Day 2: Walking around Seoul

Day 2 Activities - Seoul, South Korea

1. Changdeokgung Palace 창덕궁 (昌德宮)
2. Samcheongdong 삼청동 (三淸洞)
3. Insadong 인사동 (仁寺洞)
4. Cheonggyecheon Stream 청계천 (淸溪川)
5. Myeongdong 명동 (明洞)

Let me preface this post by stating some of my preferences when selecting places to visit. I have seen more than my fair share of ancient buildings, palaces, and temples in China and Japan. I also live in Taiwan for more than half the year, so I am no stranger to street markets or street food. When traveling, I also prefer to walk around the neighborhoods to absorb the city's culture instead of going to museums. Therefore, while Seoul has a number of beautiful palaces, serene temples, interesting museums, and awesome night markets, I did not visit many of them on my trip. If you've never experienced these things before though, definitely check them out if you plan to visit Korea.

I kicked off my second day with an early breakfast at the hotel. Ibis Hotel has a breakfast buffet for 14,000 won. It's pretty pricey for the selection, but it's convenient. There are far better options just outside the hotel in the Myeongdong area, especially juk (rice porridge 죽). If you are a bread person, there are also 2 bakeries nearby in Myeongdong.

KB Bank and Ibis Hotel

After breakfast, I went to KB Bank (right next to the hotel) to exchange more money. If you recall from Day 1, I only exchanged enough money at the airport to buy my bus tickets in order to hold out for more favorable rates at places outside of the airport. The money exchange at the bank was fast and easy. The bankers will understand what you want even if you ask in English. I did end up get a better rate at the bank than at the airport, so I'm glad I waited until the next day to exchange my money. One thing I wish I did before I left the bank was to ask for smaller bills. 5,000 and 1,000 bills will come in handy, especially on taxi rides.

Something I wondered before heading out was whether or not I needed to take my passport with me. The hotel front desk said it would be best to carry my passport at all times while out in Seoul, so that's what I did. The upside is that you have a form of ID on you at all times, but the downside is that you need to be vigilant about your passport so you don't lose it. I didn't need my passport at all in Korea (except to check-in at the hotel and exchange money at the bank), so in hindsight, I would've probably locked it up in the hotel safe and called it a day.

I then took a taxi to Changdeokgung Palace. I was hoping for the hotel to call a cab for me (because cab drivers seem to be on their best behavior that way), but unfortunately, the hotel lobby on the first floor doesn't call taxis for you unless you need a jumbo taxi. You are on your own to hail a cab from the street. Make sure you grab your hotel's business card before you leave so you can find your way back!

Injeongjeon at Changdeokgung

Korea's Tourism Organization has a helpful page on the different kinds of taxis in Korea, but honestly, it's hard to tell them apart when you are trying to flag one down. I hailed a gray colored taxi, which according to that website is a regular taxi. When I got in the car, I busted out with:

Visiting Cheonggyecheon Stream in Seoul 청계천 (淸溪川)

As I mentioned before, Cheonggyecheon Stream 청계천 (淸溪川) is my favorite place in Seoul. Nothing beats the out-of-place serenity amidst such a busy city.

Cheonggyecheon Stream map

Cheonggyecheon starts at Cheonggye Plaza 청계광장 (淸溪廣場), near the Seoul Finance Center, and extends past Dongdaemun Market 동대문 (東大門). It's also within 15 minutes walking distance from Insadong 인사동 (仁寺洞) and Myeongdong 명동 (明洞).

Cheonggye Plaza

Cheonggye Plaza

Cheonggye Plaza

Visiting Insadong 인사동 (仁寺洞)

Insadong 인사동 (仁寺洞), located in the middle of Seoul, is a busy shopping street. Its main street, Insadong-gil, is flanked by shops selling things both old and new. Tourists and locals alike come here to experience the eclectic shopping, food, and sightseeing. Hidden in small alleys that branch out from the main street are numerous cafes, galleries, and traditional restaurants.

Map of Insadong by The Beetle Map

There are so many stores selling similar items that you can be easily overwhelmed. There are touristy things, souvenirs, clothes, accessories, ceramics, vases, toys, street snacks... you name it. If you want a map of Insadong or ever need any help, there are Tourist Information Centers like this dotted along the street:

Tourist Information Center in Insadong

As I walked down the length of Insadong, I found that most of the things being sold at the beginning of the street were sold at the end of the street as well. I didn't end up buying anything, but you can bargain with the sellers here.

Insadong in Seoul, South Korea

Accessory shops in Insadong

Shops in Insadong

Jirisan Restaurant 지리산 (智異山) Review

Jirisan Restaurant 지리산 (智異山) in Insadong 인사동 (仁寺洞) is known for its good, traditional Korean food. It got lots of good reviews on blogs and on wingbus, so before I left for Korea, I made my mind to dine here.

