To the East

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Trip start
May 2, 2023
To the East Rita Yee
See you later Vancouver
May 2, 2023, Coastal Waters Of Southeast Alaska And British Columbia 🌙 13 °C
Oddly strange to write a post for this day as it's a travel day, but it does begin the trip lol. It's been awhile since I've had significant solo time on a trip. My past trips have only included a few days on my own before and after tours, so this is going to be interesting. I am meeting friends in Seoul and Gyeonju though so that helps with breaking up the solo time =)Read more
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Hello Seoul
May 3, 2023 in South Korea ☁️ 16 °C
Losing a day with the time change, I'll recap my flight experience. Initially lucking out with an empty middle seat, an older Korean couple asked the lady on the aisle to switch seats, there beginning a little game of musical seats. The husband would end up in that aisle seat and his wife in the one in front of him.

He was a funny sweet grandpa who insisted I use sesame oil and gochujang (chili paste) on my bibimbap. After declining politely, I finally gave in and added a little bit. Well, it made him proud and guess what, not as spicy as I imagined. If anything, the food needed it. Later on, he would be call me out to wipe/clean my hands before our second meal.

The middle seat didn't stay empty for long though. His wife came to join our row as he moved over. Reason? Turns out she needed to massage his legs and feet for circulation. Propped on the pull down table, it was a weird sight, but sweet the same time. Ah love.

With our second meal, they also got me an additional tube of gochujang from the flight attendants for me to take home. I tried to decline and ended up packing it. It looks like a tube of toothpaste but I have a funny feeling I probably will use it when I get home.Read more
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A Tourist in Seoul
May 4, 2023 in South Korea ☁️ 18 °C
My first day on my own and I'm going to play tourist. After lining up for a scrumptious breakfast at Isaac Toast, it was off to Gyeongbokgung, Seoul's main palace. I'd chosen to come on a week day hoping for a smaller crowd, but it was still a decent size. (When I left, it was even crazier, so go early).

Numerous folks were dressed in hanboks and traditional costumes. A few guys even wore hanboks, but hey, it's 2023. A part of me was tempted to rent one, but alas, they look beautiful in photos and when you're on your own, most of the photos you'll take are selfies, unless you use a timer.

The palace was fairly large but easy to roam around and check out the various buildings for a glimpse of my first Korean palace. A walk around and then catching the tail end of the changing of the guard, before hitting up my second spot of the day: Bukchon Hanok Village.

Bukchon Hanok Village is a cute area where people still live in traditional houses. Some of the streets are picturesque and you've seen these on Instagram. It's important to keep your voices low though to respect the residents. There's a couple of shops near the entrance to the village, but the beauty is exploring a piece of architectural history.

From there a quick jaunt to Cafe Onion where a line up awaited me. Seems I will have to get used to lines in Seoul as this was my 2nd of the day already with breakfast being the 1st. This particular location of Cafe Onion is set in a hanok, not far from hanok village. It has a beautiful selection of baked goods both savory and sweet and I would've loved to try more than 1 item, but alas, one of the downsides to solo travel, you are unfortunately limited to the size of 1 stomach when it comes to ordering variety.

Despite the rest at the cafe, my feet have still yet to get into vacation mode. I love walking but it was getting tiring. Hopping on my 1st bus, I made my way to Ihwa Mural Village. (Thank you Naver for giving me the confidence to take a local bus with limited English signage). The number of murals in Ihwa are dwindling as local residents have been unhappy with it given the number of visitors they draw. It's another area to be respectful and keep voices down.

One of the reasons for the murals was to brighten up the neighbourhood and bring back life to it, but alas it sounds like the government is still planning to tear it down and rebuild. It's disappointing but most of the residents have either moved away or are elderly. None of the young people want to live there as it's also quick a trek from public transportation instead.

Nearby, I head to Dongdaemun to meet up with my night walking tour that I found on AirB&B. They take you walking along the fortress walls, have a drink overlooking the city and then to Korean BBQ, which really is great for the solo traveller since you can't really BBQ on your own. The walk was split into 2 before and after the cafe drink. It was a dream come true as we sat down in a cafe I'd noticed earlier while in Ihwa. Why? The view looked amazing but I'm sure I wouldn't have come on my own after dark.

The BBQ was great fun as well, though it turns out they cook the meat for you. Definitely a group experience and I'm glad I joined in as it rounded out a pretty full day.Read more
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Catching up
May 5, 2023 in South Korea
Rain. The weather was not ideal for exploring, but when you're catching up with an old friend, we just have to work with what Mother Nature decided to send our way. Started today off with a japchae hotteok (pancake) from Namdaemun market and oh WOW it was SO delicious! I only ordered one, but really you want more than one.

After that, it was onto a bus bound for Yeoido Station to meet my friend Stephanie from my accounting program. She moved back to Seoul a few years ago with her parents and has been here since. Our initial plan was going to be outdoors, but with the weather warnings, we played in safe by going to the mall.

The mall you ask? Well, it's a pretty cool one, The Hyundai Seoul. Touted as one of the hottest and hippest places for locals. The 1st floor is a food floor that you'll probably spend the most of your time and the restaurant floor on level 6. It was nice to just walk and talk in between taking in a delicious lunch and dessert x2. Lunch was an abalone and meat set while dessert featured ice cream and then cakes from Layered Cafe, carrying out my cafe spree.

