Wonderful Seoul

When I found out a cheap flight to Seoul is on sale way back March 2015, I convinced my friend that we book it instantly for 3 reasons - it's cheap, it's winter and it's Seoul! We don't even care that our trip is 10 months away from purchase. A few of our friends also learned about it so they were also convinced to book the same flight. Unfortunately as the days come nearer, my friend that supposedly  will be my travel buddy for this trip cannot join us as it was in conflict with her work. 

As life should be, I have to be prepared despite the initial obstacle. First challenge is to have my winter clothes. This is my first winter experience so  I need to buy most of the clothes and just borrow a few outerwear. 

Before I tell about the adventures we had and some soul searching I did, may I just say that  it is so hard to move with those 3 layered clothing. It is also very challenging to do all those walking tours with - 3 to -12 degrees Celsius especially that I am used to having tropical climate.

As we arrived Incheon International Airport, we already  felt the cool breeze of winter as we transfer to the Express train in the AREX line. It did not stop my excitement as I had been dreaming for this vacation after graduation. Yes, it took me 6 years to be able to convince myself I need this and I have to save for this trip.

My friends and I navigate to our home for 6 days - Seoul N Hostel. It's indeed so hard carrying those 20kg luggage up the stairs from the subway station plus not knowing where our hotel is since most signage are in Korean. Most locals cannot speak English too. With patience, we finally found it! Hooray!

To catch up lost time, we went to a nearby food hall to have our super late lunch / early dinner. We had our first authentic Korean cuisine! May I just say they truly love vegetables? 

With full stomach, we went to Gwanghwamun Square to visit Cheonggyecheon Stream. We are very fortunate that Holiday season was just over but the decorations are still there. The stream stretched 10.84 km and it was transformed to an ecological stream in 2005.

After the brisk walk that we did, it's time we go to a street market to try our Soju since our bodies needed some heat already.

The next day is planned for Everland day! When I am still with Samsung, most of my colleagues keep on mentioning how awesome this place is. I cannot deny the fact that I love themed parks even if I am scared to try their rides. So  even if it is winter, we braved the weather for an outdoor themed park experience!

Best part was this safari ride! Was able to see a bear in real life. The one who knows tricks too!

A monkey having tantrums. Is it because of the weather? 

We have to ensure we have the necessary energy with this cold weather! We only attempted to have one ride in the park since it's really freaking cold.

The best attaction of Everland - Heater!

Thank you Everland, you bring out the kids in us!

The next day, we went early to Insadong Market to check out the Art shops. We also went to Gyeongbokgung Palace to witness the Change of Guards.

We were also fortunate to try the Guards' uniform for free!

We then decided to go to Myeongdong for shopping. Here is a cute pikachu that I bumped into.

I really thought that the served sliced pork is good for one person, too bad it is for sharing.

Myeongdong is really a great place to shop especially for girls! There are a lot of freebies once you enter Etude, Nature Republic and the likes. There are also a lot of food offerings that I failed to try. So vengeance it is when I return.

After Myeongdong, we decided to visit Arario Museum in Space, a contemporary Art Museum. It was really a soothing experience to see those artworks by various artists.

We rushed to Changdeokgung Palace as we hope we can still enter the premises. Too bad we were late already so we just had our selfies in the gate.

Finally it is our time to go to Namsan Tower. We rode by bus instead of cable car so we had to hike a few meters before we reached the tower. I saw the love locks and hoped that all of those couples indeed found their very own happily ever after. It was freezing cold as we ride down the cable car back to Myeongdong.

Saturday is the day I waited for so long because this was the day scheduled for skiing!  Hooray for I can cross this out on my bucket list. I really thought it will be easy since I know how to skate. Skiing is way hard to control for my experience. It was enjoyable to watch professionals ski down the mountain.

In the evening, we went to Hongdae to check those themed cafes and see the more youthful vibes of the area. There are a lot of cafes to try in Hongdae and I will definitely spend longer time here when I return.

We had our dessert at Hello Kitty Cafe! Too cute to devour. :)

The next day, we  went to Myeongdong Cathedral to attend mass. The mass is in Korean and it gives me chills to feel their passion to the religion. The cathedral is also magnificent and I can feel the solemnity inside.

We walked to Namsangol Hanok Village to see traditional Korean Houses. We were toured by an elderly who is very knowledgeable about Korean's culture. It was a great experience to learn more about the structure in the families and how it reflected in building houses.

Look how really cold it is. :) 

After the cultural learning, we went to Dongdaemun Market to shop for toys. It's not my thing but I find it a happy place for lego lovers. We had our late lunch and I barely ate my bean sprouts.

We went back to Gyeongbokgung Palace to finally tour around and be amazed on the castles made for the King. It is the largest of the royal palaces built in Joseon Dynasty. I will love to stay here during Spring as the view of the lake with the trees around will give me peace of mind.

The trip to Seoul is a great way to start the year right. It gave another perspective on how unique people are. I will pursue my dream to get to know the world more - the richness of each country's culture and its well preserved history.

Truly a wonderful Seoul Experience!