South Korea Trip - Day 2

We checked out of our first hotel on our second day in South Korea. After breakfast, we stepped out into a very cold day. Our first stop was to see a part of the Hwaseong Fortress. This was built from 1794 to 1796 by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty to house and honour the remains of this father. The site was designated as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1997. 

Since there were a lot of people having their photos taken at the other part, we ran to the part where the cherry blossom trees were and took as many photos as we can. 

When everybody left to move on to the other parts of the fortress, we ran back to where they were before and voila, we had the place to ourselves.

The place was very cold but it did not stop us from taking photos and savoring the moment. 

We also had a chance to see and take a photo with a Korean Guard who also gladly posed for us.

Next, we traveled a few minutes towards our next destination. Along the way, I saw a lot of cherry blossoms along the road. It was so lovely even if they were only dotting the road. What more if most trees are cherry blossoms then it would appear as a white forest!

Our next stop was Kimchi making. 

Our meals were never complete without the Kimchi as a side dish. We were all excited to know how to make one. It was quite easy as the teacher was very enthusiastic and the ingredients were already prepared for us. 

Our next activity was Hanbok wearing. It was so easy to put on to. All of us were excited to wear one and have our photos taken.

We didn't knew it but it was already then time for lunch. I think this time we had Kalbi, a meat dish made from beef short ribs. 

Our next stop was at Everland Themepark. This is located at the Everland Resort in Yongin, a city in Gyeonggi-do province, South Korea. It is South Korea's largest theme park. 

Before we lose ourselves in this big wonderful place, we had to have an obligatory group photo. 

Here are my snapshots of Everland. 

This is the Double Rock Spin ride. Just looking at the ride makes me dizzy. The cute thing we observed while watching the ride is that the staff in-charge performs or dances while the people are being swirled around. He was very entertaining although most eyes are fixed on the riders.

Since we have limited time and walking is such an effort, we had to do the cable ride to get to the other part of the park. 

It was picturesque anywhere. The mountain was almost all white because of the cherry blossoms. 

We were on our way to ride the T Express. While lining up, we saw the blueprint of the ride being displayed. The queue was very long. It took us almost an hour!

I survived and experienced the steepest ride in the world with a top speed of 104km per hour at a 77 degree angle.  Amazing!

There was so much to explore at quite a short time. So we hurried up and went to the other areas.

Everland was having Tulip Festival during that time. This explained the many flowers being displayed nearly everywhere.

I saw these cute kids walking along and holding their buddy's hands. Maybe they had a field trip to this happy place.

After all the activities, we had hotpot for dinner. 

Interesting as it is, these mushrooms were cut at their stems and directly to the pot.

A cute garden idea that I got from the restaurant. 

Another wonderful day spent in South Korea. Can't wait to write about the following days. Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

My Happiest Memory in Seoul

I've always admired and wished to come to South Korea. This dream came true when a company offered for us hospital employees to have a 4 day tour. We diligently prepared our papers to apply for a Korean Visa and it was a great moment when we received it.

Aside from stepping into Korean soil, my happiest memory in Seoul was when we went to Gyeongbokgung Palace. The buildings inside this palace complex were beautifully maintained. I felt like being in a beautiful movie maybe because I can see that traditional Korean architecture reflected all around me. I particularly liked that there were a lot of people wearing Hanbok and they were a lovely sight. I especially loved this part of the palace because of the serene lake and Bugaksan Mountain as the stunning backdrop. Some Cherry Blossom petals would fall periodically because of the wind and it adds to that magical experience. Truly one of the most memorable trips I had. Hopefully I can come back and explore more of Seoul soon :-)

South Korea Trip - Day 1

With my mantra of better late than never, I now have the time to blog about our trip to South Korea last 7-11 April. I felt very happy and relieved while browsing thru the photos. So, here goes..

We arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 8am but because there were a lot of arrivals in the immigration, we were able to go out of the airport at around 10am.

The cold air was what surprised us the moment we stepped out from the airport. For someone who has lived in the Philippines and Thailand, boy was it cold to the bones! I began to think if my outfit can still keep me alive until the end of the day :-D.

The drive out of Incheon International Airport was lovely. It was that time of the year when Cherry Blossoms are forecasted to bloom. I was staring so wide eyed onto the streets to take in the view as much as I can.

Our guides at Ocean Holiday Travel Co. decided that we would have lunch first instead of following the supposed activity. It made sense since it was almost lunch time. We originally thought that we had to pay for our meals but it was such a relief to know that it was part of the tour fee. 

This was our first meal at South Korea. It was good to eat warm food in the cold weather. The guides helped to serve the dishes and showed us what to mix with what. They always made sure that every guest is attended before they eat.

Our first stop after lunch was Provence Village in Paju. I'm not quite into Korean movies and drama series but they said one famous series was shot here. It is a themed village with restaurants, galleries and cafes. I guess it's more pleasant here at night. 

Just had to take a photo under this beautiful cherry blossom tree before exploring more of the village.

This is the Fashion Gallery part of the village wherein shops are selling clothes, accessories and interior design items.

Our next stop was the Paju Premium Outlet. We were given ample time to browse and shop. The place is famous for their super affordable New Balance outlet as well as other famous brands.

We had about one hour travel to our next destination. I was able to catch up some sleep and see the wide roads and tall buildings of this part of South Korea.

Our next stop was Nami Island. There are 2 ways on how to reach the island. One is thru zipwire and the other by ferry. As we were a big group, we boarded the ferry. 

Nami Island is a half moon shaped island and a very picturesque place. It is especially famous for being the location of a very well known Korean drama. We were greeted with awesome views. One can choose to walk or rent a bicycle to see the whole place.

We spent the most time at the cherry blossom footpath. Though some trees didn't flower yet, it was still a lovely sight.

It was such a beautiful place and we wanted to see more of it for a longer time but we had to catch our ferry back. We had to maximize our time and instead of walking towards a beautiful spot, we ran towards it :-)

Back to the wharf. See you again soon, Nami Island. It was such a short yet sweet time. 

Our last stop for the day was at a restaurant serving Dak Galbi for dinner. It was such a relief to come into restaurants or establishments because after getting off the bus, it was so cold outside. Eating something hot is heavenly!

I remembered I ate a lot during this dinner. It was delicious and very satisfying. 

After dinner, we were then checked into our hotel for the night. We were busy right away even if it was still the first day but nobody complained because we love South Korea! This ends our first day adventure. Thank you and 'til next blog ! :-)