Trip to Nami Island

Nami Island is my dream destination in Korea. It is the setting of the Endless Love - "Winter Sonata". It's a little bit far from my place in Seoul that's why I had to wait for a holiday to schedule my visit there.

There are two options on how to go to the Island: zip wire and ferry boat. I and my friends are adventurous so we chose the first option. It's the tallest and longest zip wire I've ever been. It costs 38,000 won including the ferry boat fare going out of the Island. We signed up immediately when we get there but there's a lot of tourists so we need to wait for about an hour before going up. An hour is enough to have lunch in the restaurants nearby. 

That's the view from the restaurant where we ate lunch. I think only one waitress knows how to speak English that's why she just asked us what we want to eat and gave us options. 

"Bibimbap" is my default meal whenever I can't decide what to eat. It's a mixture of different vegetables with rice. This meal costs 7,000 won.

I took this picture while inside the elevator going up. I wasn't able to take a video while in the zip wire. As much as I want to capture the moment, I also want to secure my phone and enjoy the ride without worrying about anything for 90 seconds. 

Oh and by the way, the zip wire has a weight limit of 45 kgs.

It's my first winter ever so I was really excited to see a snowman. I also saw a Filipina snowman! In the Island, you can see many snowman wearing traditional clothes of different countries.

I found the famous Cholo and Jodie statue! I  also walked through the tree lane. Yes, I'm a fan. LOL. If you wanna see better tree lanes, you should visit during Autumn Season.

I checked the weather forecasts before going to the Island. I made sure that it will be snowing so I can feel the "Winter Sonata." It was cold but I really enjoyed it. I even bought an ice cream! :)

Because it's Korean New Year, you can post your wishes here. 

They also have igloos/ ice mazes every winter.

I'll surely go back here with my special someone. 

How to go there: 

Take a train to Gapyeong Station

From Gapyeong Station, ride a tourist bus going to Nami Island.

Admission: 

Visa Fee and round trip fare:  8,000 won (foreigner)

Zip Wire: 38,000 won (includes entrance fee and ferry fare)

Trip to Namdaemun Market

Right next to the Sungnyemun gate is the Namdaemun Market.

It is the largest traditional market in Korea. 

 

I can compare it to the busy streets of Divisoria in the Philippines. 

When I went here, I tried to eat inside a "red tent". It's in my bucket list to try it like how Korean movie stars eat there. I don't have the courage to order soju tho. ;)

There are all kinds of stores in the Namdaemun Market. 

The sell clothes, toys, stationery, accessories, imported goods, and a lot of street foods! 

This one is my favorite store. They sell different kinds of chips. You can buy it in a small bag for 5,000 won and big bag for 10,000 won. The good thing is you can buy different kinds in one bag. I like the seaweed chips the most.

How to go there:

Take the subway line 4 to Hoehyon Station or Seoul Station

Admission is free but it is closed every Sunday.

Trip to Sungnyemun Gate

There are eight in the Fortress Wall of Seoul. One of them is the Sungnyemun Gate.

Here's some facts about Sungnyemun Gate.

1. It is known as Korea's Treasure No. 1

2. It is the largest castle gate in Korea.  

3. Sungnyemun  means  fire.

4. It is the south gate.

Travel Tip!
If you're a solo traveler like me, you should remember this phrase:
"Sajin Jeom Chigo Jusigesoyo"
It means "Can you take a picture of me?"

How to go there:

Take a subwaay to Seoul Station or Hoehyeon Station

Admission is free! 

It is open from Tuesday - Sunday. (9:00 -6:30 pm)

Trip to Bukchon Hanok Village

This is a dream come true! Walking in the village made me feel like I'm inside a Koreanovela.

Bukchon Hanok Village is an actual residential area, The gate that you see at the background is a part of someone's house. Just like in Korean movies! :)

There's a dozen of workshops in Hanok Village where you can experience their culture. Unfortunately 50% of them are closed on Mondays. Most of them don't allow taking pictures during the workshop. I just took a snapshot outside the workshop area. 

