South Korea Day 4

Annyeong haseyo!

Sad to say that this is our last day in Korea, so sad :( I don't want to leave yet :(

Anyways, what can I do, time flies so fast. I will just be enjoying our last day! Aja Aja AJA!!! ^^

We start to packed our things before we sleep last night, so after breakfast we also check out and leave our luggage at the basement. The receptionist of Namsan Guesthouse 3 was so kind to even help us took our luggage inside the room.

I saw "SHINEE" poster on the board of the basement area that if you want that poster just ask the receptionist (and I did ^^), he handed me 2 SHINEE poster! I'm not a big fan of SHINEE but it's free, better grab it ~kekekeke~ MinHo is cute anyways ^^ and it's SHINEE ^^

SHINEE posters

Busy day again, we need to manage our time so that we wouldn't miss our flight ^^

We start our day on buying some pasalubongs and a bit of shopping at Myeong-dong and Namdaemun. Very convenient to us because these places were so near in our place.

NAMDAEMUN MARKET

We went here already on our first day, this place is like "Quiapo" for me, they sell bags, luggage, clothes, accessories, shoes (boots), food, etc. For the ladies, there are lots of accessories here, and it's really cheap. Clothes are more on winter thing, yeah because it is winter ^^ Trench coat here is around 10,000won - up. 

I bought a souvenir t-shirt here. The T-shit cost: three(3) pieces for 10,000won for grey or white t-shirt, two(2) pieces for black t-shirt for 10,000won. 

MYEONG-DONG

I LOVE Myeong-dong! There are lots of shops here!!! Time for shopping ^^

morning in Myeong-dong

Jang Geun Suk on Nature Republic ^^

Lee Seung Gi on Saem^^

for Kpop Lovers ^^

While roaming around I saw this # Coffee and saw the pictures of JoKwon and Gain couple of MBC We Got Married.

Adam couple^^

More shops...

Sandara of 2ne1 and MinHo of Shinee at Etude House

SPAO (EverySing)

Warning: This is another fan girling ^^ ~kekeke~

SPAO clothing was endorsed by SMent artist SUPER JUNIOR and SNSD (Girls Generation). A must visit for ELFs and SONEs ^^ This is LOVE for us ^^ 

HAE so handsome ^^

sexy hyukkie ^^

teukkie

gorgeous HAE ^^

Kyu & Hyuk

Yay~ I spam so much photos ^^

ELFs and SONEs do visit the 4th floor - EverySing, where you can buy SMent products ^^

SJ chocololates

this is HEAVEN ^_^

I love SPAO! ^^ I enjoyed touring the whole place ^^ happiness overload ^^ Oh I bought a jacket *cute*

Now back to reality, I almost forgot that we are here to shop some ^^ Hoard your cosmetics needs here at Myeong-dong , so cheap and there are lots of freebies.

We took our lunch here at McDonald's and then we go back to the guesthouse to leave some of our things, and go to our next destination. 

It is already past 2pm, where are we going?? Our flight is 9:30pm, we need to be at the airport at least 2 or 3 hours before our flight, but what are we doing, still touring?? Yeah right! ^^

KEYEAST ENTERTAINMENT

My travel buddy "Janet" really likes Kim Hyun Joong, she told me to put his agency in our itinerary. We were suppose to go here in the morning but we change plan and switch the schedule ^^ I only have the complete address of KeyEast that I found in the internet, so what I did was asked the receptionist of Namsan 3 (he's cute though ^^) on the directions. 

Directions: From Myeong-dong Station to Samseong Station

6F American Standard Bldg 110-1

Samseong-dong, Gangnam-go, Seoul 135-090

Popular actor Bae Yong Jun (Winter Sonata) and Kim Soo Hyun (Dream High 1 & The Moon That Embraces the Sun) is also under KeyEast Entertainment and Lee Na Young (Wild Romance)

KHJ

At around 3:30pm we were done touring KeyEast.When we were about to leave the building we met a Japanese fan of Kim Hyun Joong, she took this picture. ^^

We still have a little time, I really want to go at KONA BEANS, actually we were supposed to go at Lee MinHo's agency, but my love for SuJu is much stronger ^^ So I decided to go at KONA BEANS! ^^

KONA BEANS

So excited to see the place and I'm also nervous of the time, it runs so fast, can somebody stop it for a while? please ^^ 

Thanks again to my fellow ELFs who posted directions to KONA BEANS, it was such a big big BIG help ^^