Seoul has a huge themed cafe presence, from Cafe Onion yesterday to Layered today, that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Instagram. As the trip goes on, they're a daily fixture on my itinerary - though it was challenging to keep up in Jeju.

After desserts, we headed over to COEX, another mall locals frequest. This one is known for the beautiful Starfield Library that also graces Instagram. It has it's own cafe as well, and the library is full of visitors taking in the place. For a split second I wonder whether it's a bookstore or a library. I don't quite see a check out desk but I suppose it's an honor system. Silent though, it was not, with the number of people milling about.

A break in the rain, it was off to round 3 of dessert - gotta have Bingsu! Shaved Korean ice milk fyi. We headed to a place called Sulbing and ordered a mango pineapple shaved ice to share. I kid you not, pretty much everything here seems meant to be shared. Luckily we agreed on a flavor as it really would be too much for 1 person otherwise.

One more stop on the itinerary - Bonguensa Temple. I read it's best to visit after sunset as all of its numerous lanterns would be lit. What they fail to say is that the lanterns are not lit when weather warnings are issued - at least that's what I'm going with since the lanterns were not lit. The temple was still beautiful, but I imagine would've been stunning with lit lanterns.Read more
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Stormy Seoul
May 6, 2023 in South Korea 🌧 12 °C
Wind. Rain. Repeat. Keep. That was certainly the morning routine. I hid out in my hotel room for most of the morning as I listened and watched the rain blow sideways. But I knew I couldn't spend the day hiding away. My sister sent me a Michelin star restaurant nearby so I popped out to grab some bibimbap, and seafood pancake. Once again, too much food for 1 person but when I saw a lady at the table next to me doing the same and packing part of the pancake, I did the same - yes this would become breakfast the next day.

After lunch, and some suggestions from my sister, it was time to seize the day and make the best of it. First stop, the DDP near Dongaemun, a design plaza. I wandered around but the exhibits and changed inside. I didn't spend too much time outdoors with the rain so I may need to make a return trip.

Stop 2 - Hikr Ground, now this is a neat free space showcasing modern Korean culture. The floor the most fun was definitely the K pop video stages where you can either take photos or dance your heart out like your K pop idol would. A few floors up, there's also an interactive exhibit where you can drag your hands on the walls to make fireworks and fireflies dance as the projected video shows you certain festivals in Seoul.

Stop 3 - the rain slows and the streets dry out. I headed to Insadong, initially for another mall-like place, but instead found myself strolling the pedestrian only street. It was nice to see the craft shops and other shopping stores.

From there a jaunt out to Ttukseom Hangang Park, the location of an evening drone show as part of a week long festival. Quite the experience sitting with the locals as we eagerly waited for the show to start. I haven't seen this much people in one place since before Covid (ok, and the malls were quite busy yesterday as well), but everyone was in good spirits.

The show didn't start on time, but I knew it was still on. I'm not sure if the delay might've been to the winds still blowing in the area, and the announcements were in Korean. Since no one left, I stayed put as well and was not disappointed. The show was short, but still fun.Read more
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A blast to the past - Gyeongju part 1
May 7, 2023 in South Korea 🌧 12 °C
Left Seoul this morning to head to Gyeongju using a KTX train. It was a fairly quick and quiet ride, but the wet weather seems to have followed me. After meeting my friend at the station, the rain starting to pour and it was cold. Luckily we were meeting another friend of mine who was going to take us to the farther points of interest that would've been difficult/time consuming for us to bus to.

Our 1st stop was Yang Dong Folk Village. Locals still live here but visitors can wander the picturesque village and check out the historic houses that have been maintained.

Next stop was lunch, I ended up ordering a tofu stew (being wary of the spice level of the seafood stew), and it was a whole lot of tofu! One of the gals travelling with us also bought Hwangnam-ppang for us to try. This is a Gyeongju specialty bread which is a pastry filled with red bean paste. Perfect 2 bite size.

Next we hurried to Golgulsa Temple and a grotto, both very quick visits due to rain. A coffee shop by the lake and then we were dropped off at our hotel.

Our highlight of the day was our night visit to Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond. Easily the most beautiful site I saw in all of Korea and the must see/do thing when in Gyeongju, so you really do need to stay the night. The palace was not only light up beautifully, but the pond reflecting those lights, creating a beautiful space you never want to leave.

As we had a late lunch, dinner was Korean Fried Chicken and cup ramen from the convenience store =) Quick and comfort as we rest up for day 2 in Gyeongju.Read more
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A Blast to the Past - Gyeongju pt2/Busan
May 8, 2023 in South Korea ⛅ 14 °C
Day 2 Gyeongju - relying on our feet, we set out early to start explore the sites closer to our hotel. The sun has returned and it's super warm. First up was Gyochon Traditional Village. Unlike Yangdong where I thoroughly enjoyed the tranquility of the countryside, I felt Gyochon was a bit touristy as it was smaller and seemed like a number of the houses had been converted to cafes. What was cool though was the Woljeongyo Bridge right nearby. Since it was early, we were able to take photos without people in them.

