Falling for South Korea - Insa-dong & Namdaemun market

Day 6 : INSA-DONG

Insa-dong can be reached by taking the metro to City Hall. The sign is clear that is should not be a problem to reach there. Insa-dong is actually an antique street but typical souvenir items are sold abundantly here. When I visited this place, there was an exhibition where sculptures creatively made of recycle/reusable items were on display. I was so regret for not taking any pictures of those sculptures which were very interesting. There were also sculptures which were placed beyond the display area and visitors need to have their eyes 'wide-opened' to spot those hidden sculptures.

Souvenirs sold here is expensive if they are purchased individually. For example, a single key-chain would cost KRW 3000 per piece, but it would cost KRW 2000 per piece if bought the whole set of 5. The same thing if purchasing decorative mini-saucer which cost KRW 4000 per piece, but it saves us KRW 2000 when a set of 3 is purchased at KRW 10,000. Such a smart business strategy though.

There are also shops selling various types of ginseng health drinks. The prices depending on the age of the ginseng used, which means the older the ginseng, the expensive it is. My buddy bought himself several boxes of such health drink for KRW 38,000 per box (10 vials each box). There is a label at each vial stating that the ginseng used is 6 years old of age.

Other than being a shopping, one can just sit there and observe the people passing through this area, only if he/she has nothing else to do that day.

Here are some of my catches in Insa-Dong, which are still in my possession

The boxed key-chain (KRW 10,000, a set of five), the other one KRW 3,000

Small size decorative plate cum magnet, KRW 10,000 for a set of 3 (KRW4,000 invidually)

Can't recall the price

Day 10 : Namdaemum Market


We spent our final day in South Korea by surveying, peeking, tasting and of course, a little bit of shopping in Namdaemun market. Thank you to all of the travelers who have been suggesting to visit this market. Seriously, if I have no control over my wallet, I might have to pay extra for the luggage fees. Before we get there, we kept our belongings the lockers in City Hall station. Of course it was not a good idea to shop while carrying around heavy and huge bags.

There is an infamous Namdaemun gate which is commonly photographed by visitors and travelers alike when reaching the area. I could not spot the gate at first, and later I realized that the gate was covered with a temporary building-like structure at the roundabout. The gate was undergoing reconstruction, or restoration process too. This really killed the joy of getting getting the last pictures of Korean grand and historical structures.

I first caught glimpse on the autumn and winter clothing which were really fashionable and neat. The prices, when converted to RM, are pretty expensive, though it is cheaper than buying those kinds of garments in Malaysia. The autumn/winter coats, the mufflers and the millinery are of latest design though several of them may look overly accessorized with furs, beads and sequins.

Namdaemun market is also one of the perfect places to buy souvenirs for friends and family. The more you buy, the cheaper you can get, depending on the sellers, of course. I thought it was not possible to bargain, so we did not try to do so, and we did not buy many things. Other than common souvenirs e.g fridge magnets, key-chains, decorative plates and all, typical Korean-style hand-fans and cute Hanboks for kids were sold here and there. And for those who love K-pop, there are a small section in several shops displaying items for sale with K-pop stars printed on each item  

The cheapest Korean-made, Korean style souvenir (KRW 1,000 per piece)

KRW 3,000 per piece

Another famous items for the ladies are the facial masks. There were varieties of facial masks sold with great prices. For example, buy 10 free 1 for KRW 3500, and there were some other cheaper than this. This is to say each mask costs us ~RM 1 per piece. Bloody cheap isn't it? This is something worth buying because a simple facial mask in Malaysia would cost us around RM3 to RM8 per piece (there is even more expensive than that). There are other cheap Korean cosmetics sold here but I did not bother to survey because I knew I would want to shop till drop.

Facial masks, KRW3,500 for 11 (buy 10 free 1)

While walking and looking around, we were greeted by a guy who was handling a small stall at a corner of a shop. He deliberately invited us to his stall and tried hard to speak our language, with some considerably understandable English. We demonstrated to the pair of us on how to make a piece of Ta-rae, a traditional Korean dessert, which could only be enjoyed by the royalties in the past. Ta-rae has a cotton like outer layer which is made up of fine 16,000 ++ strands of  honey and some other ingredients. The fillings are made of groundnuts, cashews, green tea and even chocolates. It is really nice but those who do not enjoy super-sweet stuff, may dislike it. This is also a perfect gift for friends and families.