Directions: From Samseong Station we get off at Seoul Nat'l Univ of Educ Station then transfer to line 3 (orange line) and get off to Apgujeong Station and exit #2 ^^ 

Now we walk along the main road, and as per direction we must see Hana Bank & Papa John's, and walk again up to cross junction, the we cross the road and walk past S-Oil Gas Station, then walk until we see Shinhan Bank, then turn right at the small junction and we see this billboard below at this small junction. Did you guys get it? ^^

billboard near Kona Beans

KONA BEANS is a coffee shop owned by the mothers of Super Junior "Leeteuk, Sungmin & Kyuhyun". We don't have much time so we only took some pictures and leave ^^ Another reason for me to go back to Korea, to dine here at Kona Beans, and maybe on my next visit I would be seeing my 3 dorky boys here ~kekekeke~ SMent building is also located here at Apgujeong, but we don't have time to go there, too bad, anyways I'll see you again Land of the Morning Calm ^^

Teuk, Minnie & Kyu

yipee I saw Sungmin Omma ^^

Best vacation ever!!! I'm so happy that I've been here, so much of fan girling, so happy!!! ^^ Even for a short moment that I've spent here at Kona Beans, I'm really so so so happy! seriously happy ^^

And so we were rushing back to the Guesthouse, and we think were going to be late on our flight^^

We arrived back to the guesthouse around 6pm, re-arranging/packing again our things, weighing it and my luggage is .80kgs overweight ^^

Now this is the ultimate challenge, our luggage going down the subway, it was so heavy and there is no escalor nor elevator. If you have a lot of time, better take the airport bus if you have a heavy luggage (like our luggage because it was winter).

From Myeong-dong Station we got to Seoul Station and transfer to AREX to go to Incheon Airport. We arrived around 8pm, do the check in, buy some foods, do the immigration and yes we made it just in time, after some minutes we were ready to board the plane.We were already sitting at the back, we came very late I guess ^^

What a day!!! It was a stressful yet an amazing day for me! I super love Korea! I wanna go back soon ^^

Now back to Manila at around 12am, another stressful day for us we went straight to the office, our shift is around 3am. I'm saving my vacation leave ^^ So many places to go ^^

WRAP UP

To wrap things up, SOUTH KOREA is my favorite country so far ^^ I love everything here! The people were so nice, I adore them for their kindness ^^ I want to live here ~kekekekeke~ seriously ^^

The weather is tolerable, if you're going to visit Korea during winter, be ready for some warming stuffs. Though it was so cold, I still enjoyed the weather, you wouldn't experience that kind of weather here in the Philippines, will never experience that winter fashion thingy ^^

About the food, that we did not explore much, another reason to go back in Korea, to experience their food. ^^ I'm kinda picky on foods, but will surely try next time I visit.

For me their subway is much more complicated, but you'll get use to it, always look at the signage. How I wish Philippines would have that kind of subway someday (that is impossible, tsk). And you can eat inside the subway, so different from Singapore huh ^^ and there is a roaming vendor inside too, it was something new for me.

Do they have "no horn blowing policy" too? Which is nice, I never heard any horn from vehicles in Korea, such a peaceful and quite place, love it ^^

Overall I really LOVE LOVE LOVE this country, of course the fan girling would be the number ONE reason ^^ I LOVE KOREA ^^ Hwaiting ^^

South Korea Day 1

Annyeong Haseyo!!!

Today is Sunday - February 12, 2012 now in Myeong-dong Seoul, South Korea!

We had our breakfast at the basement of the guesthouse, you can get the Ramen at the reception. The basement has two computers with internet, a telephone that you can use to call abroad (free for 5 minutes), there's coffee, bread and jams, there's a fridge, a stove, a microwave, oven, iron and water dispenser, and even weighing scale for your luggage.

The luggage area is also located at the basement, you can leave your luggage before you check in or after you check out the guesthouse.

Done with the breakfast, the adventure starts now!

T-Money

In our itinerary, we should buy the T-Money card at the airport but we forgot ^^ On our way to our first destination we saw a "Family Mart", we buy our T-money for 2,500won and charge/load of 10,000won.




Myeong-dong Cathedral

What a cold Sunday morning! Let's start the day with a prayer at "Myeong-dong Cathedral", just near in Namsan Guesthouse.

Directions: 

Myeong-dong Subway Station, Exit 8 or 5

Walk along Toegyero-gil St. for about 300m and turn right at the intersection

Walk along Myeongdong gil st. for 100m to the Catholic Center

Walk up along the center.

