Busan
Jeju
Seoul, Bukchon village
Seoul, Insadong
Food
Korean fried chicken with beer
Patbingsul
Egg muffins
Grilled pork belly and beef
Korean soups (jiggae)
That means... I ll be back! Maybe try K shuttle or something next time.
My 6-day tour:
Day 1 Here we come Seoul!
Day 2 Palaces tour
Day 3 Ewha and Hongdae
Day 4 Gangchon rail bike and Nami Island
Day 5 DMZ and Gangnam shipping
Day 6 Gwangjang market, Changdeok gung
Friday, January 1, 2016
Korea day 6 - Gwangjang market, Changdeok palace
The moment we step into Gwang jang market, we saw a pair of guides in their typical bright red uniform with a placard hanging around their neck indicating that this is a touristy spot. No doubt.
The market is well organized into neat alley ways selling different types of goods eg. souvenirs, fabric, seafood, ready-to-eat.
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| Lots of seafood and dried goods on sale |
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| The famous crispy mungbean pancake that everyone should try here. |
We were greeted by the sight of colourful and beautiful hanbok, lining the Jongno 5 subway underground shops, as we made our way to take the train. This must be a popular place for Seoul dwellers to have their hanbok tailor-made.
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| Pretty embroidered scarves |
Next, we made our way to see more pretty cherry blossoms in Changdeokgung.
There's a huwon (secret garden) situated just behind the palace which you shouldn't miss. Huwon tour needs to be guided because it's the place where late emperors went tiger hunting. So be careful *roar* and remember to check the timings to catch the tour in a language you could understand.
Ok I am half-kidding on the tiger part. There's of course no more tiger or whatever wild beasts in the bushes anymore, perhaps many decades ago there were. I guess they just don't want tourists to go wandering and get lost in the garden maze or drop into the ponds.
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| Royal library near the Huwon entrance |
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| Artistic pavilion ceiling |
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| Royalties and their subjects had picnics and poetry sessions here |
This marked our last day stay in South Korea. It was a fulfilling 6-day trip that seemed to pass in the blink of an eye (I really wished I could stay longer if not for the limited annual leave). We had a great time immersing in the pink petals of spring blossom, Seoul historical sites, bustling streets and street food and the non-English speaking culture.
A few tips for those going Korea:
- It would be good to learn how to read the Korean words because they are in phonetic forms and are quite easy to pick up.
- The cabs are of different colours representing coverage of different regions and different rates.
- The subway is a very convenient way to navigate Seoul with a T money card. If you are android user, download the app 'Subway Korea' with a yellow subway icon. It would show you the entire subway lines of Seoul (in English) and the shortest route for transiting to your desired station.
- The money changers around Myeongdong may give a better rate than changing won in SG.
- There's no need to take Nami tour shuttle to/ from ITX station, you can just take the regular bus at a cheaper price.
Please let me know if you have more to share. Anyeong!
***
A recap of my 6-day free & easy tour:
Day 1 Here we come Seoul!
Day 2 Palaces tour
Day 3 Ewha and Hongdae
Day 4 Gangchon rail bike and Nami Island
Day 5 DMZ and Gangnam shipping
Day 6 Gwangjang market, Changdeok gung
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Korea day 5 - DMZ half day tour + Gangnam underground shopping
DMZ tour - the only way to have a glimpse of North Korea without stepping foot there (Google map doesn't count). We took a half day tour to DMZ. Why tour, because only registered tour groups can go into DMZ via the tour buses. We even got to bring our passports for identification due to the very strict security there. DMZ stands for 'demilitarized zone', a stretch of land that separates North and South Korea and demarcates their borders.
In the tour we were told the history of how Korea became separated, the discovery of infiltration tunnels and business cooperation (Kaesung Industrial Region) between the North and the South. In the vicinity there's an observatory, historical relics of the war, the Bridge of No Return, slips of prayers for reunion on fences and the mid-bridge wall by families who got separated and fences that prevent civilians from going into the landmine fields.
