Bibimbap

October 28, 2025

"A bowl of bibimbap is like life—colorful, diverse, and packed with flavor.”

• Anonymous

Bibimbap is a popular Korean dish of warm rice served with an assortment of seasoned vegetables, meat, and a fried egg, all mixed together with a spicy chili paste before eating.

Bibimbap

In many ways it serves as a great metaphor for our last 2 days here in Korea.  We just did a little bit of everything.  There was no real plan.  We just looked at a small map and said, “Lets go look at that”.

So here are some images from the stew of the last two days to share with you.

Our first stop was Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest and grandest of the Joseon Dynasty residences here in Seoul.  It is huge and we were there for the changing of the guard which occurs at the front gate twice daily.

We nearly missed it.  We got dropped off at the other end and had to walk briskly to find the right spot.  There were hundreds of people there probably because the clouds had finally parted and it was a clear, cool, sunny day.

What a spectacle with the flags waving in the breeze and the colorful 15th century costumes! It was quite the juxtaposition of the medieval finery against the back drop of modern Seoul.  The large bright neon signs were quite the contrast to the pageantry.

All around the castle were a series of of Hanbock dress shops.  As mentioned before, Hanbock is the traditional wear of Koreans from the days of the kings.  Hundreds of people from all over the world were wearing these colorful outfits and strolling around the castle grounds.  Admission was free if you were in costume. (Although the cost of rental was considerably more than the price of a ticket….but I digress)

You know what happened next.  Colleen started -

“I want to do it”.

“I don’t.  How about I take pictures of you in the outfit?”

“No”

(Pause)

Me - “Ok I guess I’ll do it too”

So here you go - don’t hate us because we look so magnificent.

We chose “The Royal Line”.

We finished the Palace to the general applause of onlookers and left for lunch at a Michelin recommended restaurant called Oreono Ramen.   It was in a alley and had a line to get in - Always a good sign.

Although Ramen is very much a Japanese dish, it had a Korean spin on it and was amazing.  Easily the best Ramen we have ever had.  The broth alone was worth the wait.

We walked off lunch going through a neighborhood with traditional housing.  Hundreds of people walked these narrow hilly lanes and people still live there!  I cannot imagine anything worse than having all those people right outside your home taking pictures.  They had to impose a curfew here just to get tourists to go home.

Next we found our way to the ropeway for the climb to Seoul Tower.  This is a landmark that sits atop Namsan Mountain and rises to almost 500 meters above sea level in total.  The area features multiple venues.  There is all kinds of food and entertainment at the complex, but you come for the views and they did not disappoint.

And there was this - the most magnificent place to void I have ever visited. The caption in the frame above each urinal read in Korean "Pay attention to what you are doing or you will end up with wet shoes!

What a view?

We descended to the base of the mountain and plunged into Namdaemun Market.  This blocks wide outdoor market was the highlight of the day for me.  Everything is here from clothes to great street food. All of it was found in congested streets and narrow alleys.  You could spend hours here and never see everything.

Our last stop was the Dongdeamun Design Center.  No place in Seoul better demonstrated the starting contrasts that make up the Korean experience.  We leave an old old fashioned market where people are cooking over open flames to see this futuristic exhibition center that would easily fit some Star Trek setting.  The hall is an exhibition space where rotating shows appear surrounded by gardens and modern shopping centers.

Our brief time in Korea has come to a close.  Tomorrow we return to Japan for the last leg of this episode of The Road to Bali.  We fly into Kyushu, Japan’s southern most island and gradually work our way back North.  There is still much to come.

We leave Korea with fond memories.   Like a good bowl of bibimbap, it was wild, colorful, and delicious.