Next stop, a quick jaunt over to Cheomseongdae, an observatory dating from back to the Shilla dynasty. It's a lot shorter than I expected but I guess back then, it was the highest point around (before tombs were built nearby looking like mounds).

Lunch stop next at Dong Ri where we had tteok-galbi, grilled beef, another local specialty. I was really glad my friend found this place. It's small and off the main strip of Hwangnidan, but we didn't have to wait as it was a weekday. A delicious meal with all the banchan as well and I totally recommend checking this place out.

Back to Hwangnidan, it is a super cute touristy area with shops, restaurants and cafes. There's also some cool murals. We really enjoyed strolling around and stopping into various cafes to have a drink and dessert. It also borders the Daereungwon Tomb Complex which is a lush green area with a number of tomb mounds from Shilla royalty and nobles. The path is quite easy to follow around and you can even see some of the items buried in one of the largest of the mounds.

More coffee shops later, it was time to head to the train station and go our separate ways. My friend back to Seoul, and myself to Busan.

The ride to Busan was a quick 20 min, but as it was evening, after checking in, I really just had time to check out the night market. Not too hungry after dessert earlier, I just grabbed a few snacks - grilled squid, bimbap and lamb steak chunks.Read more
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Busan
May 9, 2023 in South Korea ☀️ 16 °C
After arriving last night, I'm left with 2 full days in Busan. In hindsight, a 3rd day would've been nice and if I was with a friend, we probably could've also done the luge centre, Museum 1 and Spa World, plus a hike or two, or explored more of Semyeon.

First things first, breakfast! I hunted down an Egg Drop for breakfast. It was good, but not as good as Isaac Toast. Then off to the bus to visit Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, a temple of the sea. It is as beautiful as the pictures and not too hard to get to. I even lit a candle to make a wish =)

Next up cafe time! Checking out Cafe Rooftop and Cafe in Busan, both are really cool places but only accessible by bus, so time management did get challenging before walking to Haeundae Beach. This is another neighborhood that's popular to stay in, but I find and agree that Semyeon where I was is more central. From one of the cafes, there's also an option to take a tourist beach train or Sky Capsule to get to the beach, but like a number of things in Korea, best to share the cost with fellow travellers.

From the beach, I was off to Oryukudo Skywalk. Really making tracks today. There's a hill you can hike up as well for views - or you can take a longer sunrise hike. Pit stop for milmyeon noodles at Samjin Eomuk near Busan Station on a friend's recommendation. Delicious! And I was early enough to avoid the line!

Tonight I'd booked a night photography tour on Klook. My primary reason for it was a way to see Busan at night, and boy did we from a locals point of view and gaining access to viewpoints we may have never visited on our own. The bonus of this tour with Jesse is that he's also a photographer who'll take your photos and send them to you after.

Because we went in May, we also lucked out with our last stop, Samgwansa Temple with was lit with thousands of lanterns for the upcoming festival. A stunning sight and he also sent us a photo of the lanterns from above so we could see the pattern it created. This temple stop did make our tour end late but thankfully the drop off was the metro station right by my hotel. For the others, they luckily caught the last train back to their hotels.Read more
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Busan
May 10, 2023 in South Korea
2nd full day in Busan and it is a packed one. More tightly because of taking the wrong bus but oh well.

First up Taejondae Park, a nice stroll around the cliffs. There's a boat tour as well, but I just missed it and wasn't up to waiting around an hour. Check times before you go. After that, off to the Jagalchi Market with all the seafood I've seen and not seen before. You can order items at the stalls on the ground floor and they'll cook it upstairs in the restaurants, or you can just order directly from the restaurants. The prices can seem a bit high for the solo traveller, but if you're lucky, they may offer you smaller portions for 1 person at a lower price.

I was fortunate for this, though this meal of Korean sashimi and scallops still ended up being the most expensive meal I had in all of Korea. They even threw in free seafood pancake.

I didn't end up exploring Nampo much, it's the older neighborhood, but made my way up to Gamcheon Culture Village. It is a colorful village nestled against one of the many mountains. Some of said it used to be a slum, but today, it's a place to wander around and have a coffee either overlooking it or in the village itself. There's numerous photos spots along the way.

Last stop of the day, Songo Bay Station to take the cable car across one of the bays. I missed sunset but ended up seeing the view at night. As it wasn't busy, I ended up with a car all to myself both ways. I would've liked to arrive sooner to explore the park as well, as I wasn't keen on hiking in the dark and possibly missing the last cable car back.

For dinner, I found a local place for pork hock soup and rice. Yum! The soup was so flavorful and it's open late.Read more
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Jeju 1
May 11, 2023 in South Korea ☁️ 15 °C
Jeju Day 1 - a free day before several day tours. I flew from Busan to Jeju and got to my hotel about 2pm. Not much on the itinerary today except getting noodles at the famous Jamae Guksu (Sister Noodles). I believe they used to have a small location somewhere else, but now the maps direct you to a larger place outside Jeju City. The bus system is fairly easy to navigate in Jeju, though the frequencies are questionable into evening hours.

