Fanatical Hunt

Upon returning from South Korea, my friends asked me whether I liked it there. I told them that I enjoyed my trip but Korea didn't captivates me as much as Japan. The inspiration however was mostly towards K-Pop.

My inspiration came about while watching 2 of my favorite K-Pop group teaming together on a "Infinitely Yours, Seoul" feature, Super Junior and Girls Generation Seoul MV. It features many beautiful scenery that I planned a scavenger hunt of the place featured.

The Inspiration

Jessica, Leeteuk & Siwon Pre-shot:
Banpo - Hanggang Park (I was there at night)

Opening Feature:
N Seoul Tower

Sunny Walking the pre-schoolers:
Deoksugung Palace Exterior

Taeyeon, Sunny & Shindong Scenes:
Sejong Square

Kyuhyun & Seohyun Shots:
Cheonggyecheon Stream

Ryeowook, Donghae and Sooyoung Shots:
Ssamziegil Shops @ Insadong

Group Shot:
Banpo - Hanggang Park overlooking Banpo Light Fountain Bridge

Donghae Street Dance:
Banpo Bridge

The hunt made my trip to Seoul most satisfying of all. I fanatically put on the song while I'm at most of the places. Even some I managed a simple move (I wished). The places are truly magnificently beautiful as featured in the MV.

On top of the MV hunt, I also hunted down my K-Pop Idol, Shindong for his establishment. He had opened 2 PC bangs which I wanted to utilized for uploading some of my photos in Facebook but I did not have all the required materials. Shindong wouldn't be around too as he was on SS4 tour in Indonesia that very day.

Shindong's DraQra PC Castle:
Sincheon

Truthfully, I'm into K-Pop and not into Korean culture. I can't even enjoy Korean Cuisine and especially not the rude attitudes of the elders. I shall stick to K-Pop fanaticism.

North/South Korea Day 8-9: Venturing DMZ and last Burst of Attractions

With the recent passing of Kim Jong Il, I grew fascinated to North Korea somehow. So while I was going to South Korea, I was wondering whether there's a way to check North Korea. Of course, there are strict regulations between the two nations but there is an attraction that attracts many Caucasians - the DMZ ( Demilitarized Zone). DMZ sits at the very border of the North and South and within 2km from both nations are marked as demarcation line where there should not be any retaliation between both nations.

There are 2 types of tour to DMZ, a half or a full day tour. There is only a half day tour on weekends due to the closure of Panmunjeom which is part of the whole day tour. So I ended with the half day tour which starts at 0730 with a transport that pick me up from your hostel. I booked the tour thru Seoul Backpackers reception when I checked in and I got a SGD3 discount.

Freedom Bridge

First stop of the tour is to Imjingak where the guide will process your clearance into the DMZ. While waiting, I wondered around overlooking the Freedom Bridge, a bombed train vessel, unification messages and a Peace Bell. I had 20mins to wander around which I find a bit too short as I wasn't able to go up the observation deck.

Moving on from Imjingak, we went into the DMZ area where South Korean soldiers were checking our passport. Here the guide told us about identifying the period of service of the soldiers by the number of bars on their head gear, between none (newly enlisted) to four (ORD loh!!!). In SG, we just served till its over.

Layout of the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel
(Stole someones photo due to photography restrictions)

Clearing the check point we move on to the Third Infiltration Tunnel which is 73m into the ground. The north dug an infiltration tunnel by using dynamites till it blew a water line that notified the South. South dug a tunnel to intercept the North. It is an amazing story but being there was more amazing.

Photography is prohibited so we had to leave our belongings in the lockers provided and was told to have a helmet along. We walked down a steep 73m deep tunnel to get to the tunnel. Once at the bottom, we made our way thru a 2m by 2m tunnel to check the blockade where we'll pass into North Korea, underground though. Thank god for the helmet, I kept banging my head to the low tunnel. There are 3 blockade but you can see pass each blockade through the viewfinder. It's quite cold in the tunnel but the work out to get back up states wearing a jacket is pointless.

After the tunnel, we were brought to small museum with the guide explaining the history in the DMZ before moving on to the next location, Dora observatory.

Just 5mins away from the infiltration tunnel, Dora Observatory is another photography restricted area. There in plain view was spectacular view of North Korea but we're not able to snap a shot at a certain point, not even in the building. I just enjoyed the breathtaking view.

Stood behind the no photography line and managed this shot
of North Korea from Dora Observatory

Dorasan Station

Our last stop in the DMZ was Dorasan Station, a now-closed station between South Korean to the North which leads to Pyongyang. The station is generally new and still shiny. There wasn't much there except an entry to the platform for SGD5. Though the station was a great place to enjoy the aircon after being in the open for so long.

Our last itinerary for the tour was a visit to Seoul Ginseng Center where they'll promote the benefits of ginseng. After a sample, EVERYONE just left before they could target some sale. That was classic.

The tour bus will drop passengers off at either City Hall or Itaewon at about 1400. I needed to complete my Seoul MV hunt and returned to City Hall for Deoksugung palace.

I was in time for the change of guard ceremony at Deoksugung Castle. It lasted about 20mins. I didn't went in the castle as I knew I had many other places to cover.

I was famished like the North Korean because I hadn't had anything except a pack of bread. I was craving for Italian and went in the first Italian restaurant that I came upon. I was the first time I had risotto.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

I was contemplating of checking Gyeongbokgung palace as I wanted to see other non-palace and realized I haven't been into one. So I went into the most grand of them. Entrance was SGD3 and the place was huge. It's said to be before Forbidden City and slightly smaller, slightly. There are many sections to the place I didnt know whether I've been to all. It was just too huge. Wonder how I'll survived Forbidden City.

I was groggy once I completed with the palace and I needed to check Bukchon Village. It's similar to Haji Lane in Singapore with rows of local designers. I was packed with trendy early 20s. There are Hanok buildings in the area with 8 great photography vantage points which was featured in 2Days 1Night. I was too tired to search all aimlessly till I found the map at the Tourist Information counter. I gave up as I was tired and I still need to go to Dongdaemun.

Bukchon Hanok Village

The different subway lines were very near each other and I wanted to take the direct line to Dongdaemun. Tired still, I took the nearest subway and transited to my destination. I was quite dissappointed with Dongdaemun as it was mostly street market and a wholesale market that sells mostly souvenirs and crafts. Dongdaemun Gate was also under restoration. I was at Dongdaemun for only 5mins and returned back to hostel to nap before I continued with my last shopping spree.

Every last shopping spree is a crazy on for me. I see things along the way and took a mental note of my shopping list. However I got others instead. I finally managed to get some clothings, a shoe for my nephew, and a last minute Happy Call purchases after I checked out.

My Korean Shopping

Check out my last 2 Days in 대한민국.

Overall, I enjoyed my whole South Korea trip, alone. The great adventures of getting lost and the beautiful sceneries and young people. I didn't enjoy Korean food before and will never do. It's mostly bland. The elders there irritates the hell of me with their rude behaviors. I told myself that I'll never return to Korea but soon realized that I could return to shop and I know someone who would love to follow. Though I won't be returning within the next 3 years. Now I'm planning my next major trip hopefully by year end or early next year to Shanghai/Beijing.

안녕하세요

South Korea Day 7: Second Date in Seoul

While in Jeju, I noticed someone I dated was there too. I FB PM her for a second date in Seoul. I admit that I was a JERK after our first and she actually agreed on a lunch date the day after my birthday. Woohoo!!!

Since the date was in the afternoon, I went about to Namsangol Hanok village 2 stops away. It's an area where traditional buildings from the Joseon era were relocated to. Also in the village is a time capsule to commemorate the 600th year after Joseon dynasty. The village is filled with traditional activities which some were similar to those of Southeast Asia.


