South Korea. Seoul - September-October

After Korea reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to live there for an entire month.

Having visited Korea on multiple occasions in the past, I had always yearned to return. Seoul, in particular, reminded me of tales depicting a utopian cyberpunk future: immaculate streets, secure neighborhoods, towering skyscrapers, mesmerizing Korean characters, flying cars, and amusing characters:

During our stay, we resided in the office district of Gangnam. The area was crowded during the day but transformed into a deserted landscape at night. Due to the time difference, I often worked late into the night and took walks around 2-3 AM. It was an enchanting experience to wander the empty streets, feeling like the entire city belonged solely to me. Seoul harmoniously balances its urban sprawl with nature. Being surrounded by skyscrapers while serenaded by the gentle chirping of crickets created a surreal atmosphere. Turn up the sound and listen to the following videos:

Koreans are passionate about gamification of everything. For example, look at the public transit ticket:

The neighborship of civilization with wildlife is everywhere:

The infamous Bongeunsa Temple, situated in the heart of Seoul, epitomizes this harmony. Constructed in 794, it has undergone numerous renovations throughout history, yet it remains a testament to the past amidst a super stylish metropolis:

Or this Lotte skyscraper. You can always find a spot to take a picture of it with a backdrop of lush greenery:

The culinary scene in Korea is truly exceptional. We indulged in various soups, vegetables, kimchi, and rice, forming a significant part of our daily meals. Here's a glimpse of what we enjoyed:

Koreans like funny pictures of cartoon characters everywhere: in ads, instructions, tutorials, and even toilet signs:

Even the military exhibition looks like these:

A small shopping mall puts all brand names on the facade:

Just nice:

Gangnam at night. Booklets with escort girls ads are always at the tips of your shoes:

What appears to be a flower store is actually just a random garden at a road crossing:

Simulating Sacha Baron Cohen style: "Very Nice!":

What a cyberpunk!:

Korea is also home to giant spiders! You encounter them wherever you go. While they may look intimidating, they pose no threat:

Even in the wending machine:

The Garden of Morning Calm.

It is a delightful destination, particularly for flower enthusiasts. Located two hours from Seoul.

Bad localization. For some reason, when Koreans translate into English, they often omit significant parts of the text, resulting in a loss of meaning - for example, menus, e-kiosks, and so on:

That's what garbage sorting looked like: you take all your garbage bags downstairs to the parking floor and sort all the garbage right in front of these big bins: metal, plastic, carton - all go to its place:

One day there was an exposition devoted to Hong Kong with miniature figures of this city:

And on the next day, we occasionally encountered Psy concert on the street (Oppa Gangnam style song). Can't everybody be as lucky as me?

I'm not a big fan of Coke, but when it comes to a new taste in a new country, I can't stand it:

Just random photos:

Next, we headed to Jeju, U-do, and Mara-do islands.

Airport workers always wave goodbye to all airplanes: