Hi! My name is Cherylene!

I'm an adrenaline junkie - I bungee jump, scuba dive, and hunt for the world's most insane rollercoasters.
I'm exploring the world to feed an insatiable wanderlust, one city at a time.

Contact me at wandersugar@gmail.com

• We have moved!
• Petite France
• Sokcho: Korea's Sleepy Port Town
• Pray for MH370
• 2 Degree Ice Art Exhibition
• We're up on Ladyironchef.com!
• 5 Reasons Why You Should Travel in Your Own Country
• Conquering Seoraksan
• Shopping in Seoul
• Tosokchon & Gyeongbokgung

• Singapore
  
• South Korea
  ✈ Seoul
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We have moved! Check out our new site at wandersugar.com for our latest updates. :)

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Hello again!

So the rest of this post follows where we left off last time - Day 2 of Seoul. So much to do, so much to see, so little time! The rest of Day 2 was spent chilling, and having a stroll through more cultural streets. We did some shopping, but we go through less "commercial" shopping districts and instead explore more quirky and artsy spots.



SAMCHEONG-DONG

Samcheon-dong is less than 10 minutes away on foot from Gyeongbokgung, and it was a good place to rest our tired feet and quench our thirst with a nice warm cup of coffee.

I love this place. If I was a student and lived somewhere in the vicinity, this would be my hangout spot everyday. I love cafes - they're a great place for me to sit and be inspired, by the beautiful surroundings and the people around me. And Samcheong-dong has just that - plenty of cosy little cafes, and in many ways this neighbourhood reminds me of Hongdae. They're all not too crowded, but at the same time, buzzing with life and quiet chatter. It's a great place to sit, chill, and people watch.

We ended up at this quaint little place named Azabu Cafe. And what intrigued me about this place was its old Japan-style decor, with its low wooden beams and mahogany furniture. There's little lighting here - the cafe takes advantage of the plentiful sunlight that streams through its open doors and windows, and the skylight above the order counter and kitchen area.




Azabu is famous for its rendition of the Japanese taiyaki, or fish-shaped cake, which has a sweet red bean filling. I did try one, and it tastes pretty good! Not too sweet, and you can really taste the flavor of the red beans. I don't usually like azuki or red bean very much, but this was okay. It makes for a good snack, and good even for breakfast on the go.

Apparently they also serve Patbingsu, a Korean dessert compromising of ice shavings topped with red bean. It's sort of like the ice kachang of South Korea. Here at Azabu, it's also served with a little twist - you get a little fishy on top of your dessert!


I didn't try it personally, because I was freezing! But if I'm ever in Korea during summer, I'd definitely do as the Koreans do, and cool down with plenty of icy treats to tackle the heat.

There is a chain of Azabu cafes scattered across Seoul - you can check out the different outlets on their official website here.


Azabu Cafe (Samcheong-dong branch)
종로구 소격동 121번지(북촌로 5길 58) 
Jongro-gu, Songgyeokdong, 121 (Bukchon 5-gil 58)


Further down the street, you should see this little alley way. You can't miss it - it's teeming with people. Along this alleyway you'll find plenty of restaurants, snack stands and quirky little stores.







It's about a 20 minute stroll from Samcheong-dong to Insadong, but it's well worth it. Plenty of sights and sounds along the way to rouse your interests (and possibly your wallets!)



INSADONG


Oh of course, here's the famous Starbucks in Insadong - the first one in the world to have its logo printed in a native language and not English.

Apart from Starbucks though, there are plenty of unique stores and restaurants on Insadong, the art and culture street. Here are three places I went a little crazy at.


1.  O'SULLOC TEA HOUSE




I'd never heard of O'sulloc before I stepped into that store. But boy, did it impress me. You can smell it from the outside - the refreshing scent of green tea just rolls over over you in waves. And the moment I stepped in, there was a little crowd near the doorway. Apparently there were staff dishing out O'sulloc tea samples, so I tried some - and took some more. Lol. It's really good!

OSULLOC is a branded tea company that prides itself on natural green tea, grown and harvested on Jeju Island. They even have a whole museum dedicated to green tea over at Jeju!

They have a myriad of so many amazing flavors, and if you're a tea lover like me, you might will go a little mad here. Check out the picture below - that just shows a small portion of the tea flavors they have there. It's not very cheap, but it really is of extremely good quality - just try the samples at the door if you're not convinced. They even have a whole wall of stationery and paper for sale, which are either green-tea infused or made from green tea by-products.

I bought a few sets of the three-flavour packs, a couple boxes of Green Tea Latte (this is delicious and a must buy!!), a box of Wedding Green Tea (heavenly), Water+, some green tea cookies, and some notebooks made from green tea leaves. Yup, this was a big purchase right here.


That's me savouring my Wedding green tea while at work the week after the trip! Right there on the box it says this brew is made up of "starlit marigolds, lovely pink roses, and lucky cornflowers." How could you not buy something that's described so beautifully!? Plus it really smells wonderful too.


Sorry for the slightly blurred image, but if you look upstairs, there's actually a cafe too! It was pretty crowded, so we didn't manage to get a seat. The cakes however, are very affordable, and are priced at about 5,000 KRW on average (about 6 SGD / 4.50 USD.)