Along the way, I had a wardrobe malfunction with my jacket and had to rectify the situation. It wasn't major but I had to take pride of my attire so I headed straight to Myeongdong to find Daiso in search of solutions.

Once rectified, I was right on time for the date and/or earlier than her. I was expected to find a diner as I read Hangul. She had problem searching some cuisine as majority of the stores had Hangul menu. A jerk still, she didn't get to have her tteokbokki (while writing this, I googled and noticed that tteokbokki is a street food that I saw all the while - the spicy street food I dare not try) but I had my raw baby octopus instead. I was amazed that she was daring to try it too. Any hope of a future with her, that's personal.

We continued walking around Myeongdong and she was amazed of the alleys that I brought her too. As she knew I was on a tight schedule, we parted ways and I headed to City Hall where I continued my Seoul MV hunt, searching for Sejong Square, Daeksugung Palace and Cheonggyecheon stream.

I was at Daeksugung entrance but chose to visit the next day instead. I was on another time constrain as I have a theater to attend at 1600. I headed towards Sejong Square instead. There wasn't much there except for Sejong statue, water fountain and a fantastic view towards Gwangbukgong palace. A few snaps and I continued on along Cheonggyecheon stream.

The stream was refurbished to suit the metropolitan life. It can be considered a walking route to many parts of the city as well as my theater venue, Seoul Cinema. The streams starts by a man-made waterfall and flows towards the Han river. It is quite serene walking along the stream. No wonder there were a lot of people sitting at the ledges and benches chatting, reading or just chilling with friends.

I got out at the intersection where the Seoul Cinema is located. I've made reservation back in Singapore for Jump! A Martial Art Theater which featured in Singapore before. I had recently went on many theater and would just like to add another in Seoul since Jump! is a non-verbal play (I'm going to struggle if it's a Korean play). Tickets were at SGD50 and it lasted for 90mins. It is a comedic show where you'll be entertain way before the show officially starts. The acrobatic moves where awesome but it had a simple plot. I shouldn't expect much for a non-verbal show.

After the show, I wanted to collect my films from the Lomography store but it was still early. Checking on current location, I was actually very near to Insadong - another of my Seoul MV hunt. I had dinner around the corner and made my way to Insadong.

Insadong is another shopping district but selling mostly traditional items such as hanbok and such but I was looking for a specific building feature in the MV. That building is Ssamziegil where the "mall" circulate from ground to three storey up. Majority of the shops are local fashion designers. I did thought of getting some traditional gifts but the items are quite pricy. So I left the place empty handed and in time to collect my films.

Hongik University at night is totally different when I was there the day before. It's livelier and crowded. It was hard getting from point A to B and majority of the diners were packed to the brim.

Once I collected my films, I continued walking along Hongik streets. At one point I noticed a lot of people gathering around a camera crew. From what I can make out from the conversation, there was a K-Pop artiste in the restaurant but I didn't caught the name. I waited like an eager fan but gave up as I do not know who it was. Hey! Shindong's in a concert the very moment so I don't really care who was dining there.

I had to head back to the hostel as I have an early morning tour the next day. So far, Seoul is vibrant in terms of life (except the elders - have not met one that is not crude) and attractions. I noticed that there's a lot of places that I need to cover the next day to get the satisfaction. Till then, I had to head back to rest for the trip to North Korea...

Second Date In Seoul

South Korea Day 5-6: A Year Older in Seoul

After my misadventures in Jeju, I was glad to be back to civilazation. Greatest was being a year older in the city. As previously mentioned in an earlier entry, I was inspired by Super Junior/Girls Generation Seoul MV. I will have that in another entry for my fanatical hunt.

As mentioned I stayed in Seoul Backpackers which is across Namdaemun Night Market. I returned to Seoul in the late afternoon from Jeju. It was already night after I settled down so I was only able to venture around the hostel facility, Namdaemun Market. I had my next Korean dinner at their diner whose menu were mostly in Hangul. Score point for able to read it!!!

