Itaewon

Needed to walk off all those taco and burrito. Here are some Itaewon street scenes taken on 16 May 2004. At that time, it was the start of the Hi Seoul! Festival, hence the apperance of all those banners hanging over the street.









In most literature you read on Seoul, Itaewon touts itself as "the place" for expatriates living in Seoul. While it may be true in some sense, especially when it comes to the diversity of food to be had, to me it's just a tourist trap.

During peak vacation seasons, you'll find busloads of tourists from all over crowding the single main street of Itaewon. If they finally do end up buying something from any of the many street vendors, chances are they're paying Itaewon prices (read "premium prices").

The expatriate community would have by now realised that Itaewon is so passe and you're more likely to get better bargains and more bang for your buck elsewhere in Seoul. Also, the US soldiers living in the nearby base at Itaewon will probably beat the crap out of me after reading this post.