O'Sulloc Tea House (Insadong Branch)
170 Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

O'Sulloc Tea House (Myeongdong Branch)
47-1 Myeongdong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul


*Note: There are also branches in Apgujeong and Daehangno, but I've yet to visit these districts. For more info on how to get to those outlets, please visit O'sulloc's page on Visit Korea. 


2.  SSAMZIE-GIL MALL


쌈지길 Ssamzie-gil Shopping Complex
38 Gwanhun-dong, Insadong, Seoul


3.  GOGUNG



This one isn't really a separate landmark on Insadong. Gogung is actually a traditional Korean restaurant located in the basement of Ssamzie-gil mall. It looks really unassuming, like just another restaurant in a little corner... but the South Korean Metropolitan government has declared this small diner the Best Korean Restaurant in Seoul!

Even if you don't trust the government, we have backup - online reviewers actually claim it to be one of the best bibimbap spots in town. Just google it!

And yes, it was delicious.


Along with our side dishes comes this as well! You are probably wondering why I would even bother to post a picture of beansprout soup. Well firstly, because it was very refreshing... and secondly because this is what you always see in korean dramas. Those ahjummas cooking beansprout soup for her kids. You always see it in korean dramas. And this was my first time trying it, and it was good! It's light and you can really taste the sweetness of the sprouts.



We ordered quite a few things to share as a group. There was firstly, this rice vermicelli dish with mushrooms and vegetables - very yummy.

38 Gwanhun-dong, Insadong, Seoul



MYEONGDONG


Look, I love shopping - I love clothes, I love shoes, I love makeup, and I looove my bags. But I'm not thaaat much of a shopping person. My trips are 95% sightseeing, food and adventure, and 5% shopping (sorry - that means last minute souvenirs, guys.)

When you make an announcement that you're flying to Korea, the first response from most girls is "WAH SWEE buy me masks please!" And I did, for my friends, and very surprisingly also for myself.

Now I'm not a beauty products person - I've probably spent less than $100 bucks on any beauty related items (and this really needs to change. My skin is suffering.) I hardly use masks at home. Read: I'm lazy.

Shopping at Myeongdong is completely insane. It's sort of like Black Friday in a beauty store. Everything is on sale, pretty much. You get this impulsive urge to sweep all those masks off the shelf and into your basket. Even if you don't even know what it's made of or what it's for. Buy first, think later! And the reason why everyone says "please buy me some masks" is because they're frickin' cheap. Like seriously, 1000 KRW per mask. That's about 1 SGD. Per mask. Ohmahgawd.

I probably bought like 20 masks (and I think this would be considered a small quantity already by most girls), moisturizers, and a couple of other makeup products. I would have bought more, if not for the gaping hole in my wallet.

And okay, I did use my masks. ... Like maybe 2 of them.

Don't judge me! I will use them soon, alright?!



Directions


Just a recap on the route if you want to follow the same or a similar itinerary for the day.

1. Get off at Gyeongbokgung subway station, and make your way to street level via Exit 2.
2. From there, head straight until you can make a left turn. Tosokchon is just a few metres away.
3. Post-meal, head back to the main road, and cross to Jonggui-dong - there, make a right turn - you should see the Hyoja-ro entrance to the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds.
4. You should more or less make a round around the palace grounds, and once you see the museum, there's an entrance nearby that leads to Jongwade-ro. Turn left here, head north, and at the third alley you see, cross over to Samcheong-dong.
5. Head south, and once you see Anguk station, turn into Insadong-gil.
6. Once you're done exploring Insadong, the nearest subway station would be Jongno 3-ga station. Here, take the subway and head to Myeongdong!

Labels: Arts, Bibimbap, Culture, Food, Gogung, Green Tea, Myeongdong, Osulloc, Samcheongdong, Seoul, Shopping, South Korea, Ssamziegil, Travel

We have moved! Check out our new site at wandersugar.com for our latest updates. :)

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The first night I spent in my hostel was nice and warm and I had a really good sleep, after visiting so many places the day before. As mentioned before, this trip to Korea was the first trip I'd done, so alot of things I get excited or surprised about might seem a little... suaku.. but it's the little things that matter, right? :D

When you're in Korea during spring time, the nights are cold and you'll need a thick blanket. Even without aircon - that kinda blew my mind. Lol. Once again, at this point in April 2013, I had not experienced anything other than Singapore's weather before, so it was new to me!

Another one of those little things that surprised me was how insanely cold taking a shower would be. Like seriously, it was probably about 10 degrees in the mornings there, and it was so cold I would get chills. Just standing there in the shower would give me goosebumps. Lol.


The mornings are warm but nice and cool, so proper thermal wear would be handy. And I obviously didn't have that, which meant on several occasions I was freezing my butt off. In this picture I was wearing three layers (excluding underwear) and I still felt chilly. And do not wear thin leggings like I did - invest in some thick stockings.


Got my hazelnut latte from Ediya on the first floor of our hostel building. The toast is from further up the street - exit Backpackers', turn right on the main road, and just a few shops away you'll see a little toast shop on your right. There's usually a line in the mornings, but the service is pretty fast and the food is whipped up on the spot. You can't really see it here but this is a bacon and cheese toast. What did I tell ya? Breakfast for champions! Mmmm, bacon.