I was done with dinner by 2030 and crossed the road to Namdaemun but majority of the shops were closed. So much for a night market. Shinsaegae has its main store around the corner and to my surprise, it was closing too even when the store sign states closing at 2230. So I ended going to the convenient store to get some drinks are returned to the hostel.

Waking up in Seoul on my birthday was quite serene, without actual person I know wishing happy birthday in my physical face. The feeling was just great, no offense though.

First stop would be N Seoul Tower, a stop away but I chose to walk over because the cable car service starts at 1000 and I was out by 0920. A return ride cost SGD 8.

N Seoul Tower stood on top of Namsan Mountain and overlooks many parts of Seoul. Apparently, many of my holiday will include towers where accessible. Also located at the venue is the Teddy Bear Museum. Combined entrance fee is SGD 14, individual will be SGD 9.

I hadn't had breakfast so I wondered around for food. There was a particular burger joint named "The Best Burger In Seoul" and I do have to admit that it truly was.

Since I didn't managed a visit to the Teddy Bear Museum in Jeju, I bought the combined ticket. The salesgirl recommended me to go to the museum first before going up. There are two sections to the museum. One part is the local history and the other is an international exhibit. I have to admit that the Teddy Bear exhibition are adorable. The giant teddy are quite nice to hug. However I was most drawn to the souvenir shop where I unconsciously bought a Teddy Bear for no apparent purpose.

Next, it's time to zoom up to the tower. A typical tower attraction similar to that of Taipei 101. But the view in Seoul is much more breathtaking with the Han river to the south and mountain ranges surrounding Seoul city. The toilet there also overlooks the city. I guess only the guys be able to enjoy the view while taking a leak.

I don't know why but I bought tons of souvenirs at N Seoul Tower. From Teddy Bears (still no idea why), magnets, iPhone cover (less than SGD5) and others. Some are cheap so I grab all the souvenirs for my colleagues from there so I won't be bother to search later on.

Cable Car ride down and walk down towards the subway, I was actually across Myeongdong which is a fantastic shopping area. Like Taiwan where I'll visit Ximending daily, Myeongdong is my daily visit. There's lots of great shops around and I did get crazy. Knowing that I'll come Myeongdong again, I ventured out to Hongik University which was about 7 subway stops away via Euljiro 3ga station at the other corner of Myeongdong.

Hongik University is Seoul third top university but the area surrounding it is the hippest with trendy eateries and clothing store for the young or young-at-heart. My main objectives was to locate Seoul Lomography Gallery Store to get more souvenirs and also to process my Sprocket Rocket films since they have their own Lomo lab. It's a 24 hours process unlike Singapore where they'll send to Taiwan to process and takes up to 2 weeks.

I was reluctant to visit Sincheon to check my K-Pop idol establishment, Shindong's DraQra PC Castle. You know Shindong of Super Junior? He established a PC shop and other avenues and thats the reason why he became my idol, an artiste who doesn't fully rely on his fame alone. I thought of using the facility to upload some of my photos but I did not have all my gears plus Shindong wasn't around as he's away on SS4 tour in Indonesia. I had plenty of time before Banpo bridge light show so I made my way there still and was amazed and fanatically impressed for that moment.

Since I still have plenty of time till the light show, I made my way to Coex Mall (a few stops from Sincheon) where the famous Coex Aquarium is located. Apparently like Busan Aquarium, there wasn't much of a boast of exhibition and the entrance fee was SGD 20 also. I ended wondering around the mall to kill time and to find the best directions to Banpo Bridge.

After all the research, I chose to use the Dongjak direction which was 2km away but direct. It was nice stroll along the park in the cool night but while checking the Google map on my phone, i realized that I was walking next to a cemetery. Lucky there were a lot of people, it would be freaky walking alone near a cemetery.

