My Rainbow Luggage: Seoul day 3 - Chilling out at Ehwa and Hongdae

The good thing about having no pocket wifi or Google map is the wandering around and taking in the sight of more Seoul streets (yeah, we so gung-ho). However, there were times when we failed to decipher our trusty physical map and have to ask the passer-by for directions, albeit me trying to speak in a not-at-all-fluent Korean. Most of the time we managed to be on track. :)

Ehwa Women University is a renown university in Edae, Seoul - not only for academics but also for its beautiful scape and gardens. Spring is the time when the school bathes in plum, peach and cherry blossoms. I just couldn't get enough of blooming flowers everywhere! *run excitedly*

Educational tag board about the plant species.

The contemporary architecture stood out magnificently in the Edae district. These giant block stairs looked too physically challenging for me, so I took the easier route through the garden slope.

I think these bright pink flowers are peonies. They were lining the garden paths in pretty bunches on short bushes. How they stood out amidst the dried shriveled grass - stark contrast.

It was Saturday when we visited and the school ground is very quiet. The place does not look as big as NUS which requires shuttle bus to navigate, or maybe we didn't really go far inside. Legs were already tired.

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Lunch is jigae + ramen at a street restaurant. Had a taste of korean tradition... and stuffed pig intestines (the plate right in the middle). Yeah, we have strong stomachs. My favourite Korean food is what they serve in every dish - Kimchi! It's always the spice that got me addicted just like tom yam and wasabi. ;)

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Ehwa and hongdae street shops did not quite fit my budget so I skipped them. What did I spend my money on in the end? Coffee! And ice cream!

Have you guessed this place?

If you got it wrong, you are not fan enough of Korean dramas. This was the filming place of the famous drama Coffee Prince, which I think was 8 years ago?! I guess the fad has faded. I wasn't intrigued by the coffee they sell (sipped a cup of American latte) but rather the circular brick wall interior with tall windows that looked out to the Hongdae street.

I finally got some free-WiFi time here to find the right bus to take us out from the alley way. I believed it was a 20-30 minutes walk out to the main street where the subway station was. Not kidding because we walked all the way here.

Another nearby cafe not to be missed... The Hello Kitty Cafe. ♥