Our itinerary for our second day around Seoul was centered around one district, so for budget travellers, this will save you some money and time as there's lots to see in the area.

We made our way through Chebu-dong, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Samcheon-dong, Insadong, and then to Myeongdong. In this post, I'll focus on the first two.




I'll bring up this map in this post and the next, to show you how to follow the same route to go through all the attractions in one day.


TOSOKCHON SAMGYETANG



One of Chris's friends was taking us to a good place for lunch, and at that point I didn't know where I was going. I just followed the group lol. And just a short walk away from the subway station, we arrived to this place:


Toksokchon Samgyetang Restaurant! Tosokchon isn't on the main street, but in an alleyway, however it's not too hard to find and just a short distance from the train station.

I did some googling and apparently, this is one of the best rated samgyetang (Korean ginseng chicken) places around Seoul. And usually there's a really insane queue with a waiting time of at least half an hour. But thankfully, we got there early, around 11.30 am, and we got a seat right away!

And you really need to get there early to beat the queue - here's the amount of people already outside the entrance (queue starts inside) when we left the place, somewhere after noon:




The whole place is set in traditional Korean tatami style, which I really love. You take off your shoes outside your room, sit on the floor with the low tables. And the air flows in from the outside so everything just feels really fresh and healthy.


They served us some jars with cabbage kimchi and radish kimchi - I need to just reiterate how awesome the kimchi in Korea really is, compared to what you get in Singapore or elsewhere.

They also serve a little glass of ginseng wine or 인삼주. I took a little sip of it and boy does it pack a punch. It's really strong but there's a soothing after-effect. But then I was told you're actually supposed to put it into the ginseng chicken soup! It's supposed to enhance the flavor of the whole dish.


And the main stars of the show have arrived! This, my friends, is another gem of Korean cuisine. I'm sure many of you would have tried it, but this is the real deal. The broth is creamy, and it doesn't taste too herbal or too bland like some of the samgyetang I've tried before - this is just right, and jam packed with all the best flavors. Apparently it's boiled with 30 ingredients! I poured the wine into the soup too, and from what I remember the taste of the alcohol didn't overwhelm it at all. It just brings out the rest of the flavors of the soup really well. Thumbs up!

And the chicken is full of flavor too, and slides right off the bone really easily. And that chicken is stuffed with glutinous rice, so that bowl itself is one full meal. We had white rice on the side too, and I couldn't finish it because it was really quite a big serving for me. What a satisfying breakfast to start the day! :D

The meal cost about 15,000 KRW per pax, which is about 18 SGD / 14 USD. If you want to try Tosokchon the next time you're in Seoul (and you should), here's the directions on how to get there.

Look at the map above for a visual representation of the directions - get off the subway at Gyeongbokgung station exit 2, and once on street level, go straight until you can make a left turn. Turn left onto 자하문 로 5길 (Jahamun-ro 5-gil Road), and the restaurant is just a couple of metres up ahead.


토속홍 삼겨탕 (Tosokchon Samgyetang)
85-1 Jongno-gu, Chebu-dong, Seoul



GYEONGBOKGUNG PALACE

A short walk away from Tosokchon is the Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복공 / 景福宫), which roughly translates to and means 'Greatly Blessed Palace."




Apparently that's a map of historic places in Seoul, but I didn't notice it until I zoomed in on this picture on my computer. I was too busy looking up at the skies and trees - the weather was amazing that morning.


We got to one of the entrances of Gyeongbokgung Palace! From here I didn't think much of it, it just looked like a big park to me at this point. But believe me, further in lies great beauty!


A lovely trail with a gorgeous view. I just love how you can see mountains like that from a lot of places in Seoul. Brings nature so much closer (and back) to society... And the air here, inside this heritage park, is so fresh and cool.

Plus, my skin feels 10 times better and healthier in Korea! I really have no idea why - it doesn't feel dry or oily at all, and my pores feel really small and unclogged. And it's really good for me, because I am a lazy girl and hardly use any beauty products (though I should really start to) and the air there made my skin so much better!

Is it because the air there is fresher, or cleaner? Please let me know in the comments if you have an answer to this. I need to bottle some Korean air and bring it home the next time I go there lol.



As we got further inside, we saw a crowd gathered around the sand courtyard - there was a parade going on! There were more than a dozen men decked out in full Joseon era costumes (and beards), bearing colorful flags and marching in neat lines.




They're all really serious actors, and the costumes are really beautiful. Apparently this was a re-enactment of the opening and closing of the royal gates, and guard changing position ceremonies, and according to the Visit Korea website, the parade ended on Dec 31, 2013. I'm not too sure if it's still ongoing now, but we were lucky to witness it! You can read more about the parade here.

And I also think it's quite fascinating how a fragment of Korea's royal history is re-enacted with modern Korea as a backdrop. All those fancy buildings in the background serve as a testament to how much Korea has grown as a country. And yet at the same time, it has such a rich, strong history and culture that it works hard to preserve.


