The story so far: Days 1/2, Day 3, Day 4and Day 5

A day off in Seoul

Thursday 16th November 2000

As I slowly surface wondering what all the vacuuming noises are about at this time of night, I slowly realise that it is the middle of the morning (10:30am) and that I'm wasting my day off in Seoul. That shopping really must have taken it out of me! There is a letter for me from the hotel management informing all guests that today at 14:00 hrs there will be a Civil Defence Exercise¹ At that time if you are outside when the siren sounds you are to take cover in the nearest building at once. This sounds like a great excuse to spend the afternoon shopping! What the heck, I'll spend the morning sightseeing too. But, alas, for the first time since I got here it's raining. Pouring. I dress quickly in warm clothing, grab my brolly and out I go into the inclement weather. I can brave anything to see the sights and do some shopping

I decide that a good brisk walk around the hotel area wouldn't go amiss, and walk around for about 60 minutes just soaking in the atmosphere, and narrowly avoiding being splattered all over the front of a bus each time I cross the road. When it becomes an Olympic event, dodging traffic will be a walkover for the Koreans. Nobody else need enter. I am amazed by the quantity of food and fruit stalls up and down the roads, but nobody seems to be eating. I decide to give them a miss, I spotted a Dunkin' Donuts somewhere, and I've decided to have an unhealthy lunch. I stop to take a few photographs, nobody bats an eyelid - they're far more sophisticated here than in the provinces, obviously.

The rain is dripping down my neck, and it's too windy for an umbrella. I decide to take refuge in the Huyandi Department store, next to the hotel. It is a modern building, with glass lifts at the two front corners, zooming up and down at great speed. As I approach the entrance, I notice another Korean custom² which is that of Umbrella Bags. These are rather convenient, and better than the umbrella stands at home³ All patrons obediently cover their umbrellas before entering the hallowed portals. I take my turn and suddenly I'm in. It's beautiful. Like a little Harrods⁴ without the tourists (except me). I resist the temptation to take a photograph. The ground floor is full of cosmetics and perfumes and so on. Each floor offers something different - it is a department store after all. The children's clothes are both beautifully made and extortionately priced, except for some strange reason the beautiful girls' shoes. Upwards again into home furnishings etc, and I have to supress a smile when I see a glass display case with a relief map of the world⁵ with dolls in national costume where the different countries are. The English one⁶ has a reddish beard, is wearing what can only be described as a kilt and tam o'shanter is playing the bagpipes. Perhaps they know something we English don't!

Eventually I tear myself away and go back to the hotel for packing. I have decided that my 10th floor room is the ideal place from which to watch the Civil DefenCe Exercise. I pack quickly and settle down on the sofa to watch. I think I hear the siren, but the double-triple glazing is working well. Some cars screech to a halt and 2 buses pull over - but I realise that this is normal, and life on the streets below carries on. The scurrying is due to the rain, car drivers aren't going to pull over for anyone⁷ if their light has changed to green. I didn't see any Korean news reports, but I suspect the whole thing was either called off or was a complete and utter washout.

My stomach tells me it's time for more kimchee, so I decend for the last time to the COEX Mall in search of food. I visit, once again, the restaurant from my first day here, and order the vegetable porridge. It's a huge bowl of pearl rice which is still liquid enough to require a spoon. Various vegetables and "black paper"⁸ are arranged on top. The idea is to mix it all in, add some chilli sauce and slurp⁹it down. There are the usual side dishes, today I must have the kimchee from the bottom of the pot¹⁰ because it is an absolute killer. I take one final stroll around and then it's back to the hotel for a swim¹¹ and final visit to the land of nod from my luxuriously appointed room. This time my dreams involve a suitcase full of kimchee and a nasty encounter with the German customs and excise.

The final traffic jam

Friday 17th November 2000

I have booked a wake up call that will give me plenty of time to make the shuttle bus to the airport which departs the hotel at 8am. My flight doesn't leave until 12:50, but I'm not taking any chances. I'm a seasoned Seoulite now, and I know that it's a jungle out there at this time of day. The hotel assures me that the busride is 60 minutes, and I nod and smile in a knowing way. I check out, and am whisked away by the porter, the bus is already moving away. He bravely throws himself in front of it, loads me and my bags, and waves me off. 15 minutes later we have gone 100 metres. I sit back and try to relax and enjoy my last few hours here. The traffic is doing nothing different, the sky is blue and clear, the trees are beautiful, and I have nearly 5 hours before I have to fly. Not so the Indian businessman in the back of the bus, who is in real danger of missing the 9:30 to Karachi.

9:25 am we arrive at Kimpo terminal 1. The Indian businessman is in a state of dispair, but anyone who had been here more than 2 hours could have told him he needed to catch the first bus at 6am. He disappears into the terminal in a flurry of coats, briefcases, tickets and passports. I silently wish him luck. Terminal 2, I have ten minutes before check-in starts so I form a queue. I'm surprised to learn that I have only 18 kilos of luggage, and start to harbour wildly alarming thoughts of buying vacuum packed packages of kimchee, which are available in the shop not 200 metres away..... too late. The KLM groundstaff have obviously seen that look before and decide to save me from myself. My bag is on the conveyor belt and out of my reach.

I go right through passport control and customs, I want a quick look around the duty free. Duty free it might be, flaming expensive is how I would put it. They have no Jamesons. No Chanel. They don't take German money, and I don't have enough Won for anything, so I do what I always do in these sort of situations. I decide to eat. I have some noodles, and for the first time in Korea am not given kimchee. I decide against begging for some, slurp my noodles and settle down in the departure area to wait. And wait. And wait. There is a problem with the plane. Great, I think, they'll give us some kimchee to while away the hours. But no, we're promised sandwiches and drinks - which arrive ten minutes before we're finally allowed to board at 13:30 hours.

With a roar we take off, and I say goodbye to Korea, not for the last time I hope.