MY JOURNEY: SOUTH KOREA PART 2 - SEOUL & NAMI ISLAND

DAY 5 - ARRIVE SE0UL
We arrive Gimpo airport around 8.30 pm. When we arrive Gimpo airport, i never expect that it was very....very cold, it's more cooler then Jeju Island, there are snow all over the place. Before we came, we saw the news that Seoul is snowing, many roads was closed.

We will be staying in 2C House it's located near Dongdaenum history and cultural Station. We are accustomed to use the train, so it was not a problem for us to find the entrance and the exit.

wwooouuu!!!!!...... when we coming out from
the station, frozen snow every way, need to be very
careful when you walk as it is really slippery specially on the frozen snow. I heard my friend recently injured and broke his leg because he walk on the snow ice, so he slide and hitting his back too. So i told my daughter not to walk on the ice snow, its better just walk on the snow.

This what im trying to tell you. Both of us excited when saw all the snow lying side by side of the road. It's freezing outside. When we arrive, the owner was waiting for us. oohhhh..... it's really nice to walk in...warm.... we put all our things and asking him where we can find food.

After having simple dinner, we heading back to our hostel. We sleep early as tomorrow will be a new day for us in Seoul.

This is Our Hostel where we stay.

DAY 6 - YONGPYONG SKI CENTRE
As usual i will prepay our breakfast before we leave. after we finish we start to leave the guesthouse. Ohh.....it is cold out side and more snow every way.

we have to catch the train before going by bus to
Yongpyong Ski area. it took about 1 hours to arrive at the ski area. So we will spending 1 full day here at Yongpyong Ski Area. since we are not plying ski, nothing much to do just enjoying the view and the white snow.

Playing with the snow is really nice experience but the thing that is not good is your glove will be wet then your hand will be very cold. After we had enough playing with the snow, we decide to go up the hill and enjoy the view from above.

There is a cable car that is going up, its took about few minute to arrive the top. Its really interesting i enjoy the ride but poor my daughter, she is afraid of height, so she dont talk much and she cry when it's getting higher and higher.

Yongpyong Resort, located on the ridge of Mt.Balwangsan, is the first domestic ski resort opening in 1975. With average 250cm of snow each year you can enjoy skiing from November until April of the following year. Compared to other ski resorts, ski season is considerably longer. It is 215km from Seoul, and with the construction of a 4-lane highway, the travel time has been shortened to 2 hours. When ski season finishes, you can enjoy golf from April to November as well.
This is where the 1998 World Cup Ski Competition and the 1999 Gangwon Winter Asian Games were held. The Rainbow Red*Silver*Gold slopes have been authorized by the International Ski Federation (ISF). Also there are slopes for beginners such as the Yellow Run and the Pink Run, and the new Red Run and Green Run for intermediates. There are 18 slopes and 15 lifts in total, with a 3.7km long gondola which can accommodate 8 people at once. There are other convenient indoor facilities such as the swimming pool and sauna, and within the complex there is a sledding hill, indoor golf course with a capacity of 6 holes, survival game park and the indoor mountain bike path. There are also the forest bath walk, archery, crocket, tennis courts and the campsites.

For accommodation there are hotels, condos, youth hostels which add up to 1,087 rooms available in total. There are many tourist sites such as the Mt.Odaesan National Park and the Daegwangryeong Ranch. During ski season, shuttle buses and the direct buses operate from metropolitan areas around Korea.

---> Guess what she is thinking and doing ???????? Oh!! poor thing, she is crying because afraid of height

Stop by at the station on the hill top, amazing view,peaceful, calm and divine. Below is Slot of Winter Sonata, the same Gandola that we are using for going up to the Hill top.

She can't control her self playing the snow, like small girl.

At last she feel happy when reach the top

It really incredible when winter!... all of the tree only left the branch and look so beautiful with the snow hanging on the branch with white snow, some pine tree still have a little leaf and during summer you can see all of the tree have leafs and flowers.

I love to see 3 of this picture with all the snow hanging on the tree, the picture captivating.

Just for information Famous Korean Movie Winter Sonata was made the shooting here too.

Again we come down and we saw all of this trainer, their job is to teach who ever interested to learn ski. So if you want to learn ski.... its not problem just pay for the lesson, the free included ski equipment. Before they start teaching, they need to gather and hear the explanation will be presented by their head and maybe who will teach who according by the list of new beginner

If you are interested to learn sky, you can just register right away, age?..... No limit.

There are plenty of small kids that is still under learning, just like all of this group kids, they are having fun gather together.

