Weekend trip to Daegu!

As soon as I alight from the train, I’m faced with what seems like 5 million people all pushing and shoving each other in an attempt to race to the exit like their life depended on it. Another custom you have to get use to here. People are very pushy, and i’m not talking about 'accidentally' being pushy...they are totally aware of it, and often do it quite forcefully. So you know what they say, when in Korea...push through like a local! I finally see my best buddy Samuel and together we ride the subway to Banwoldang Station on Line 1. Up until recently there were only 2 lines on the Daegu Subway system, but now they have added a third which I'm sure will make getting around even more easier.

Banwoldang station is the stop for the Downtown area of Daegu. Here there are literally hundreds of bars, restaurants and shops selling absolutely anything from kittens to bags of vodka! YUM! We checked out a couple of bars, met some lovely people and finally got home at around 5 in the morning. A couple of drinks here is NEVER a couple of drinks. The next day we woke up and set off in search of a mini adventure. After a scrumptious ‘western style’ breakfast at a lovely place called ‘The Lazy Diner’, we walked around the narrow streets and found lots of little thrift shops, selling second hand items such as jumpers, hats and this delightful number...

 Ulrika Jonsson eat your heart out!

 

We then came across a stage that had some Korean dance groups performing some kind of K Pop routine. The dance groups over here are hilarious to watch, and also slightly awkward. They're basically teenages, promiscuously dancing around the stage, whilst lip syncing to a number of different hit singles. Imagine Ru Paul’s Drag race...but for kids. What the WHAT?! True story. That afternoon we decided to check out the ‘Daegu Yangnyeongsi Museum of Oriental Medicine’ to get some tips on staying healthy. There are lots of different activities you could do here, such as taking your blood pressure, weighing and measuring yourself and also reading up on the best natural foods to eat when feeling under the weather. And then, this happened....

 

There are no words!

Yes, you can even dress up in traditional Korean costume. Possibly the best and worst picture that has ever been taken in the history of taking pictures. Hilarious. This style of costume is meant to look frumpy (honest) and is sometimes worn at wedding ceremonies. I imagine that this particular wedding would have been arranged (hence the expression on our faces). After laughing at this for what seemed like YEARS, we did a bit of shopping, chilled out on a roof top bar over looking Daegu, and enjoyed a couple of hundred cats...literally there are cats EVERYWHERE. That evening we went to a restaurant called International City in Downtown Daegu and had some Russian food that I would highly recommend. It was delicious. We then had some drinks and banter at several different bars in the area. Namely, Gogo’s, Thursday Party 1 (and 2) and Urban Lounge Bar. If you’re in the area and looking to meet expats then these are the best places to go.

After some sleep, lunch and general banter, I headed back home to Seoul on the KTX. A short weekend away that went far too quickly. So to sum it up, Daegu is a really lovely city to visit, and also (I imagine) to live in. Its a great place to meet people, as pretty much everything is in the same area which makes it easier to socialise. Its also jam-packed with fantastic things to do whatever the weather, so make sure to visit if you're ever in Korea. Honestly, you won’t regret it. So with that, and after an awesome weekend filled with laughs, bags of everything and playing traditional Korean dress up, I can say that I will definitely be back again soon.

Thank you Daegu.