Let’s Sing...

Later that night we went out for karaoke with some of the models. Ashlynn really got into it. It was a very cheap and fun form of entertainment.

It was very considerate of the guys to refrain from smoking inside our private karaoke room on account of me.

Unfortunately, it meant that they kept going outside to smoke, breaking up the group.

Things took a turn for the worst when of the boys apparently pushed a Korean guy who got too close to one of the girls.

They came back into the room and said we should all scatter in case the police were called.

It was like a scene from a bad movie--we all started running to get away from the scene even though only one person was actually involved.

Luckily no one was hurt or arrested and we could all laugh about it later. The next time they wanted to go to karaoke but smoke inside, so I passed.

Seoul at Night...

Our timing was perfect to see the sunset.

It was so cool to see night fall over the city from such an amazing vantage point.

We splurged with a signature cocktail and snack from the 123F Lounge at 1,640 feet (500 meters). The prices might have been premium, but it was completely worth it.

After enjoying the view from every possible angle, we finally boarded the Sky Shuttle on the 121st floor for the journey back down to the basement.

The journey in the world’s tallest and fastest double-decker elevator features monitors on the ceiling and walls to give a virtual tour of Seoul while whisking down to the basement in just one minute.

Sky Deck...

On the 118th floor was the Sky Deck, the world’s highest glass floor at 1,568 feet (468 meters). No doubt that Ashlynn would have no fear whatsoever.

Even though I’m a chicken, I wasn’t afraid as there was clearly no way to fall.

It was crazy looking down at the cars far below us

Similar to when we were in Tokyo, Ashlynn couldn’t resist sitting in the windowsill and contemplating life.

It was very cool seeing the street lights coming on...

....and seeing the car lights along the rivewr.

Seoul Sky Observatory...

At 1,821 feet (555 meters) and with 123 floors, Lotte World Tower opened in 2017 as Korea’s tallest building; it is currently the fifth tallest in the world. It was crazy to realize that it was over double the height of the tower Ashlynn and I visited in Tokyo in 2015.

To get to Seoul Sky Observatory, we first had to enter the Lotte Mall. While the basement (which housed the tower entrance) was filled with stores similar to malls across the US or Netherlands, the upper floors would be much more at home on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills with insanely expensive designer clothes, purses and watches.

It also had crazy over-the-top decor.

We entered Seoul Sky on the 117th floor, where we had expansive views of metropolitan Seoul, with a population of 25 million. 

It was a bit sad spotting Lotte World Amusement Park, which Jimmy and I had visited and I really wanted to take Ashlynn, but realizing this was as close as we’d get to it.

Across the river, Seoul Tower looked tiny at just 774 feet (236 meters).

The Han River...

Another afternoon we ventured out along the Han River, first walking along the northern side...

...where we spotted man-made snow brought in for playing and also a cross country racing event...

...swan boats...

...and outdoor exercise stations under the bridge.

When I hashed in Seoul in 1992, I met a few hashers that were in the US Army and invited them to my parents for drinks. One of them scared the crap out of us when he suggested that my dad should buy an inflatable raft to cross the river when (not if) the North Koreans blew up all the bridges over the Han River, which would completely isolate downtown Seoul. We were all very relieved that his prediction never come true. I never would have predicted then that I would walk across one of those bridges decades later without fear.

The views in both directions were pretty impressive...

...especially when we caught sight of our destination: Seoul Sky Tower.

Along the southern riverbank, we spotted this unusual jumble of boats.

Konkuk Markets...

We regularly passed through two side-by-side markets on our way to Konkuk to catch the subway or go shopping.

Other than shopping once at a secondhand clothing shop, we used the market mostly as a shortcut...

...or a photo op. 

Luckily we didn’t see lots of pig heads like in the past.

Mostly I was fascinated by the huge assortment of fish, whether live...

...fresh...

...or dried.

It was quite disturbing to see piles of trash at the market and elsewhere. There wasn’t any evident waste management system. Trash was just piled up on random corners to be picked apart by birds and rodents before eventually being hauled away.

Meanwhile in Europe...

That same day, Veronica was busy doing field work on a farm for one of her professors. She thought it would be a multiple week job, but she was only able to go once due to a lecture change that caused a scheduling conflict. Regardless, she enjoyed playing in the mud.

Strangely enough, that same day it snowed in Voorschoten.

The snow didn’t stick around for long, but at least long enough for a walk in the snow...

...and a selfie.