This boy!... i think he is only 4 years old and he is one of the new beginner

It's getting more colder and windy, very hard to
breathe specially my daughter she really cannot stand the cold, i need to give my scarf to make her feel warm on her neck. She really hate the cold because she cannot stand it........eeeerrrrrr!!!!!!

Back ground of the ski side

It seem like there will be snow falling, i can feel it.

My daughter is hungry, so we just eat fish cake sup, they only sale fish cake taufu sup no others. Food always a problem for us when traveling overseas, that's why i need to cook in the morning and evening sometime.

There!!.... you see !.... look at the small white dot...i'm right, its really snow falling. Actually its raining but then it is over freeze temperature so its turn to snow just like fine cotton flying in the air.

Just want to feel what is the test like. Can you see the white dot?...It is magnificent and this is the first time i saw snow falling and i always dream that someday i will see this. At last!!!!!..... im so happy. But then you cant stay out side on the snow very long because you will be wet as the snow will be melt on your dress because of our body heat.

DAY 7
Today i have to go alone, fiffy my daughter is not feeling well, so she has to stay at home and i bought her some medicine to take, i think because of the cold weather.
So today i'm going to one very famous palace and it just in the middle of the city.... it's call "Gyeongbokgung".

Gyeongbokgung was built three years after the Joseon Dynasty was founded and it served as its main palace. With Mount Bugaksan backdrop and the Street of Six Ministries outside Gwanghwamun Gate main entrance to the palace, Gyeongbokgung was situated in the heart of the Korean capital city. It was steadily expanded before being reduced to ashes during the Japanese invasion of 1592. For the next 273 year the palace grounds were left derelict until being rebuilt in 1867. With 330 buildings crowded together in a labyrinthine configuration. Within the palace walls were the Outer Court, offices for the king and state officials, and the Inner Court, which included living quarters for the royal family as well as gardens for leisure. Within its extensive precincts were other palaces, large and small, including Junggung (the Queen`s residence) and Donggung (the Crown prince’s residence).

----- > This is the in side of the main building, it is so amazing how this building was made those days and you still can see them today. Incredible!!!

-----> The place where the king sit

----> Inside the compound full of snow :-) looks beautiful all white.....

---> Behide mes is a very important building. This building is like a hall for meeting important guest and here they will talk about country, planning and so..so...so

----> As you can see behide is just white snow right? actually that is a water, the building is surround by water but since now is winter all the water on the lake become frozen and you can even walk on it.

----> Frozen water

--- See friend's...... this is what i'm talking, when it is not winter you can see the building stand in the middle of the lake and along the walk way is all beautiful green tree's

.
---- > Closer look at the Building.

Walk way "Alley" from one place to another

This is a changing guard process

The guard on duty, their face dont even smile and just standing up like pillars

The drum were play when the changing began

Take the chance to take picture with the guard, can you imagine how talk they are, my goddess!!!! I think those days the people all are tall just like him

Stop by at small but very popular restaurant call "steam rice with chicken and ginseng" as you know Korea is very famous with their Ginseng, so i have to try this. Many people come to this restaurant just to eat this and no chairs only sit on the floor with small long table, really traditional Korean style.

-----> Ahhh!!! this is cabbage Kimchi. As you know Kimchi is a must for Korean people so there a many type of kimchi and different people different tease, some good, some very good :-) This not bad

-----> And this is also Kimchi but this made from
white radish. This i like

-----> so this is how you eat it, you have to take a little and keep on continue doing it if you want. me and my friend eat the kimchi almost finish hahahahahaha.....

-----> This is the steam rice with chicken, ginseng, and not top is nuts and spring onions. It's nice specially the Ginseng. My friend said "you take my Ginseng, it's ok i can always eat ginseng here, its good for your body" So why wait hahahahah.....

Ahhh!!!! im full, take a rest and my next destination is Namdaemun Market.

We take train to Itaewon, its not that far from were we eat just a few stop. We arrive nearby namesake of Namdaemun (Great South Gate) and located near the downtown area, one of Korea's largest wholesale markets covers over 10 acres. It is filled with over 1,000 shops, stalls, retailers, street vendors, and has several department stores nearby. Here you can find clothes, shoes, fabrics, tableware, flowers, vegetables, ginseng products, toys, and

watches.

Under Namdaemun-no (the main street to the north of the market) is an extensive underground arcade.
Although many of Namdaemun's shops are within the buildings that make up the area, the most colorful aspect of the market is the group of street vendors that setup in the alleys and walkways between the buildings. Wholesalers operate from midnight to 6:00 a.m., and retailers are open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Although most retailers close their stores on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month, many street vendors operate

stalls in the alleys. Due to its location near downtown and the convenient bus service to and from Itaewon, many foreigners visit here. Most of the vendors can speak a few words of English or Japanese, but you will generally need an interpreter for any intense bargaining. Because many shops are willing to take non-Korean currency, there is also a thriving black market for money exchanging, with rates generally a little better than those of banks. Should you decide to exchange money this way, take great care not to get ripped off.