Banpo Bridge Fountain Light Show is on every 1800, 2000, 2030, 2100 and 2200 based on the website and depends on the weather. Each presentation last for 20mins. I was 5mins late for the 2000 show and waited for the 2030 show but it did not turned on. So I continued waiting for the 2100 show. It had to be the coldest night throughout my trip at 7 degrees.

Banpo bridge is one of my Seoul MV itinerary so I was satisfied visiting the area. While waiting for 2100 show, I researched the best way to get home and found that the subway across Banpo bridge is the nearest route home but the route to the station was a complicating one. It became an adventure where I panicked due to the urgent need of a toilet but I found my way around to the station.

Day 1 in Seoul was packed with many itineraries. It was a tiresome day but a birthday in Seoul and being at the vicinity of my K-Pop idol was the icing on top of my birthday cake. Just splendid!

Birthday in Seoul.

South Korea Day 3-5: The Misadventures of Jeju-Do

From Gimhae, I took Air Busan to Jeju domestic airport which was less than an hour away. I had packed a haversack and wanted to store my luggage at the airport. Sadly, the locker facility will be closed on the day of my departure due to renovation. Darn, effort wasted for packing and I had to drag my luggage along.

From Jeju Airport, I have to get on the Airport Limousine bus to Seogwipo where the hotel is located. The bus service was English friendly as it announces the upcoming destination in 4 different languages. It cost SGD 5 from the airport to Seogwipo where it passes many great attractions and hotels.

Night view

Upon reaching Seogwipo, it was already dark to a point I can't see some building from a far. I lost my bearings even when I had to refer to the iPhone navigation. Thanks to my poor Hangul, I managed to get directions from a convenient store to the hotel which was on top of a freaking steep hill. With a luggage in tow, it was not an easy journey. I was panting like a dog when I reached the front desk of Daekuk Isleinn. After settling down, I looked out the window into the darkest. It was quite bare and dark all over. No wonder I got lost without the help of any building to navigate from.

Day view

Day breaks, the city was well illuminated and I can see buildings that disappears at the break of light. I was up at about 0530hrs in hopes to get to Seongsan Ilchulbong early to view the sunrise, which is also known as Sunrise Peak. But at 0530hrs, the sun has started peaking out. Dang! So I took my time and find some breakfast and made my way there.

I did my research on getting around Jeju island by bus but upon arriving at the bus terminal, it wasn't as straight forward as I had researched. Sure I can read Hangul but I can't translate well. Worst when I have to ask for directions. I speak like a freaking 2 year old. Given up, I hailed a cab and venture on to Seongsan Ilchulbong. Based on the map, it seems like getting to PasirRis from Vivocity but Jeju is like 1.5 times bigger than Singapore. I ended up to an equivalent of SGD 40 fare.

But once I alighted the cab, I totally ignored the fare as the view was mesmerizing. Screw the $40, the view worth more than that. Before venturing up, armed myself with at least a bottle of water and remembered to take a leak. Entrance fee is only SGD 2. Review states that the journey up would take about 20mins but I took longer, admiring the scenery. Once at the peak, the view was truly stunning but bare. After a couple more shots, I made my way down towards a valley were the women divers are located. The view there is mesmerizing too. There would normally be demonstration of the women divers around noon but I was there at freaking 1000hrs.

Satisfied with my first adventure, I wondered on journey back without taking the cab. I went to the bus stop and waited almost 20 mins and ended taking the cab again. I told the driver my destination, Jeju World Cup Stadium but he didn't understand my English. I don't know the translation of the place in Hangul so I showed him a map which still doesn't help because it was in English. I had to inform him of the attraction which was mostly in English till I remembered a Carrefour equivalent, E-Mart. That he understood. So off we went to my next destination.

As we exit Seongsan, I noticed that the driver took a different route, a more scenic route. I thought it was ok as it was beautiful ignoring the fact that the driver is knocking me off till I realized that the route went further from the destination based on my iPhone navigation. I then realized that I showed him the map inverted, facing the north and there is an E-Mart up North. Not wanting to create another miscommunication and a higher fare, I continued the journey.