Seaweeds, ginsengs and other Korean sweets are sold here which buying them in bulk will save us several thousands of wons. The Korean Red Ginseng candy seems to be something nice but not all can take the earthy taste of the ginsengs. Good remedies are not always nice isn't it? We bought several packs, which I believe each pack consists of 100 pieces of such candy. My buddy, who is being a little health-conscius lately, bought several boxes of the Ginseng health-drink. It is more expensive here but with his bargaining skills, he managed to get the same price like what he got from Insa- Dong.

Ginseng candy, KRW 15,000 for 2 packs, but we got it KRW 20,000 for 3 packs

I love this place so much. And I swear I will return to Korea one day, and drop-by at this place again. Cross my fingers!!

After shopping, we returned to the Seoul station and get our belongings from the electronic lockers. 

We headed to the airport and it was time to say 'good riddance' to South Korea

Falling for South Korea - Seoul (Part 2)

Day 6 : Namsangol Hanok Village - Namsan Tower - Insa-Dong - Gyeongbokgung Palace - Korean Folk Museum

Our third day in Seoul was rather interesting where we got to see closely the infamous Namsan Tower, enjoy the village atmosphere at Namsangol Hanok Village, spending time for souvenir shopping and experiencing vegetarian Korean diner at the antique street of Insa-Dong, another historical appreciation at Gyeongbokgung and knowledge enhancement at the National Folk Museum of Korea. It was really a full of fun day though my buddy complained about visiting the palace again and again. Well, my buddy let me to decide and plan for this trip, so I planned according to what I feel necessary and convenient. By right, complaining is not a good way to repay my effort for this trip. Sorry buddy..next time do not let me do the planning alone if you do not want to feel tired or bored.

NAMSANGOL HANOK VILLAGE

Before we headed for Namsangol Hanok Village, we had  breakfast (tuna sandwich and tea) at Del Train outlet in Chungmuro Metro station. Once done, I felt so eager to exit the station and headed for the one of the most visited attractions in Seoul. We had to walk uphill a bit and while walking, I saw a bedazzling red and yellow colors of trees from afar and that made me increased my walking speed. I could not wait to see the colorful trees closely!! I did not bother any other stuff here except for the very attractive trees, so several pictures were taken deliberately. When done, then only I started to look around and set my foot back to reality.

In this village, several traditional items used in everyday life were displayed especially items used in agriculture. They were mostly made of straws and some other type of plant materials that are strong enough for certain amount of load. There were also sandals made of straws, baskets, and toys which were available for purchase. There were old folks in their everyday attire (definitely not a uniform) weaving something which I was not sure what.

The air was fresh and I felt that I was at the countryside, though this place is actually located in the middle of Seoul city. The view of Namsan tower is very clear and of course this village is actually located at the foot of Namsan hill.

Weaving shoes made of straws

The tree that made me a little over-excited (of course there are more trees)

Traditional shoes made of straws

This is only the beginning. 

I'm in love with autumn 

Are these jars meant for keeping kimchi? Erkk...

If anyone wants to try the Korean traditional costumes, this is the place.

Before leaving, we dropped by at the souvenir shop and I bought 2 cute fridge magnets for KRW3000 each.  Other stuffs seemed to be a bit pricey so I just stick with the 2 fridge magnets. After exiting the village, we were attracted with the snacks and sweets sold on the carts. I have no idea what they are called. One is creamy white in color and as hard as a rock. The seller told me (body language of course) that it should not be bitten, but just let it melt in the mouth. It tasted like our 'kuih batang buruk' a bit. The other snack looked really nice, coated with groundnuts and sesame. It costed KRW 2000 per packet and my buddy bought a lot of those snacks.

NAMSAN TOWER

Just a few meters from the Chungmuro station exit, is a bus stop for those who wish to get to Namsan Tour. I forgot which bus should be taken but information is available at the stop itself, and the bus to Namsan Tower is different from the other local bus in terms of color and model. It took around 20 minutes to get to the Namsan Tower bus stop, and when we arrived, we realized that the bus we were riding on is an EV (electric vehicle). It seems that Korea is starting to step forward in reducing carbon emission, that contribute to the global warming. I wish Malaysia will do the same thing very soon.