We ask a Korean on the street for the directions, she's so kind that even draw the way to the cathedral. 

They have English mass for 7:00 - 10:00am, we missed the English mass, no choice but to attend the Korean Mass. ^^

If you're into Korean Dramas, you know this place in the drama "He's Beautiful" or "Minamishineyo"  a scene was shot here near the cathedral.

Minam near Myeong-dong Cathedral

Namdaemun Market

This was not supposed to be the next stop, but due to cold weather we have to go here to buy some winter battle gears! ^^

I bought a beanie (10,000won), scarf (15,000won), earmuffs (5,000won) and gloves (2,000won), complete winter battle gears! Ready to fight the cold weather!

Bukchon Hanok Village

This next destination is for my oppa "Lee MinHo", Korean Drama "Personal Taste" or Kaeinui Chwihyang. "Sanggojae" located in Bukchon Hanok Village was one of the main filming location of this drama. We got lost finding this particular hanok, we came across to this American man who was also assisting some tourists, this man understand and can speak Korean very well, he ask the tourist assistant located in Bukchon (who knows English too), which we did not see the  first time we roam to that area. Finally after a twist and turn, we reach the "Sanggojae" or Park Gae In house in the drama. I was so happy to see it, I can imagine that Lee MinHo has been here in front of this hanok ^^ How I wish we can go inside ^^ but this is a private hanok and cannot be visited. So all we can do is take pictures outside this hanok, it is fun anyways ^^ (for the love of Lee MinHo - always a fan girl ^^)

Lee MinHo at Sanggojae

Direction:

Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 2

Go straight for about 300m to arrive at Bukchon Hanok Village

I love the Hanok Village, beautiful structures of traditional house! There are lots of tourist here, there are special spot/angle to take good photos here in Bukchon Hanok Village. It was so funny that we were taking pictures in front of someone's residential house ^^

Changdeokgung Palace

This next destination is one of the Four Palaces, it is near Bukchon Hanok Village. We paid 3,000won for the entrance ticket. A lot of "group tours" were here, you can see outside their Tour Bus. Changdeokgung Palace is a huge palace! I'm so amazed of it's architectures and designs, this Palace was so enchanting! I am currently watching the new Korean Drama "The Moon That Embraces The Sun", for me seeing a real palace is a great experience, imagine the King walk to that Palace!  The "Secret Garden" was also located in this Palace, but you need to be on a tour group in order to enter the garden.

did the KING sit here?

snow? 

After touring the palace, we go back to the guesthouse and take some rest, next destination is N Seoul Tower which is near to our guesthouse^^

N Seoul Tower

We can see the Tower already in our place (Namsan Guesthouse 3), if you are a Korean Drama addict (like me) you already seen this Tower several times in the Kdramas like "Boys Over Flower", "My Name is Kim Sam Soon", "Princess Hours", "Can't Lose" and more.

We ride the Namsan Cable Car that cost 8,000won for a round trip ticket. 

Reaching the N Seoul Tower with a very cold weather!. After taking some pics of the tower we buy tickets for the Observatory Deck and Teddy Bear Museum that cost 14,000won. 

Teddy Bear Museum

I want to visit this museum because of the Korean Drama "Princess Hours" but the museum that was shot in the drama was located in Jeju Island, but still I love this museum with lots of teddy bears, so cute!!! ^^

Observatory Deck

To view the beauty of Seoul visit the "Observatory Deck" of N Seoul Tower specially at night.

Beautiful Seoul

Love Message Block

Love Locks

After viewing the beauty of Seoul, we go down to see the Love locks, there are really lots of locks in there, as in lots!!!! 

N Seoul Tower is a must visit in Seoul, ride the Namsan cable car or a bus to get to this place. It was an amazing experiencing seeing this "TOWER", I've only seen this before on Korean Dramas, I remember the scene from "Boys Over Flower" when "Jun Pyo" waited for "Jan Di" here at N Seoul Tower and he was freezing!!! Now I was here, awwww so lovely place! I Love KOREA!!! ^^

Myeong-dong Shopping Area

Very near to our guesthouse is Myeong-dong shopping area, we will always be here (I guess), it's just few minutes away and there are really lots and lots of things that can be bought here from cosmetics, clothing's, foods, accessories, etc.

dukbokki (spicy)

That's it for Day 1, enjoying my stay here! ^_^