However, it can be a little confusing to find. As you enter Insadong-gil, walk down a bit and look to your left for this street sign. You can see Jirisan at the bottom right corner.

Insadong street sign

Follow the sign and walk down the narrow alley. It will look something like this:

Walking through Insadong alleys to Jirisan

Walk all the way down and if you see this sign, you are on the right path:

Jirisan Restaurant sign

Make a left and you should see Jirisan Restaurant on your right. Getting closer!

Jirisan Restaurant

The outside of Jirisan looks like a traditional wooden building. There is a huge menu on one of the walls and some trees in the yard.

Outside Jirisan

Changdeokgung 창덕궁 (昌德宮) Brochure

Here is the pamphlet I scanned, including a map of Changdeokgung (material owned by Korea's Tourism Organization):

20 Things to See at Changdeok Palace 창덕궁 (昌德宮)

Changdeokgung map

I'm just typing out the places to visit at Changdeokgung 창덕궁 (昌德宮) so it will be easier for you guys to see, especially if you are planning a self-guided tour. The above picture was scanned from a pamphlet I brought back with me after my visit to Korea.

20 Things to See at Changdeokgung:

1. Donhwamun 돈화문 (敦化門) - the main entrance gate to Changdeokgung
2. Injeong-jeon 인정전 (仁政殿) - where coronation and congratulatory ceremonies were held
3. Seonjeong-jeon 선정전 (宣政殿) - where the King met daily with his ministers, the one with the blue roof tiles
4. Huijeong-dang 희정당 (熙政堂) - also spelled Heejeongdang, this was a council room for the King
5. Daejojeon 대조전 (大造殿)  - the King's bedroom, where King Sunjong died
6. Seongjeong-gak 성정각 (宣政角) - court doctor's main area
7. Gwolnaegaksa 궐내각사 (闕內各司) - administrative building
8. Seonwon-jeon 선원전 (璿源殿) - shrine for former Kings' portraits
9. Nakseon-jae 낙선재 （靻鉏豏) and vicinity - a living place for royal concubines (on Fri, Sat, and Sun)
10. Sangnyang-jeong and vicinity - pavilions
11. Buyongji 부용지 (芙蓉池) and Juham-nu 규장각 (奎章閣) and vicinity - a rectangular pond and pavilion in the Biwon gardens; Juhamnu is a library (first floor stores books, second floor is a reading room)
12. Aeryeonji 애련지 (愛蓮池) and vicinity - a beautiful lotus flower pond and pavillion
13. Yeongyeong-dang 연경당 (演慶堂) - a building modeled after a gentleman's private residence
14. Jondeok-jeong 존덕정 (尊德亭) and Gwallamji 관람지 (觀纜池) and vicinity - a hexagonal shaped pavilion and a fan-shaped pavilion and pond
15. Ongnyucheon 옥류천 (玉流川) and vicinity -a stream in the inner most part of Changdeokgung
16. New Seonwon-jeon 새선원전 (璿源殿) - where former King's portraits were enshrined
17. Chinese scholar trees - Trees at the front entrance. Some of these are 300-400 years old. Scholars used to congregate here 
18. Juniper
19. Mulberry Tree
20. Chinese gooseberry tree

Visiting Changdeokgung Palace 창덕궁 (昌德宮)

I visited Changdeokgung 창덕궁 (昌德宮) on my second day in Seoul. The palace was a short taxi ride from my hotel, but check with your accommodations to see if they offer free shuttle rides to the historic sites in Seoul.

Changdeokgung map

Tickets cost 3,000 won and you buy them at the ticket booth towards the left. You can actually purchase a combination ticket for 10,000 won that grants you access to all the other palaces in Seoul: Changdeokgung (including the Secret Garden tour), Gyeongbokgung 경복궁 (景福宮), Changgyeonggung 창경궁 (昌慶宮), Deoksugung 덕수궁 (德壽宮), and Jongmyo Shrine 종묘 (宗廟). The closest places to Changdeokggung are Changgyeonggung (right next to it), Jongmyo Shrine (right below it), and Gyeongbokgung (to the left after passing through the Samcheongdong area). This combination ticket is a much better deal if you want to visit more than one palace. For me, one was enough.

If you visit Changdeokgung on a Thursday, you can roam around the palace grounds by yourself. Any other day and you have to join guided tours to get in. These tours are available in English, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese at different times of the day and last around 1 hour and 20 minutes. Changdeokgung is also known for its beautiful Biwon Secret Gardens 비원 (秘院), which you can only visit on special tours. Tickets to the Secret Gardens are sold separately for 5,000 won, but the Biwon tour is included if you purchase the combination ticket described above. However, this tour is two hours long, so I opted not to take it as I had a full day planned ahead.

