The previous day (Saturday 9/30), I did a short tour of the restored neighborhood. The area has been featured in many commercial advertisements and many K-drama settings. Lots of old traditional wooded houses Han-oak (한옥), very beautiful. I’ve posted my bike (made out of hickory wood) in front of it.
And being a GIS guy (making maps for a living), I couldn’t pass an awesome-looking old map!
The map shows the layout of the central area of Seoul, many things have changed after Japan colonized Korea (1910 – 1945). The brown circle area is the neighborhood I’m staying (Insa-dong). I also took pictures of a great design of Seoul’s maintenance hole. Very cool!
Oops kind of day
I was ready to start my trip starting Monday, (next day). An Old family friend will hold my bike bag and carry-on luggage during my travel. So I was trying to install to attach my bike rack..AND.. I somehow misplaced tiny four screws after assembling my bike on Sunday, oops. The next day (Monday is still Chuesok, a Full moon harvest holiday) I wasn’t sure if I could find them at a local bike store that’s still open (I’ve gotten pretty good at looking for things in Korea using their Navar/Kakao maps! Most Koreans here don’t use Apple or Google Map.
I felt disappointment and panic simultaneously, but that’s how traveling sometimes goes. I was lucky enough to extend for one more night, and it’s always fully occupied. Then found a bike shop that carried those screws when I got there. Plus, this restaurant people were waiting so I decided to get lunch there and met a couple who waited for two hours for this place and told them about the bike trip and fiasco I created for myself. They told me that because of those screws, I could come here and meet them for lunch!! That was very nice of them. Also there were high school students waiting for repair at the bike shop and got talking to them. They were all riding fixies and some were riding 40km a week! I had so much fun talking to them!
Pkgeo.com 