I also visited some museums. Some museums showcase the tradition Korean culture like Gahoe museum,  Han Sangsu Embroidery Museum, the Museum of Korean art and many more. 

I wasn't able to take much pictures because my phone died. Good thing, there's an observatory nearby which offers some hot beverages like coffee, tea, and cocoa. I was able to charge my phone while enjoying the view of the Bukchon Hanok Village.

I'll definitely go back there on Spring. I don't recommend the winter season because my fingers (even with gloves on) are freezing while walking in the village.  I'll update this blog on Spring. :) 

How to go there:

Take subway line 3 to Anguk Station (exit 2)

Walk for about 300m to reach the Bukchon Hanok Village.

Admission Fee:

Museum of Korean Buddhist Art - 3,500 won

Han Sangsoo Embroidery workshop - 2,000 won

The World Jewelry Museum - 5,000 won

Kum Bak Yeon - 2,000 won 

Gahoe Museum - 2,500 won (exclusive of workshop fee)

Trip to Hwanghakdong Flea Market

Winter clothes in Korea are really expensive. As an expat, I wanna buy some inexpensive clothes to save money. It's my first winter. I wanna be fashionable yet thrifty. It's the reason why I googled some flea markets in Seoul. 

I arrived there at around 10 am. There are lots of thrift shops around the area. Coats, boots, skirts, and bags can be seen all over the shops. I went to some stores to search for cheap yet fashionable clothes. :)

On the streets, you can find some vintage items. They sell vintage cameras, microphones, telescopes, and even hair irons and blowers! I just realized that these pokemon cards are now vintage! LOL!

I didn't know that Koreans also used coal powered irons.

They also sell baseballs with signatures of famous athletes.

 I also found some electronic harp, microscope, rice cookers, and heater.

They also sell artworks and even golf clubs. 

After few hours or roaming around, I decided to eat in one of the stores nearby. Since I cant read the menu, I just said "bap" meaning rice.

The lady served me some rice with beansprouts, soup, kimchi, and soy sauce. It costs 2000 won.
I felt that it lacks protein so I ordered a fried egg. The lady charged me another 1000 won for a single fried egg. LOL!!!

After lunch, I notice some trucks parking on the streets. These trucks were filled with clothes. It is also noticeable that a crowd is waiting on the sidewalks.

After few minutes, they started unpacking the clothes on the streets.

  

I can't believe how fast they organized the clothes on the streets. 

An empty street became crowded in just few minutes. 

This is how they choose the clothes from a mountain of clothes

It's really "hukay-hukay". They dig the clothes they want. :)

How to go there:

Take Subway Line 2 or Line 6 to Singdang Station (Exit 2)

Walk for 3 minutes towards Hwanghakdong Office to reach the market.

Admission is free! It is open everyday from 9am to 7pm.

Trip to Donggwanwangmyo Shrine

This is my first tourist spot of the year. Yay! It's my first time to ride the bus alone. I felt really nervous and excited. I used google maps to find what bus to use. That's one of the things I love about traveling in Korea. They have designated bus stops and bus numbers! You can also download an app which shows what time a bus arrives. 

Here's some facts about Donggwanwangmyo Shrine:

1. It is known as Korea's Treasure No. 142.

2. It is a tomb for Chinese General Gwan Yu.

3. It is also known as Seoul Donggwanwangmyo which means the east of Seoul.

4. The shape of the roof is based on the Chinese letter gong.

5. This east shrine is the biggest and the most brilliant among the four shrines located in the north, south and west.

Honestly, this Donggwanwangmyo Shrine is just my side trip. I really went here to visit the Hwanghakdong Flea Market. I'll talk about it on my next blog post. :)

How to go there:

Take subway Line 1 or Line 6 to Dongmyo Station (exit 3)
Turn right at the first street onto Jong-ro 58-gil.
Continue 130 meters and turn left.
The entrance to the shrine will be on the left.

Admission is free!