I realize that I have not yet finished writing about my trip.
We overnighted in Incheon. S Korea. This was our last and final port.
I chose a 6 hour excursion which included a visit to the smallest palace and the least grand palace, Deoksugung Palace. I could have taken a 8 hour excursion which which have included one of the grander palaces but I felt that I would be very tired at the end of the cruise and I was right.
The port is one hour plus from Seoul, not a particularly pretty drive is my memory. So we spent just over one hour driving from Incheon and just over one hour driving back giving us about 4 hours in Seoul, giving us very little time in Seoul. From the very little that I saw, I really ,liked Seoul.
First we went to Deoksugung Palace for maybe an hour. It was a decent size even having a museum on the grounds which we did not have enough time to explore. The Palace may have not been the grandest but it was still very pretty. It was walkable and easy to get around for those with some mobility issues.
From Deoksugung Palace, we went to a market which had a name but I can not recall the name. This was not a market where we went inside a building. This was more like a street fair with stalls up and down the street. The majority were food stalls but there were also gift stalls as well as brick and mortar buildings.
I had a small cake which was filled and it was delicious. I believe that it was made with eggs. I was able to get a few souvenirs discovering a shop which was so crowded that I could not stay long but I got the cutest magnets that I have ever seen.
We perhaps only stayed 45 minutes total and I wish that I had been able to buy something more to eat. Another passenger told me that she and the guide had walked to a restaurant where she had some really delicious soup.
Of all the markets that I visited, I liked this one the best because I did not have to cope with being inside a very crowded closed up building and smelling fish. I liked being in the outdoors walking up and down streets.
From this market, we went to the National Museum of Korea, the largest museum in Korea, showcasing a vast collection of artifacts and artworks. for perhaps about an hour and a half. This is a huge and very attractive museum. It would require at least one full day to really see it and we had about an hour and a half.
I loved this museum.
And then we went back to the port.
This was a very satisfying excursion. It was possible to comfortably do my own thing but the guide gave me some one on one time walking me through a few of the very many rooms.
If you are in Seoul, I would highly recommend this museum.
The group that went on the 8 hour excursion ran into difficulty. There was a very large demonstration the day we were in Seoul in support of their past president who is currently jailed. There were thousands of demonstrators and thousands of police. The traffic slowed down my excursion a little but but it had a greater effect on other excursions.
The 8 hour excursion went to one of the grander palaces but they also were supposed to go to the same market that i went to and the same museum. They made it to the palace and the museum but the market had to be cancelled because of the demonstration. It took this group two hours to get back to the port.
From the very little that I saw of Seoul, I really liked it and if ever I could get back to this area of the world, I would like to explore South Korea more.