A hangover and shopping

We awoke to being kicked out of our hotel...check out time is apparently noon in Seoul. With a hell of hangover we headed to the Dongdamun area, planning ahead for our big visit to the DMZ. Unfortunately, our cab driver didn't understand and dropped us in a completely different area of Seoul. Another back track and we were finally there. Carrying our bags that got heavier with every lift, we landed in the dirtiest motel we had been in yet. Situated in a back alley, they had mirrors lining the bedside, a cheesy poster circa 1980 and the tub drain simply drained on to the floor. Needless to say, we took a nap, a shower and headed out to the mean streets of Seoul.

I had heard a rumor that they sold Western toiletries in the basement of Doota, this amazingly decorated department store. Indeed they do. After enjoying a sandwich on the ninth floor, Gav picked up some deodorant...something very hard to come by here and we headed to the flea market. North Face fleeces next to dildo's, hammer's next to ties, sewing machines next to cowboy boots, this old soccor stadium had been transformed into a haven of weirdness. Insadong was our next stop, seeking some culture and art.

Walking through the Insadong tube station we saw police officers lining the stairs, Gav thought maybe someone important was coming, why they would be arriving by tube...who knows...but for some reason they were lining the steps. This artsy are feels like Newbury Street, it is cobblestone lined and art galleries and fancy shops stand on each side. We were pleasantly surprised to see an Andy Warhol exhibition, blue umbrellas lined the ceiling creating a surreal sight.

Over dinner at a Irish feeling German pub, Kooster, that of course included chicken, I expressed the utter feeling of disgust that I had with returning to our horrible hotel room. As with most things, Gav felt the same. At times it is as if we share a brain, we think the same and often only need the other to say it making this trip even more enjoyable. Despite my sometimes frustrated hissy fits, they were never that bad, we had a perfect trip, changing course when ever we had the desire and taking our time when needed. And so, we agreed that we decided we needed a nice hotel, something classy with all of the amenities we desired. Motel Mung provided just that. We booked our room and headed back to the slums to gather our things, left the key on the counter and took our 15,000 loss as a wash.

Motel Mung was amazing. As you walked through the car wash like fabric lined garage, they do this so the public cant see who is enteringg as most of these places are rented primarily by the hour, you were greeted by a large door leading into a marble floored golden paradise. The elevator was lined in gold, with a chaise lounge to sit on if you had to take a rest. For a mere 80,000 won our room was spectacular, complete with a glass walled bathroom, sauna, jacuzzi, Internet access and a large plasma that we could project our photos from the Internet on. And so, for the last night of our road trip we lived like a king and queen, we sat and reflected on our week and anticipated our trip to the DMZ the following morning.