Old Tea Shop, Insadong

The rainy season is upon us here is South Korea. Being from the Pacific Northwest we thought we had seen all types of rain, but we were wrong. It rains sideways here! We set out for one of Korea's most famous tea shops. All of the traditional tea shops are located in the tourist area of Insadong, but we were surprised when we found this spot to be a hidden gem full of birds flying around! It is called the Old Tea Shop. Hidden down one of Insadong's many side streets was a creaky old staircase leading to a little piece of Korea we will never forget. We tucked ourselves away in one of the corners, watched the rain fall, tried to talk to the birds and sipped on pear tea just like the Joseon kings would. We left feeling we had experienced a bit of Korean culture we had been craving since our arrival.

The bathroom with rocks at your feet and an open bowl with some fish swimming around. Reason enough to make a visit.