"A Tale of Two Visits" Seoul by OnTheRoadGoombah

I just returned last night from my first visit to Seoul. I was traveling with two coworkers who have visited frequently so I put my fate in their hands. Well, as often as these guys have traveled here, I was expecting to immerse myself in Seoul atmosphere and culture...well, not so fast my friends!

It seems my coworkers do not share my sense of travel curiosity and adventure.

Our first night there, we visited Itaewon (an area outside the main US military base in Seoul) and went to their favorite pub, the 3 Alley Pub, where they feasted on weinerschnitzel...yes wienerschnitzel. I got the only Korean dish on the menu (bulgogi). On Sunday we returned to Itaewon and had lunch at Burger King...yes, Burger King...followed by dinner at the Nashville Club, a US style burger and steak joint.

On Monday, we did enjoy some Korean food for lunch at work, but that night my coworkers ventured outside of Itaewon for the first time...yes this is a trick -- we went to the US base where we attempted to eat at the Navy Chief's Club. Unfortunately, the Chief's Club was closed, but fortunately, the base has many more fine US dining choices.

On Tuesday, it was back to Itaewon and lo and behold, another visit to the 3 Alley Pub, where the boys feasted on bratwurst...yes, bratwurst!

On Wednesday, you'll never believe where we went...yes, Itaewon for Italian food.

So, that was my first foray into Korean culture. Not much of an immersion. But I am going back in less than a month (alone) and promise a more detailed dining and cultural report!

I just had an opportunity to go back to Seoul on my own and finally got out and about outside Itaewon. It was a bit of an adventure as I do not speak Hangul, but that's half the fun.

I made my way to an authentic Korean restaurant, where my lack of Hangul proved to be a bit of a downfall. I ended up orderinga dish that only comes in serving sizes for two, so I got quite a table of food.

Well, at least I can say I made it to Korea as I couldn't quite bear to say it after my first trip as detailed above.