In preparing to come to South Korea, I googled a whole lot about the best things to do with kids in the country. While there are some really helpful blogs, there isn't a ton of information out there and they are of course focused on more permanent residency. I think a lot of Americans who visit or move to Seoul are coming as singles teaching English, or expats looking for something new.
In many of the blogs I read one of the "must do" activities with kids was a visit to the Coex Aquarium. I looked it up and saw they had manatees and harbor seals, and decided it was well worth the trip. We haven't seen manatees since going to Tampa, Florida last year and they are a favorite of Hudson's (and my friend Jen (hi Jen, if you are reading this))!!!
Taking the subway in Seoul is surprisingly easy. In some ways easier than taking the El in Chicago. The subway is clean, the cars are wide, and we were able to navigate the trip with only one almost wrong way trip. From our hotel/apartment, it is about a ten minute walk to the Yeouido Station. We head out the door, pass by the fancy cars that are in front of the hotel, and walk three blocks to the first stoplight. What fancy cars, you ask? Well, every day in front of the hotel is parked a white Ferrari. and a Maserati. and typically a Rolls Royce. You know, the same cars I see often in my every day suburban life, right? Luxury cars are a huge thing here, and all cars have super tinted windows. Chris said its a big business for 3M Korea. Cue "the more you know" music from the early 1980's PBS commercials.
After we reach the stoplight we take a right, and its another 2 blocks or so to the subway station. We have rechargeable T cards, which make it easy to use over and over. Each trip costs about $1.50, so not bad at all. Since I don't have internet without Wi-Fi here, I look up the route using Google, and save pictures to my phone of the route and all the stops. Google Maps isn't reliable for driving here but it is reliable for looking up train transport.
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| an overview of the route to the aquarium that I screenshot before leaving |
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| more detailed with the stops between our station and the Coex mall where the aquarium is located |
To get to the aquarium, it is 14 stops on the subway between here and there. They announce the stops in English, which is very helpful. While we are often the only non-Korean people on the train, people are kind and smiling and often say hi to Hudson. I've told him that its okay to say hello back, which is confusing to a kid who hears not to talk to "tricky people" or strangers.
The aquarium is located in the Coex mall, which is HUGE fancy underground mall in the Gangnam area of Seoul (you are welcome for the song that may now be running through your head). The aquarium was a little spendy, at around $25 for me and $19 for Hudson. It was set up very similar to the SeaLife aquarium at the Mall of America, with a rolling walkway of exhibits, a tunnel of fish, and touching stations. It did have some fish we haven't seen before, like a Lion Fish, the Pirarucu (one of the world's largest freshwater fish), and the Axolotl, a fish native to Mexico that looks like a Pokemon. It also had some touch areas, including one with the little fish that eat the dead skin from your hands/feet. Hudson didn't want to attempt that one, saying that he didn't have any dead skin right now, lol.
One of the highlights of the trip was walking into the aquarium right after a couple from America who were with another woman (I assume a representative of the agency) and the boy they were in the process of adopting. Seeing them walk through the aquarium with their son was pretty amazing and you could tell how excited they were. Upon hearing Hudson and I talking in English they asked "Where y'all from?" so I knew then they were likely from the south. They were from Alabama, and had been in South Korea for a week. It was fun to talk to them a little about places they had been and were planning on going.
After visiting the aquarium we wandered the mall a bit, ate lunch, and then, due to my rapidly declining cell phone battery, headed back to the hotel. We almost went the wrong way, but realized it prior to getting on the wrong subway train. It reminded Hudson and I of the Curious George episode where he heads the wrong way :)
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| piranha! |
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| Pirarucu fish - one of the largest freshwater fish which live in the Amazon |
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| Lionfish! |
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| I can't remember the name of these, but they were these amazing silver colored fish that are found in India. Any of my friends reading this from India know what they are? |
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| puffer fish |
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| Moray Eel |
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| Hudson named him Sea-eee |
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| not sure if the video will play, but here is a field trip group of preschool aged kids. They were very loud and excited, lol. This tank had the largest Manta Rays I had ever seen |
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| one manatee, looking lonely. We were hoping for more manatee |
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| harbor seals |
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| fish or Pokemon? |
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| subway station |
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| subway feet. taken very conspicuously, obviously |
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| screens above doors which list the top you are at, and what stop is coming next |
