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  • Mary Kieran Gap Year

South Korea

A 13-day adventure by Mary Kieran Gap Year Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 2, 2024
    Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler

    Day 231-236: One Last US Pit Stop

    September 2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    For real though, this is the last US Pit stop. Mary’s best friend Tom just had to get married during gap year and we couldn’t miss it.

    We flew into DC from Vancouver and took 3.5 hours of public transportation to go from Dulles to Baltimore. Laura, James, and puppies were gracious hosts and we were able to meet up with squad for some Japan trip planning.

    Mary is in the grooms party (her 3rd and probably
    final time) so we got to Leesburg Friday for rehearsals, lunches, and friend hangs. Woke up early to get the boys to the venue and then proceeded to wait 5+ hours before we did anything. The wedding was great and Emily looked so beautiful in her dress. We rocked out on the dance floor and caught up with squad as much as we could.

    Congrats Tom and Emily; we are so happy we were able to attend this beautiful day and we wish you the best honey moon in Greece ❤️    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler

    Day 237: No Seoul After 15 Hour Flight

    September 3, 2024 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    Kidding, we are ecstatic to be in South Korea!!! This was Mary’s third round and Kieran’s first so it’s exciting to share this country with him. And of course, we must mention how sad we are that Andrea is not here to party with us. She has been such an integral part of these Seoul trips and could never imagine South Korea without her. She just “had to move back to America 😒”

    Woke up 7am after Tom’s wedding and got to Dulles airport with plenty of time. We had a 56 minute layover in Montreal (risky) but it payed off because the flight out of Dulles left on time. It’s 15 hours to Seoul and being slightly hungover from the wedding played nicely into passing out asleep on the plane. Mary got 7 hours in; Kieran not so much.

    We landed 4:30pm Seoul time and made our sleepy way through the metro system (for real, Mary’s a pro now). Previously setting home base in Hongdae and Itaewon, we went with older neighborhood Jongno-3 this time. We climbed out of the subway into colorful flashing lights with young people eating out in little stands and K-BBQs. Mary paused and made Kieran take it all in with an official “Welcome to Korea.”

    After dropping our stuff at the hotel, we went to dinner in an attempt to stay awake until 9:30/10:00pm. We navigated through the colorful back alleyways and smelled the amazing food from all directions. Picked a food stall back on the main street and enjoyed tteok-bokki (rice cakes), grilled pork, and plum water alcoholic beverage. It felt so good to be back in South Korea; threw in some old pictures for memories and thankfulness to Andrea as well as Catie, Madison, and Hannah joining in 2019 ❤️

    Food:
    Tteok-bokki
    Grilled Pork

    Spots:
    Jongno-3    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler

    Day 238: Gyeongbokgung, Insadong

    September 4, 2024 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    We did pretty good on sleep reversal and jet lag today; Seoul is a 13 hour time change and we woke up at 5am! We planned to visit Gyeongbokgung National Palace but it didn’t open til 9:00am. Took our time getting ready and stopped by a bakery for morning pastries.

    Gyeongbokgung Palace was built in 1395 as the official palace of the Joseon dynasty. It has been partially destroyed and rebuilt many times over due to wars and fires. It’s the largest palace from this dynasty in Seoul. If you wear the hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), admission to the palace is free; that’s why you see so many people dressed super fancy.

    It was a hot day so around 10:30 am we walked down Insadong which is an artist, craft, and shopping street. They have traditional tea houses as well as some of the best unique souvenirs and shops. We grabbed lunched and jet lag Mary accidentally pointed to the wrong menu item which contained octopus, squid, and two types of mushrooms. Kieran generally hates all of those things, but the sauce was so good he survived.

    Kieran needed a clothes refresh so we walked on to Myeongdong shopping district to grab him new pants, rain jacket, and shirt. Around 4pm, we couldn’t push anymore and returned to the hotel for a two hour nap; grabbed 7/11 gimbap along the way to reward Kieran for shopping.

    Woke up long enough for Korean BBQ dinner at 7:30pm and promptly returned to the hotel for more sleep.

    Spots:
    Gyeongbokgung Palace
    Insadong
    Myeongdong

    Food:
    Chop Suey with Rice
    Pork Belly
    Pork Rib    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler

    Day 239: Gwanaksan Mountain

    September 5, 2024 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    Still struggling with time reversal, we woke up at 5:00am again. This is good though because we planned to go hiking and it would be hot today.

    Gwanaksan Mountain is located in south Seoul across the Han River and near Seoul National University. There are several Buddhist temples along the mountain as well as radio towers and old bunkers from the Korean War. Its popularity is due to how accessible the mountain is from public transportation.

