The parks of Yeouido-ro

Along the Han river, that divides Seoul in North and South, there are several public parks with swim pools, playgrounds and many other activities. They are some of the most visited areas in Seoul in Summer, because the river bed is very wide and a breeze is always present.

Few weeks ago we went all three of us to a beautiful one, on the Yeouido island, where the "Wall Street" of South Korea is located, but also where some of the nicest parks in the city are. It is really an interesting place, post-industrial and post-poverty (it was an abandoned place until 50 years ago because of the floods, every year), with futuristic development perspectives.

Visiting the island however is not such a futuristic experience. On the contrary several "underground" aspects of this place appear and make it more interesting.

Arriving from the east the first encounter is with one of the architectural marvels of the island. A long but narrow and very shallow water-stream flows along the rivers side. Here many children play and Marlen did not miss this opportunity. At least after an initial confrontation with some local children, always curious of this little blond curly one. Marlen was not alone, she had a big yellow dragon ready to support her in case of necessity. It must have impressed the local children! 

Marlen and Doro walked along the 1 km, circa, of water stream, with some curious decorations on the side. All along we saw tends, typically protecting korean families from the sun.

                                                          

Here it comes one of the things that are really different in this country, when compared to the west. Bridges are among the most special places in Seoul. In Italy, everywhere in the world probably, under the city bridges is quite a dirty place and only the homeless spend their time there. But in Seoul it is completely different. Actually it is the most preferite place where many people choose to take shelter from the sun. When I saw it the first time I honestly was not positively impressed. It looked just dirty to me. But now that I am getting used to it, I appreciate and I find very fascinating how people even compete for a place in the shade when the summer heat becomes awful. And in fact a second look has shown me that it is not dirty. Korea is just different from the west.

I made few photos under the main bridge passing over Yeouido. Because this island is a very nice place, with parks, trees and playgrounds, the contrast between the crowded  landscape below the bridge and the rest is even more striking. Under the bridge is quite clean, though, because the people are really carefully throwing all the garbage in proper containers, far from the crowd.

Most people stay in fact near the water stream, where most of the children are playing all together. The view of the apparently never-ending columns holding the bridge give to this image a terrible sense of disconnection from the rest of the city, like a world apart. 

Doro and Marlen innocently cross the place, without noticing the hypnotic lines of the bridge over their heads.

The children seem to maximally happily enjoy this swarming of people, while the columns describe a tunnel behind them.

                                                          

But the place where the landscape becomes really special is a bit further, after the bridge, where an enormous but very shallow pool is formed by giant jets of water, pumped into the air. The clouds in the sky, a frequent companion in the humid summer of Seoul, give a very special light to the water, like fused metal. Here the huge new buildings, and the many in construction, really give an idea of the intense redesign of the island. But above all the vision of the immense number of playing children in the water renders the trilling in the air by just sitting on the sides of this (honestly a bit dirty) pond!

In the photo above I was emerging from the water with marlen in my arms because she fell in the water and got scared, but just before that she was just enjoying her time on her little yellow dragon. 

Looking at the other side of the pond, toward the river, the metalling color of the water with the playful people above is even more striking. Children jump and swim fearlessly in 10 cm of water. Life in its pure state. 

Children know what fun is.

A smile that tells everything about our day.

                                                          

A tunnel allows to pass from the river-side to the inner-island park. At the entrance a plate reminds the time when the island was flooded every year and no constructions existed, except the first airport of Seoul, built by the japanese during their occupation, before the World War II.

On the other side of the tunnel the other park looks completely different. Small patios with a wooden uplifted floor, which reminded us very much chaikhanas in Central Asia, are placed above quite and relaxing ponds, with fishes and ducks floating around.

The contrast between the pond, the lazy patios and the skyscrapers rising like mushrooms neatly represents the mutation of the Asian Countries.  

Marlen was very happy to find ducks, as wild animals are really not so common in Seoul. 

Somebody enjoy the wooden patios at its best. 

Finally it was time to go back.

But not before getting a great Bibimbap, just near SNU station.
This inexpensive restaurant offers great food together with... 

... a special old-fashioned environment.