Namdaemun Gate photos

The photo of the top – before the fire that destroyed it – of the Namdaemun Gate in Seoul shows the detail (click on the thumbnail to enlarge)

Videos of the gate – in high definition – are around and will be posted once edited.

Seoul, South Korea video – first reel

The video snippets showcase a lot of the energy and culture that Korea has to offer. Much of the night street scenes were shot in and around Insadong (in Seoul). The sea creature is an octopus, which as a delicacy is served live, similar to clams or oysters except for the added movement and sucking tentacles. Seoul has many sections, such as Myong Dong, which are filled with street vendors, and after work hours are filled with throngs of people.

The video was originally shot in HD (1080i) and was resized to fit the web.

Insadong

This way to Insadong.

What else is in Insa-dong? Shopping…

Old Tea Shop

In a back alley in Seoul is the Old Tea Shop. Didn’t get to go all of the way in, but the steps make a nice presentation for shoppers.

Sea Bugs – Street fare in Seoul

These bugs are apparently harvested from the sea… they tasted how I thought cicadas would taste… earthy, rooty, and a little disgusting. They were being sold on the street in the Jeung-lo area of Seoul.  They are not sold in a lot of places – cheap but seemed to be hard to find, so perhaps it is an acquired taste.

Panchan – the little side dishes that make the meal

Korean food can come with many panchan – side dishes – such as these in a restaurant in Seoul:

Seoul back alleys

Seoul has many side streets that cars can barely pass on.  It also has alleys off of these small streets… such as this one:

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Korean Starbucks – Hangul letters

Seoul has many Starbucks but maybe only one with the name written out in Korean. This one is in Insadong, a popular outdoor shopping area.

Another full day of Seoul

Posing with this guard was easy. He and the other 2 guards behind him stay motionless… and e-motionless. But later a group of girls got him to smile a little.

Myung Dong and me

 Myung Dong is a network of streets that form a large outdoor market/mall… normal (indoor) shops with street vendors outside, selling mostly clothes, food, and other normal wares.  And also squid and some kind of sea insect that I have yet to try.