On another end of the sandy courtyard is where the ticket booths are. You have to buy a ticket to enter the palace grounds, and it costs 3,000 KRW per adult ticket. That's about 3.50 SGD / 3 USD, really affordable.

Once you have the tickets, these are the gates through which you enter.


Simply stunning, isn't it? This particular palace was built in 1395 - more than 6 centuries ago. It has been burnt, rebuilt, taken over, and rebuilt again several times over the centuries. It was even re-purposed by colonial Japanese, in attempts to instil Japanese values and eliminate symbols of Korean culture and heritage.

But the massive structure and grounds still stands today, and that, to me at least, serves as testament to how much this and all other historical sites in Korea really burn alive in the hearts of the people. While many of the structures within have withstood the test of time, in recent years the government has laid out restoration plans to preserve and rebuild this beautiful piece of its history - restorations are still ongoing and not fully complete.


Look at the amazing details on the roof... And there's nets over the carving - I assume this is to keep birds and small animals out to better preserve the structures.

Once you head in, you'll be greeted with rows of this:

Plenty of cherry blossom trees! OMG! And we thought we were looking at the end of spring - but no, we managed to catch some cherry blossoms right before spring faded away.

And I was so glad I managed to get a good macro shot of the flowers. The selfies didn't turn out so well though, haha.

Head through another gate, and you are greeted by another amazing sight.


Another courtyard - this one with bricked floors and a much more grandiose air about it. Turns out that building is 근전정 or Geunjeongjeon, the Imperial Throne Hall. Where the kings and queens sat, where they did business, watched parades, drank tea.. The Imperial Throne Hall was one of the few structures that survived the test of time - save for a touch-up here and there, what you see today is more or less what it was back then.

Within the courtyard, you can see stone tablets lined in two neat columns, along the left and right of the throne room.


These tablets were used as markers, back in the day, to indicate where officials were supposed to stand. And their locations on this courtyard were specified according to rank and file - the higher your rank, the closer to the throne room (and the royalty) you would be.




Past the throne room and its surround courtyard is a vast expanse of greenery and other small buildings of interest.


There were these cute girls walking around in hanboks, so we had to get a picture with them, right? :D I doubt they worked there though, they were probably just visiting as well.


Here's another one of the few structures that survived the test of time, and stand today in its original form - the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion. Guarded between a fortress of walls on one end, and surrounded by a beautiful body of water, this was the place the King used to throw feasts for visiting envoys or guests. And why wouldn't he, against such a beautiful backdrop?

It's kinda like the Marina Bay Sands of old Korea - the place you'd bring your foreign guests to if you want to impress the heck out of them. Lol.





Another pond, with a pavilion. This one is the Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, another highlight in the palace grounds as this is another one of the few surviving architectures. Just imagine a concubine waiting to the King at the foot of those stairs, with petals falling in the wind...


Fun fact! The imperial structures that have survived the centuries (the Geunjeongjeon Imperial Throne Hall, the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, and Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, among others) are officially recognized as National Treasures of Korea!


As you venture around the grounds, you'll see little walled up compounds, some with single roofed buildings within them - most likely the living spaces of people living on the palace grounds. Some of these compounds have descriptions outside - this one below was the living quarters for the King's concubines. Note though, that not all the compounds are accessible to public.




Inside a separate compound, stood dozens of clay jars. These I think were fermenting jars used to make kimchi.



Another little hut on the grounds - this one is a constructed display of the living quarters of rural folk in the Joseon dynasty.


They have plenty of such constructs, so you really learn quite abit and can sort of immerse yourself into what life was like six centuries ago.

And at some point you will come across this gigantic structure:


This is the National Folk Museum of Korea, and it is located within the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds. Here, you can learn more about Korean folk culture and lore, and the agricultural lifestyles of Koreans from centuries ago.

Unfortunately the stairs you see in the picture are not open to public - I wonder what the view would be from up on top.


A little resting spot nestled between the trees, in front of the museum. The girl in the white sweatshirt was catching petals in the wind. I wish my camera was good enough to have captured that moment!

Side note: by the way, these and all my 2013 travel photos were taken on my Samsung Note 2. So the resolution or dynamics might not be as great as a standalone camera/semi-pro/DSLR, but I do try my best!

Plenty of elderly folk, I notice, go for walks alone or with their SO/families in these parks. I guess over there they do try to live healthier lifestyles!


Plenty of these statues were lining the large walkway outside the museum. Again, I wonder if they were actually conserved from the Joseon dynasty...

So upon entering the museum, there are actually lots of things to check out. They have various exhibitions on display, all of which somehow tell stories of Korea's history.

Like this book - seeing how its ends are burnt, it was probably from before the palace burned and was left in ruins. It's fascinating that it's still kept so intact after hundreds of years.


In many of the photos above, you would probably have seen lots of tour groups... and couples. This is a great place to visit if you're touring Seoul with your significant other. Great for a picnic, or just a fresh, relaxing stroll. This place offers a compelling mix of history and nature, and is a must-see if ever you are in Seoul. And of course, the landscape changes with every season, so visiting this place during different times of the year will yield amazingly different photos and memories.

