The Seollal Holidays: Time to Wander Around the Frozen Seoul

I just learned that it's a one-week off for everyone during the Seollal holidays. Chin-cha? 


Nae!


Seollal is the Korean celebration of the lunar new year, when everyone goes home to the provinces to join families and relatives, and to pay respects to their ancestors. And during this kind of long holidays, the highways leading to the provinces are always jammed with Kia's and Hyundai's, which means joining the exodus for some sightseeing outside Seoul is not a good idea, unless your idea of vacation is memorizing car plate numbers on the highway while your bladder is bloating.


And for me, it's practically nine days straight with nothing else to do but sleep, eat and being merry at home watching movie re-runs on TV during these winter days of slippery sidewalks and snowed roads. 


So, what to do?


Well, flying out of Korea is not an option either. With half a million people travelling abroad, plane fares are not that vacation-worthy, too.


With all the time on my hands (and camera) next week, I will try to scour the City for unfamiliar corners, views and tastes. 


I just hope the temperatures won't be that low. Otherwise, my legs (and my camera batteries) will freeze as I wander around the frozen Seoul.