Kerry's Korean Adventure: Seoul Tower

Sean and I set out for another adventure today. First, we stopped at Sean's new favorite restaurant, Kim Bap Nara, and ordered spicy pork (his favorite Korean dish). Next, we hopped on the bus, transferred to a taxi, and ended at our destination: Seoul Tower.

     Built in 1969, Seoul Tower is a communication and observation tower located on Mt. Namsan. Seoul Tower or Namsan Tower has been a symbol of Seoul and measures 236.7 m (777 ft) in height (from the base) and tops out at 479.7 m (1,574 ft) above sea level. The tower offers great panaramic view of Seoul, so why not visit this great landmark?
     Well, word of caution: If you are afraid of heights do not visit this landmark. Also, make sure you choose a nice sunny, clear day.
     There are two ways to get to Seoul Tower. One option, is a short hike from the base of the mountain to the tower. The other, is a cable car. Of course, we chose the cable car for only $6.30 round trip. The ride was quite nerve wrecking, but smooth and memorable. You can expierence it below.

Once you arrive, you will need to climb a few stairs to reach the tower. It is worth it. We were both very excited to find a place to "lock in our love." Along the ground terrace attached to the tower, hundreds of locks are hanging, showing off the eternal love of their owners. The locks hanging on the fences with the keys thrown away are meant to ensure sweethearts’ vows to never separate are kept. There were hundreds of locks everywhere you looked. They even made wire trees to increase space to hang locks. After a brief look, Sean and I found our spot to hang our red, heart-shaped lock. We closed and locked it together, sealing in our love.

If you look hard, you will see our red, heart shaped lock

The ride to the top of the tour involves a smooth, short elevator ride. The observation deck is beautiful and modern. It would be the perfect place to see all of Seoul, or so I hear. The day ended up being foggy and cloudy, so we could't see very far. However, we did enjoy locating the various cities around the world. We waited until sunset (the time when the view is breath-taking) and watched the rays fade away over the city.

After the viewing, we went to the lower level and purchased a tile. We each wrote a part of the message and began looking for a place to put the tile. This was no easy task. The tile was too big and wouldn't fit in any open spaces. After a few times around, we were about to give up and put it on the ceiling, when we finally found a place. The tile will be there for one year.

Writing our message on our tile

Sean next to our tile

The rest of the evening involved a trip to Insa-dong. This is a great place for traditional Korean souvenirs. After a little bargening and going back and forth between stores (to compare prices), I made my purchases: two Korean masks (one for each of my brothers) and the wooden Korean wedding ducks for my mother.