suwon fortress

Yay! Finally a nice day!  Today I go to Hwaseong, aka Suwon Fortress.

(view from hotel room)



Arriving in Suwon, I tried catching a cab to the fortress, but the driver became very (very) upset when I didn't speak korean. So instead I caught a bus, and as usual, jumped the gun and got off too early. The remaining walk would set the theme for the rest of the day! First stop is Haenggung palace.



Some interesting historical sets.



Starting the climb, there are some watchtowers perched on the hill.



Climbing time. Good thing my foot is all better!



Higher we get the better the view!



Occasionally there is an off-shooting path that offers lush natural scenery.



The fortress wall. At least I won't get lost.



Hooray! Less climbing. It's quite rewarding with the views and the breeze.



There was a large bell I could gong for 1000 won, but I wasn't feeling it. Still the view is good!



The wall changes from old to new in places.



More wall - it snakes around for about 6km or so. Here I walked along the outside for a change.



Some weeds in the roof of the watchtowers.



The main front gates - its hard to get a good angle! It also feels strange because behind me is a bustling city district with traffic and fast food.

Inside, it is a little confusing to me. There was a wooden platform where you can stand and not hit your head on the ceiling. 

Continuing on I pass a prestigious looking high school, more walls, and the stream.

I thought I should end the day with some archery! It was quite appealing, and I was feeling all excited - until my purchasing a ticket somehow triggered a bus load of american tourists to immediately appear and also buy tickets. I felt less like a tourist. It was still fun.



Solo dinner! I pushed past all the awkwardness of not knowing exactly how to eat this or whether drinking a whole bottle of soju was entirely appropriate. My city guide book told me this was a good restaurant, and it was pretty awesome.



Day was ending, time to go back to seoul! I was a little drunk and had to work out how to get back to the train station.



On the way back, it was quite nice and busy in one of the main streets. Suwon is very nice.



I thought I'd finish by doing a quick run around Hyehwa, which I was told was a nice place to walk about. It seems like mostly restaurant area.



It was kind of strange but a giant Gandalf was there (it was a cinema). Maybe to finish my fortress / walking theme for the day.