Tourist fail in Seoul

 Yep, you guessed it!  the big smoke wore me down again.  Being a country girl, I have really enjoyed cycling through the countryside of South Korea.  Its been interesting to see the different crops being farmed, the wild forests and the lazy rivers.

But once I am in a buzzling metropolis, Cranky Chris is never far away.  I had been told that the Dongdaemun Area had a lot of textile shops and it was covered and I had this vision of what I have seen and love in Japan.  But to get there, I had to either catch several buses or go down into the subway system.  Am not a fan of subways!  do not understand how they work and everytime I've been sucked down the deepest elevators, I am inwardly screaming to get out into the open air again.  But be brave!

Was extremely surprised that I had managed to buy a ticket to Dongdaemun, so scanned it and through the gate I go.  But there's no one to ask what line I should be on, its all electronic and staff are not required.  I wondered around and eventually realised that I had either came into the wrong station or something...  Then I tried to get out!  but the turnstile said I have already used my ticket and I can't go thru these gates.  Oh well, I just stepped over them and went outside again.  No staff there to tell me not too!  Not a good start.  

Then I saw a bus stop with people lined up on it.  Surely it would take me into Seoul, so then I could work out how to get to the next step.  First bus driver wouldn't take cash, so when the next one drove up, a kind young man, with good English, asked me if I was lost!  Yes! again.  He was catching the next bus and helped me buy a ticket for it and away we went.  After a little while the guy asked me where I was going, but he said I need to get off at the next stop and go on the subway!  Wah!  Duly told, soon back in the subway again!  again I managed to buy a ticket (they're a bit over $3 each) and thankfully there was an info box and a real man inside.  He pointed to Line 5 and away we went.  I checked a guide of the stations on the wall and counted 9 stops, took a photo and hopped on the next train!  progress!  after 9 stops I realised that I hadn't counted all the little stops in between, and as the screen in the carriage wasn't working I wasn't sure if I had gone past my stop or not.  I asked the young girl next to me, who said I needed to go back the other way.  sigh!  

But once off at the next station, I checked the map of the lines and realised she was wrong and there were still about 4 more stops to go.  So back on the next train, which had a perfectly working screen with the next station announced each time.  

So here I am in Dongdaemun and off I stroll in general direction of market.  Eventually found my way into one of the doorways and was in this huge complex of tiny booths, each looking like they were selling the same puffy fabric to make doonas out of.  I wandered up and down the tiny alley ways, being amazed at the duplication of the stalls and wondered how anyone could make any money there... so many of the booths were also closed, whether for lunch or for the day.  I found a couple of pieces of patchwork fabric and a couple of other things, because after coming all this way, I had to buy something.  

After over 3kms of walking (remember, I'm a cyclist and don't go so well at walking!) I had enough and when I got outside again, I realised I was back near a subway station, about 2 stops back from where I had got off!  Sweet!  Feeling confident, I checked first where I wanted to return to - thanks Maps.Me - and fronted up at the ticket machine.  I fed the required bills into it, but it kept spitting them out...  Again, saved by a stranger, who asked me if I had a card...  I had kept the card from earlier, so he took it, fed it into another machine, came back and gave me a coin and told me to try again!  I entered in my details, fed the 3 x 1000kwn into the machine and it spat out another card...  I still do not understand!  Again - many thanks...  Then I went looking for Line 5 - it was purple.  But the only signs for Line 5 were exit signs.  Sooooo frustrating.  Eventually I asked a cleaner and she called over another guy dashing past, he glanced at my ticket, said to catch next train for one stop, change and go to the Line 5 there!  Seriously!!  how does one know to do that? 

So eventually, I did return back to the hotel...  blisters on my feet and a whole lot of angst and why why why do I come to large cities.  One more day here, before heading off to Incheon Island to the airport.  I'll have a couple of days to cruise around on the island before heading to the airport.  Hoping that will all go smoothly, though....  stay tuned.

In all the kaffuffle of today, I didn't even take out my camera!  so later that evening, I went for a stroll, found a Daiso next door!!!  bought some cleaning products to get Hennie back to acceptable customs standards, even found some cornchips and a fanta, took a couple of street scenes and that's it for a pretty unproductive day...  cities!!!