Seoul Tower

It grabbed my attention the minute I walked into my hotel room, towering on top of a hill, situated right in the middle of the window (how that window never fogged over I have no idea with the temperature outside practically reducing anyone careless or unfortunate enough to stay outside for more than 3 minutes to a block of ice). This tall chunk of steel had its share of history in this city which has seen many wars and it has apparently been around for a relatively long time. After hearing that the view was amazing I knew I had to go check it out for myself. I asked the concierge at the hotel for the easiest way to get there and within the hour I was on the bus there.

The tower is even more impressive from close-up but beware if you are planning on going there - the bus drops you off about a 100 meters or so from the foot of the tower. Now, you might say "100 meters - that's not much"... Well, you would be right in terms of absolute distance but if you take that 100 meters and tilt it at about 50 degrees, then you get a better idea about the challenge of climbing up to the tower.  Add in the cold temperature and you can see how this might present a challenge. Getting into the tower requires a ticket which comes in various flavors - one offering a discount for a restaurant in the tower.  Oh and there are a few of those inside the tower and they seem to be on the expensive side - no clue about the quality of food.

The view from the top is pretty good and I snapped a few pictures but it is a pretty difficult thing to do at night because of reflections and the foggy windows. I still recommend the place if you happen to be in Seoul. The observatory was filled with Japanese and American tourists when I went there so it does seem to be pretty popular even though it was not as crowded as Tokyo Tower.