    We got to the mountain by 8:30am and hiked up the intense hills. It was super hot and humid so we were sweating. The best part is that many retired elderly like to hike in the morning and were whooping our ass up the mountain. We reached the top and enjoyed a nice gimbap lunch from 7/11.

    On the hike down, we re-entered society again and walked through residential neighborhoods. Kieran came barreling down and started cursing; he twisted his ankle on a pothole. We sat for 10 minutes and then walked to a pharmacy for braces, pain reliever, and ice.

    Oh, and he likely has COVID from Tom’s wedding (aka super spreader event). Rest of the day was setting him up for COVID and sprained ankle recovery by purchasing OJ, ramen packets, and Hershey’s Cookies and Cream milk drink.

    Food:
    Gimbap

    Spots:
    Gwanaksan Mountain    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler

    Day 240: Itaewon

    September 6, 2024 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    With Kieran down for the count, it became a Mary solo day. Grabbed breakfast before heading out to shop in Hongdae and Insadong. Picked up some cute little gifts to bring home including this adorable fridge magnet, a grip lock for the phone, and a new necklace.

    Originally Mary planned to meet up with friends we met through Andrea, however, felt bad since Kieran had COVID. Instead, signed up for a bar crawl in Itaewon. Itaewon is a bustling international neighborhood due to its historical proximity to an US military base. It’s a place of cherished memories between visiting Andrea in 2016 and then staying in the neighborhood in 2019; it boasts a wonderful bar and food scene, and there’s always an opportunity to meet strangers and make new friends.

    Trigger warning: Itaewon Crowd Crush

    Of course, this neighborhood faced a tragic loss of life in 2022 when a crowd crush killed 159 young people who wanted to celebrate Halloween after months of intense COVID lock down. The Itaewon crush is undeniably upsetting with its size, but also the full knowledge/familiarity regarding the exact street and learning that Andrea was lucky enough to be leaving right around the first emergency calls.

    After the incident, many young Koreans faced PTSD; Itaewon businesses, restaurants, and bars suffered setbacks; and the Korean people were largely upset with the government for failing to prevent this preventable tragedy. However, over time Itaewon has been able to bounce back. A memorial is in place for those who lost their lives in the alleyway.

    Returning to Itaewon was surreal and emotional. Beyond the memorial, you wouldn’t know such a tragedy occurred with people out partying and still making amazing memories. It was important to return and celebrate the space Itaewon provides for both foreign nationals and LGBTQ+ members in Korea.

    Today’s pictures in memoriam of Itaewon crowd crush victims.

    Food:
    Sliced raw octopus
    Fish cake soup
    Korean fried chicken
    Melon and prosciutto

    Spots:
    Hongdae
    Insadong
    Itaewon    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler

    Day 241: Korean War Memorial Museum

    September 7, 2024 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    Kieran’s symptoms reduced considerably besides a runny nose and his ankle felt manageable. We risked it for some fun outdoor activities at the Korean War Memorial Museum. The war commemorates the June 25 1950 invasion from North Korea supported by USSR and Communist China. 3.9 million Koreans lost their life in this war and it still isn’t over; there is only an armistice. This was the first and only war where the United Nations sent military troops to support a nation (not peace keeping troop). General Douglas MacArthur from World War II was the commander for the UN forces.

    The museum includes outdoor exhibits on military equipment and vehicles used in the Korean War and Vietnam war after. Inside, the museum takes you through the general history of Korean Peninsula, years of Japanese occupation, the invasion, and North Korean threats/aggressions since 1953.

    The museum is also free!!

    After 2 hours Kieran got tired and felt sinus pressure in his ears so we turned in early and got him back into bed for more recovery.

    Food:
    Bibimbap
    Shrimp Fried Rice    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler

    Day 242: DMZ & 6 Year Anniversary

    September 8, 2024 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    We originally planned to visit the DMZ on Friday; the tour operator (VIP Travel) was amazing and allowed us to move the tour to Sunday with Kieran’s ankle. And in perfect harmony with our weird personalities, we would be spending our 6th Anniversary touring the De-militarized Zone 😍🥰

    The DMZ is the 38th Parallel & border which separates North / South Korea and where troops battled endlessly into a stalemate; this space is technically managed and governed by the United Nations. From the 38th parallel, there is 2 KM distance in each direction for additional civilian protection; still, there are villages, farms, and people who live inside the DMZ. Mary visited the DMZ in 2019 when there was some cooperation between North and South Korea.