I ended up arriving at 3pm, but the restaurant didn't open til 4pm so I headed over to Iho Taewoo beach nearby to kill some time. The noodles itself was delicious and it's easy to order on the tablet.

After the late lunch, it was off to Dodu Rainbow Coastal Road where you guessed it, the path along the water where it meets the sidewalk is painted the colors of the rainbow. It's a cute place and you can wander along, even stopping at a few statues along on the way. From there, the weather was nice enough to keep walking back into town along the water. It probably took about 2 hours as I tried stopping into a cafe but they were sold of the dessert I wanted, and then through Yongduam Rock and Yongyeon Pond.

I wasn't too hungry for dinner, but made the short walk to the night market at Donggun for some snacks. It was a lively atmosphere anchored by the dancing Lobster Guys. A lot of the food portions were quite large though and best shared. I ended up getting tangerine ice cream, tangerine juice and a black pork skewer.Read more
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Jeju - West Course
May 12, 2023 in South Korea
First of 3 day trips here on Jeju. You can rent a car and drive around the island yourself, but otherwise these are good options. I booked with Yeha Tours via Klook and had a really great guide, Elin, for the 1st two days. She made the days fun and not only gave us snacks to sample along with grandpa stones as gifts. The stones are a Jeju thing for protection and some originals still dot the island.

We started off the day by stopping at Hyuphaie Beach before going to Hallim Park which is a botanical garden. The loop started with a walk by palm trees, before visiting 2 lava caves and a bonsai & stone garden. There were so many cute trees it was hard to take photos of each one. Next up was a folk village and there was also several peacocks displaying their feathers.

After lunch, we made a stop at Ossuloc Green Tea Fields, a great instagram spot. Innisfree is also right next door, so it's a bit of a shopping stop as well. We had to be quick though as time was limited. Our next activity was a Mt Sangang Cruise so we had to catch the boat.

The cruise itself was quite nice as we saw interested rock formations. The commentary was all in Korean though and the crowd was a lively bunch. Our last stop of the day, the entire group chose to go to Cheonjeyeon Falls. We only made it to 2 of 3 waterfalls, but the 2nd (or officially known as the 1st) was pretty much dry as it hadn't rained inawhile. Luckily the other falls was beautiful and we got to see the Seven Nymphs bridge as well.

With the itinerary at it's end, some travellers opted to leave the tour as they were staying in Seogwipo city which was close to our location. After that, the bus wound it's way back to downtown Jeju, making the dropoff rounds.

I tried to go to a seafood place back out towards the cafe from yesterday, but when I arrived, I discovered it wasn't open =( A bit of a hangry struggle trying to get a bus back to town. A lot of places were closed so I ended up at McDonald's out of desperation. I did get a bulgogi burger though, but it was only ok.Read more
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Jeju - East Coast
May 13, 2023 in South Korea ☁️ 15 °C
Another day another coast, there are similar items on the itinerary but different of course. First up is Jeolmul Natural Forest for a short but beautiful walk through the cedar trees. Quintessentially Jeju. We then went to Seonguep Folk Village before stopping for lunch. After lunch, a quick visit to Fantastic Forest for another short walk, this one was a location for a BTS music video, to the delight of some of the younger guests.

Beach visit to Gwangchigi Beach before heading to the Woman Diver Show. These women divers are tough old women who free dive into the sea to pick abalone and other shellfish. Because of the hard work, not many young people are taking this up. The ladies entertained us with some songs about how hard they work while their husbands spent the money, before diving into the water. To be honest, the whole experience felt very staged. We weren't sure if we were to wait for them to return to shore with their findings or if it was the end of the show.

I waited a bit before ascending the stairs to climb Seongsam Ilchul-Bong, this is a great sunset spot, but we were climbing it for the views. It's a bit steep but definitely doable with the given time, and very rewarding as well. After a hike like that, hallabong ice cream was a sweet reward.

We began to head back to Jeju via the Jongdalri Shore Road, a beautiful stretch of road that invites to gaze out the whole time (for those of us who didn't fall asleep) and made our final stop at Manjang-gul Cave, which is more of a lava tunnel and has the largest lava column in the world.

Dinner tonight, tried another restaurant, this one close to the airport. Another bus trip, another discovery that it was closed. Luckily I didn't have to wait as long for a bus this time, and ended up back at the night market to grab something small.Read more
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Jeju - South
May 14, 2023 in South Korea ☀️ 18 °C
The south coast tour only runs on Sunday which was part of the reason I tried to include a Sunday in my Jeju itinerary. It's more of an active tour but yet another chance to see more of Jeju. Some of the area does overlap with the West Coast so it's interesting how they split it up.

Elin was off today so we had another guide who with our agreement flipped our itinerary. Now we start our day at Jeongbang Waterfalls, a really pretty waterfall that is the only one in Korea that spills into the sea. We're able to get up close and personal for photos and views.

Next a small hike to check out Oedolgae aka Lonely Rock. Legend has it that a grandmother turned into a rock while awaiting her husband to return from fishing. Our next stop would've been Jusangjeolli Hexagon Lava Cliffs which looked really cool, but it was under restoration so we couldn't go. Instead it was replaced by a temple visit.