----> As i talk earlier, Korea Ginseng is very famous, almost everybody come to korea will buy this home. There are few type of Ginseng like this one is wet and some is dry, so i think dry is much more easy to bring back.

---> and this side is the wet things, so i bought some vegetable, shrimps for our dinner tonight, i will be cooking at the guesthouse. I brought rice from home so i just need to cook them. Yummyyyyy!!!!

Ohh....i almost forget to tell you that i bought 3 pairs of winter shoes here (Namdaemun) hahahahha......

This is the most that i love so much!!!

Ok....it's time to go back to my guesthouse and hope my daughter felling ok now.

DAY 8 - NAMI ISLAND
And again i have to go alone as my daughter refuse to come because she know that it will be very....very cold. So she rather stay back and watch TV, she is fun of korean artist so no problem, she will enjoy it.

I took subway to Jamsil station then I need to walk for few hundreds meter to look for the bus station. I was been told by my friend that to day the weather will be very cold specialyy in Nami Island, it will be – 16 digress. ooohhh…

I found the bus station and I was very early and the bus don’t open the door even though they know you are going to Nami Island as it is not time for them to open the door bus. So I have to stand freezing outside waiting for 9.00 am as the bus will leave at 9.30 am
At last I cannot stand any more so I had to ask the driver to let me in and sit in the bus and at last he did petty me, so I jump in the bus oooohhhhh……now I feel better. On my way to this station I bought few muffin for my breakfast so I gave him one to show my appreciation for letting me in the bus hahahahah….. sometime you have to give and take

right??.... The journey takes about 1 hours to arrive at the jetty.

Nami Island – The island is really great for relaxing and enjoying the nature. You can rent bike or take electric car tour or walk slowly on the forest path surrounded by pines or picnic. This island is beautiful especially in Autumn and Winter season.
Nami Island in South Korea, famous with the beautiful tree lanes and shooting place of Winter Sonata drama, here are also photos and signatures of the actors and actresses of the drama, including Jang Geun Suk.

Apparently Nami Island is an imaginary “country” and therefore visitors would have to purchase the “Entry Visa” in order to visit the island. They’re just tickets actually.

As a foreigner, we were charged KRW8,000 (RM22.86) per adult for the Entry Visa.

After going through the “Immigration” counter, we went to the ferry that will ship the visitors to Nami Island. The ferry ride was about 5 minutes, and visitors will find themselves landing on the captivating Nami Island. But there were quite a number of visitors, mostly Koreans and I saw many Malaysian too.

Anyway, here we are – the main entrance of Nami Island, the island of peace, love and harmony!

Anyway, since Nami Island is well-known as the main filming location for Korean drama Winter Sonata, the sight of the famous bronze couple statue can’t be left unnoticeable. That should be Joon-sang (Bae Yong-joon) and Yoo-jin (Choi Ji-woo) being all romantic with each other.Some maybe dont know what im talking about :-) so i give you some information about the story of Winter Sonata.

The synopsis of the story Winter Sonata

Jeong Yu-jin and Gang Jun-sang, Kim Sang-hyeok, Oh Chae-rin are high school classmates from a small town outside of Seoul. Jun-sang and Yu-jin become each other's first true loves. Sadly, Jun-sang is supposedly killed is a car accident. Flash ahead, 10 years later, Yu-jin is an interior designer and is romantically involved with her high school classmate, Sang-hyeok. Yu-jin's company has recently signed a contract to work at a ski resort. The company heading the resort remodeling project is managed by Yu-jin's first love, who had allegedly died in a car accident 10 years ago. Yu-jin can't believe her eyes when she attends a business meeting with her first love. She is even more stunned to find out the man now known as Lee Min-hyeong doesn't remember her. Yu-jin, who never really got over her first true love, is confused and torn between the man who looks so much like Jun-sang and her current boyfriend, Sang-hyoek. Wanting to live in the past, Yu-jin often talks with Min-hyeong about her first love and the wonderful times that they had together. Min-hyeong was dating Chae-rin at the time he met Yu-jin, but decides to separate from her as he finds himself falling in love with Yu-jin.

I really appreciate the place, there's a fireplace around the island so every time we feel that we cant stand the cold anymore..we'll just make a short break for a hint of heat in that area.

---> Wild squirrel are familiar with the people who visit there.