As I alighted to God-Knows-Where E-Mart, I wondered around the area and got bored because there was nothing. I managed to have a Korean lunch and then took a cab to the airport (less than SGD 5) to ride the limousine bus to my actual destination.

The main reason for the World Cup stadium was actually to check out The World Eros Museum. In all there are 3 sex museums in Jeju and the one at the stadium was the least favorite. The others were quite inaccessible especially after my misadventures with the cab from Seongsan. The exhibition were mostly in Korean but I can sure make out the illustrations and figures.For SGD 7, it was okay and nothing spectacular or bizarre unlike the Health and Sex Museum that I've been researching on.

While I'm at the stadium, I did went in to take a look. Not much of a soccer fan, so I left quite immediately after some shots.

The bus is just a stop away from my hotel and there are 2 attractions nearby. Since I took the bus the night before, it wasn't that far so I decided to walk back and enjoy the scenery which was mostly dark the night before.

Along the way was Oedolgae, and I didn't expect an 8km walk from the stadium. Yup 8 freaking kilometers. I even encountered a nice chap offering me a lift on his moped while walking but I pleasantly turned him down in Hangul. He was shocked too, after knowing that I'm a traveller that speaks Hangul. Both of us had an awkward moment and continued our separate journey.

Oedolgae is just 2km away from the hotel. It's an off shore rock formation and a place where Daejangguem (Korean Drama) was filmed. Nothing fantastic but beautiful nonetheless.

At the base of the hotel is a waterfall attraction, Cheonjiyeon Falls. Based on the map, there is a road leading down but based on the sign at the intersection says otherwise. I followed the signed and didn't expected another 2km walk down a winding path. However I ended up to another attraction, Seoseum, an island meant for tracking. Beside the bridge to Seoseum is the submarine terminal but I do not have the time for it. I just crossed the bridge and took some pictures as Cheonjiyeon Falls will be closed within the hour.

Cheonjiyeon isn't that far from Seoseum, it was practically a stone throw away. Entrance is SGD 2 but you have to walked further to view the falls. The falls wasn't as wide as documented but I had 2 great views, the waterfalls and the ladies visiting the area.

By then it was 1800hrs and I needed to get dinner. There is a market in between the route to the hotel. Jeju is known for its tangerine and huge red strawberries. Again I dare not try due to my stomach condition which led me to the hospital after eating an orange back home. I called it a day after dinner.

I did planned to complete my itinerary by visiting Jeongbang Falls before checking out the following day but the weather wasn't friendly. It was raining and fogging at the same time. So I spend most of the time in the hotel till check out and then took a bus back to the airport for lunch.

Jeju is definitely a beautiful island. Getting around can be such a bitch. Best is to travel by tour, rent a car or charter a driver. I did planned to rent a car because it was cheap and the road are fairly easy but as a single traveller, it's not advisable. Plus, it's a left side driving which I'm unfamiliar with.

More of Jeju-Do.

Time to "Fly to Seoul 나와 Let's dance dance"...

South Korea Day 1-3: Amazing Busan

I was pleased to get a cheap flight by SIA to arrive at Incheon on 21 April at approximately 1545hrs. I wanted to venture out of Seoul first but the connecting flight to either Busan or Jeju Island was very tight. Furthermore, the most affordable flights are situated at Gimpo Airport about 15mins away. I would not be able to catch the last flight out to both cities.

The next best way is to travel by KTX from Seoul station to Busan. The speed train journey is about 3hrs. I booked the luxury of first class just to avoid interruption by other commuters but that was where I noticed the worst attitude of the Korean elders. They are rowdy, pushy and crude. Let's not forget unhygienic. I soon realized the Korean culture where elders are the most respected and somehow they are taking it to their fullest advantage.


After almost 12hrs of throbbing journey, I finally checked in to Toyoko Inn which was just beside Busan Station. An excellent location for convenience to find food and transportation.

