It’s raining. Hard. And somehow everything looks extremely familiar and unbelievably unfamiliar at the same time. I’m trying to get my bearings and find the same section of the Hanok Village I remember from my last trip to Seoul, but it escapes me. As I wander up the winding roads of this picturesque neighborhood, the deluge does not stop, forcing me to take refuge in the nearest area I can. Turns out I’ve stumbled up a somewhat nondescript little observatory that offers a stunning view of the traditional Hanok Village. I feel somewhat awkward at first, the signs clearly tell me that the observatory is located on the third floor of this building, but as I climb up the stairs, I’m painfully aware that I’m walking past the front doors of people’s apartments. It’s quiet and I feel like I’m intruding on their peace, but the cozy “observatory” at the top is well worth the awkwardness. A small room with a balcony off to the side, it offers amazing views — I can only imagine even more so when not behind a curtain of rain. I sit, enjoying a cup of green tea, and get lost looking out at the view while lightening periodically illuminates the sky. Whatever initial irritation I’ve felt at having to seek out a place to wait out the rain has since dispersed. After a while, it appears the rain has slowed —- at the very least the loud cracks of thunder and lightening have let up.
Fifteen minutes after I head back out to explore, it’s raining hard again. No where near my original refuge, I’m able to find yet another observatory — the “best Hanok Observatory” that also acts as a tea museum. It’s another off to the side, nondescript, little place and on this stormy day I practically have the it to myself. While the views aren’t quite as stunning (still very nice), the actual museum itself is interesting. There’s not a lot to see, but the second floor offers a brief history and various tea sets on display. It’s another quiet comfy place to wait out the rain. I do typically enjoy exploring a place this way — without plans or a set specific destination, but if it had not been raining, I doubt I would’ve stopped to seek out a dry place and would not have stumbled across these hidden gems.