Last days of the trip, Seoul, SK

For clarification: Some of my posts have been augmented with AI. They came out a little more "fluffy" than I would normally write. I did not use AI for this post.

What a trip. We arrived in Incheon on 24 June. I had booked a hotel in Seoul, so I was to depart early. I got a note on my door requesting I visit guest services. When I went to them, they told me the tour operator had found my cell phone. That is good news, sort of. I have already bought a new one to replace the broken one. It will be waiting for me when I get home. I will have to contact NCL in Miami for them to return the broken one. But...if I have the phone, my insurance will cover it.

Long story shortened, I got off the ship a little after 2:30 and took a cab into Seoul. A 90-minute taxi cost me $38. So, let me give a HUGE shout out to AMEX. I have the platinum card because of miles and benefits. This trip, it came in VERY handy. First, my cell phone is covered up to $800 to be replaced. I wanted to get a hotel in Seoul. They are pretty low cost here compared to other places, but still, the 5+ star Shilla Hotel in Seoul was >$300 a night. BUT... booking through AMEX, I got a $200 credit. Then, at the hotel, they bumped me to an executive suite. They gave me a free buffet breakfast and a $100 room credit. This is a swanky hotel. Rolls Royce cars are pulling up front. The dinner buffet was $100...go figure. BUT- Crab legs, lobster, sushi, oysters, prime rib, etc. Included wine. Since I had the room credit, I was in for the dinner. Turns out I couldn't eat very much, but what I had was excellent.

After dinner, I took a walk around the property. There is a big Shilla Duty Free shopping mall attached to the hotel. Coach, Vuitton, Chanel...all the big names. Nothing I wanted, but nice to look at. I called it an early night and was in bed by 10.

Up for breakfast and my free buffet, I had most everything on offer. Not big on the idea of kimchi for breakfast, so I passed on that. Next, I headed out to explore. I had a late check-out of 4 pm, so I took the subway to the Korean National Palace and Museum. My luck—it was raining. It rained all day.

The museum was really cool. It detailed what life was like for the royal families from the 1500s through the 19th century. I got a lot of pictures of things like ceremonial robes and lacquered boxes and painted panels that depicted the lives of the royal families. They even had a Cadillac from the 1920s that the Empress used!

After the museum, I walked across the street to the actual palace grounds. The Imperial Palace in Tokyo was impressive. Korea has Japan beat, hands down. This place is HUGE! So much to see and so many pictures. Today was a Korean Culture day, so it was very busy and also free to enter. Many people rent Hanbok traditional clothes to wear. I didn't, but it looked like fun. You will have to check out the pictures.

After that, I just decided to walk around the city. I saw many cultural streets with dozens of food stalls and diners. Coffee shops are everywhere. I ended up getting a Bibimbap lunch at a small shop. It was really good. Pictures of that will be posted under Seoul Photos as soon as I can transfer them over.

I eventually made my way back to the subway and rode the train to my hotel. It was nearing 4 pm, so I had to get my stuff and check out.

I asked the concierge to keep my bags for me and headed out to the night street market. Myeongdong. The hotel provided a shuttle bus that took about 15 minutes. I really wish it wasn't raining because this place was really fun. Quite literally hundreds of shops and street vendors. Lights, smells, and sounds provided a sensory overload. You have to see the pictures. It was raining so hard I ducked into a pub. I had two Korean craft beers while I waited for the rain to calm down. There were some Brits in there, but nobody else. It was kind of weird to sit by myself. I miss my friends!

The rain didn't let up much, but I wasn't going to spend all my time left in a pub by myself, so I'm back to the crowds walking the street. By this point, I'm hungry again. All my crap is packed, so I don't want to buy any more stuff. I find a garlic bread street vendor and have one of those. So good. A while later, I find a Korean Bar-B-Q place. You order, and they cook it right in front of you. Beef steak sliced thin. You wrap it in a lettuce leaf and add rice, sauce, bean sprouts; whatever you like. Shove it in your mouth and enjoy.

By the time I finished, it was pushing 8 pm. I hailed a taxi and went back to the hotel, got my bags, and started the 90-minute ride to the airport. I'm all checked in and sitting in the lounge, writing this blog entry. It's 11:30 pm. My flight to Abu Dhabi, UAE, boards at 1 am. Ten hours to the next stop, 4-hour layover, then 15 hours from Abu Dhabi to Boston. I'm glad I'm staying overnight in Boston before making the last leg to Daytona Beach. See y'all soon!