We walked uphill towards the tower and there were so many visitors walking in and out of the tower's ground. Several trees were showing change of colors a little but still I was so excited looking at the color change. As with other visitors to Namsan Tower, it is a must to have pictures of myself with the tower at the back. 

We did not bother to buy ticket to get to the sky-deck because the view of Seoul metropolitan was not at its best due to mild haze. And the entrance fee was pricey too. So we just stroll around and took several pictures at the platform where various thousands of padlocks were hung there, being symbolic to loving couples out there. 

Cute and very symbolic

I got myself another fridge magnet of Namsan Tower at one of the souvenir shops at the base of the towers before we left. Being a famous tourist spot, prices are slightly higher here. 

INSA- DONG

I will write something about Insa- Dong and Namdaemun market at the next entry, which is a pictureless entry.

GYEONGBOKGUNG PALACE

After spending time waiting for my buddy to finish his shopping business, we got on the metro heading back to the hotel to keep his stuffs and to do some toilet business. After 20 minutes, we went out again, walking towards Anguk station to get the metro to Gyeongbokgung station. I wanted  to see the most visited palace in Seoul, and to make full use of the integrated ticket we purchased earlier. And I left my camera in the hotel as my shoulder started to ache and I could not bear the discomfort. The pictures below are courtesy from my buddy.

Gyeongbokgung palace is located within the palace-museum complex which definitely attract more people than any other palaces in Seoul. It was so crowded and I could not see these massive crowds in Changdeokgung and Deoksugung palaces. I am not so sure what makes Gyeongbokgung palace is more popular except that it has wider compound and near to the museums. The architecture and the design is similar, or maybe there is indistinct differences which I must have missed them. With this kind of crowds, we thought of deviating our way, heading to a building behind the palace complex which caught our eye. Later we found out that it is the National Folk Museum of Korea and we agreed to spend some times there.

NATIONAL FOLK MUSEUM OF KOREA

There is no entrance fee as far as I can remember. But there is a security-post with officers checking the tickets for those who are heading towards the palace. At the folk museum, there were displays of traditional Korean musical instruments i.e. various sizes of flutes, string-plucking instruments and kind-of-drums, the traditional wedding costumes and accessories for both man and woman, materials used for school kids and many others. Note that photographing is not allowed in this museum. There is a souvenir shop selling souvenirs but nothing interested me.

Heading to the exit, there is a small park with mini Korean style gazebo with beautiful flowers and shrubs surrounding it. I was attracted with the poles made of wood, which were carved into cute and scary faces on the top end, and with some writings below it. There was no description about the poles so I could not elaborate much about it. There is also sculptures which I believe must be religious-related. 

It was getting dark and we exited the museum and tried to get to Gyeongbokgung station. I was the one leading the way and we got lost. And pathetically, we were out of the right way quite a distant that my lower limbs started to 'rebel'. Luckily we have the map, so we asked for the right way from the traffic officers, and finally we managed to reach the metro station, heading for City Hall station.

We returned to Insa-Dong to have vegetarian Korean dinner at one of the restaurants spotted by my buddy earlier of the day. My buddy was so longing to have Korean meal and his desire fulfilled. The only name I could remember was tofu kimchi and the rest of the dishes did not register in my mind. Korean rice seems to be different. It looks like a combination of brown rice and sticky rice. I guessed it must be rich in fibers as we got our stomach full easily. It was really a big dinner for us

So we ended the day with a nice Korean dinner, and returned to the hotel happily

Main hall of the National Folk Museum

Something cute (and sometimes bizarre too!!)

