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!

Checkpoint: Singapore - Johor Bahru 2015

Late last year, I was faced with a challenge  that I thought I cannot surpass. Wounds were deep, time were wasted and I just know I cannot take it anymore. I took a time off to my go to place - Singapore. I traveled solo to reflect and met with a few friends to catch up.

I had braved the streets of Little India en route to my chosen hostel - Mitraa Inn. It was managed by a Filipino so I felt safe and welcomed. I plan to pass by Gardens by the Bay before I  meet with an old neighbor who also happens to be my classmate since elementary days. 

It so happens my visit was just after the Deepavali Festival. The streets have colorful lights at night. Too bad I wasn't able to capture it.

Happy to pass by this  Hindu Temple on my way to Gardens by the Bay

The sunset view I captured before meeting with my friend at Clark Quay

Finally able to experience SG's night life at Clark Quay with my Kiao tiong Friends.

The next day, I checked out early to meet with my former colleague so we can have a staycation at Johor Bahru. It is always a thrill for me to cross borders by land. There's no specific plan for this trip, it's a spontaneous decision to  visit JB and we just shopped til we dropped and ate whatever we want.

We attended a mass in Church of the Immaculate Concepcion

On my return to Singapore, I chose a different hostel - Little Red Dot Inn and luckily I got upgraded to the capsule type accommodation. It's  a solo adventure again for me since my friend have to prepare for her work week. 

Upon resting for a while, I explored Kampong Glam for a historical walk. If not travelling alone, I would definitely try one of the restaurants along the Arab street.

 

Sultan's Mosque

Arab's street at a different angle

I was also able to pass by the Malay Heritage Center where a Malayan traditional dance was being performed during my visit.

I was about to meet the Engineering head of one of the company in Singapore the following day for an informal interview. With my 3 days in SG and Malaysia, I decided to pass on the opportunity as I had reflected the life that I had envisioned during this "me" time. 

The following day was a full of adventure for my solo trip to further think about what I am going through. 

The first stop was the National Museum of Singapore where I was able to know more about the history of the diverse community of Singapore. I explored the different sections of the museum with a German friend that I met at the hostel who also happens to study Arts.

Next in our list is the Contemporary Art Museum of Singapore. It was a first for me to visit such establishment. I appreciated how we can perceive art in various angles. It also made me appreciate the little thing we have.

My friend and I had to go our separate itinerary after lunch as she still wants to explore the other museums in the area. For my case, I plan to do a walking tour from Fullerton Hotel to Gardens by the Bay.

The start of wandering around Singapore at the Fullerton Hotel

The Asian Civilization Museum. Too bad I was running out of time so I have to skip this one.


Victoria Theatre


Singapore's iconic symbol - The Merlion


The Esplanade. Due to time constraints, I wasn't able to check it out. Maybe some other time.


Finally able to traverse the Helix Bridge


Art Science Museum. Next time, I'll definitely visit this cool place.

Upon arriving at the Gardens by the Bay, it was unfortunate to know that the Cloud Forest is under maintenance. I was only able to visit the Flower Dome which I love so much, I had spent quite some time learning about the different flowers in the area. Plus, Christmas season was near, so the place was decorated to fit the season.

Flowery place makes me extremely happy

Christmas Feels

To cap off the night is me witnessing the lights and sounds show by the Super Tree at Gardens by the Bay.

The last day was alloted to explore Sentosa and to dine at the famous Michelin star restaurant - Din Tai Fung. 

Chilling at Sentosa

Thank you so much Singapore. You had answered again a lot of questions. I was able to understand what I wanna do with my life. Just like my 2013 trip, I was able to know what I have to do. You jump start my life again. You had made me remember my plans and goals. 

Wow Davao!

I was fortunate enough to have a relaxing vacation with my mother last July 2015 at Davao. We stayed at Pinnacle Hotel and Suites during our stay in the city. The place was just a walking distance to Gaisano Mall.

The room comes with a complementary breakfast buffet. 

I immediately fell in love with Davao's food offerings. This vacation is definitely for leisure. We wanted to travel conveniently so taxi was our choice of transportation. Also, I had rented a car for our travel to Philippine Eagle and Eden Farm since it is beyond the City center. 

For the first day, we explored the city by visiting first the crocodile farm. 

Comparing it to Palawan's Crocodile Farm, this visit was less interactive. 

I visited during an off peak season, so tourist are not that highly visible. 

We then decide to visit Jack's ridge in the afternoon. The place is known to be a night life spot, so when we visited, stores are still close. However, view is still awesome! 

The highlight of this Trip was our visit to Samal Island where we stayed at Pearl Farm. I had experienced living a luxurious life for 2 days and a night.

Our comfortable haven at Pearl Farm

We were welcomed by the calmness of the sea and serene view of the resort.

The infinity pool is definitely one of the awesome offerings of this resort. 

The view from the restaurant is a stress reliever

For outdoor activities, snorkling is definitely fun

For our last day, I rented a car so we can visit Eden Park and Philippine Eagle Center. We wanted to stay long those 2 places are quite far from each other.

Eden Park is highly recommended to those who loves outdoor activities. The place is so relaxing and is so close to nature.

I did try cycling while being suspended in the air. It was definitely scary yet fun experience. I also did the zipline.

After the thrilling adventure, we went to the Philippine Eagle Center to know more about the endangered specie. 

That stance though is really something worth seeing in person. 

This Davao exploration that mom and I did will be definitely remembered. We had explored the area on our own without and tour guides so I'll consider that as an achievement. The best part of this vacation is all those food that we tried at a very cheap price. The stay at Pearl Farm Resort is one for the books. I wished we had more time to roam around the area.