    Wildly, at the time of our visit, tensions are really high. 1) A stupid idiotic American soldier ran away into North Korea in 2023 to escape military discipline. Thus the Joint Security Area (JSA) tour has been closed for a year; the JSA is where they signed the armistice and an opportunity to meet North Korean soldiers and step on the border. 2) Shots were fired between North and South Korean soldiers in June 2024 in a misunderstanding; however, the event triggered even greater tension

    3) South Korea started sending balloons over the border containing USBs with KPOP, Korean Dramas, food, and medicine. North Korea responded by sending over balloons containing trash and waste. South Korea responded by setting up loud speakers to blast propaganda to the citizens over the border. North Korea responded by setting up their own speakers that generate noise and jam sounds (we could hear their speakers while on the tour!!!!)

    With tensions this high, we couldn’t do a lot of the best parts of the tour to include the Dora Observatory where you can see a fake North Korean village created by the government to pretend everything is happy and wonderful in the North. We also couldn’t go to Dorasan Station which is a modern train station ready to connect South Korea to the continent once Korea is re-united. These areas were under target due to the South Korean loud speakers.

    However, we were still able to visit the Imjingak Park where South Koreans can go to pray for their families return / unification and the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel where North Korea attempted to dig holes to invade South Korea post armistice agreement; the government discovered four tunnels and they believe there is at least 15.

    The tour felt a bit empty compared to the 2019 experience and we understand why. It was still really cool to hear the North Korean loud speakers (listen for the casino sounds) and using digital binoculars to see North Korean people walking around. There was also a huge fire inside the DMZ and we saw helicopters dropping water on the location…

    To celebrate our anniversary, we visited Gwangjang Market to food hop across vendors to include hand made noodles/dumplings, soy marinated crab, mung bean pancake, and to finally get Kieran to survive the raw live octopus!!! Check out the little girl judging the shit out of Kieran.

    After food, we went to Mary’s favorite bar The Fountain and enjoyed a drink before heading home.

    Food:
    Sausage and Rice Cake
    Soy marinated crab
    Hand rolled noodles
    Mung bean pancake
    Raw octopus

    Spots:
    DMZ
    Gwangjang Market    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler
    1

    Day 243: Train to Busan & Gamcheon

    September 9, 2024 in South Korea ⋅ 🌙 81 °F

    No, we didn’t ride the train to Busan to recreate the Korean zombie horror film; it was just time to actually visit Busan and the south coast. The train was 5 hours so we picked up McDonalds fast food equivalent Lotteria at the station: pot stickers, squid burger, and bacon egg and cheese.

    A bit worried for our first major train outside Europe, but Seoul Station was easy to navigate and we found our track no problem. The train ride through the mountains and towns was scenic, and the smog lessened as we neared Busan. Our hotel is in the Nampo district and faces the harbor; we are on the 10th floor and it’s an amazing view

    Busan is the second largest city and in the Korean War, held off the North until United Nation forces could land in Incheon. With our little daytime left, we visited the Gamcheon Culture Village which originally hosted Korean War refugees. The village struggled with poverty and poor living conditions so in 2009 the government invested in an art renovation to maintain, repair, and decorate the village.

    We started on Ami-ro road and trekked up the steep hillsides through the Ami Tombstone Village. Older people would sit outside in the fresh, wind blown air and enjoy the evening’s air conditioning. Reaching the Village at sunset, the colors were breathtaking and many tourists had left for the day. While visiting, we tried green grape beer and bought dried strawberries.

    For dinner we walked around BIFF Square and grabbed skewer chicken at a food stall. We found a shabu-shabu restaurant among the crazy colorful signs and young people out for the evening.

    Hotel: K-Guest House

    Food:
    Pot stickers
    Squid Burger
    Bacon egg and cheese
    Chicken skewer
    Green grape beer
    Shabu-Shabu    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler
    11

    Day 244: Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

    September 10, 2024 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    Today we visited the Haedong Yonggungsa Buddhist Temple, which is a rare temple along the coastline (most are in the mountains). We opted for a 54 minute taxi ride to see the city and coast. The Busan views included major port harbors, huge sky scrapers, and we went over two bridges.

    The temple was completed in the 1930’s and it honors Haesu Gwaneum Daebul, the Sea Goddess Buddha of Mercy. There are several points of interest including descending 108 steps, a row of 12 inch high zodiac characters, a 7 story pagoda to pray against car accidents, and of course tons of Buddha statues. We could take off our shoes and enter the temple, and we admired the incredible paintings/decorations.

    After visiting the temple, we walked along the coast and made an impromptu stop at the National Institute of Fisheries Science Museum, informing visitors on fishing techniques, aquaculture, and how to sustainably fish. The museum included an aquarium and there was a participation zone at the end with the doctor fish (the fish that will eat dead skin cells for exfoliation!!) We rode public transportation to get home on a 1.5 hour ride.