We explored the third infiltration tunnel which proved to be a more physically challenging on our legs than the rail bike we had yesterday. No photo-taking was allowed in the tunnel. It was well-lit, several storeys deep and at some parts pretty narrow with low overhead.
What is my after-thought on the DMZ tour? It's like a sad story of history with repercussion into present and the future.
***
Later in the day we explored Gangnam. It is the district south of the Han river, the name literally translates to 'south of the river'.
The mission is not to get plastic surgery or meet some Psy-like oppa but to... SHOP.
There's many 10000 won boutiques at the underground shopping arcade (Express Bus Terminal Station) - at that time 10000 won is around SGD12. What a steal!
The clothes are all of better quality than what you could get at that price in SG. I got myself a few dresses (find them a bit too short though), a cardigan, and a top. There are many worth-to-buy items in Korea if you know how to shop at the right places eg. ear rings, snacks, skincare products. 'Suaku' me just realised the all famous Peppero sticks is from Lotte and Lotte is a brand from Korea. Lotte mart is popular through out Seoul. Pop by one and you could have your fill of snacks and other food stuff. I like the honey milk chips, banana milk and chewy rice puffs.
There were skincare shops around every street corner in Seoul that you can't miss. I would recommend buying at outlets out of Myeongdong because they were generally less pushy and more generous with samples. Innisfree, Faceshop, Etude house products can be as cheap as half the price in SG. I got liquid foundation at below $10, facial cleanser at around $5, facial masks below $1... *gasp*
Day 2 Palaces tour
Day 3 Ewha and Hongdae
Day 4 Gangchon rail bike and Nami Island
Day 5 DMZ and Gangnam shipping
Day 6 Gwangjang market, Changdeok gung
In the tour we were told the history of how Korea became separated, the discovery of infiltration tunnels and business cooperation (Kaesung Industrial Region) between the North and the South. In the vicinity there's an observatory, historical relics of the war, the Bridge of No Return, slips of prayers for reunion on fences and the mid-bridge wall by families who got separated and fences that prevent civilians from going into the landmine fields.
We explored the third infiltration tunnel which proved to be a more physically challenging on our legs than the rail bike we had yesterday. No photo-taking was allowed in the tunnel. It was well-lit, several storeys deep and at some parts pretty narrow with low overhead.
 |
| The Bridge of No Return |
What is my after-thought on the DMZ tour? It's like a sad story of history with repercussion into present and the future.
***
Later in the day we explored Gangnam. It is the district south of the Han river, the name literally translates to 'south of the river'.
The mission is not to get plastic surgery or meet some Psy-like oppa but to... SHOP.
There's many 10000 won boutiques at the underground shopping arcade (Express Bus Terminal Station) - at that time 10000 won is around SGD12. What a steal!
The clothes are all of better quality than what you could get at that price in SG. I got myself a few dresses (find them a bit too short though), a cardigan, and a top. There are many worth-to-buy items in Korea if you know how to shop at the right places eg. ear rings, snacks, skincare products. 'Suaku' me just realised the all famous Peppero sticks is from Lotte and Lotte is a brand from Korea. Lotte mart is popular through out Seoul. Pop by one and you could have your fill of snacks and other food stuff. I like the honey milk chips, banana milk and chewy rice puffs.
There were skincare shops around every street corner in Seoul that you can't miss. I would recommend buying at outlets out of Myeongdong because they were generally less pushy and more generous with samples. Innisfree, Faceshop, Etude house products can be as cheap as half the price in SG. I got liquid foundation at below $10, facial cleanser at around $5, facial masks below $1... *gasp*
 |
| My treasures from Seoul |
***
Day 1 Here we come Seoul!Day 2 Palaces tour
Day 3 Ewha and Hongdae
Day 4 Gangchon rail bike and Nami Island
Day 5 DMZ and Gangnam shipping
Day 6 Gwangjang market, Changdeok gung
Korea day 4 - Gangchon rail bike + Nami Island
This is one of the more exciting days because we got to take ITX train and explore out of Seoul. Due to time constraint, we didn't get to go Petit France and Garden of morning calm (looking at the plants around us when we go Gangchon, I don't think there's much to see at the garden in this time period) as initially planned.
