I got up at 5:30 today to finish packing, grab breakfast and head out to the subway to see Deoksugung Palace and the Namdaemum Gate. The subway really makes this easy and by 8:15 I was downtown looking at the enclosure where the Namdaemun Gate is building rebuilt. You can't really see anything but some dirt and the sides of the old arch. Then I wandered down toward the larger Palace complex and saw statues of one of the old king overlooking his city.

The Deoksugung Palace, built originially in 1394 by King Taejo while his real palace was built, opens at 9 so I walked by the Gate and grabbed coffee....

Dunkin Donuts here has American coffee and the oddest choices in donuts: sugar coated pomergrate filled, glutinous rice with cream cheese, glutinous rice with red bean and walnuts, acia berry, shrimp paste, and several others. Donut holes made rings. Diet or not, I tried a red bean one* and it was actuallvery good - Bavarian cream has been replaced as my favorite.

Once we got in, you want along these tree line path to the inner gate, which opens to a formal walkway to the throne room.

Above the inner gate, below the from inside the center door.

Behind the palace are the residences, the offices of the goverment, and the gardens. The Seoul Museum of Art is next door inside the complex walls.

A ceremonial vessel in front of the offices. Behind are residences and gardens.

Looking out from the garden toward the offical area.

A walkway down to a little pond with waterfall

and a pathetic attempt at Dragon in front of the garden wall

Leaving, the "Royal Guard" was now out front. I've been told bows and arrows are to Korea as the sword is to Japan and they all carried them.  I took subway back to the hotel and then out to the airport. After check-in, I wandered by the Korean Cultural Center there and watched a several dancers and musicans preform.

In the words of Tony Stark: " I want one." The flight down was uneventful except for the bulkhead seat. I got to Malaysia about 10 pm, had an quick trip thru Immigration, and then on the way to the hotel found out my Blackberry no longer sees its SIM card. <Sigh> No phone, no BB, no laptop. It's not looking good.