Namdaemun Market

Last Saturday we were spared from the Yellow Dust and actually had a clear day. We took advantage of it by heading out to one of Seoul's busiest markets, Namdaemun Market. Namdaemun is a traditional day-and-night (at any given time at least some parts of this market are open!) retail and wholesale market. You can find anything from backpacking equipment, ginseng and dried seaweed to fresh flowers, household goods and handicrafts. There are food stalls throughout the market selling all sort of interesting things, making the smells almost as interesting as the sights. We had to walk by rows of pig heads and feet to actually get into the market and we also saw a couple women stirring big vats of ppeondaegi (silkworm larvae), a popular street stall snack! We did try some street food. In the picture you'll see Tyler purchasing some sausages on a stick. We also tried some very tasty doughnut holes--yum!

The market starts at was used to be the Great South Gate of the city. The gate itself (see picture) was originally constructed in 1398, rebuilt in 1447 and has been renovated often since then. The gate is considered South Korea's #1 National Treasure. As you can see from the picture, many modern buildings now surround this very historic structure, making it seem almost out of place.

We enjoyed snacking on jelly-belly's (thanks Mom!) while sitting in the small park beside the gate. While we were people watching, an especially enjoyable pass time while in a foreign country, we couldn't help but laugh at a sweatshirt we saw a little boy wearing. If you cannot read what it says in the picture, his shirt reads "Be able to eat carrots". Koreans love to wear clothing with English words on it, but most of the time it doesn't really make sense. We'll see if we can capture some more of them on film so we remember to share our laughter with you.