“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”
Major Tourist in Seoul
Annyonghaseyo from the land of ginseng, kpop, kdrama, oppa, jjangmyeon, tteokbokki, beauty care and korean barbecue!!!
As I spent this trip for the whole seven days and I visited way too many places, I decided to make separated blog posts about them. And also, since a few of my friends asked about them, I think it'll be easier I just can give them the link of this blog!
Anyway, first of all, I want to say that I finally created an account for my travel pictures and stories. Since I've been thinking that I may annoy people on my personal account with a lot of throwback pictures and I hate receiving comments like, "jalan-jalan mulu..." and I thought I probably can make another account to express what I like the most which is taking pictures of the places, the people and the culture with such a long-long captions without making my friends annoyed. So, here you go, please follow @herwandertales.
Okay. Let's talk about the trip.
Note 101: Untuk mengajukan Visa Korea, menurut aku pribadi tidak ada kesulitan dan tidak dipersulit sama sekali secara aku apply via travel agent. Memang sedikit lebih mahal untuk service fee, tapi aku nggak perlu repot-repot untuk ke embassy sendiri dan kalo ada form yang bingung isi atau jawabnya, pihak travel yang bakal bantu isi, dan kalau ada dokumen yang kurang pun mereka akan telepon dan bisa kita kirim via scanned form dan send via email. Pokoknya, tinggal terima beres deh.
Plus, yang aku suka dari Visa Korea ini syaratnya ga berlibet banget huhuhu terharu. No need untuk bikin surat sponsor dari kantor orang tua, no need to book the flight ticket or accomodation confirmation first, bener-bener deh aku padamu Korea :') ditunggu ya sampai nggak butuh visa buat kesana
Note 102: Kalau untuk flight aku pake apa, aku pake Cathay Pacific yang kalo boleh jujur dapat harga murah sekali secara aku pesan tiket sekitar 50 hari sebelum Hari H. Like, saat hampir semua tiket sekitar 7 sampai 8 jutaan for return tickets, I got so much less than that. Emang harus transit di Hong Kong, tapi oh my God I love love love Cathay! Foods were extra fine, cemilannya dapet juga lol, dan leg-spaces are bigger than my expectation!!! Sekelas lah ya sama Emirates/Qatar.
Note 103: Selama di Seoul, aku stay di hostel selama tujuh malam, booking via booking(dot)com dan I've never imagined that such a cute, cozy and comfortable hostel could only cost you no more than 100 bucks :''''')
Okay then, let's begin!!!
On the first day of our trip, we decided to stroll around the very touristy neighborhood in Seoul; Bukchon Hanok Village, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanghwamun Square which are very close to each other. (Just get off at Anguk Station and you can reach all of them through walking! Not only healthy, you'll burn a lot of fat by walking a lot!)
But, the confusing thing is because I came at the end of Spring when I could still see the blooming trees and pretty cherryblossoms, also when the wind blew off it was still cold and when the night came the temperature suddenly hit around 10-12 degree, but in the middle of the day it was so bright, sunny and frustating as hell.
I loved it there in Bukchon, everything was well-placed and so approachable, but please everyone don't be like me. Once you get out Anguk Station, please just go toward the information centre to ask where is that mainstream spot in EXO Showtime because Bukchon is completely a huge huge area!
Bukchon has so many famous viewing point which I didn't know before so we spent around an hour for nothing and after we asked to the tourist information, also got ourselves a map we finally found this pretty spot! I'm glad we didn't give up to find this.
late spring<3 font="">
After taking way too many pictures, we headed off to Gyeongbokgung and again, karena kami penuh kesotoyan we spent another hour for nothing because we were just strolling around looking for the main gate toward the Palace. I swear, komplek Gyeongbokgung sangat sangat besar dan sedikit membingungkan, dan waktu itu panassss banget jadi sedikit bete.
Admission ticket for Gyeongbokgung: 3000 KRW.
Don't be fooled, but Gwanghwamun Square is just across the gigantic gate of Gyeongbokgung! Just walk straight from the gate and you'll find the golden statue who actually King Se Jong who (if I'm not mistaken) created Korean Alphabets/Hangul.
I was so happy looking at this statue because it reminded me of EXO hahaha
Local basement restaurant. I love blending in with the local.
Our first Korean Lunch in Korea must be a Bimbimbap! I swear the sauce was so! good!
Finishing with the top three mainstream destinations, we hopped on the metro again and this time for the holy magnificent, amazing, out of everyone's mindd, beyond the imagination and super mega futuristic building THE Dongdaemun Design Plaze. Holy shit I was so in an awe I can't stop shivering. But, super too bad, since this wasn't a solo trip, ini bukan solo-traveling, I just couldn't spend hours there taking pictures and swearing about how magical the building is. I promise I'll be back soon and gotta spend the whole day exploring DDP.