After lunch, we stopped by the Alive Musume to take fun trick eye photos. It was really cool to finally experience this but it definitely is more fun when you go with friends and can take all the photos you want without asking for help from strangers. Even though we were encouraged to help each other, it still felt a little shy to ask.

One of the highlights of the day was hiking in Mt Halla National Park. We took the Eoseungsaenak Trail to one of the peaks. It was harder that yesterday's hike and the clouds were moving in fast so we only had quick glimpses of the scenery and other peaks. The last 'activity' of the day was the Mysterious Road which is an optical location where it looks like a vehicle is rolling up instead of down. I'm still not quite sure how it works as we were on the bus for this with the driver rolling in neutral.

Dinner - finally a restaurant that was open. The guide recommended a local place Memeal Naeng Myeon as I was craving cold buckwheat noodles. It's right next to the Jeju Isaac Toast in old Jeju. There's no English menu, but it's easy enough to point.

One last drink to farewell Jeju - a blue/purple magic-ade - absolutely delicious.Read more
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Seoul Round 2
May 15, 2023 in South Korea 🌙 18 °C
Flew back to Seoul for Round 2 on this trip. What was originally scheduled as Sokcho became Seoul as I was concerned with the overall travel for the day as well as activities within Sokcho. While part of the reason of going to Sokcho was to stay in a hotel overlooking the sea a hottub, it no longer quite make sense timewise.

One of the things I'd wanted to do in Sokcho was visit Mt Seorak, but there were no tours that I could find. Little that I knew later was that I could've taken a bus. But as always, things happen for a reason and you'll see why later on.

Anyhows, back to Seoul, I took a mid-morning flight and still got a full afternoon in before meeting my friend for dinner. Since it was sunny this go around, it was off to the Lotte Tower, measuring 555m to check out the views. It is absolutely stunning to see the sprawl of Seoul and marvel at what the Koreans in history would have to say to the view. Yes, they'd reunited the peninsula in the dynasties, but seeing the land covered with buildings instead of just green is quite something. I'd wanted to do the Bridge Tour as well where they clip you and you can actually walk outside, but it was a 2 hour wait. They do have terraces outside though on a lower floor so that is an option as well.

Coming down from the tower, I took a quick jaunt around the lake, which was beautiful and peaceful. Part of it borders Lotte World the amusement park. Next stop, back to one my favorite Korea activities - cafe hopping.

This time we're off to Grandpa Factory, featured in the K-drama Vincenzo. It's quite non-descript from the outside as the building and many others in the neighborhood, had a facelift from the original industrial uses. There's a treehouse on the property as well and you can climb into it from the 2nd floor of the cafe. They also serve meals here so you're not limited to drinks/desserts.

Next it was off to Seoul Forest Park, a nice city park to walk around amongst the locals, and close by my friend's workplace. We ended up going to a Korean Japanese fusion restaurant called Ioro Bistro, before one last dessert at Cafe Marly.Read more
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Daytrip - Incheon
May 16, 2023 in South Korea 🌙 20 °C
A partial day trip today to check out Incheon Chinatown and Fairy Tale World. After a slight mishap with the wrong train, I arrived. Chinatown isn't very big but it's nice to wander around to check out if you have time. To the west, there's the old port area with historic buildings and some cool cafes. To the east is Fairy Tale World where part of the neighborhood has murals and other installations depicting a young playful environment. This was a pleasant stroll around and something less usual.

From there, I decided to take the monorail to Wolmi Island. While the amusement park wasn't open, it was still cool to see from above. The line itself is just over 6km making it the longest in South Korea.

A little hungry at this point, I made my way to Greem Cafe in Hongdae. It's a 2D cafe that looked really cool, but unfortunately it was closed today. Oh well. I then hoofed it over to Nodeul Island, an artificial island in the middle of the Han River. While I'd intended to find the "I Seoul You" sign, I had a nice walk around half the island before finding out perhaps I was in the wrong spot and headed to Hangang Park instead.

Locals were milling about relaxing but after some searching I still hadn't found the sign. I read it would be super obvious but no luck. Finally another google search showed that there was not only 1 sign but 27! However, they had all been taken down this February past as the city was looking for a new slogan.

Still haven't eaten yet, but I rushed over to Ossulloc to buy some green tea. I'd missed my chance in Jeju, but fortunately Seoul had my second chances. I made it just in the knick of time and had an ice cream to boot before checking out Teddy Beure House, a cafe well known for its croissants. The place was packed though so I ended up getting it to go (and it would become breakfast tomorrow).

Last item of the day - Seoul Tower. It's now evening but I think a good contrast to the day views from Lotte during the day. Taking the advice of other travellers and the fact that it was hot, I took the cable car instead of walking up. While there was a wait, I'm definitely glad I did that. The tower itself was another ticket, but I think this time it would've been better to save the money and just walk around the top of the hill.

A quick stop at the night market for egg bread and dumplings before heading back to the hotel for the night.Read more
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Day trip - Mt Seorak, Nami Island & More
May 17, 2023 in South Korea ☁️ 19 °C
Day trip! This time a minivan to Mt Seorak, Nami Island and Garden of Morning Calm. While you only get a limited visit to each site instead of the full days you can devote to each, it's a great taste of several cool places.