Getting around Busan is quite easy with the vast subway system. I wanted to get the T Money card, a cashless payment system to use for transportation and even purchases at shops. However I was unable to find it while in Seoul. Busan uses Hanaro card similar to T Money but can only be used in Busan. So I had to pay by cash for all my transportation. All fares cost below SGD 2.

My first stop was Haeundae Beach. There are about 3 major beaches but the most popular is Haeundae. Of course no one was in the water due to the coldness of spring but the view is spectacular. Busan Aquarium is also located there but the sealife exhibition wasn't that impressive. Entrance fee was about SGD 20.

Along the way, I noticed the much talked about Haeundae Market however many shops were closed. Majority that were opened were the diners or some clothings store.

Moving on from Haeundae, I've planned for a spa treat in Busan's largest shopping center, Shinsaegae Centum City. The mall is huge with many great brands. I was reluctant to go into the spa(찜질방) due to time constrain. I was awestruck by the mall that I enjoyed shopping instead. I shopped like crazy at the very start of my trip.

Once I completed my shopping, I returned to the hotel to drop off my purchase and a change of jacket as the day grew hotter (still below 20 degrees Celsius) and headed out to Yongdusan Park where the Busan Tower stood. The attraction is 3 stops away and on top of a hill. Thank god there are escalators to get to the top.

The entrance for the tower is approximately SGD 4 and the 360 view of Busan is spectacular. Since it's spring, cherry blossoms were blooming and it was gorgeous. Many were taking photo with it and so I did too.

At the foot of Yongdusan is a great shopping street Gwangbok-Ro which I have to walk pass to get to Yongdusan Park. Many great brands were lined up along the street but none of the luxury type. The highest end I encountered was Calvin Klein Jeans which had a great sale (up to 70% off) similar to majority of the other stores. In the alleys are night markets stalls selling fake luxury goods which I have to admit are very close to its original counterpart.

Gwangbok-Ro is also an avenue for movies where Pusan International Film Festivals (PIFF) are normally held. There are a number of cinemas along PIFF square together with tons of street food delights. Majority of them are either deep fried or spicy which I'm unable to savor due to my stomach condition.

Across Gwangbok-Ro is another Lotte departmental store. There aren't many high-end brands but the prices area still 5-15% cheaper than Singapore. Longchamp however is way cheaper than Singapore.

A metro stop away from Nampo (where Gwangbok-Ro and Lotte is located) is Jagalchi station where the Jagalchi market is located. It's actually less than 5 mins walk away from each station. Jagalchi Market is known for the freshest catch and also fresh cuisine. I was searching high and low to try the raw baby octopus but unable to find a place that serves it. I managed to get it at Seoul instead.

Toyoko Inn check-out time is at 1000hrs and my flight out at Gimhae is at 1700hrs. I went to check their other shopping district Seomyeon which was a disappointment because a lot of the shops were closed on Monday. So I just sat at Starbucks waiting for the time to pass when I realized that there's a Chinatown across Busan Station. 

I made my way back and was let to another disappointment. There wasn't much hype at the Chinatown. There are chinese eateries and some shops but majority are closed. Seems like Busan is mostly closed on Monday. Luckily like most Chinatown, there is a massage parlor where I continued to waste my time. They were Chinese owned and they got me right as a Malay instead of Filipino. They were even amazed that I spoke to them in Mandarin. So I managed to relax for an hour for about SGD 30 and returned to the hotel to collect my luggage.

Gimhae airport is accessible by subway and transfer to monorail but from Busan Station, I have to transfer twice which is tedious with a luggage in tow. With the excess expense for Busan, I decided to take a cab over and it cost me approximately SGD 18 for a distance from Orchard to Changi Airport with traffic.

I love Busan as it was quite laid back. Check out more photos of Busan. Moving on to Jeju-Do where the misadventures begins...