Here's our route from Seoul to Gimyujeong:
Take ITX-Cheongchun (booked online, 4000 won per person)
Myeongdong -->30mins Dongdaemun -->30mins Cheonggyanni (ITX 9.17am departs)-->40mins Gapyeong
Here's our route from Seoul to Gimyujeong:
Take ITX-Cheongchun (booked online, 4000 won per person)
Myeongdong -->30mins Dongdaemun -->30mins Cheonggyanni (ITX 9.17am departs)-->40mins Gapyeong
Gapyeong
Station ⇒
Gimyujeong station (bike rail)
Gapyeong to Gimyujeong Station.
Gapyeong to Gimyujeong Station.
ITX is the express train which travels out of Seoul to other cities. We almost boarded the wrong train from platform because ITX shares the same platform as the normal train. The trick is to look out for the posh-looking train (occasionally double-deck) with two seaters inside. The train even have snacks and drinks for purchase on board.
From
Gimyujeong Station (Gyeongchun Line) go by Exit 1. It's about 4 minutes walk away.
Bike rail start point: Gimyujeong Station -
Rest stop - Gangchon Station
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| Temple-like Gimyujeong station |
The Gimyujeong bike rail course for a two-seater cost 25,000 won. The reason we chose this route is because this is the easier route with less uphill. We are not exactly paddling fanatics.
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| Themed after this famous author - thus the giant books |
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| Bikes are ready for us |
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| I love the auto-rail tunnel. Can rest from paddling a while... |
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| Nice view of river and mountains |
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| A little stopover for kopi and odeng |
Paddle along with winds in your hair, view of the calm nature and surprises when the bike zoomed into the 'Gangnam style' music tunnels. The Rail bike experience was real fun. Just a word of caution not to bike in winter time.
***
Next we hopped over to Nami Island. It's not exactly a hop away cos we kind of lost our way finding the Gangchon station which we wanted to take a train from there to Gapyeong. We later discovered that although it looked nearby on the map, it is a freaking far walk from the Rail bike place. We should have taken the shuttle bus back to Gimyujeong station. Oh well...
We had lunch of dakgalbi in lettuce wraps and rice (you know like what you see in Korean dramas?) at this cosy restaurant which was kind of along-the-way. After all the walking, frustration and hunger, it was soooo nice to sit down to a warm place. The menu was in Korean so I used my trusty google translate to order the food. It was plentiful and cheap (sub-urban restaurant style).
We took a taxi to the terminal in the end to save some time in catching the Nami ferry.
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| In memory of Winter Sonata |
The place is famous due to the filming of Winter Sonata there, supposedly romantic right? That day we went it was pretty crowded with tourist and it just felt a little over-rated. To describe the scenery very simply it would be - ostrich, tall bare pine trees and many 'willow' cherry blossoms. It was cold and drizzling so I didn't have much mood for pictures.
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| Cropping the crowd below the tree away - now that's what I call scenery |
Monday, October 12, 2015
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*
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| 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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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. ♥
It was sweet from exterior...
...to interior. How could I bear to bite into these intricacies?
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| The kitty princess bedroom |
It's simply cuteness and sweetness overdose! From walls, lamps, chairs to utensils; big to small, everything here were of Hello Kitty motifs.
They have a souvenir stores downstairs and we found more 'treasures' - Hello kitty soft toys in lovely Hanbok. "Keopda!" ♥
***
Day 1 Here we come Seoul!Day 2 Palaces tour
Day 3 Ewha and Hongdae
Day 4 Gangchon rail bike and Nami Island
Day 5 DMZ and Gangnam shipping
Day 6 Gwangjang market, Changdeok gung
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