I liked wandering around Changdeokgung on my own. You might think that you'll miss out on someone explaining everything to you in detail on the guided tours, but as long as you grab a brochure at the entrance, you'll pretty much know what you're looking at. It was nice to be able to walk around freely or sit down whenever I felt like it.

Inside Changdeokgung

It wasn't crowded when I went, but there were lots of kids on field trips with their classes. If you need to use the restrooms (which were clean and stocked with toilet paper), go before the kids or you will be in for a long wait!

Korean student at Changdeokgung

The Second Best in Seoul 서울서 둘째로 잘하는집 Review

My travel guidebook could not stop raving about this must-eat place, so I decided I had to give it a try. The Second Best in Seoul (Seoureseo Duljjaero Jalhaneunjip 서울서 둘째로 잘하는집) is known for its velvety patjuk (red bean soup 팥죽 紅豆粥).

After walking around Samcheongdong, I arrived at this little hole in the wall place. It looked small on the outside and felt even smaller on the inside.

The Second Best in Seoul

The owner speaks Chinese, which came in handy when I ordered some patjuk and shigye (cold sweet rice drink 식혜). Unfortunately, they did not live up to the hype.

Shigye (left) and Patjuk (right)

Patjuk at The Second Best in Seoul

They came in small bowls and cost 9500 won total. The patjuk was topped with cinnamon, chestnuts, and moji. It had a nice texture, but the red bean juk itself was too sweet. As far as the shigye goes, I have nothing good to say about it. It tasted light, but it was not what I was expecting at all. I don't think I will be visiting this place a second time nor do I think it lives up to its name as the "second best" in Seoul. The patjuk definitely isn't worth a making a special trip to try, but other people must love it because I wasn't the only customer at the restaurant and it got some good reviews at wingbus.

For more information if you're interested: 

The Second Best in Seoul (Seoureseo Duljjaero Jalhaneunjip 서울서 둘째로 잘하는집)
Address: South Korea Seoul Jongno-gu Samcheong-dong 28-21 서울시 종로구 삼청동 28-21
Telephone: 02-734-5302
Hours: 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Budget: < 10,000 won
Top Menu Items: patjuk (red bean porridge 단팥죽) 5,500 won; shigye (sweet rice drink 식혜) 4,000 won
Directions: Go out of Exit 1 of Anguk Station (Line 3). Take a taxi to KBI (KOREA BANKING INSTITUTE). It usually costs only the basic fare of 3000 won, but it could vary if there is traffic. Alternatively, you can walk for 30 minutes from Anguk Station.

Day 1: Arrival in Seoul, South Korea

Ever since I watched Full House, I've wanted to visit South Korea. Not to stalk Rain or anything, but just to understand what things are like over there. I had been planning this trip for a few years, but never found the right time to go until now. Even though I was still pretty swamped with work, there was no way I was putting this off again because the more I put it off, the less likely it would happen. So, join me as I finally visit my dream country and take you through my Korean adventures in these upcoming posts.

Day 1 Activities - Seoul, South Korea:

1. Fly to Incheon Airport
2. Exchange money 
3. Rent cell phone
4. Take limousine bus to hotel
5. Explore what's nearby
6. Sleep early

As you can see from the above list of activities, my first day, or should say I night, in Seoul was not the most interesting.

There are two main airports in South Korea, Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport. Incheon is the newer one of the two, but also the one that is further away from the heart of Seoul. Most international flights tend to go through Incheon, while domestic flights take off at Gimpo.

I flew to Korea from Taiwan, arriving at Incheon Airport. Since there is only a one hour time difference between Korea and Taiwan, I did not have to battle any sort of jet lag.

Checking in at Kaohsiung International Airport

8 Days in South Korea

It's been a month since I returned from my trip to South Korea and I just now finished uploading all the pictures I took. I spent 4 and a half days in Seoul, 2 and a half days at Seoraksan National Park, and then one more day in Seoul before flying home.

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4
• Day 5
• Day 6
• Day 7
• Day 8

Overall, I had a really great time. Since this trip was just a cursory introduction to South Korean life, I definitely plan to visit it again in the future. I brought back lots of maps and brochures to share with you guys, so check back in the next few days as I update with more detailed posts.

