Seoul day 6

We enjoy exploring Seoul so much we've decided to nix our side-trip to Gyeong-ju. It's Friday AM here (Jul 3) and whereas my problem at home is waking up before noon, here it is waking up AFTER 6 AM.

Yesterday it poured so we hid out at the National Museum of Korea, which is impressive in its detailed history of Korea. It's very cool to know that you are looking at real, authentic old stuff, not replicas of old stuff. Since I tend to absorb culture through shopping/fashion, and my DH experiences culture through food, this was a more thorough traditional education. The architecture of the complex housing the museum is breath-taking, and if you have the time, I highly recommend spending a couple hours there.

In the afternoon after the rain let up and we headed out to Apkujeong, the area now famous for the super trendy rich kids of leisure that my LonelyPlanet guidebook hates on (the idle kids, not the area). After 20 minutes of people-watching from a 2nd story coffee shop, indeed there were many well-dressed young people walking about this area of beauty salons and boutiques. All the girls looked fantastic, and I even saw my first Prada bag of the trip.

Closer to the Galleria, in an area referred to as "Rodeo Street", I expected greatness. Or at least what I experienced in Dongdaemun-- a huge concentration of trendy boutiques. Rodeo Street is ok. There are many cute boutiques, but it's really just another neighborhood with lots of bars, coffee shops, and beauty salons. However, I did discover a flourishing consignment market. Some of these boutiques specialize in bags, and although I am sure these are reputable, I am not good enough to tell a real Fendi from a really good counterfeit, so I would recommend these shops only to the experts. Other little consignment shops carry a full range: a selection of designer clothing, shoes, and a few bags. I spotted my first signs of Balenciaga life in Seoul for sale: an eggplant Giant Day and a white Work. The patrons/sellers of these shops are more tuned in than even the high-end department stores, because Louboutins and Manolos (also firsts of the trip) were up for purchase. The price point? $159 USD. Not bad at all, although it got me wondering what the ROI was for the original owner!