Travel | Enjoying Spring in Seoul: The Palaces, Museum, Sakura, Shrine, and Lotte World

Seoul City Hall

The following day, I explored the city alone. The landmark where I started the tour is at the City Hall. So, to justify that I really am at Seoul, the Seoul City Hall is the best place to be and have that selfie! LOL see previous post here

Good thing in the City Hall area is that it is also near other landmarks to visit. Since it is spring time, most spring flowers are in bloom and vibrant such as this red and white flowers in this "I love you Seoul" landscape at the Seoul Plaza. Behind this landscape is the beautiful building of Seoul Metropolitan Library.

I Love You Seoul at Seoul Plaza

Flowers at the Sidewalk

Lots and lots of flowers at the sidewalk...vibrant and colorful! This is not a usual scene in the Philippines because these spring flowers will surely dry up in the tropical environment. I thought that these are plastic ornaments but no, these are real flowers!

Just across the Seoul Plaza is where the Deoksugung Palace is located. So, I took the chance of exploring the place also. The entrance fee costs KRW 1000. This palace is said to be the palace that has western touch and it bridges the old and modern eras of Seoul.

Gate of Deoksugung Palace

Deoksugung Palace

Inside Deoksugung Palace

Inside and outside the palace, there are pinkish flowers, and I always suspect it as the cherry blossom, but they are not! I am late for the bloom of the cherry blossoms. Some moments of rain and gust are also factors that will fall off the flowers just like those petals at the right photo - actually, those are cherry blossom petals. Those trees that you see are not green when the buds are in bloom! As the locals say, you will see white, pink, then green. Another point here is that, this stone-wall road you see is considered as one of Korea's beautiful roads, indeed!

Deoksugung Doldam-gil: One of the Beautiful Korean Roads

I continued to walk along the vicinity and I arrived near the Seoul Museum of Art. That big floral bouquet is one their entrance's visual arts. The Korean people are really arty! 

Big Floral Bouquet at Seoul Museum of Art

Further steps, you will arrive at the Seoul Museum of History. It is where I further explore Seoul through the eyes. They have a scale model of the city that is very cool! It plays well with some lights and texts - very modern to present the division of districts in Seoul even to its main streets. By the way, it has a free admission - good thing because I am able to stay while it is raining.

Sakura!!!

Seoul Museum of History

But hey, upon walking towards my next destination, since the rain has stopped, too - look what I have found!!! Eureka! Eureka! Eureka! I found a species of cherry blossoms (the photo at the right)! From its looks and color - this is like the ornaments displayed inside the malls in the Philippines - this is indeed a cherry blossom! Anyways, the search is not still off since to see more of it because the cherry blossom is the prominent icon whenever we talk about spring time. :-)

After seeing that cherry blossom, I proceeded to the Gwanghwamun Square. It is where you will see the two most respected historical figures by the Koreans: Admiral Yi Sun-Shin (statue at the left) and King Sejong (statue at the right).

After visiting the Gwanghwamun Square, I proceeded to Changdeokgung Palace - recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage and listed on 1997. It has an entrance fee that costs KRW 3000. This is among the palaces that has a colorful past and has been home to one of Japan's princesses during the Japanese occupation in Korea.

The Changdeokgung Palace

Where the Japanese Princess Lived

At the Changdeokgung Palace, there is also a scheduled palace tour in English. It is very interesting to learn about the history of the place and I hope there is such a thing in the Philippines. However, there are no royal families in the Philippines, perhaps, it can be done among cultural villages. Anyways, moving forward, more steps, the next palace is the Changgyeonggung Palace, however, I did not enter the palace because I want to catch the Jongmyo Royal Shrine.

Jongmyo Royal Shrine is also listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1995. It has an entrance fee of KRW 1000. It is where the memorial tablets for the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty, the last dynasty the served Korea, are kept. They follow Confucian tradition.

Jongmyo Shrine

Jongmyo Shrine

Memorial services in this shrine also hold the oldest ancestral rites conducted since 1464. It is recognized as the one of the Masterpieces of the Oral Tradition and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2001. At this shrine, there is also an English shrine tour. There are some restrictions where to step in the shrine's paved ways since it is believed that some of those ways are for the spirits not humans.