In my next post, I'll be journalling about more arts, culture, and shopping in Seoul - in Samcheon-dong, Insadong, and Myeongdong. And of course, more food too, lol!

안녕!

Labels: Culture, Food, Ginseng Chicken, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Historical Places, National Folk Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea, Tosokchon, Travel

We have moved! Check out our new site at wandersugar.com for our latest updates. :)

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Hello again!

So the rest of this post follows where we left off last time - Day 2 of Seoul. So much to do, so much to see, so little time! The rest of Day 2 was spent chilling, and having a stroll through more cultural streets. We did some shopping, but we go through less "commercial" shopping districts and instead explore more quirky and artsy spots.



SAMCHEONG-DONG

Samcheon-dong is less than 10 minutes away on foot from Gyeongbokgung, and it was a good place to rest our tired feet and quench our thirst with a nice warm cup of coffee.

I love this place. If I was a student and lived somewhere in the vicinity, this would be my hangout spot everyday. I love cafes - they're a great place for me to sit and be inspired, by the beautiful surroundings and the people around me. And Samcheong-dong has just that - plenty of cosy little cafes, and in many ways this neighbourhood reminds me of Hongdae. They're all not too crowded, but at the same time, buzzing with life and quiet chatter. It's a great place to sit, chill, and people watch.

We ended up at this quaint little place named Azabu Cafe. And what intrigued me about this place was its old Japan-style decor, with its low wooden beams and mahogany furniture. There's little lighting here - the cafe takes advantage of the plentiful sunlight that streams through its open doors and windows, and the skylight above the order counter and kitchen area.




Azabu is famous for its rendition of the Japanese taiyaki, or fish-shaped cake, which has a sweet red bean filling. I did try one, and it tastes pretty good! Not too sweet, and you can really taste the flavor of the red beans. I don't usually like azuki or red bean very much, but this was okay. It makes for a good snack, and good even for breakfast on the go.

Apparently they also serve Patbingsu, a Korean dessert compromising of ice shavings topped with red bean. It's sort of like the ice kachang of South Korea. Here at Azabu, it's also served with a little twist - you get a little fishy on top of your dessert!


I didn't try it personally, because I was freezing! But if I'm ever in Korea during summer, I'd definitely do as the Koreans do, and cool down with plenty of icy treats to tackle the heat.

There is a chain of Azabu cafes scattered across Seoul - you can check out the different outlets on their official website here.


Azabu Cafe (Samcheong-dong branch)
종로구 소격동 121번지(북촌로 5길 58) 
Jongro-gu, Songgyeokdong, 121 (Bukchon 5-gil 58)


Further down the street, you should see this little alley way. You can't miss it - it's teeming with people. Along this alleyway you'll find plenty of restaurants, snack stands and quirky little stores.







It's about a 20 minute stroll from Samcheong-dong to Insadong, but it's well worth it. Plenty of sights and sounds along the way to rouse your interests (and possibly your wallets!)



INSADONG


Oh of course, here's the famous Starbucks in Insadong - the first one in the world to have its logo printed in a native language and not English.

Apart from Starbucks though, there are plenty of unique stores and restaurants on Insadong, the art and culture street. Here are three places I went a little crazy at.


1.  O'SULLOC TEA HOUSE




I'd never heard of O'sulloc before I stepped into that store. But boy, did it impress me. You can smell it from the outside - the refreshing scent of green tea just rolls over over you in waves. And the moment I stepped in, there was a little crowd near the doorway. Apparently there were staff dishing out O'sulloc tea samples, so I tried some - and took some more. Lol. It's really good!

OSULLOC is a branded tea company that prides itself on natural green tea, grown and harvested on Jeju Island. They even have a whole museum dedicated to green tea over at Jeju!

They have a myriad of so many amazing flavors, and if you're a tea lover like me, you might will go a little mad here. Check out the picture below - that just shows a small portion of the tea flavors they have there. It's not very cheap, but it really is of extremely good quality - just try the samples at the door if you're not convinced. They even have a whole wall of stationery and paper for sale, which are either green-tea infused or made from green tea by-products.

I bought a few sets of the three-flavour packs, a couple boxes of Green Tea Latte (this is delicious and a must buy!!), a box of Wedding Green Tea (heavenly), Water+, some green tea cookies, and some notebooks made from green tea leaves. Yup, this was a big purchase right here.


That's me savouring my Wedding green tea while at work the week after the trip! Right there on the box it says this brew is made up of "starlit marigolds, lovely pink roses, and lucky cornflowers." How could you not buy something that's described so beautifully!? Plus it really smells wonderful too.


Sorry for the slightly blurred image, but if you look upstairs, there's actually a cafe too! It was pretty crowded, so we didn't manage to get a seat. The cakes however, are very affordable, and are priced at about 5,000 KRW on average (about 6 SGD / 4.50 USD.)


O'Sulloc Tea House (Insadong Branch)
170 Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

O'Sulloc Tea House (Myeongdong Branch)
47-1 Myeongdong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul


*Note: There are also branches in Apgujeong and Daehangno, but I've yet to visit these districts. For more info on how to get to those outlets, please visit O'sulloc's page on Visit Korea. 


