Seoul - the first impression!

After a long journey, which started Sunday evening in Bremen, we finally arrived in Seoul on Monday afternoon! Since we were able to sleep a little during the flight, we were very excited for our first day on the other side of the world. But we were surprised to see rainy weather and thick clouds upon our arrival. Almost like in Germany! So, we headed to our hostel in Hongdae, a university district in Seoul. After a short break, we immersed ourselves in the hustle and bustle of the city and quickly realized that English won't get you far here! Most of the restaurants and cafes are labeled only with Korean characters, and many restaurant menus are not translated into English. After some searching, we found a typical Korean 'Beer and Chicken' restaurant, where we could indulge in fried chicken. After the meal, we strolled through the neighborhood, which was still bustling even at 10 PM. There are not only many modern clothing and cosmetic shops, but also countless cafes, which seems to be a trend in Korea!

The next morning, we planned to explore the city a bit more, but we were surprised by monsoon-like rain. Since our plans for the afternoon included a trip to Busan, we decided to head to Seoul Station, the main train station of the city, a little earlier. From there, a train took us to the trading city of Busan, which was more similar to a comfortable regional train than a fancy high-speed train like the ICE.