Andy Thomas Part II

Seoul, while unique in its own way, is also similar to many other metropolitan cities in Asia--that is, it has been "westernized" to some degree.  This is particularly apparent when you look around and see the different restaurants.  One of the first restaurants I saw on the morning after I arrived was Subway.  McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, and even Smoothie King were maybe a ten minute walk from the University where we stayed.  Yet, do not be deceived.  All of these places have their Asian twists.  That is one of the neatest things about traveling abroad, you see some of the same stuff you have at home, but it is always different.  One example was KFC.  In Korea, KFC has a sandwich called "the Tower."  Of course, when I saw it I had to try it.  It was not as weird as say chicken feet or intestines (which we did eat while we were there), but it was unique nonetheless.  "The Tower" had a fried chicken fillet, lettuce, mayo, cheese, and to top it all off, a hashbrown.  Yes, I did actually say a hashbrown, but don't knock it before you try it.  Here in America, putting a hashbrown on a chicken sandwich sounds disgusting, but it was actually quite tasty even though it may only be a once a year type meal.  Another example would be the waffle fry pizza that Pizza Hut in Seoul offers.  Although I did not try it, you would be surprised at how appetizing a waffle fry pizza looks after you have been served Kimchi (otherwise known as pickled lettuce) at every other meal.  

One of the other truly great things about Seoul was being able to walk or take the metro almost anywhere.  There are so many parks, monuments, temples, and markets scattered throughout the city that it was impossible to see everything in one month.  However, being able to walk many places allowed me to see and experience so much more than I normally would by taking a car everywhere.  Seoul has a plethora of activities to offer including hiking, shopping (they have there own version of Rodeo Drive), clothes markets, food markets (see the fish above), herbal medicine markets, etc. etc.  You could literally do or see something different every single day we were there.   So, if your just the least bit adventurous, Seoul will not disappoint.