2.  SSAMZIE-GIL MALL


쌈지길 Ssamzie-gil Shopping Complex
38 Gwanhun-dong, Insadong, Seoul


3.  GOGUNG



This one isn't really a separate landmark on Insadong. Gogung is actually a traditional Korean restaurant located in the basement of Ssamzie-gil mall. It looks really unassuming, like just another restaurant in a little corner... but the South Korean Metropolitan government has declared this small diner the Best Korean Restaurant in Seoul!

Even if you don't trust the government, we have backup - online reviewers actually claim it to be one of the best bibimbap spots in town. Just google it!

And yes, it was delicious.


Along with our side dishes comes this as well! You are probably wondering why I would even bother to post a picture of beansprout soup. Well firstly, because it was very refreshing... and secondly because this is what you always see in korean dramas. Those ahjummas cooking beansprout soup for her kids. You always see it in korean dramas. And this was my first time trying it, and it was good! It's light and you can really taste the sweetness of the sprouts.



We ordered quite a few things to share as a group. There was firstly, this rice vermicelli dish with mushrooms and vegetables - very yummy.

38 Gwanhun-dong, Insadong, Seoul



MYEONGDONG


Look, I love shopping - I love clothes, I love shoes, I love makeup, and I looove my bags. But I'm not thaaat much of a shopping person. My trips are 95% sightseeing, food and adventure, and 5% shopping (sorry - that means last minute souvenirs, guys.)

When you make an announcement that you're flying to Korea, the first response from most girls is "WAH SWEE buy me masks please!" And I did, for my friends, and very surprisingly also for myself.

Now I'm not a beauty products person - I've probably spent less than $100 bucks on any beauty related items (and this really needs to change. My skin is suffering.) I hardly use masks at home. Read: I'm lazy.

Shopping at Myeongdong is completely insane. It's sort of like Black Friday in a beauty store. Everything is on sale, pretty much. You get this impulsive urge to sweep all those masks off the shelf and into your basket. Even if you don't even know what it's made of or what it's for. Buy first, think later! And the reason why everyone says "please buy me some masks" is because they're frickin' cheap. Like seriously, 1000 KRW per mask. That's about 1 SGD. Per mask. Ohmahgawd.

I probably bought like 20 masks (and I think this would be considered a small quantity already by most girls), moisturizers, and a couple of other makeup products. I would have bought more, if not for the gaping hole in my wallet.

And okay, I did use my masks. ... Like maybe 2 of them.

Don't judge me! I will use them soon, alright?!



Directions


Just a recap on the route if you want to follow the same or a similar itinerary for the day.

1. Get off at Gyeongbokgung subway station, and make your way to street level via Exit 2.
2. From there, head straight until you can make a left turn. Tosokchon is just a few metres away.
3. Post-meal, head back to the main road, and cross to Jonggui-dong - there, make a right turn - you should see the Hyoja-ro entrance to the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds.
4. You should more or less make a round around the palace grounds, and once you see the museum, there's an entrance nearby that leads to Jongwade-ro. Turn left here, head north, and at the third alley you see, cross over to Samcheong-dong.
5. Head south, and once you see Anguk station, turn into Insadong-gil.
6. Once you're done exploring Insadong, the nearest subway station would be Jongno 3-ga station. Here, take the subway and head to Myeongdong!

Labels: Arts, Bibimbap, Culture, Food, Gogung, Green Tea, Myeongdong, Osulloc, Samcheongdong, Seoul, Shopping, South Korea, Ssamziegil, Travel

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The first night I spent in my hostel was nice and warm and I had a really good sleep, after visiting so many places the day before. As mentioned before, this trip to Korea was the first trip I'd done, so alot of things I get excited or surprised about might seem a little... suaku.. but it's the little things that matter, right? :D

When you're in Korea during spring time, the nights are cold and you'll need a thick blanket. Even without aircon - that kinda blew my mind. Lol. Once again, at this point in April 2013, I had not experienced anything other than Singapore's weather before, so it was new to me!

Another one of those little things that surprised me was how insanely cold taking a shower would be. Like seriously, it was probably about 10 degrees in the mornings there, and it was so cold I would get chills. Just standing there in the shower would give me goosebumps. Lol.


The mornings are warm but nice and cool, so proper thermal wear would be handy. And I obviously didn't have that, which meant on several occasions I was freezing my butt off. In this picture I was wearing three layers (excluding underwear) and I still felt chilly. And do not wear thin leggings like I did - invest in some thick stockings.


Got my hazelnut latte from Ediya on the first floor of our hostel building. The toast is from further up the street - exit Backpackers', turn right on the main road, and just a few shops away you'll see a little toast shop on your right. There's usually a line in the mornings, but the service is pretty fast and the food is whipped up on the spot. You can't really see it here but this is a bacon and cheese toast. What did I tell ya? Breakfast for champions! Mmmm, bacon.

Our itinerary for our second day around Seoul was centered around one district, so for budget travellers, this will save you some money and time as there's lots to see in the area.

We made our way through Chebu-dong, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Samcheon-dong, Insadong, and then to Myeongdong. In this post, I'll focus on the first two.




I'll bring up this map in this post and the next, to show you how to follow the same route to go through all the attractions in one day.


