Yesterday was a holiday in Korea. It doesn't make much difference for me since I'm pretty much the boss of my schedule these days, but at least other people got the day off to hang out~ :) I had lunch and dinner plans in Itaewon but wanted to do something in between, so I called up SaeHee to see if she wanted to wander around Namsan, and yay, she was down.
Even though I've been in Seoul for about 5 years now, this was only my second time going to Namsan. I know some people who go there all the time, but I guess I just don't get that excited about seeing a pointy building on a hill.
Anyway, we met up at the bottom of Kyungridan in Noksapyeong, but before Saehee arrived, I grabbed a cuppa soy latte at Lazy Sue cafe. I didn't think they had soy milk, but apparently they do~ With all the foreigners in the area, more coffee shops around Noksapyeong have soy milk options. :)
Soy Cafe Latte 4,500 won. It's not every day that I treat myself to a sweet frothy latte and this was delicious.
So anyway, with coffee in hand, we started walking up the hill and took a stroll around Namsan park which was a first for me. It was just so peaceful and serene... just what I needed!
It's been a reeeaaally long time since I did anything remotely outdoorsy and I've missed it. But now that the weather is getting bearable again, I hope to spend more time outside... I'm looking forward to picnics, hiking, running outside, and feeling grass between my toes.
close to Namsan tower...
It only took us about 40 mins of leisurely strolling to get there from Noksapyeong, but for those who'd rather not sweat their way to the top, you can catch one of these Namsan buses which are all electrical-powered! More info & directions to Namsan tower here.
Here they are getting' recharged by plugging in on the sidewalk. Kinda funny so I had to snap it.
Since it was a national holiday, there were quite a lot of people and also some kind of event going on...
In my option, the main attraction of Namsan Tower isn't exactly the tower itself, especially if you don't plan on going to the top. Instead, it's all the locks of love secured to the railing around the observatory deck. The thousands upon thousands of locks left as a symbol of undying love. Since I'm so short, I could barely see over the wall of locks to admire the view. Dangit, shortness strikes again.
Koreans can be pretty corny and overly-sentimental when it comes to romance. Haha. I think they've been influenced by all those Korean dramas where a character professes his love in some melodramatic way... . shouting on top of a mountain, running into icy ocean water, or donating an organ when he dies of some illness, are just a few that come to mind. Hm, compared to those, I guess buying a cheap padlock is easier and less painful. It's all a bit overwhelming though to see how they're all crammed so tightly together...
I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes to lovey dovey cheezy mushiness, but after being there long enough and reading some of the love notes, it kinda warms the heart and makes you want to do it too.
Heart over Korea.
At least one portion of the deck railing was uncluttered so I could fully admire this hazy view.
Some of the older locks are crusty and rusty, but still hanging on strong (or so it seems). Til rust do us part?
Glad I went to Namsan again. It has changed a bit since my last visit and those giant human sculptures in the sky are no longer there, but they've added more love-themed pieces instead. I guess it's official.