to Australia. Safe travels!
It was something to do with the contract ending- my visa still had another month on it and I thought that I could go by my visa date (apparently not!). Thank you!
Enjoy your holiday
Thank you!
It sounds like you packed a lot in on the last few days of your time in Korea. You took a lot of memories with you.
I wished I had the body strength to fit in more but I walked so much I couldn’t do it all.
Congratulations on finishing your gig in Korea! Those hand-pulled noodles look great, and I love the idea of the book event.
Thank you so much! I could do with another bowl right now. They did a good job at promoting reading (and also just relaxing under the sun!).
A beautiful post to finish off your time in this wonderful country. This area looks particularly inviting and you mentioned the heat so I am impressed that you rode so far on a hot day. I like the view out to the mountains but the hand pulled noodles also tingle the tastebuds! Did you have to give those framed prints away. They are gorgeous!
I was a woman on a mission. There were parts of the path under tree cover and shady rest areas so it wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t humid yet either. Nooo, those framed prints were on show in an art gallery. You can buy them!
Ooh. They can be bought? I am interested!
I don’t think there is anything online (to be honest, I wouldn’t even know where to start as it would probably be in Korean). It’s a go in person thing.
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