Went over to a hair studio right across from my parents place. Gosh.. this may just be the best thing about Korea. The stylists here sure know how to do hair. I got a pre-wash with shampoo and a nice head massage. Then they tell you how they will cut your hair. They also use about 4 different types of scissors for each layer. Lastly, they don't rush. They take their time. All for $10 with no tip necessary. Heaven!
After the haircut my parents took me to a fusion buffet on the top floor of a shopping mall called Bauhaus near our house. Even though it was packed, the food was so so. The food there were things like spaghetti, pizza, fried chicken, etc. I would have rather ate something like KalGooksoo, but oh well.
After lunch we headed over to Insang Dong. This area is full of little shops that sell antique Korean pottery. Prior to going there, i purchased my first public transit card. If you go to Korea, you will need one of these, which can be purchased at any convenient store for $2.50. Then they will ask you how much you want to input into the card. I put $20 in it. Each bus ride is $0.90 cents and the subway prices vary by destination. You have to remember to scan your card BEFORE and AFTER you enter and exit the bus/train - because that's how they calculate exactly how to charge.
We went over to a bookstore located underground - and i found a translated version of the Japanese Manga JUMP. I was tempted to buy one, but i probably would have not kept it. Next we went to a Korean palace located in the heart of Seoul. If you've seen Iris, this is where they filmed the big shootout shots.
At Insang Dong, i ate some steamed dumplings. It wasn't that great. 3 for $3. Still not worth it. Don't go here. Lots of tourists come to Insang Dong - i saw many Americans and Japanese people. There are many stores that sell gifts and accessories. Girls could probably spend a whole day shopping here. I wanted to buy one of those hand made neck scarfs, and found one store that had them. Then the lady was all, "i personally hand made these, so it's expensive". I asked, "how much?" She replied "$100". "WTF. No thanks'. Unfortunately, that was the only store that still had them. Every other store i visited told me they don't sell them anymore because of the season. Oh well.
At night, i took a cab to Namsan Tower or Seoul Tower. It's beautiful, with an amazing view of the entire city. It's $7.50 to use the cable car to the tower, and if you want to actually enter the tower, the elevator ride is $9. If you go during the day, you can skip the cable car and just walk which takes about 30 minutes. I got to see all the locks that they've placed around the gates, and also saw the coffee vending machine that was featured in "Boys over Flowers".
A 10 minute walk takes us to Myung Dong which is a small area with lots of shops and restaurants. It's quite the spectacle here, as you feel the energy flowing from the bright lights and crowded streets.
To close out the night, i went to a PoJang Macha, which is a street vendor of alcohol and finger foods. I had 2 bottles of soju and Udon for $9. Quite the bargain. Came home pretty wasted and had the worst hangover in the morning.
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