28 May 2022
Getting reacquainted
The huge shopping area of Daegu
I have been to Daegu before, in 2015. That makes me the only person you know that came to Daegu twice on a holiday. Make of that what you will. I remembered then that the shopping area is bigger than anywhere else perhaps outside of mainland China, and that holds true today.
The area South of the Daegu station extending for a couple of kilometres and a similar amount in either direction is all pedestrian shopping areas. The main drag is currently being re paved in sections, so its a bit run down, but the parallel streets were very busy and colourful, as the Colourful Daegu marketing would have you believe.
My hotel is right on the edge of this area, over the road from a multi level supermarket, with a surprise underground mall connecting it all up which I had no idea was there.
I took quite a few pics for an 'evening update' so lets get to it.
My hotel has a laundry but it looks a bit crap, so I researched nearby coin laundries of which there are 2, more on that tomorrow. However on my way there, I passed this establishment. They don't beat around the bush in Korea.
Here is the surprise, double decker, underground mall. Double decker as in there are 2 levels underground. B1 seemed to be quite a bit more populated than B2. I am yet to decide if I prefer B1 or B2, further research required. B2 had a pile of random shoes for example, and an old lady selling shelled peas who also tells fortunes.
I danced around in the fountain for a while before remembering my camera is very definitely not waterproof. I know this because I already replaced this camera a year ago after the last one of the same model went for a brief swim.
This is the main junction, and the area currently being fixed up. When last I was here a junior baseball team was being introduced to the population on that stage to rapturous applause. Reminds me of the famous street in Ueno.
Eventually you get to the Daegu station, not the bullet train station, the normal one, and its obligatory giant department store.
I found a place in the basement for a great early dinner. Some sort of spicy beef soup... with kim chi. Basically pho with kim chi and more chilli. I did not need to add chilli. This is rare.
The streets are lined with convenient drowning pools in case your kids misbehave. I do not think these are volcanic in any way, and no one was using them.
Next we have one of the amazing headphone stores that Asian cities have. All the brands you read about but have never seen in Australia.
Can you catch covid via ear wax? You can catch something, and here you can try hundreds of in ear monitors.
Just some wires and a rooftop ferris wheel. I refuse to capitalise ferris.
Under the ferris wheel you have earring world.
Comments were made about ABC-mart, here is a huge one. I just checked, they are Japanese, but also have stores in Korea and Taiwan.
There were a few of these set up in different areas, micro stores or maker stalls, or both.
Just a random street, artbox seen on the left is a bit like Tokyu Hands. They also have bulk bins where you can mix your own selection of chocolates, but that is unfortunately something no one would dare do in a post covid world.
Tonight's sunset shot, with street sculptures.
Korea telecom advertises with furries. Telstra take note.
And for my last shot today, my mountain for tomorrow.