Seoul
With bellies full of Kobe beef and red vino, it was time to bid farewell to our Barnsley buddies and set off yet again as a twosome. It seemed a bit weird for a while not turning around to make sure we hadn’t lost the gang, what didn’t feel weird was the shear relief that we had managed to dump numerous (and quite heavy) souvenirs on the unlikely lads, saving ourselves an absolute packet on postage :). Thank goodness Bryn had only brought 21 pairs of boxer shorts with him to Japan, any more and our free postage could have been down the swanny. Thanks to trusty Peach cheap airways, within a few hours we screeched down in the ‘Worlds Best Airport’ and all we had to do now was track down the aptly named ‘Come Inn’ and look forward to some very hard earned rest.
Needless to say, the eagerly anticipated hard earned rest never materialised, In fact, I’m not even sure why we ever thought, that in Hongdae, Seoul – ‘The Epicentre of Korea’s Youthful Nightlife’ there would be any rest. The Come Inn nestled safely above ‘Kens Bar’ and as we opened the room door to one particular ‘Fog Horn Leg Horn’ American, its a wonder we didn’t just walk away. Oh this place would have delighted the Albert Arkwright’s and Granville’s of this world but unfortunately, despite ear plugs and pillows over our heads, we emerged from our beds the next day sporting bags the size of our mothers knickers and there was definitely two people not appreciating the Open All Hours ‘perk’ of this hostel!
Despite naff all kip, at 8am we were on the tube gripping our list of must do’s which had to be ticked off by the end of our short 7 day stint in Korea. What better way to get a sense of the city than the N Seoul Tower. Standing at 237 metres, it certainly made us realise how big this city looks to those lucky enough to have wings, it also made us realise that this place is just as crazy if not more so than Japan. The first thing you notice at the foot of the tower are millions and millions of padlocks in every colour, shape and size. Knowing that national security is obviously a prominent issue in war torn Korea, we were relieved to find out that these suspicious looking locks are simply a ‘lock of love’ dedicated to all the sweethearts out there who throw the keys away to symbolize unbreakable love! Awwwww (mad as bloody hatters!).
Locks and locks of love

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