Seoul was our first stop in Asia, and it was nice to be surprised by cultural customs again. When traveling, we often find that the fun stuff isn’t necessarily what’s high on the guide books’ lists. So, here’s what we personally enjoyed most in Seoul, in no particular order:

B’s List

• The free Korean culture show/sword demonstration right next to N Seoul Tower performed every day.
• The subway system! It was so clean and well-numbered and actually pretty fun to ride.
• The first time we ate a more traditional Korean meal, on the floor, with lots of different, traditional dishes to share. And by the way, we each paid $8.

N’s List

• The butt-warming cushion on which we sat at an out-of-the-way hanok tea cafe.
• Wandering around the food stall part of the Gwangjang Market, watching the women cook and hawk their wares.
• Going to my first Buddhist temple complex. It wasn’t just the novelty, but how quiet and isolated it was.

N’s Memorable Food: Chicken teriyaki from a small restaurant near our apartment. The sauce was sweet and delicious, and I’m pretty sure I would have it for lunch every day.