Street Sounds & Heart-shaped Rice

Today I actually eased into the day slowly trying to get my footing in this new time zone.  I am finally feeling acclimated.  I am definitely becoming a K-Metro pro but have to say that this is perhaps the easiest public transportation situation ever.  And the Metro stations are like little villages all unto themselves.  You never know what you will find.  I got duly sidetracked today by a Nature Republic store at the Express Bus Terminal stop.  Skin care is a big deal here and admittedly I would have never known about this company had Rain not lent himself to advertise for them.  Take a moment and sigh with me…..

 Really though, I was on a mission to find more vegan food.

For safe vegan chow, the one place I can always count on is the Loving Hut.  They are strewn across the globe (I even found one in Paris). Thankfully, Seoul actually has a few.  I read some good reviews about the one near Namseong Station so I decided to check it out.  This afforded me the opportunity to ride yet another Metro line.  I am getting good at this Metro thing.  The Loving Hut Thien Dang delivered some tasty vegan bulgogi – but I was charmed by the heart-shaped rice more than anything! This particular Loving Hut had such a nice vibe.  I see myself visiting again before I depart Seoul.

After lunch I decided I would go back to Insadong and check out the area a little more.  I just felt the need to just take it easy today.  The sights and sounds of Insadong are many.  I was walking along people watching, window shopping, and taking in the sights when I heard what sounded like a jubilant procession heading my way.  I thought it might be a wedding procession or something similar.  As it turned out, it was a troupe of men in bright costumes leaping through the air.  Random yet intriguing.

Oh, and yes there were big, booming drums.  These guys looked like they were having a good time and I had no idea what this celebration was all about.  Well, as it turned out, there is a martial arts exhibition going on and they were part of it.  It was nice little surprise to see them, to hear the drums and to watch those long ribbons from their headdresses flying through the air.

They eventually made their way to this little performance pavilion at the end of the street where they brought their performance to a close and I managed to grab a little video of it.

All in all, my day was uneventful but nice.  It was a clear, sunny and sultry hot day here in Seoul.

Next up…….preparing for Rain’s discharge.  Heading over to DEMA tomorrow to get the lay of the land in preparation for next Wednesday. Rain fans know that this is a HUGE deal so I need to be prepared! 🙂