RIP Zaha Hadid, you incredible human.
Spent another hours enjoying the view of DDP and the LED roses festival and there were nothing better than that. It's been always my dream. Just sitting around, with such a nice view while the breezy wind blows, and that time there were so many kyeopta Korean kids and we even took a selfie with the cute little gentleman there!
At around 7 PM, when it's really getting darker, DDP looked so much prettier at night. I couldn't believe how cozy and pretty Seoul is. I wish I could stay longer. For a month, maybe.
DDP at night before my camera died.
So, after that, since our guesthouse was close to Hongdae, we decided to take a look and to prove how cool Hongdae is at night. And yes, even when we were just arrived at the Hongik Univ Station, everyone looked different! LOL they were all young souls who dressed up so well too! Not like full of make-up, accesories and weird clothes like we see on Korean boybands, but they were more like models with simple yet cool outfit and nice hair. I wish Indonesian guys dress up like them.
Hongdae has endless and endless of independent stores which I liked a lot and I kind of regret not coming back there again when it brights. Here also I got a pink coat I've been craving for two years which everyone always said to me, "Lucu banget coatnya!" in such an affordable price. There were so so so many clothes they sell which are so-so-so-my-style, but I just couldn't spend every cents on clothes. Yes, Next! Time! Please!
13 Things I Learned about Seoul
Seoul is completely beyond my expectation. In so many aspects. I had the chance to visit the land of Ginseng last year and here's a few things about the city I've stayed for a week which I tried to learn, through my own eyes. I know you couldn't learn a lot about a total strange land in a week, but well, since I love telling stories about everything.... so why not.
1. This is the first thing I noticed and remembered the most since I really love seeing people on the subway reading books. But everyone there, like literally everyone, can't live without their smartphones.
While in Europe almost everyone I met on subway/metro/tube reading books or kindle, but in Seoul, I only caught two people reading in Seoul Metro. I don't know wether its the internet connection in South Korea is the fastest one in the entire world, but everyone are always busy staring at their phones. Streaming youtube, watching movies, playing games, texting, or whatever.
2. Korean public transportation and subway stations are probably the safest in the world.
Cheers for the double door which is double safety between the platform and the train, and also for the most comfortable and cleanest and not-intimidating subway station. Like for real, where in the world you can find skincare stores, mini-market, bakery or whatever deep deep down under the ground?
3. Public toilets are free. And super clean. This is so important.
4. But, I think that the subway route for Seoul Metro is too intimidating and a bit too complicated. (like, you can compare to London Tube or Paris Metro.)
5. Everyone dresses so well.
And their no-makeup make up are so natural and pretty.
And the girls' straight eyebrows are so gorgeous and their hair also so pretty. Ugh I love K-Style so much they're so cute though their style are all the same but still they are so cool.
6. Skincare stores are literally everywhere. Next to your apartment door, deep under the ground, at the corner of the street, behind the bakery store. Just everywhere.
Nature Republic, Missha, Innisfree and Tony Moly are the ones I found the most.
7. Korean foods are made from heaven. Tteokbokki, Korean pancakes, odeng, kkimbab, whatever you name it. Heaven.
8. Shop clothes in Ewha Shopping Street. Where in the world you can find cool, hipster, adorable tops, dresses, pants, jumpsuits, skirts, jeans and whatever for under W20.000 ($20ish)???
 |
| Me, presenting the love of my life to the world. Shit I hate myself. |
9. Also, please spare more time to wander around Hongdae, Ewha and Garosugil since they got so many hidden treasures and gems. Also, don't ever forget Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Obviously.
10. Seoul is not only about K-Pop or K-Drama. I always thought before that if I am not a fan of EXO, most probably I wont ever be going to Seoul. But, the fact is, Seoul is nice. Seoul is pretty. I'm not sure if its because I went there when flowers blooms everywhere or because the city is already pretty itself, well, but yeah, I loved it there.
11. Wandering alone with hijab sometimes attract a bit more attention there, unlike back in London when I've never felt like I stole something, but there in Seoul the ahjummas often looked at me like I came from another star (no pun intended lol).
12. I love it that eventho Seoul is a such a modern city, they are still have parks where everyone can breath from the hustling-bustling of the capital city. I love it that we can see a mountain from Insadong. I love it that everyone can rest their mind on a picnic in Han River. I love it when it feels like so so far away from the capital when I was in Namsan.
13. The last one? Well, I love it that in all of sudden I can see oppa's faces everywhere.
OKAY. End of my rambling.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)