South Korea Birthday Getaway

I've been crazy about K-Pop music especially those of SM Entertainment. The music are catchy and dance friendly. SM Entertainment artistes were endorsed to promote Visit Seoul by a bunch of music video, theme "Infinitely Yours, Seoul". My top favorite Super Junior paired with Girls Generation in an MV "Seoul" which features many great sights of Seoul.

Inspired by the MV, I've made plans about visiting Seoul for the longest time and finally managed for my 2012 Birthday Trip. Since I'm in South Korea, I've added itineraries to venture the other parts of Korea such as Busan and Jeju Island and probably

Planning 5 months ahead had it's benefits. I got cheap fares by Singapore Airlines at almost 50% of regular price. As my flight arrives at 1530hrs, I wasn't able to connect my flight to either Busan or Jeju on time. So the best option is by KTX.

Getting around South Korea is easy by train or by domestic flights. Majority are below SGD 80 except for my first class train ride to Busan which was almost SGD 100. The speed train KTX took 3 hours to reach its destination, Busan. Since I arrived in the evening and my train is at 1800hrs,  I was not able to view the magnificent Seoul countryside.

Flights from Busan to Jeju and Busan to Gimpo were by Air Busan which is easy to book online and is relatively cheaper with some discount.

Toyoko Inn Busan Station 1

As for accommodations, I was able to search those within SGD 50 since I would be out most of the time. In Busan, I stayed in Toyoko Inn which is right beside Busan KTX station. There are 3 Toyoko Inn in Busan in all. Toyoko Inn is a Japanese hotel chain and you can expect some Japanese appliances for you convenience. Staff here are able to converse in English with a slight difficulties but most of my queries were met.

Daekuk Isleinn Hotel

Moving to Jeju, I managed to booked Daekuk Isleinn through Agoda.com. It's situated in Seogwipo, the southern most city of Jeju which is also where most attractions are at. I was prepared with maps to get around but upon alighting the limousine bus, I lost my bearing due to the darkness of night. Asking help was difficult but thank god for my poor Hangul, I managed to get the direction to the hotel, which is on a freaking hill. A luggage in tow is no easy task to conquer the hill (I wasn't able to store my luggage in the airport because the storage store will be closed on my departure day due to renovations). The staffs in Daekuk Isleinn speak little to no English, so it was quite troublesome to ask for help.

Seoul Backpackers Namdaemun Branch

Lastly in Seoul, I stayed in Seoul Backpacker which is at a super convenient location. It's near most attractions and shopping heaven Myeongdong (dropped by almost everyday). Since it's a hostel, the staffs were fluent in English and a great help with all the queries and recommendation.

After a total of 8 nights in South Korea (2 in Busan, 2 in Jeju and 4 in Seoul), I was thrilled that I completed majority of planned itinerary especially the Seoul MV location hunt. There were some that I didn't managed to visit due to weather/transportation constrain in Jeju and time constrain in Seoul. Yet I'm satisfied.

The culture there is not worth visiting unlike Japan's unique culture. The culture in Korea is respecting the elders and somehow they are taking it to the fullest advantage. They are rude and love to push you aside. While in Busan and especially Jeju, I've experienced the worst attitude from them. At least Seoul was friendlier.

To add, majority of the younger people in Korea are great to look at. They sure know how to groom themselves. Even if they underwent plastic surgery, they are still great to look at (that's the point of plastic surgery right). I soon realized why most of the men's hair are unkempt because the wind there is crazy. It blow all direction and messed up your hair. Their hairdresser did a great job to maintain an unkempt hairstyle.

Food here is not easy for me as there's tons of pork. Street food are either deep fried or spicy which I don't dare due to my stomach condition. So most of the time, I had my meals in cafes, restaurant or fast food with with occasional Korean cuisine.

Given a chance to revisit Korea to either complete my itinerary or for another holiday, I wouldn't want to because there wasn't a great impact during my stay. Even though shopping was great, traveling to Korea is expensive. However, I sure did enjoy my time there. For more of my itinerary, keep a look out for my future post.

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