For now, here are my 7 general reflections of South Korea (mainly Seoul):

1. Traffic is really bad. Seriously, if you plan on driving or taking the taxi, prepare yourself to be stuck in the car for longer than expected. Traffic is especially bad near the Myeongdong area and it seemed to be like that for the whole day, rush hour or not. So even though basic taxi fare is cheap (compared to Japan, Taiwan, and China in my experience), if you are going to use taxis for the majority of your transportation, remember to factor in bumper to bumper time.
2. You don't have to know how to speak Korean to travel by yourself in Korea. If you plan to be in Seoul, you don't really need to know much Korean, as long as you know English. Of course it will help a lot to know some Korean phrases, but Seoul is very westernized and most signs are in both English and Korean. I do think it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with basic Hangul, that way you can at least read Korean even if you don't know what it means. It'll make it easier to spot shops when their names aren't written in English. Even if the shopkeeper doesn't speak any English, chances are someone nearby will know how to speak it. Just ask around. I'm sure you will be able to find a willing translator. Most shops and restaurants, especially in the touristy areas, can handle basic phrases though. And if no one knows how to speak English, there are a bunch of very convenient, helpful, and free Tourist Information booths scattered around the city. However, when I went to Seoraksan in Sokcho, barely anyone knew any English. So if you are venturing to less urbanized areas, a Korean phrasebook will be your best friend. I actually had my friend send me some handy Korean phrases to print out and show to bus drivers, ticket booths, etc to make sure I was going the right way.
3. Things in Korea cost more than you think, especially fruit. Before I went to Korea, I was under the impression that everything there would be cheap. Cheap clothes (as in around $10-$20), cheap souvenirs, and cheap food (as in around $1-$3)! But, alas, that was not the case. I'm sure you can find really inexpensive things, like near the universities, but the trade off is poorer quality. I'd rather pay a bit more for clothes that will last longer or for food that is prepared in a more sanitary environment than save a few bucks. Then again, maybe I didn't go to the local watering holes. Or maybe I am just picky? Expensive or cheap is relative though... We'll see when I visit next year and do more exploring!
4. Shopping is absolutely overwhelming. If you are a woman (or love to shop), you will be in heaven. If you are a man (or hate to shop), you will be in hell. For me, I was in heaven. My eyes lit up at all the trendy styles and rhinestone encrusted accessories. Then 30 minutes later, the huge crowds and overwhelming amount of selection gave me a headache and sent me straight to hell. The thing is, if you are visiting Korea for the first time, your time will be split between sightseeing and shopping. You can't do everything at once and shopping will for sure take a few hours. If you do plan to go shopping, make sure you decide which places you want to shop at before you go. You don't have to hit all the department stores or all the shopping areas. More often than not, they will have the same stores. Dongdaemun market is the best for the most "a little bit of everything" shopping. Also, it's a good idea to make a list of potential things you want to buy, so you don't waste your shopping time doing a whole lot of aimless wandering.
5. Food tasted pretty similar everywhere in Korea. I was expecting food in Korea to be really good since, in Korea, bulgogi has got to be more authentic than the bulgogi at the Korean restaurant I frequent in Houston right? Well, either that restaurant serves some really authentic food to begin with or my expectations were just too high. Don't get me wrong. I love Korean food and found food in Korea to be absolutely delicious. It just didn't blow me away like I thought it would. Take Gogung Restaurant, for example. Gogung in Seoul is famous for their Jeongju bibimbap, but honestly, I thought it tasted more or less the same as the bibimbap I had at other places. I actually think the dolsot bibimbap in Taiwan tasted better than the dolsot bibimbap in Korea. Maybe because Taiwanese food focuses on more intense flavors? Or it could be that Taiwanese food is always served hot (temperature-wise), while food in Korea was often just warm. For me, hot food tends to take mediocre food to the next level and since it was kind of chilly when I visited in October, hot food and hot soup would have made my belly much happier. Kimchi, however, is hands-down the best in Korea.
6. You won't be running into any celebrities. My dream of meeting Rain, him doing a double take and then instantly falling in love with me, unfortunately, did not come true. Unless you mean billboard ads, you will be hard-pressed to run into any Korean celebrities, even though they all live in Seoul. I read online that the best place to meet Hallyu stars was at the Apgujeong and Gangnam area, but I didn't spot anyone famous there. Not that I was doing any stalking or anything... Alternatively, you can wait outside recording studios like KBS or entertainment companies like SM, but it seems like there'd be better things to do while you're in Korea than wait for a K-pop star to maybe or maybe not show up. If you can't meet them in person, at the very least, you can get your fill by buying their photo books, picture cards, and other memorabilia. SM Entertainment has a whole store in Myeongdong devoted to promoting Girls' Generation, Super Junior, and SHINee!  
   
7. Seoul is very East meets West. It's an indescribable feeling to be sandwiched simultaneously between two cultures and two time periods: East meets West and Old meets New. I really liked how in Korea, there would be a huge row of skyscrapers and then nestled in between them would be an old temple or something. Or how some places would add cheese to their tteokbokki or kimchi to their pizza. It's also interesting to see Asian architecture and Asian statues dotted around such a modern city. I don't think you can find any other place that is as unique in this aspect as Seoul. Since I grew up in the States and now travel back and forth between the States and Asia for work, it was especially surreal to experience such a collision of cultures and time periods.