3. Shopping
Shopping in Korea is amazing. There are some of the largest shopping malls/department stores I have ever seen, plus lots of market-style shops where you can get very inexpensive clothes. There is truly something for everyone. The only downside is that many of the clothes are "free fit," or one size only. Luckily, even with my height and curves, I was still able to find a few things that worked for me. My most-wanted item was a cape-style winter coat, which I was luckily able to find and have been obsessed with ever since. I also got a super cute pair of ankle boots and a skirt. I plan to do even more damage next time!
Why don't we have cool Pokemon hats at home?
Showing off my fabulous cape.
One of the many amazing parts of Lotte department store. This area was based on Rome, with this large fountain specifically representing the Trevi Fountain.
A mural painted all the way across the plaza. This was all connected to a subway station as well, so there is no need to go outside to get in to the mall!
Another fountain.
Ice rink on the ground floor. There were tons of people skating, as well as speed skating lessons going on.
A view of the amusement park, Lotte World, on the top floor.
There was also a Korean folk museum!
2. Food
The food in Korea was absolutely amazing. Even better, it was all fairly cheap! My favorite meal was tuna kimchi, a spicy dish with tuna, kimchi (fermented cabbage) and rice. It was incredibly delicious, and less than $5! Every meal also came with soup and side dishes as well, so you really got a lot of food for your money.
I also loved dukbokki (not sure if I spelled that correctly!), which were rice cakes. You could buy them from street vendors in a spice sauce, but we also had them as a part of dak galbi, a dish similar to a stir fry with chili paste and marinated chicken. Kimbap, a rolled rice dish, was also a favorite. There was a little kimbap shop very near to Travis' apartment that sold many of these dishes. By the end of my trip, many of the little old ladies working there knew my order as soon as I walked in!
I truly don't think I had a bad dish the entire time I was in Korea. Everything was just amazing!!
This was a fish cookie that was filled with sweet red bean paste. They were one of Trav's favorite treats. They were delicious, but very rich!
Traditional Korean BBQ. You cook the meat right at the table. This wasn't my favorite dish, most likely due to neither Travis or myself having much experience with cooking and eating beef recently. It was still a cool experience.
Tuna kimchi, my favorite dish. This is what they would give you every time.
Though this is a drink and not a food, it is definitely worth mentioning. The bottle on the left is Soju, a distilled beverage native to Korea. It can have anywhere from 15-45% alcohol by volume. This was likely around 20%. It is incredibly cheap. One bottle is less than $2. The drink on the left is aloe vera juice, which is surprisingly delicious. Most Koreans drink Soju straight, but I was a bit of a wuss and mixed it with the aloe juice, creating a concoction I named Sojuice. It was very delicious.
There is also a lot of pizza in Korea. This monster was absolutely gigantic, and was less than $10.
1. Travis
There was really no competition for the top spot. I am so glad I got to see Travis after so long, as well as meet some of his friends and experience his lifestyle for a month. He made my trip fantastic, and I can't wait to visit him again.
On the way to Tokyo
At Lotte
Ringing in the New Year
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