At Mt Seorak, we had 3 hiking options to choose from. I chose the trail to see the yellow rocks which is one of the most recognizable spots in the park. There's 2 parts to the trail and the 2nd will actually take you right to the rock, however we were advised against it giving the time restraint and it's actually quite steep. Another choice had pretty waterfalls along the way, but those that took it said there wasn't much water.

Nami Island was recommended by my sister, and it's quite cute to walk around and have lunch there. Or you can have the famous BBQ chicken in the area before boarding the boat to Nami. Fans of Winter Sonata will note the filming locations. You can even overnight on the island.

Our last stop, Garden of Morning Calm is quite tranquil. While not all the flowers were in bloom, it was still pretty to visit. There were great photo spots as well and a great end to the end.

Dinner - I finally made it to a restaurant. This one close to the hotel for beef bone soup. Yum!Read more
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Shopping Day
May 18, 2023 in South Korea
A day with no sights, just chilling and shopping. First stop, breakfast! At long last, a proper breakfast returns to my itinerary. This morning I finally made my way to Gwangjang market for hand cut noodles from that Netflix street food show. The owner was there of course and she was so nice, even taking photos with us. The stand is easy to identify and while there's a line, it moves fairly quickly.

If you're super hungry, you can also try other foods in the market like pancakes, live octopus and beef tartare. Part of the market is known as pancake alley and you can see the stone grinders working mung bean into a paste. There were more pancakes than people!

Next stop - jimjilbang time! It's the traditional Korean baths, taken in your birthday suit. While saunas are "dressed" (robes/other spa provided clothes), for men and women, the bath itself is segregated. I checked out a women's only spa that was recommended and it was definitely a local experience. They didn't speak English but thanks to some lovely locals, I was able to muddle through and got heartily scrubbed to end up with super soft skin.

Next a little shopping at Innisfree Duty Free - had a bit of an adventure with this one. Starting with one duty free, only to find a counter, to checking out regular stores to see which was the best deal, to another duty free where I ended up buying way more masks than planned. There was a free gift after all. One thing to note is that the prices were in US dollars.

As for lunch? Well, that turned into dessert at Cheese Industry in Ikseongdong. A return trip to this area that I loved from my first visit. They make their own cheese and I ended up with a brie cheesecake that was wrapped in gauze, quite yummy and I nearly finished it.

Back to the pampering, time for a facial at Line Esthetics in Myeongdong. I found this place on Google earlier by searching facials near me. While I thought I'd just do a regular moisturizing facial, I ended up with a package that combined a few of the facials, which was one of the most popular offerings they had. They even made a paper mache like mask from during a mask and decorated it as well.

Dinner - another real meal - this time chicken ginseng soup at a Michelin place which surprise was also right by my hotel. I stumbled across this by accident the other night, but had missed last call. The broth was very flavorful and there's an entire chicken in the pot. Super hearty and check off another foods to eat in Korea.Read more
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DMZ
May 20, 2023 in South Korea ☁️ 20 °C
My last day in Korea, and it's time for the DMZ, aka the demilitarized zone before North and South Korea. It's a very informative tour and you have to leave early as tickets can only be secured on location and there's a limited number. Once you cross the checkpoint, you literally have 3 hours to make the stops and exit. Time is of the essence.

We spent some time at the park where we were to purchase our tickets. It's a place Koreans visit regularly as well, usually those who've had to leave relatives in North Korea. While the elders look across the border, the children can play in the nearby amusement park. It's feels strange to have that difference and certainly had us wondering when we saw the rides in the near distance.

There's actually several lines, the one in the ceasefire line in the middle that's not actually really marked, the DMZ lines, 2km in each direction to form the DMZ itself and another line even further out where civilians cannot cross,

The first official stop once in the zone is the 3rd tunnel. This tunnel was dug by North Koreans to infiltrate the South and was only discovered when one of the men building the tunnels escaped to the South side and reported it. Conditions were bad as they were using dynamite and a number of men died in the process. Once the tunnel was located, South Korea built and intercepting tunnel to halt the progress. It's down this intercepting tunnel that we would traverse and actually be the DMZ itself, albeit underground. No cameras allowed and the journey felt a little surreal. It only takes about 30 minutes round trip.

Next stop, the observatory. Lined with binoculars, we were able to look into North Korea to see the city. It was called a fake city for reasons I cannot remember now, but it did look beautiful. We could also see the tower bombed by Kim Jong Un's sister, a Hollywood-like sign on a hill and flag towers where North and South Korea were competing to see which would be higher. North Korea would win out as they kept switching back and forth, and I believe it was a Guinness height record as well.

Last stop was one of the local villages for people living in the area. Farming is the main activity here and ginseng one of the main exports. We tried some soybean ice cream which was interesting before heading back to Seoul.