TOSOKCHON SAMGYETANG



One of Chris's friends was taking us to a good place for lunch, and at that point I didn't know where I was going. I just followed the group lol. And just a short walk away from the subway station, we arrived to this place:


Toksokchon Samgyetang Restaurant! Tosokchon isn't on the main street, but in an alleyway, however it's not too hard to find and just a short distance from the train station.

I did some googling and apparently, this is one of the best rated samgyetang (Korean ginseng chicken) places around Seoul. And usually there's a really insane queue with a waiting time of at least half an hour. But thankfully, we got there early, around 11.30 am, and we got a seat right away!

And you really need to get there early to beat the queue - here's the amount of people already outside the entrance (queue starts inside) when we left the place, somewhere after noon:




The whole place is set in traditional Korean tatami style, which I really love. You take off your shoes outside your room, sit on the floor with the low tables. And the air flows in from the outside so everything just feels really fresh and healthy.


They served us some jars with cabbage kimchi and radish kimchi - I need to just reiterate how awesome the kimchi in Korea really is, compared to what you get in Singapore or elsewhere.

They also serve a little glass of ginseng wine or 인삼주. I took a little sip of it and boy does it pack a punch. It's really strong but there's a soothing after-effect. But then I was told you're actually supposed to put it into the ginseng chicken soup! It's supposed to enhance the flavor of the whole dish.


And the main stars of the show have arrived! This, my friends, is another gem of Korean cuisine. I'm sure many of you would have tried it, but this is the real deal. The broth is creamy, and it doesn't taste too herbal or too bland like some of the samgyetang I've tried before - this is just right, and jam packed with all the best flavors. Apparently it's boiled with 30 ingredients! I poured the wine into the soup too, and from what I remember the taste of the alcohol didn't overwhelm it at all. It just brings out the rest of the flavors of the soup really well. Thumbs up!

And the chicken is full of flavor too, and slides right off the bone really easily. And that chicken is stuffed with glutinous rice, so that bowl itself is one full meal. We had white rice on the side too, and I couldn't finish it because it was really quite a big serving for me. What a satisfying breakfast to start the day! :D

The meal cost about 15,000 KRW per pax, which is about 18 SGD / 14 USD. If you want to try Tosokchon the next time you're in Seoul (and you should), here's the directions on how to get there.

Look at the map above for a visual representation of the directions - get off the subway at Gyeongbokgung station exit 2, and once on street level, go straight until you can make a left turn. Turn left onto 자하문 로 5길 (Jahamun-ro 5-gil Road), and the restaurant is just a couple of metres up ahead.


토속홍 삼겨탕 (Tosokchon Samgyetang)
85-1 Jongno-gu, Chebu-dong, Seoul



GYEONGBOKGUNG PALACE

A short walk away from Tosokchon is the Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복공 / 景福宫), which roughly translates to and means 'Greatly Blessed Palace."




Apparently that's a map of historic places in Seoul, but I didn't notice it until I zoomed in on this picture on my computer. I was too busy looking up at the skies and trees - the weather was amazing that morning.


We got to one of the entrances of Gyeongbokgung Palace! From here I didn't think much of it, it just looked like a big park to me at this point. But believe me, further in lies great beauty!


A lovely trail with a gorgeous view. I just love how you can see mountains like that from a lot of places in Seoul. Brings nature so much closer (and back) to society... And the air here, inside this heritage park, is so fresh and cool.

Plus, my skin feels 10 times better and healthier in Korea! I really have no idea why - it doesn't feel dry or oily at all, and my pores feel really small and unclogged. And it's really good for me, because I am a lazy girl and hardly use any beauty products (though I should really start to) and the air there made my skin so much better!

Is it because the air there is fresher, or cleaner? Please let me know in the comments if you have an answer to this. I need to bottle some Korean air and bring it home the next time I go there lol.



As we got further inside, we saw a crowd gathered around the sand courtyard - there was a parade going on! There were more than a dozen men decked out in full Joseon era costumes (and beards), bearing colorful flags and marching in neat lines.




They're all really serious actors, and the costumes are really beautiful. Apparently this was a re-enactment of the opening and closing of the royal gates, and guard changing position ceremonies, and according to the Visit Korea website, the parade ended on Dec 31, 2013. I'm not too sure if it's still ongoing now, but we were lucky to witness it! You can read more about the parade here.

And I also think it's quite fascinating how a fragment of Korea's royal history is re-enacted with modern Korea as a backdrop. All those fancy buildings in the background serve as a testament to how much Korea has grown as a country. And yet at the same time, it has such a rich, strong history and culture that it works hard to preserve.


On another end of the sandy courtyard is where the ticket booths are. You have to buy a ticket to enter the palace grounds, and it costs 3,000 KRW per adult ticket. That's about 3.50 SGD / 3 USD, really affordable.

Once you have the tickets, these are the gates through which you enter.


Simply stunning, isn't it? This particular palace was built in 1395 - more than 6 centuries ago. It has been burnt, rebuilt, taken over, and rebuilt again several times over the centuries. It was even re-purposed by colonial Japanese, in attempts to instil Japanese values and eliminate symbols of Korean culture and heritage.