Vegetarian Korean dishes for dinner at Insa-dong

Falling for South Korea - Seoul (Part 1)

Day 4: Depart for Seoul - Yims Guest House - Changdeokgung Palace & Secret Garden - Itaewon


We left Jeju island for Seoul, taking the 8.45 am Eastar Jet flight.
After an hour or so, we arrived Gimpo airport and took the airport limousine bus to Seoul.
Seriously, it was such a mistake to take this airport limousine bus when it was much easier to take the train.
Actually there was miss-communication (of course due to language barrier) between us and the airport limousine staff. We told him that we need to get to the stop near the Changdeokgung Palace, and he said something else which we thought as something else. The right thing was, we should have got off the bus at Seoul Station, and took the Metro to Anguk or Jongno-sam-ga station. But thanks to the efficient Metro system in Seoul that finally we managed to make our way to Yims Guest House. Word of reminder, try not to take the airport limousine (from Gimpo) if you can reach the hotels by train. Unless those who have huge and heavy luggage, or does not mind spending more, airport limousine might be considered.

Yims Guest House

From Seoul station, we took the Metro Orange line to Jongno-sam-ga, and walked straighnt from exit 7 of the station until the Korean Traditional Food Center (or something like that) was seen on the left across the road, and took the first right junction after seeing the center. And we turned left and walked for 70 meters until the we saw the hotel's signboard. It took us less than 10 minutes to reach Yims Guest House.  I chose this accommodation as it is cheap, easily access and near to various point of attractions. After checking-in, I guess I have made the right choice and I truly like this hotel. It is very neat, clean and tidy, plus there is free Wifi internet access which we can surf the internet freely from our own room. I would recommend this hotel to budget travelers who prefer simple but clean and conveniently located hotel. Check out the website here : Yims Guest House. We checked in our own room and rested.

Around 1 pm, we were ready to see the historical site of Seoul, which is the Changdeokgung Palace & Secret Garden

CHANGDEOKGUNG PALACE & SECRET GARDEN - UNESCO World Heritage Site

We got ourselves combination, integrated tickets for KRW 10,000  at the counter, which covers entrance fees for the 4 palaces (Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung & Changyeonggung) and the Jongmyo shrine. This option is super cheap especially for those who wish to see more than 1 palace. Entry fee for the Secret Garden is inclusive once the integrated ticket is purchased. And by the way, information booklet is available at the entrance, in several languages.

It was pretty disappointing to see that the autumn foliage does not appear as I have expected. But witnessing this grand palace of the past with beautiful carvings and facades, the disappointment disappeared. And on top of that, it was sunny with cloudless, blue sky that was really uplifting my mood. So many view can be recorded with my camera but only the best views were photographed.

Entrance to the Chengdeokgung palace complex

Checked!!

One of a kind, very Korean.

Colorful facade

Around 2.30 pm, a guided tour to the Secret Garden started. Secret Garden is best visited during peak autumn where the atmosphere will be much serene and interesting. This garden is divided to several smaller areas in which each area has its own function. Not much information (or none at all) is available in the information booklet provided, so a guided tour is necessary. The lady delivering the information speaks beautiful American English and she speaks clearly. But I did not bother to engulf every single word she conveyed because I was too preoccupied with the interesting surroundings of the garden.

One of the ponds at the Secret Garden

In 2 weeks time, the color of the foliage will totally change

If only I understand what is written there

A little early for the peak of autumn foliage

One of the building complexes in Secret Garden area

Around 4.30 pm, the guided tour came to an end, and we exited the palace and returned to the hotel. We were thinking of having Korean food so we thought that we could find halal Korean food in Itaewon. So, to Itaewon we went, by Metro.

Itaewon is an international district where most of  international restaurant, pubs and groceries can be found here. There is a mosque but we couldn't locate it as the signage to the mosque was insufficient. So we just walked around and see if there is any halal Korean food available here. Unfortunately, we found only Turkish kebabs outlets, Indian restaurants and several other restaurants serving middle-eastern food. I personally think that it will be a brilliant idea if someone (a Muslim perhaps) makes the effort to learn Korean cooking class, and become the first to open a halal Korean food restaurant in Korea. When traveling to the countries where Islam is not the main religion, it is my preference to have local dishes rather than having common international dishes like kebabs or Indian food. However, it depends on the availability of the halal local food, or else, I will just eat whatever available, edible and of course, halal. In the end, we had no choice but to have Turkish kebabs for dinner.