One last shopping stop and a quick lunch, then it was off to the airport hotel for me to catch an early morning flight to Mongolia.Read more
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Mongolia
May 20, 2023 in Mongolia ☁️ 2 °C
After 2 1/2 weeks on my own, I was looking forward to joining my Mongolia tour and switching off my brain from logistics. Mongolia's been on my list for some time, and happened this year when I had to change previous plans. I was keeping an eye on the world and was a bit concerned since today was cold and called for snow. So much I considered buying a coat or blanket despite my limited baggage space.

After landing at the Ulanbaatar airport, I realized I'd given my hotel the wrong flight information. The information desk helped called them and I was advised to take a taxi. Considering the costs as the airport is quite far out, I contemplated the bus before booking a shuttle at the next counter. Luckily for me, it was super inexpensive and dropped me right at my hotel for only $9 instead of the $35 the hotel would've charged.

I shared the shuttle with 2 other girls, and admittedly was a bit nervous given the low cost, but it seemed legit since they had a counter and I paid by credit card. Fortunately the driver also spoke Korean (I think) and conversed with one of the girls who was in town for work and the other was visiting a friend. I also followed along with Google maps.

After checking in the hotel, it was a bit of an adventure finding a currency exchange place since it was Saturday and the banks were closed. I finally managed to find a block where there were several changers and ended up in one storefront that had several local women in it. The rates were pretty much what I saw at the airport though so that was good.

There wasn't much on my itinerary today, so I just wandered around, checking out the Square, The State Department store, bubble tea and food. There's a lot of Soviet influence in Ulanbaatar, from the alphabet to the designs of the buildings. It's a bit odd when you stand in the square to look at the Genghis Khan statue and then turn around to see modern skyscrapers and hotels. The Cyrillic alphabet is also used so signs were hard to understand though one could pick out the odd word or two.

I came across bubble tea in my travels and it was actually pretty good, the drink seems popular here as I also saw a number of young people with a cup in their hands. My walk would take me to Shangri-la mall where I not only discovered a movie theatre, but also cheap popcorn. Can't say no to that.

From there I scouted out my hotel for tomorrow, before popping into Mandu House for an early dinner. I ordered steamed dumplings but they did take quite a bit of time which apparently is normal. The dumplings were huge though and I ended up having to pack half.

An early night given the rain and cold, but it's supposed to be sunny and warmer going forward.Read more
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To the East Rita Yee
Ulaanbaatar
May 22, 2023 in Mongolia ⛅ 20 °C
More walking with no set plans today. Check out time was at noon so I took advantage to head over to an area on the map marked as a shopping area. I hadn't seen many souvenir shops in my travels and thought it might be the opportunity to do so. While I made it there, the view down the street looked like a shopping area for locals so I just headed back via another road to see more of the city. I would pass by the Gandan Monastery but didn't go in as I figured I would have a chance the next day (I wouldn't, but that's ok). My path in the northern half of the city showed an older part of the city that still retains Soviet looks and old ger camps in the hill.

After checking out, I went to Modern Nomads for some local food before heading to the new hotel. This branch is right by my hotel and I'd found the restaurant first from Youtube and then a rare travel page online. It was fairly quiet but good for what I had.

This afternoon was another walk, this time with my roommate. No particular destinations in mind though we did traverse a few new streets and even discovered the Ulanbaatar sign =) Tonight I met my small group and we checked out another Mongolian nearby in the Shangri La mall where I had fried noodles, checking off another must eat on the list.Read more
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To the East Rita Yee
Ulaanbaatar - Day 3
May 23, 2023 in Mongolia ☁️ 21 °C
After sticking to downtown and roaming the north, today was a trip to the southern side of the city. Zaizan is a new district with modern apartment buildings and where locals strive to now live. There's no evident of Soviet influence here, and they're even building right into the mountains to accommodate the expanding city.

We climbed Zaizan Hill for a view the city. Don't worry, an escalator does take care of a good chunk of the trek. What a view to see the city stretched west to east. Power plants pillow smoke in the west and behind us we could hear the sounds of mining. This was definitely my favorite part of the day to see the city from another angle as well as get a glimpse of the city today.

Next up, the Bogd Khan Palace Museum which also housed a winter palace. After being unsuccessful for cabs, we ended up just walking there. It wasn't too far and the weather was nice. The grounds aren't crowded and we were able to check out some art in 2 of the temples for heading to the palace itself to see artifacts from the king's life.

Another walk had us at the National History Museum where each hall takes you progressively from the Bronze Age to modern day Mongolia. It's quite the journey through history in its exhibits and displays.

For lunch, we went to a coffee shop run by the Down Syndrome Association of Mongolia. The shop was intended to train and develop skills for those with Down. Originally opened with the support of the Polish government, it now also has the support of the Planeterra Foundation from G Adventures.

A low-key afternoon before venturing back to Modern Nomads for dinner. Tomorrow, we are off to the Gobi!Read more
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Into the Gobi
May 23, 2023 in Mongolia
We left Ulaanbaatar today, setting off to the Gobi. The city traffic was quite heavy but once we were out, it was ‘smooth’ sailing. I use the parenthesis as the road was only 2 lanes wide with potholes so there was a fair bit of off-roading to get around them.

We made two quick stops after lunch, one to check out the Choir Monastery which is still under restoration. I believe they were destroyed during Communist times but I’ll have to research this and fact check. The ruins of the temples still lay on the complex. One of the temples has temporarily been reset in a ger which is quite neat.

