d-Wizz Hankuk Travel Diary [2005]
Day 8 (2005-08-03) / Day 9 (2005-08-04) / Day 10 (2005-08-05) 
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Day 9: 2005-08-04 (Thursday)
After breakfast, I prepared to return to Seoul, but none of my friends were available to help me find a place to stay. I went to the PC bar again and had a lengthy MSN chat session with some friends, including Kevin in Taiwan, and Kwon Chang Hee, who was in Boston, US at the time. Chang Hee had met me briefly in Brisbane in November, 2004 only once, and it took me a few minutes to remind him who I was. We had a long chat once we were reacquainted with each other. He said he would be back in Seoul later in the month, so we made plans to meet each other. He also told me about guest houses in Seoul, which was very interesting for me, given my current circumstances.
I was eventually able to contact Mi-Ra, who agreed to help me find a guest house. We made plans to meet at Dong-daemun at 1930. I went back to the restaurant for lunch, and told Jin-Oh that I wanted to leave at 1700.
Jin-Oh decided to take me to nearby Namhansanseong (남한산성), an important historical site. The drive took only about 15 minutes, with magnificent views of Seong-buk and Seoul on the way. Upon arrival, we walked around for a while. Jin-Oh explained the significance of the site in Korean history. The mountain had been a key defensive point for the Korean army against invading Japanese forces about 380 years ago. A long, turreted stone wall ran along the mountain ridge as far as the eye could see. From parts of the ridge, spectacular views of the urban sprawl of Gyeonggi-do could be seen through the trees.
We returned to the restaurant and Jin-Oh left me there as he had other things to do. At 1700, Jin-Oh’s brother Jin-Beom drove me to the subway. While I was waiting for the train, Mi-Ra sent me a text message saying to meet at Hangik University (239) instead because she had found a guest house nearby.
When I arrived there, Mi-Ra called the guest house and the host came to pick us up in a big black van. It was not far away – only a few minutes’ drive. The cost was very cheap: only W15K for a night. Once I had checked in and paid for my first night, Mi-Ra suggested that we have dinner together near her home. So we went back to the subway and took two trains to Daerim. Mi-Ra selected a restaurant near the station and shared dinner with me. Afterwards, we walked back towards her apartment. She was reluctant to invite me in, saying it was messy. So we walked through a park which forms part of the apartment complex, to a shop where Mi-Ra bought an ice-block for each of us. We continued walking to an area where there was a waterfall. I attempted to get a few good photos, but there was not enough light.
I talked with Mi-Ra about FX and she appeared excited about being involved. She had been involved with the first part of FX in Brisbane, late 2004, so she knew what to expect.
Mi-Ra was worried that I would not find my way back to the guest house on my own, but I was confident of the way, and I assured her I would not get lost. We said goodbye to each other and I made my way back to the subway, then to Hongik University. Then I started walking in the direction of the guest house. I walked and walked and walked, but nothing seemed familiar. After about 20 minutes, I called the guest house to ask for directions. The host came out on foot to escort me back. During my wandering, I had traversed every street in the district, except the one the guest house was located in. As it was very late by now, I went straight to bed upon arrival.
Day 8 (2005-08-03) / Day 9 (2005-08-04) / Day 10 (2005-08-05)
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