Trip to Korea Part 2

Here goes.

Day 2 06.05.2008

The view from our sixth floor room

The 'zoomed' view from our sixth floor room

The morning at Saint Hiyan Hotel is very cooling. Something like being in Genting Highlands. So... our first breakfast is American Breakfast. Not the usual buffet breakfast that we usually have when we go out travelling with tour. American Breakfast is so... little but just enough actually. So, we arent too full or too hungry. Just right.

Our first destination for the day is Farm Herbnara. It is a place they planted all sorts of herbs as you can guessed from its name.

Felt so relaxing being in this green green place and the air is so cooling.

After the farm, we travelled for quite a distance to have lunch - Barbeque Pork. Yummy.


Ah! For each of our meal, we are seated four person per table. And we have four tables - 15 people. I do believe that my table always finished our food. There is always nothing left on our pot when we are done eating.

After lunch, we headed to Everland. It is an outdoor theme park... Quite big. Ah! As we were hanging around the entrance of the park, I heard people screaming and clapping their hands as if there is a celebrity nearby. Guess whom I saw? Andre Kim walking into the theme park. Yea, that old guy dressed in white. I know his hair is a bit odd. But he is famous, yo!

We used the cable car to go to the lower grounds of the theme park where most of the rides are. We went for the Safari Adventure to see the tigers, lions and bears.

The four of us went on a few more rides before I went on this ride with one of my Mum's friend (she is quite young although I am younger). Crazy? Actually, I rode it because of Goong. Haha.... :p
After such exhilirating ride, we left Everland for dinner. Bibimbap.

After dinner, we headed to Dongdaemun, Seoul's biggest shopping complexes area. We did a bit of shopping. Not much time as the Korean tour guide and the bus driver need to go home as well.

Day 3 07.05.2008

It is American Breakfast again for breakfast. According to the Korean tour guide, Korean usually have rice and jiggae aka soup for breakfast. But he doesnt think that we will want to eat rice for all of our meals. But there isnt any other alternative and... the hotel provide breakfast for us so... American Breakfast it is.

First stop for our Third Day is... Jewel in the Palace's shooting place. The place is actually meant to be deconstructed after the filming but because of the high rating, MBC opened the place to the public so that they can look at the filming places. Despite of looking tremendous huge, the shooting place is actually quite small. It is a wonder to see how the drama-maker filmed to make the place looks huge. They must have really cramped themselves in that place.

After the visit, we had lunch - Mushroom Hotpot. We had to sit in Korean style. Which is sitting on the floor. Ah! My favourite mushrooms!!
Then.... We had another long drive to the President's Blue House. It is President's House like American President's White House. South Korea's President gets to stay there for 5 years of his service as President. It was written in the itinerary that we will pass by the Blue House and it is true. We just passed by the Blue House. But we did stopped at the front of the Foreign Guest Welcoming House to take pictures. However, because it is afternoon, the sun is shining right above us and extremely warm... our visit there is quite short.

The Blue House - I captured the pic while on the bus & the other one is me in front of the monument outside of the Foreign Guest Welcoming House

After that, we went to visit the National Folk Museum which is at Gyeongbokgung aka Gyeongbok Palace. I left the tour group to use the free internet there while we were roaming in the museum.

After the Museum, we proceeded to visit the Gyeongbok Palace. It hasnt been fully restored to its former glory. But, I think it is good enough. The place actually looks very much like a Chinese Palace.

Ah! One funny memory from this place is that I took pic with three Japanese obasan who happened to be visiting the palace at that time. They are so sporting.


We left Gyeongbok Palace and headed to a Korea Buddhist Temple. Just about ten minutes there because nothing much to see. The we walked to Insadong Antique and Arts Street which is behind the Temple. It is a street that sells all sorts of Korean antiques and arts with loads of souvenirs of Korea and also some clothing shops. The things there are almost all the same despite of being a really long street so instead... Mum and I shared an ice cream and a bowl of tteokbokki while waiting for the others to shop. Ah! I also bought JWei's instant noodles at the nearby 7-Eleven.

Dinner for the night is Ginseng Chicken. Not bad, i must say.

After dinner, we retired to our hotel....and then, nine of us went walking to Dongdaemun for more shopping. We initially planned to take a taxi there but then decided to walk instead. Surprisingly, it only took us about 20 minutes to reach there. Our Korean tour guide said that it will take more than 30 minutes. He is wrong!

I bought some sort like a hoodie from this shopping excursion. Not sure how will i use though. Hehe... Will show it soon...