The Lotte World

This is my final destination for the day...the Lotte World, one of South Korea's theme parks. It is already almost night time when I arrived. Spending more than KRW 20,000 entering the park isn't that practical at all. Few hours to spend is not worthy, so, I just took a photo outside. LOL

That was a very tiring day. Much of walk the whole day. Pretty excited for another day's tour at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), where you will be at South and North Korea's boundary!

I hope you enjoyed the visit in my avenue, www.ten7avenue.com. Share your story too!

Travel | Enjoying Spring in Seoul: My Arrival, the Gyeongbokgung Palace and Korean Dishes

Airport Limousine Bay

Bus Ticket Stall

One of South Korea's gateway to the world is Incheon International Airport. This is among the best airports in the world. I am glad at least I have been to it and among other best airports. Okay, you got me there, my happiness is not that high...I am okay just at the airport! LOL

Anyways, supposedly, I will ask my friend to at least fetch me in the airport so that I won't get lost on my arrival. However, I am given an instruction of how to get their place instead. Alright, that is part of the adventure then...constantly, I need to catch a free wifi at the airport so that I can message my friend: if I have arrived safely and if I have gotten into the bus at the scheduled time where I am going so that my time of arrival to the bus stop will be estimated. There you go... I am asked to ride on bus 6004 going to Gasan Digital Complex. So I need to check where the bus ticket stall outside the arrival hall and buy for the bus ticket to Gasan Digital. Finding the bus ticket stall isn't difficult after all, there are two counters one that speaks in English and the other one in Korean. Good job! I am then asked to pay KRW 10,000 for the ticket, ugh, that's is a bit pricey, but I have to abide to the instructions. LOL (Another option could have been riding a train...but since the subway system in Seoul is a bit complex at first, my friend worries that I might get lost along the transit, but it is actually more cheap!) Following the instructions given to me, isn't bad at all. I arrived safely even though the driver and I can't communicate that well - reading street signs and names really works!

On the first day of my adventure, I contacted my Korean family friend. Yeah, we met them in Cebu City at Fort San Pedro with my parents. They are pretty warm and friendly. They even told us to tell them whenever we travel in Seoul, that was way back 2013. Good thing I managed to constantly communicate with them especially, Sena, a writer. So, we met again springtime 3 years after. :-)

They fetched me at the place of where I stay and we scheduled for a palace tour, wearing a hanbuk (Korean attire), and taste authentic Korean dishes! :-)

First stop, the Gyeongbokgung Palace!

Visiting Seoul, South Korea - Spring Time

It is the biggest among the five (5) palaces preserved in Seoul. The palace gate is very wide...good thing when we arrived at the vicinity, there is this ceremonial exchange shifts of the guards. It is drawing attraction among visitors like me and even my Korean friends saw it for the first time, too. Watch the video below as part of the ceremony.

Gyeongbokgung Palace Gate

Before entering the palace gate, you will be asked to pay an entrance fee of around KRW 3,000. In the vicinity, you will witness some couples in hanbuk or the traditional Korean attire. If they wear it, they will free of charge for the entrance fee. That is cool! Some of them become an instant attraction because of their attire and additional to promote tourism in the place. This place is also a place wherein tourists do some photo shoot. From this view, at the right side of the gate is a stall wherein tourists can wear a royal guard attire for less than an hour. Thus, here I chose the general of the gate guard attire. Tick that on my list of things to do!!!

I thank the Sena and her family for being my interpreter and guide at that moment. It is like fulfilling a wishlist of a dear friend...

Me and Sena's Family at the Gyeongbokgung Palace Gate

The vicinity is also near the National Palace Museum wherein we took time to explore too. I enjoyed this place as it showcases a palace's artifacts, their early sciences and other palace essentials. I am glad to have this chance to understand a part of Korea and their culture related to other Asian race.

Entrance to the National Palace Museum of Korea and Stamps

Then, we entered the palace. We chose the English language for the Gyeongbokgung Palace Tour for my benefit which is scheduled three (3) times a day: 11:00 H, 13:30 H and 15:30 H. Our tour guide is Ms. Lee. She is also wearing a hanbuk during the tour and she speaks English very well. She also explains well during the tour.