But the massive structure and grounds still stands today, and that, to me at least, serves as testament to how much this and all other historical sites in Korea really burn alive in the hearts of the people. While many of the structures within have withstood the test of time, in recent years the government has laid out restoration plans to preserve and rebuild this beautiful piece of its history - restorations are still ongoing and not fully complete.


Look at the amazing details on the roof... And there's nets over the carving - I assume this is to keep birds and small animals out to better preserve the structures.

Once you head in, you'll be greeted with rows of this:

Plenty of cherry blossom trees! OMG! And we thought we were looking at the end of spring - but no, we managed to catch some cherry blossoms right before spring faded away.

And I was so glad I managed to get a good macro shot of the flowers. The selfies didn't turn out so well though, haha.

Head through another gate, and you are greeted by another amazing sight.


Another courtyard - this one with bricked floors and a much more grandiose air about it. Turns out that building is 근전정 or Geunjeongjeon, the Imperial Throne Hall. Where the kings and queens sat, where they did business, watched parades, drank tea.. The Imperial Throne Hall was one of the few structures that survived the test of time - save for a touch-up here and there, what you see today is more or less what it was back then.

Within the courtyard, you can see stone tablets lined in two neat columns, along the left and right of the throne room.


These tablets were used as markers, back in the day, to indicate where officials were supposed to stand. And their locations on this courtyard were specified according to rank and file - the higher your rank, the closer to the throne room (and the royalty) you would be.




Past the throne room and its surround courtyard is a vast expanse of greenery and other small buildings of interest.


There were these cute girls walking around in hanboks, so we had to get a picture with them, right? :D I doubt they worked there though, they were probably just visiting as well.


Here's another one of the few structures that survived the test of time, and stand today in its original form - the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion. Guarded between a fortress of walls on one end, and surrounded by a beautiful body of water, this was the place the King used to throw feasts for visiting envoys or guests. And why wouldn't he, against such a beautiful backdrop?

It's kinda like the Marina Bay Sands of old Korea - the place you'd bring your foreign guests to if you want to impress the heck out of them. Lol.





Another pond, with a pavilion. This one is the Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, another highlight in the palace grounds as this is another one of the few surviving architectures. Just imagine a concubine waiting to the King at the foot of those stairs, with petals falling in the wind...


Fun fact! The imperial structures that have survived the centuries (the Geunjeongjeon Imperial Throne Hall, the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, and Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, among others) are officially recognized as National Treasures of Korea!


As you venture around the grounds, you'll see little walled up compounds, some with single roofed buildings within them - most likely the living spaces of people living on the palace grounds. Some of these compounds have descriptions outside - this one below was the living quarters for the King's concubines. Note though, that not all the compounds are accessible to public.




Inside a separate compound, stood dozens of clay jars. These I think were fermenting jars used to make kimchi.



Another little hut on the grounds - this one is a constructed display of the living quarters of rural folk in the Joseon dynasty.


They have plenty of such constructs, so you really learn quite abit and can sort of immerse yourself into what life was like six centuries ago.

And at some point you will come across this gigantic structure:


This is the National Folk Museum of Korea, and it is located within the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds. Here, you can learn more about Korean folk culture and lore, and the agricultural lifestyles of Koreans from centuries ago.

Unfortunately the stairs you see in the picture are not open to public - I wonder what the view would be from up on top.


A little resting spot nestled between the trees, in front of the museum. The girl in the white sweatshirt was catching petals in the wind. I wish my camera was good enough to have captured that moment!

Side note: by the way, these and all my 2013 travel photos were taken on my Samsung Note 2. So the resolution or dynamics might not be as great as a standalone camera/semi-pro/DSLR, but I do try my best!

Plenty of elderly folk, I notice, go for walks alone or with their SO/families in these parks. I guess over there they do try to live healthier lifestyles!


Plenty of these statues were lining the large walkway outside the museum. Again, I wonder if they were actually conserved from the Joseon dynasty...

So upon entering the museum, there are actually lots of things to check out. They have various exhibitions on display, all of which somehow tell stories of Korea's history.

Like this book - seeing how its ends are burnt, it was probably from before the palace burned and was left in ruins. It's fascinating that it's still kept so intact after hundreds of years.


In many of the photos above, you would probably have seen lots of tour groups... and couples. This is a great place to visit if you're touring Seoul with your significant other. Great for a picnic, or just a fresh, relaxing stroll. This place offers a compelling mix of history and nature, and is a must-see if ever you are in Seoul. And of course, the landscape changes with every season, so visiting this place during different times of the year will yield amazingly different photos and memories.

In my next post, I'll be journalling about more arts, culture, and shopping in Seoul - in Samcheon-dong, Insadong, and Myeongdong. And of course, more food too, lol!

안녕!

Labels: Culture, Food, Ginseng Chicken, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Historical Places, National Folk Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea, Tosokchon, Travel

I'm with love with cities I've never been to and people I've never met - I crave to see the world and all its beauties and wonders. I'm an adventurer and explorer at heart, with wanderlust in my veins. And you know what? Adventures, getting lost in somewhere you've never been before... that is the best way to learn. So get out there.

And go find yourself.

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