Arriving in Seoul my first stop is the Myeongdong night market.

I arrive in Seoul from Shanghai in the afternoon, having taken a red eye from Malé the day before.

It’s overcast and raining, I find the airport bus into town and buy a ticket, watching carefully as the stops go by, though there’s no need to be so hawkish. The stops are well marked and indicated. I’m more afraid I’ll fall asleep and miss it when mine comes.

It’s my first time in South Korea, though not my first at Incheon International Airport. I’ve flown through a number of times on my way to and from China. Once, on a slightly longer layover, I bought a ticket into town intending to see a friend for tea, but my original flight had been delayed and after I made it through customs realized that the amount of time it would take to get into and out of the city would have eaten up all the time I had. I ended up heading back to the airport and ordering a bi bim bap at one of the restaurants. It was one of the best bi bim baps I’d ever had.

After checking into my hotel I’m determined to visit the nearby night market. It’s one of the things I’ve missed most about Asia, and it’s been some time since I’ve been back to this part of the world.

The hotel is a little removed from the tourist area, on the eastern edges of Myeongdong, and it takes some twenty minutes to get to the night market. En route I walk down smaller side streets and alleys rather than the main street, and stumble upon lots of tiny restaurants and bars, crowded with young people out on a Saturday night.

Interestingly, walking directions don’t show up in Google Maps and I find myself winding my way through the alleys, knowing that I want to head west. Now and again I check the map to make sure I haven’t veered too far off the desired path and soon find myself before the Myeongdong Cathedral. I take a short side trip to climb up to admire its steeple before hunger regains my attention and urges me on.

Soon I reach the main strip of the night market and begin my exploration. So many things look so tasty, so many things bring back memories of things I’ve treated myself to in the past. It’s difficult not to over-indulge, especially as there’s only me. If only I had someone to share things with.

Passing a woman selling small fried crabs, I can’t help but take a photo and send it to my cousins. Every year we have a reunion where we catch blue crabs and eat them in various forms. We call it ‘crabbing week’ for a reason. She fills a paper bowl with too many crabs for just me and I crunch on them as I continue walking down the street.

At another stall a woman sells pan friend dumplings and I buy some to try. I spot a stall selling soft serve ice cream and buy some as a snack. I see a stall selling jap chae and can’t help myself. I order a plate. Finally, there’s a stall selling taiyaki stuffed with red bean. It’s my final dish, my second dessert.

Happily satiated I begin the walk home, choosing a different route than the one I took to the night market. It’s surprisingly quiet off the main drag and outside of the back alley blocks I passed en route to the market. It also feels like things might close early in South Korea; it’s something I make a mental note to check before I leave dinner too late in the future.

Back at the hotel I’m exhausted. Between the flights, the time difference, the lack of sleep, and my forced trip to the night market I’m ready to lay my head down. Tomorrow it’s Sunday and I want to be able to get up and make a full day of it. And so I wash up quickly and ready myself for bed, falling asleep with the sights and smells of Seoul fresh in my mind. 🇰🇷