    For dinner, we visited the Jagalchi fish market pretty late. Stall owners were packing up, so we picked our fish quickly and ran upstairs for the restaurant to cook it. It was a lot of fun and we plan to return tomorrow.

    Food:
    Spicy Pork Stew
    King Crab
    Seafood Stew

    Spots:
    Haedong Yonggungsa Buddhist Temple
    Jagalchi Fish Market    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler
    1

    Day 245: Jeju City

    September 11, 2024 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Today we would be flying to Jeju which is an extinct volcanic island off the Korean coast and considered their Hawaii. Before we left, we hit the Jagalchi Market one more time for sashimi!

    We rode the local bus to get to the airport and picked up some gimbap and bubble tea (this is important later). The flight was around 1 hour and a bit bumpy with a storm coming through. We survived, though, and picked up our rental car.

    Driving in South Korea and Jeju specifically is wild. There are weird lines painted that would normally be at a stop sign but they aren’t stop signs. Also you can’t turn left unless there is an advanced green arrow. Either way, we made it to our hotel unscathed, but largely terrified 🙃

    We wanted some downtime before dinner so snacked on the dried strawberries from Busan while watching a Resident Evil 8 play-through. 40 minutes in and Mary says “I feel pretty nauseous.” Ends up both of us were feeling bad. Mary proceeds to throw up all the dried strawberries and watched Paris Hilton’s Tomorrowland set in the bathroom until she was good.

    We survived small food poisoning; couldn’t tell if it was the sashimi, the gimbap, or the strawberries. Regardless, we proceeded to dinner and ate the famous Jeju black pork. Mary still ordered spicy noodles on the side (ain’t no rest for that stomach).

    Hotel: Daedong

    Food:
    Sashimi
    Gimbap
    Black Pork

    Spots:
    Jagalchi Market
    Jeju City
    Black pork Market Street    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler

    Day 246: Hamdeok Beach

    September 12, 2024 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    Not going to lie, we’ve decided this Korea trip is cursed without Andrea here. Had an excellent day visiting Hamdeok Beach and soaking up the sun in shallow warm water. Made it to Seogwipo for sunset and dinner.

    Kieran thought it would be funny to grab my leg from under the table at a black pork BBQ. He touched the coal bin instead and scalded his finger with a second degree burn. Had to go to the 7/11 to buy ice cups and aloe vera drinks for his finger. Shot of him sitting on the curb recovering (such a sad sad boy).

    Talked with Andrea and we confirmed that Busan was a good experience because Andrea and I never visited the city together. Nature found it unacceptable that I would be in Jeju and Seoul without her.

    Hotel: Hotel Bridge Seogwipo

    Food:
    Traditional Jeju meal of fried fish
    Black pork BBQ

    Spots:
    Hamdeok Beach
    Seogwipo    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler

    Day 247: Seogwipo Rest Day

    September 13, 2024 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    We originally planned for hikes, coast drives, and more volcanic site seeing. However, a more important leg of our trip would be starting soon…

    So we used Seogwipo for rest and naps. In between sleep and Resident Evil 8 play through, we walked along the Seogwipo Olle Market. Hopped between the food stands and tried Korean fried corn dogs for the first time (shout out to co-worker Jared). We also ate more teokk-bokki, black pork steamed dumplings, a volcano puff cream, and twisted bread donuts.

    For dinner, we got Korean Fried chicken and had a huge fight on whether Obsidian, a video game subsidiary of Bethesda, lazily lifted and shifted the code behind the Fallout game mechanics for their new game Outerworlds. It got tense, but it was important for our relationship to establish the amount of code Obsidian reused to maximize profits (kidding) 🤗

    Food:
    Corn dog
    Tteok-bokki
    Bread twists
    Korean fried chicken

    Spots:
    Seogwipo    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearSouth KoreaTraveler

    Day 248: Bye Bye Jeju

    September 14, 2024 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 88 °F

    Last day in Jeju and Korea! We drove around the island to various volcanic features, cliffs, and beaches. Had the most incredible, unexpected lunch at Gwakji Beach where we got sashimi and broiled mackerel.

    We hopped on a flight to Seoul domestic airport and took the metro to the international airport. Next stop: TOKYO AT 01:00AM

    Food:
    Broiled Mackeral
    Sashimi
    Taco Bell

    Spots:
    Jusangjeollidae
    Baksugijeong Beach
    Gwakji Beach    Read more

    Trip end
    September 14, 2024
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