We did not have enough time to see Itaewon closer since it was already late. So we decided to return to the hotel and had an early sleep

Day 5 : Deoksugung Palace - Hwaseong Fortress

Good morning Seoul!! The day greeted us with sunny, clear, blue sky. So today, we did another visits to historical monuments which were Deoksugung Palace, and Hwaseong Fortress or also known as Suwo Fortress. But before that, we had breakfast, waffle tuna sandwich and green tea latte, at one of the Belgium Waffles outlet at Jongno-sam-ga metro station. It was such a lovely breakfast and it was a good choice (for me) for having green tea latte.

DEOKSUGUNG PALACE

We took the Blue line Metr to City Hall and from there we walked for around 100 meters to the entrance of Deoksugung Palace. Since we have the integrated ticket, we just showed the ticket and the ticket-inspector checked the ticket and tore the removable section of the ticket.

This palace was smaller compared to the Changdeokgung Palace but one thing that made us decided to visit this place was that it organizes the changing if royal guard ceremony at 11 am everyday except Monday. But we were told the ceremony was canceled. It was pretty disappointing but then, the staff at the information booth informed us that the ceremony was substituted with some kind of festivals which we did not what was it. Since we were already there, I guess it was worth to wait and observe what they have planned for the day.

Before that, we walked around the small palace compound and there is another newly constructed building (I think so) which seems to be European. This building is actually the Contemporary Art Museum of Korea, but it was not opened to the public on that day.

The design of the palaces in Seoul is not entirely the same though the concept of the decoration and theme are relatively similar. I still think Changdeokgung Palace has the most beautiful and prominent facade compared to other palaces visited. However, the design of the main hall at Deoksugung Palace and its surrounding compound has its own style and its own way to attract visitors. It was quieter here and a blend of modern and traditional buildings can be seen at certain spots.

Deoksugung Palace, take the subway line 2 to City Hall

Autumn foliage at Deoksugung Palace

While wandering about the palace compound, we met several individuals with different, colourful traditional attire. They were actually preparing for the festival and as it was approaching 11 am, those people started to form a line, and those in yellow attire were seen with different musical instruments.

A parade for some kind of festival

No information on what kind of festival or parade they were having at this point of time

The youngsters and the oldies

It was time to leave Deoksugung Palace for Hwaseong Fortress. So we took the metro to Suwon which took around almost 1 hour from the City Hall station. The fair was KRW 1300. Each time

HWASEONG (SUWON) FORTRESS : UNESCO World Heritage Site


We arrived Suwon around 12.45 pm and we started to feel hungry. Before we proceed to the next point of attraction, we first had light snacks at Dunkin Donut, just to ensure we have the energy that lasts till the ned of the day.  We had donuts and churros for the afternoon and mineral water for re-hydration. There was free wifi internet access so I took the chance to update my current whereabouts through Facebook. After having light snacks, we first got to the information center to inquire some information about Suwon Fortress. I forgot how to get to the information center but the signage was sufficient and one should find it easily. Information leaflet and maps are available and we really need those maps.

We boarded the bus numbered 11 and we were supposed to get off at the Paldalmun stop but my buddy was being so 'clever' that we ended up walking for more almost a kilometer to get to the fortress. And by the way, the T-money was used in every single train journey we made around Seoul.

The Paldalmun is the south gate of this fortress, and sits in the middle of the roundabout of a busy street. It was the structure that I was so long to see but unfortunately, the gate is under conservation and reconstruction process.

There were so many structures at this fortress but I did not drop by every structures because it was quite hot and the sun ray was too strong.

This structure is called Bongdon, or the beacon tower. 

Changyongmun gate, or the East Gate

Dongbun Gonsimdon, or the North-East Observation Tower

After taking a glimpse at Bongdon, we passed-by houses where they seem to plant vegetables and fruits. The one that interested me most was the persimmon trees. I did not know how the tree looked like until I saw it here. The owner of the trees was outside the house when I was photographing the persimmons of the trees, and she went into her house, came out again with 3 persimmons on hand and passed it to me. Wowww!! I was not expecting free persimmons but I regard this as the rizq from Him.

Persimmon trees are everywhere and just at the backyards of the houses within the fortress

Young persimmons..I guess.

We rested at the visitors centre when we got off from the walkway at Changyongmun gate. There was archery for those who wish to try it with some payment. After resting our feet, it was time to return to Seoul.

Another boring 1 hour train journey  and we finally arrived the hotel, bathed and zzzzzzz.