The vicinity of the palace is comprised of several building and each building is identified according to its design and small details at the roof. Cool, isn't it? There are allot of symbols visible in every buidling such as the golden dragon, five (5) mountains and two (2) moons, the dragons forming like the yin and yang and other things that you will discover in every building.

The country experiences four (4) seasons and there are questions of how do each building and people inside survive the freezing cold winter season... Well, it is explained that there are portions of the building that is like a chimney but the heat is circulated in the building and it is absorbed by the layers of the floor of very building. That is something very scientific and an adaptive way to survive changes of season.

This is the end portion of the tour wherein we are brought to the palace banquet area for special occasions. Since it is a royal gathering, guests and members of the royal family will have to abide on rules on the do's and don'ts. You will experience serenity in this area as it is also wide, surrounded by a lake with carps, and garden around.

We also explored other parts of the palace not passed by the tour. Have some photo opportunities and well, it is tiring and making us starving...so, the next stop is for a restaurant to eat authentic Korean dishes!!!

Dinner Time!!!

My bad... I have not able to capture every food that is served but will just tell you what we ate...hahaha

As an appetizer, we have kim chi and ssam bap - the spicy fermented cabbage and lettuce as wrap for rice or bulgogi. Aside from that, we have the cold noodles (usually eaten during summer), bulgogi, bibimbap and have our tummies filled! Oh wow! That is really a sumptuous Korean treat! Indeed a treat because I attempted to cash out but I am refused to share...they are also happy that I enjoyed the food and the tour. Thank you!!! 

During this day, several activities have been checked out in my list of things to do! Yehey!!! More to come in the coming posts!

I hope you enjoyed this visit in my avenue, www.ten7avenue.com!

Travel | Soul Searching in Seoul, South Korea

Get rid with my title...too fancy! LOL

The Philippines is a tropical country in the Southeast Asia Region. With this geographic location, the country experiences two seasons: dry (summer) and wet (rainy) seasons. A tropical person would want to experience something different such as experiencing winter, spring and fall. It has been a very familiar music in my ears that has the lyrics about these seasons 'winter, spring, summer or fall...you've got a friend'. Aside from that song, a lot of Korean television series has been an avenue to show the beauty of South Korea - a very good way to promote their place and it has been an influence for me to aspire coming to the country! However, my main drivers to go to  South Korea are some of my friends. Also, their history and culture are very interesting. Actually, it is among the places I really want to visit and of course, the visa is free for Filipinos staying below 60 days. Check the application requirements here.

There are several things I wanted to do in Seoul, South Korea:
1) Wear an traditional Korean attire or the hanbuk;
2) Visit cultural and historical places (the 5 palaces, shrine, and traditional villages);
3) See the sakura in person;
4) Visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ);
5) Visit their Museum;
6) Navigate in their subway system;
7) Tour around Incheon International Airport (one of the world's best);
8) Visit the romantic N Seoul Tower;
9) Shop and eat at Myeongdong Street;
10) Eat authentic Korean dishes; and
11) Visit some of their themed parks.

Those are only a few of the things I wanted to do in Seoul. Yes, just in Seoul for this tour! Yet, I am told that there are more to do especially going out Seoul and experience the natural beauty of South Korea. Oh wow, this is just the beginning of my blog about my visit in South Korea.

Tips: 1) You get free maps at the airport. Grab the opportunity to learn about the city and places to visit nearby. 2) Bringing cash for conversion is good but better have your ATM card and get some cash from an ATM at the airport once to fight conversion losses and just pay a bit of bank charges not exceeding 200 pesos. 3) Download subway navigation application and enjoy using it with your smartphone real-time even without an Internet connection.

More to come here at my avenue, www.ten7avenue.com. Enjoy!

Application of Visa to Korea for Filipino Travelers

Requirements for the Korean Visa Processing for Filipino Tourists

It is in my bucketlist to visit a country that has four seasons or at least to experience winter or spring. The winter season excites me to see the places covered with snow or experience snowfall itself. The spring season also excites me to see flowers bloom especially the sakura! With that being said, I want it somewhere in Japan or South Korea. At least it is near the Philippines and not much of adjustment with time. :-)

Those seasons will be a bit challenging for a Southeast Asian like me. But before anything else, I need to get a ticket going there! Aside from the ticket, the processing of a visa is next for a Filipino passport holder like me. :-)