Apr. 4 - Apr. 8: Biking Down the Han River

The Bike Brigade.

Thanks to Tuesday's Arbor Day holiday, this week was another short and sweet one. Monday morning I awoke bright and early for a pre-work run around my town. I love that it is getting warm...it was in the low 60s all week, which is the best motivator in getting my sun-loving self out of the house and into the great outdoors. That night I dragged myself out to meet some friends, but I was snugly nestled in bed at a decent hour.

Tuesday afternoon I met up in Yeouido with a few of the newfound friends I met rock climbing. Yeouido is a huge island in the Han River (the waterway that runs through dowtown Seoul) that is home to the business district, not to mention Seoul's not-so-tall skyscraper, the 63 Building. We rented bicycles and cruised along the Han River before arriving at the World Cup Stadium.


Riding along the Han River.

I was astounded at the number of people that were milling about that afternoon. With it being a national holiday, it seemed like one-half of Seoul's population (which is upwards of 12 million people) had decided to spend the day by the Han. There were thousands upon thousands of Koreans riding bicycles, rollerblading, flying kites, windsurfing, and either running about or lying around the parks. The World Cup Stadium was a sight to see, as well. Again, thousands of people taking advantage of the grass, trees, and scenery. It's not exactly what I would ever call "peaceful," especially with the grating PA announcements that continuously reverberated over the loudspeakers, but I suppose it is the only escape from the cement jungle that many of these Seoulites ever get.


Thousands of people milling about World Cup Stadium.

It was a lovely afternoon, and after we returned our bikes we headed to La Salsa Loca, an American Mexican chain restaurant that recently opened in Yeouido. I had been dying to go there since it opened, and I was not disappointed. While I can forget having truly authentic Mexican grub while I am here, this was as close as it gets. Of course, I paid dearly for it, spending over $25 on a chicken burrito and teeny tiny margarita, but it was well worth it. A girl's gotta get her Mexican fix every so often!

The rest of the week flew by, thank goodness. Wednesday was a rainy mess...just glad it held off until after the bicycle excursion. Soccer was canceled Thursday night due to all the wedding festivities of one of my teammates who's getting married on Saturday. I do have a nice busy weekend to look forward to, though, including another wedding to attend!