Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Momente din Seul 30. Insadong / Seoul Moments 30. Insadong

Insadong is a neighbourhood loved by foreign tourists. They find here a lor of souvenir shops, antique shops, small galleries, restaurants and coffee shops. Its old name is Mary's Alley.


There is a main street, starting with the subway Anguk Station, where you may find an information point for the tourists, with brochures, maps and good advices. A street art monument, representing a calligraphy brush, marks the beginning of Insadong.

My main reason to be there was a visit to the Jogyesa Temple. I will tell you about it later on. Until I visited, the rain begun, so I entered a restaurant.


I walked also a little on the street, window shopping, looking at the souvenirs. I liked the most the lantern in courious forms and the Korean masks. I also admired the flowers in front of a florist shop. There are also places with street food.

Insadong este un cartier al Seulului iubit de turistii straini deoarece aici gasesc tot felul de suveniruri si este plin de magazine de antichitati, mici galerii, restaurante de tot felul si cafenele. Mai demult, el se numea Aleea lui Mary, nu se stie de ce. Zona este cunoscuta si pentru alte obiective de interes turistic, intre care Templul Jogyesa, despre care voi povesti separat.

Exista o "axa centrala" a cartierului, care porneste din statia de metrou Anguk. Din ea, radiaza lateral mici stradute foarte pitoresti. Nu m-am plimbat suficient de mult (pentru gustul meu) prin acest cartier deoarece obiectivul meu principal aici a fost Templul Jogyesa, despre care voi povesti separat. Pana l-am vizitat, a inceput sa toarne cu galeata, asa ca m-am refugiat intr-un restaurant, unde am mancat ceea ce vi-am povestit aici http://travelinghawk.blogspot.com/2011/05/momente-din-seul-4-mancarea-seoul.html

In apropierea statiei Anguk, veti vedea un monument de arta stradala, reprezentand o pensula pentru caligrafie. Aici, in apropiere, se afla un centru de informare turistica, unde puteti primi harti ale cartierul si indicatii pentru ceea ce doriti sa vizitati. Il gasiti chiar langa statuile alea haioase, unde se vede acel "i", mare, in ultima fotografie din seria care urmeaza.
Turistii nu se lasa impresionati de ploaie. Si-au deschis umbrele si au pornit in explorare, iar eu ii imit. Chiar la inceputul strazii ma opresc sa fotografiez niste broscute care chiar se bucura ca ploua!
Cercetez vitrinele magazinelor, in unele intru, admir niste flori, in fata unei florarii, ma uit la suveniruri.
Cel mai mult mi-au placut mastile si lanternele in diverse forme.
Dupa cum spuneam, sunt multe locuri unde se poate manca. Intru intr-o curte si acolo gasesc mai multe standuri, cu diverse produse alimentare, multe dulciuri. Intru apoi pe o straduta unde restaurantele se insira, unul langa altul.
Intru si eu intr-unul. Inauntru e placut. Totul este din lemn, are un aspect rustic. Asa cum e traditional in restaurantele coreene, mi se pune imediat pe masa sticla cu apa si un pahar. Imediat, ii aducem insa alaturi si o sticla cu bere. Comand apoi ceva ce cred ca imi va placea (si nu m-am inselat), fara sa tin seama de pret (cam mare) fiindca mai am doar 2 zile de stat in Seul si vreau sa ma rasfat.
Cand ies, afara s-a cam intunecat din cauza ploii, care continua, asa ca plec si eu spre "casa mea" temporara.

16 comments:

Liliana said...

Ce vreme de ploaie ... de ploaia asta povesteai tu! E amenintatoare dupa cat de ud e orasul.

magda said...

Excited from the Seul!!!
Your photos are amazing!!
What a pity it rained...
I wish you a happy summer, why am away from the INTERNET, until September.
Sorry about that.
Many greetings

Traveling Hawk said...

De asta si de alta, Liliana, a plouat cam 4-5 zile din cele 10 state acolo.

Traveling Hawk said...

Have a nice vacation, Magda!

I will be away myself this part of July (I will depart on Friday)and on August I'll be on the internet from time to time, depending on a bad/slow connection again.

VP said...

Some very curious masks and sculptures!

Traveling Hawk said...

they are traditional masks, weared in traditional dances, some of them

Teri said...

Wow...loved those masks. You always travel to so many incredible places! I wish that I could join you!!

Randy said...

There are so many things to see in the neighborhood. Love the frog fountain.

Traveling Hawk said...

Hi, Teri! Nice to "hear" you! Korea is a wonderful place to travel. This is only an "apetizer", there are many interesting things there, waiting to be discovered by the tourists.

Traveling Hawk said...

You are right, Randy. They are many and the time so short..Thanks for the visit.

Doug Hickok said...

Your pictures in this series show much prosperity in Seoul. I like the shop displays, especially the masks. I love the masks. Their expressions fascinated me. The food looks delicious too. You made some wonderful images inspite of the rain :^)

cartim said...

Si coreenii sunt cu broscoii ??

Interesante acele masti si in general suvenirurille, cat despre mancare arata bine , nu pot presupune decat ca a fost buna :P

Hawkie, restaurantul era frumos, cat despre pret , gandeste-te ca o data poti sa fii in Seul si sa te rasfeti :P

Traveling Hawk said...

Thank you, Doug. Insadong was a good experience.

Traveling Hawk said...

Asa am si facut, Cartim:)

Sunt multe elemente comune in culturile asiatice, asa cum sunt si in cele europene.

Sa ai o vara frumoasa!

J_on_tour said...

I like the restaurant decor and the frog sculptures. Nice tour.

Traveling Hawk said...

Thanks, J_on _tour!