In Transit - Seoul and Smiling!

One of my biggest gripes is the time it takes to travel from Australia to mostly anywhere else in the whole world.  Too long, that's how long it takes.
However, this time, my return trip to the land Down Under simply flew by, despite my dreading the whole thing with a fear akin to my Fear Of Drowning.


I had a stop over of 36 hours in Seoul, you see, and I thought this was going to be just awful, especially travelling by myself and especially with no hotel booked for said stop over etc. etc.

I managed the first leg of the Paris - Seoul journey quite well, simply by sobbing uncontrollably with grief at my departure, until I fell asleep exhausted (much to the delight of my fellow passengers and the entire air crew).  Tip - sob uncontrollably on flights, and - mysteriously - the occupied seat next to you becomes vacant, thus enhancing your air space....

Once in Seoul airport, I consulted the Information desk to secure a hotel for my 36 hour sojourn, and was swiftly booked into the Garden E'Zen Hotel Downtown, and dispatched thence in an International taxi (swish).

I baulked at the sight of said hotel, but was too exhausted to put up much resistance.

Nestled in an enclave of similar hotels, all named along similar lines, this hotel required no ID, a cash up front payment, no paperwork, gave out no keys, dispensed popcorn and condoms from a vending machine in the tiny reception and featured rooms with NO WARDROBE, a king size bed, gigantic spa bath, a Korean all-singing all-dancing bum washing toilet, free in-room internet, a 60 inch TV offering free porn, and, finally, abundant free toiletries. Well! How thoughtful! I was thrilled. I love popcorn, and who can turn their nose up at free toiletries?

Crashing out immediately (long haul flights and sobbing are pretty tiring) I slept for seven straight hours, and then, after availing myself of the spa bath and the toiletries, I ventured out into the Big City. 

It was lovely! I had as nice a time as a single female traveller with not a word of Korean to her vocabulary, nor a map or working mobile, could possibly have!  People were very polite, I was unique in my Western-ness, there were lots of fashionistas about, the streets were busy and bustling and I enjoyed my prowl around a district I was now realising was rather popular with young people, seemingly all in couples, without luggage, checking into motels direct from work - after a nice dinner, of course.

I followed some of these couples into the Pho Bay restaurant and, after pointing enthusiastically at a photo of a colourful bowl of noodles, was fullsomely fed for about seven bucks. 

 Next, a coffee!  I stumbled across the Coffee Bean Tree and, boy, was I happy! Coffee so good I returned the next day and photographed their offering. A perfect, delicious, finely tuned, crema-led latte that underlined in spades what I had been missing for the last four months. Heaven.

Back at the hotel, not that tired, I decided to check my e mails on the free internet. Percolating through the lift shaft into my room, the gasps, grunts, sighs, moans, plus a shrill virtuoso performance from one female I could only surmise was auditioning for "Gerbils on Helium Do Dallas", soon put paid to my ethernet aspirations, and I headed for more sleep in my ultra-comfort Korean bed.
 
Next day, fortified by marvellous coffee/bagel combo from Paris Baguette, a repeat visit to Coffee Bean Tree,  a visit to Hyundai department store, a vigorous window shop at Seoul airport's high-end duty free, and - and - being chatted up by a Korean business man with no English other than the words 'you', 'very bootful' and 'love motel', I bade farwell to Seoul. I'd thoroughly enjoyed myself. Felt invigorated and relaxed all at the same time.  Ingenue yet worldly. Look forward to returning. No, really! After all, I have the knowlege, the insider low-down, on the Seoul high-life-hotel-hot-spot + top coffee = who could ask for anything more??