Another main temple is very modern in it’s reconstruction. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside but it leaves an impression with its stunning dragon paintings on the ceiling. There were also floating spiral staircases leading to a library and archives as well as a fish tank of koi. A strange contrast but that seems to fit with what we’ve seen here.

The rocks for this temple were cut from a nearby rock quarry that we headed to next. It’s very quiet there and sound travels. Piles of rocks mark people’s wishes as well.

Our first ger camp of the night and it’s cute. Not quite what we pictured from the description but still cute.Read more
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South Gobi
May 24, 2023 in Mongolia 🌬 5 °C
Woke up to the sounds of strong winds and rain this morning. The rain would linger on and off, more on than off all day as we drive more than 400km from Middle Gobi to South Gobi. The road is still the 2 lane road with desert on both sides but a little less pothole-y. Given the distance that’s pretty much the plan for the day.

Along the way we stopped and got close up views of horses and camels. The capital of South Gobi is a tiny city. It only has 1400 inhabitants and when you see the city on the horizon, you see it all. Mostly in 2 sections accentuated by a few tall apartment buildings. Mountains mark borders with China to the South.

Our camp tonight is Khanbogd which is situated just 40km outside the city but we may as well be somewhere in the middle of nowhere. We’re right by a gorge that we’ll explore tomorrow but otherwise we were free to roam around and take in the landscape.Read more
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To the East Rita Yee
From Gorge to Dunes
May 25, 2023 in Mongolia ☀️ 18 °C
Woke up to beautiful blue skies today and perfect weather for exploring Yolyn Am, a gorge in the Saikan Mountains.The valley leading the gorge is green with grass for yaks and horses, also making for an easy stroll in.

As we’re still early in the season though, parts of the gorge is still covered in snow and ice. It makes for a careful trek but picturesque as we can include the winter element in our photos. In some places fresh water runs river like, carving a path between the ice.

Lunch was in another village. One of the vans needed a radiator repair so it took a little while to get going. Our drivers are also mechanics and in this sparse countryside, sometimes you can only rely on yourself.

Once fixed, we were off onto the ‘new road’. Apparently the old one is quite bumpy. The new one is pioneering. It’s barely visible, maybe there’s tire tracks from previous vehicles but basically we were told to just aim for the valley between the sand dunes on the left and the mountain range on the right. Whole new level of respect!

The landscape is desolate but there’s a stark beauty in it as well. You truly do wonder if you’re still on earth or perhaps have been teleported into a rover on Mars.

Our ger camp tonight is situated close to the sand dunes so that we’re ready to climb and explore in the morning.Read more
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To the East Rita Yee
A Day in the Gobi
May 26, 2023 in Mongolia ☁️ 22 °C
This morning we set out to visit the sand dunes of the Gobi and climb the biggest of them all. Sometimes I think climbing a sand dune may be harder than a mountain. The slopes are smooth and aside from the ridges you almost have to definitely climb in switchbacks. There’s so solid rock as the sands are constantly shifting so you have to use your toes to dig in on the way up.

As usual I’m last to get there but at the same time I’m able to follow the tracks left by my group. Keeping careful balance and allowing my feet to sink into the sand, it truly as steady as she goes. Slowly but surely and a lot of mantras like I think I can from Dumbo.

The view from above is breathtaking as we take in the field of dunes ahead. It’s not as extensive as what I remember from the Sahara but still a sight to behold.

The way down is a lot more direct than I thought. I’d tried not to think about this on my way up considering the slope is probably about 45 degrees. You can’t really hurt yourself if you fall since it’s sand (except maybe short of a long tumble) but it’s still quite the slope. It straight down the face we went, this time digging in my heels in the soft sand to anchor myself and following in footsteps once again.

My progress is still slow but a lot steadier heading down. Balance is still an issue but all’s well at the end. Looking back it’s still a wonder to know we had made it up.

We then visited a 2 hump camel raising nomad family. It was very humbling to be in their ger with grandma, the parents and a young child. The mom was making the noodles for tsuivan (a typical Mongolian noodle dish) and it was cool to see her cut through layers of dough to make the noodles.

We learned a bit about their lives. Their need for a well, the meaning of the design of the ger to even entertainment. They go into the village every two weeks for supplies but aside from that are in their own aside of what they made ask neighbours to get when they go to town. It’s a lifestyle I could never be used to and makes me feel how tough they are to live in these conditions.

One interesting contrast observed was the use of cell phones in these times. The lady had a few calls while we were there. Without them, I could feel like we slipped into the past, but alas we’re firmly held in the present by the presence of smart phones.

The afternoon was a break at the camp to recover from the hike and just enjoy the scenery of the dunes before us. The winds picked up and it became better to stay indoors.

Before dinner we visited another spot along the belt of dunes, this time where a small river flowed, providing green ‘grass’ for horses to feed, a surprise at the edge of the desert. I was hoping to visit the spot where sand dunes meet the dark mountains to hear the singing sands, but I suppose if you focus, you might hear a whisper. Climbing one dune a day is enough for me and I’m not sure our van could take on that off roading.Read more
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