남포동 - Nampodong

Hard to get going early here when the night-time temperatures go into the minuses. After breakfast at about 11 we headed off to my old haunts in Seomyeon (서면) to try and get my old Korean mobile phone hooked up as a pre-paid. But things have changed. Korea is never an easy country for foreigners and they just seem to make it harder and harder. They wanted me to pay $150 to get my phone working for only 3 weeks. Told me I would not get it cheaper elsewhere. I think I can get it cheaper at the black market in Itaewon, Seoul, but I didn't tell them that.

It was fun though, walking around the streets where I used to live and work. Korea doesn't seem to have changed much. The streets of seomyeon were filled with young women. I stood at a corner for five minutes and watched the crowds pass by and only counted 2 males. I guess they are all in the army...

So - after a delicious lunch of dolseot bibimbap (돌섯 비빔밥 - rice and veges served in a hot stone bowl with chilli paste) we went to Nampodong and stumbled around the markets searching for the secondhand camera area. Saw a lot of cheap Rolexes, but few cameras. Had a coffee in the local Starbucks - I had to ask specially for an espresso as it was not on the menu - and then we found it. Two shops opposite each other, their windows and shelves packed with every manner of film camera one could imagine.

There were Leicas, Bessas, Voigtlanders, Mamiyas, Bronica, Linhoffs, Horse mans, Fuji's - you name it. Everything from 35mm to 6x6, 6x7, 6x9, 6x12, 6x17cm and 4x5 inch. Haselblads, Nikons, Rolleis... I wanted to buy them all.

I handled a nice Fuji GW690-II and a couple of Hassies (503-CX and 500-CM). Saw a brand new Fuji 6x17 that Shaun would give his back teeth for.

kept my money in my pocket however. Am taking my time. Have to take a look around Seoul first. There are reputedly many more shops in Chungmuro and Namdaemun market areas up in Seoul than here. Still - it whetted my appetite.

Interesting thing - there were many young people handling and talking longingly about the film cameras. One young woman was lusting after a Rolleiflex 2.8. There seems to be quite an interest in film here.