Nau speak: Korea: Garak Market part one

Garak market is something of a legend for me; it was the FIRST agricultural wholesale market open to the public of Seoul and facilitates one-third of the overall agricultural and fishing trade. The original buildings went up in 1985, so they had been in operation for decades! The photos I encountered on the Visit Korea website promised warehouses full of vendors with an old school feel and I was excited to find another market to check out, one I hadn't gotten to previously. Other websites, too, show a vibrant and lively market, not unlike Gwangjang market...

What I found, however, was the Garak Mall, which felt more or less like any other mall, unfortunately. I mean, they had the fish markets with bubbling tanks and live critters were even swimming in some, and there were many small butchers stands with their chilled displays of fresh meat, but it was quiet during my visit and the spacious, air-conditioned halls echoed with the sounds of my footsteps as I explored. The second floor of the three-storied building was something else, though, like a Costco. An expansive shopping market with towering shelves of bulk product, from cheeses to pickles, dried snacks and processed meats. I didn't make my way to the third floor of the building as it was primarily restaurants where you would take your purchases to be cooked, and I didn't make any purchases. By this point in the day I was already pretty worn out, having tackled the Seoul Fortress wall early in the day. Making the trek out to Garak market alone would be quite the journey, as I was staying in the more suburban area of Hwajeong, so it made sense to hit several spots in one day.

It took me a bit of wandering around before I found the right place, too. My hangul comprehension got better the longer I was in Seoul, but I didn't (and still don't) have an extensive vocabulary to process (and add meaning to) what I was reading. I may have made a lap around a restaurant before realizing I'd gone in the wrong doors...oops! Overall, though, I was glad to have gone and made the trek to Garak mall at least the once, if just so I could cross one more location off of my to-do list. I'm sure it'd be well worth visiting again in the future, especially with someone who's fluent in Korean and can make more use of all the amenities and things available in the market.