So, Ive been meaning to write on a short trip I made with my fellow friends from my JAD program to Seoul, Korea back in November last year. It was a 4 days 3 nights trip, planned slightly a month before the departure. I was voicing out the plan to visit Korea since it's near to Japan and the flight doesnt really cost so much compared to other oversea destinations and for Malaysian, visa is not required. We planned to use other airline, but... guess what? AirAsia made an announcement saying they are extending their fleet to Korea just before we bought our ticket, and being AirAsia, there's always sale for their new fleet! ;) And we kinda got our tickets at a good deal since we were flying during public holidays, it was slightly expensive but still, CHEAP. hehehe..
First Day
Moving on to the trip we had.. We took a flight on Thursday at 2 pm from Narita Airport and reached Seoul Airport slightly around 5pm if I was not mistaken. And by we, I meant Me, Adni, Faiz, and KH.
Then we took the train and headed to the guest house, managed by Malaysian student community in Seoul which caters quite a big numbers of visitors for the past few years, and the of course the fees were also reasonable compared to other places. Once we touched down... my oh my... we were shock to have such a chilly weather! It was still 18-20 degrees in Tokyo, and Seoul was already having 5 degrees autumn at that time. It was freezing! haha.
Then... a surprise waited for us at the guesthouse. This mischievous friend of mine, Cerah, was waiting for us when we reached there! He joined us for the trip! (Well, Cerah was working, and residing in Fukuoka, while the rest of us are in Tokyo. He decided to join, making an alliance with KH behind our back to join the trip ;) )
First day ended with a dinner at an arab restaurant and a walk at the Itaewon street near our guesthouse.
2nd Day
The next morning we decided to go out early and head to Dongdaemun, complex filled with everything you can imagine related to textile and sewing stuff. I went C.R.A.Z.Y. hahahaha. Each and every floor cater different types of things. You can find almost every thing you can ever imagine. Cotton? Chiffon? Lace? Buttons? Zippers? Ribbon? The boys that were following us were baffled as to why me and Adni went crazy at the store. It was a textile heaven. aaaaahhh~ hahahaha.. and the price was quite reasonable since the place is meant for retail, not for small shoppers.
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| Brooch/Badges |
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| Cloth samples are cut and put on display for us to choose |
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| These are lace for the collar alone |
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| choosing the brooches. ;) |
The place at Namdaemun is similar to Petaling Street in Malaysia I guess. Filled with street hawker selling local cuisine, people haggling to sell their stuff, and many imitation handbags (oh well, we can always see this anywhere in Asia anyway)
Slightly after 6 or 7 (Im sorry, I cant remember) we headed to Myeongdong, another shopping spot in Seoul, Korea. But we were famished. >.< We decided to go to a restaurant that was recommended on a Japanese tourist book, "地球の歩き方" borrowed by Adni from her school library. And...... once we reached the restaurant, we realised that they serve only Blowfish, (ikan buntal, ふぐ) I was.... taken aback a little bit. Knowing I'd be dead in a few seconds if the fish is not cut properly. But seeing the other people having them with "oh-sooo-tasty" face.. I dug in, and start the feast! haha... It does taste good, no fishy smell or whatsoever, with a texture like the catfish, it sure taste good. ;) We have them smoked in front of us, eaten with rice, kimchi and other accompaniments (red beans, bean sprouts etc).
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| Blowfish smoked on grilled |
After having the sumptuous treat, we went to visit the LOTTE department store then went back since we were so tired and
3rd Day
Third day started with a walk at the Itaewon street to Baskin Robbins, divulging on ice cream and hot coffee while waiting for Cerah's high school friend/junior , Amir. Then we make our way to King Sejong Story.
"King Sejong, the 4th king of the Joseon Dynasty (1397-1450, reigning from 1418-1450) was responsible for some of the most brilliant achievements in the history of Korea, including the creation of Hangeul (Korean alphabet) and great advancements in the areas of science, culture, art and politics. The passage behind the Statue of King Sejong in Gwanghwamun Square is home to The Story of King Sejong Exhibition Hall, which describes some of the king’s most astounding contributions to the development of Korea as a nation. "
Cited from here.
The complex comprise of a hallway with a small 4D theatre that exhibits the war King Sejong once was in. The admission fee was FREE ;) You can also try your hand on Korean Hangul as well over here.
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| Us with our first try on Hangul |
We had our lunch after wandering around the complex then visited the Gyeongbok Palace, a 10 minutes walk from King Sejong Story. It is actually a Royal Palace, but was abandoned then later almost entirely destroyed by the Japanese during the 20th century. But at the moment, much of the palace was restored and rebuilt to preserve the national history and culture. You can try wearing Hangbok (the national costume of Korea) too.
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| Gyeonghoeru Pavilion a hall used to hold important and special state banquets during the Joseon Dynasty |
Next stop after the palace was Myeongdong, for another shopping trip. ;) hehehehe
The shopping district almost resemble Shibuya (without the scrambled crossing of course) in my opinion. We spent a good 3-4 hours browsing and looking out for souvenirs. And... the price was waaaaay cheaper compared to Japan (only slightly cheaper from Malaysia I guess). The hustle and bustle of this district was overwhelming, partly because the shops are quite close to each other and the road was filled with street hawker and small stalls. One tip, Learn to haggle, or you wont get the deal! Since Japanese Yen was quite high when we were there, some street vendors even accept Japanese Yen for their transaction, sometimes even cheaper than the price they quote in Korean Won.
At night, after dinner, we head back,... and TADAAA~ We had a post belated birthday celebration for Adni's 23rd birthday! hihihihi
Then... it was time to say gooodddd byeeeee to Korea.. We made our way to the airport and off we go to Narita, Tokyo...
That's all for now, I think I might write a little bit more on how I felt and what i thought of Korea as a whole next time. Till then.. good nighht.
tata!
4th Day
Time to go back home!! ;)
Before we head to the airport, we decided to have a taste of Halal Korean cuisine near Itaewon. It came to our surprise that Halal food is quite within reach in Korea compared to Japan. And finding halal food is definitely not a big problem in Korea. While waiting for our food to be prepared, the boys and Faiz's friend Luqman went to the mosque nearby the restaurant while me and Adni waited for our food to arrive.
Then... it was time to say gooodddd byeeeee to Korea.. We made our way to the airport and off we go to Narita, Tokyo...
That's all for now, I think I might write a little bit more on how I felt and what i thought of Korea as a whole next time. Till then.. good nighht.
tata!
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