Day 02 - Seoul Incheon/Gimpo/Cheju
approach to seoul-incheon
The flight seemed long especially when most of us couldnt sleep and it was tiring to watch the PTV. And disappointingly, there wasnt any breakfast nor snacks prior to landing, something they used to provide years ago.
0602h - Flight OZ 752/SQ5752 landed safely at Seoul Incheon Airport, 22mins late from schedule.
Chris introduced our tour guide, Sean to us. We had only a mere one hour for breakfast, and of course, photo taking.
The group wasted no time to start on photo taking, however, much time was spent to decide on what breakfast to have. After touring the airport, trying to decipher all the squares and lines on the signboards, the group finally decided to have breakfast in Mcdonald's due to time limit and budget. The other eateries are simply costly, it was our 1st culture shock, ok, for the most of us, excluding miss dawan & ra who had their fair share of deciphering the symbols years back with mr panda.
Mcdonald's, Incheon International AirportIt was interesting to note that ''Big Breakfast' was a new addition to Mcdonald's breakfast menu in Korea.
Big BreakfastSome of the us ordered 'Big Breakfast' and was amazed that they don't offer tea. Tea was like a strange object to them. Much to our dismay, the scrambled egg was dry and not as buttery as what we have in Mcdonald's in Singapore. It was not waterish, like as if it was hardened by the low humidity of the temperature in Seoul. Furthermore, trays had to be cleared by ourselves just like how Japanese does.(well at least, they don't employ elderly as cheap labour. Bravo!!!). The ambience of the restaurant was spectacular, finally we could relax, have proper legroom and chill. Breakfast was rather costly for a start. It was around SGD7-8 for a set-meal.
sunriseAfter breakfast, we braved the sub-zero temperatures and were hurried onto our coach and advanced to our first destination of the day, Nami Island, the film site for Korean drama "Winter Sonata". During the journey, we witnessed our first 2008 sunrise in Korea... Along the way, we could see some elderly fishing along the coast of Yeongjong-do (Island) and goodness me, its only 6am+. Boy, it was sure a long trip on the national expressways and just before we adapted to the warm environment of the bus, we were exposed to sub-zero temperatures again. Everytime the gust of wind came, we quickly turned our backs. As it was around -7c, most of us stood next to the bonfire while waiting for the cruise to take us to Nami Island.
FYI:Nami Island was formed when water became blocked and a lake came into being due to the construction of the Cheongpyeong Dam. It is a half moon shaped (462,809㎡) isle, and on it is the grave of General Nami, who led a great victory against the rebels in the 13th year of the 7th king of the Joseon Dynasty, King Sejo (reign 1455 ~ 1468)
Nami IslandOf course, Nami Island provided us with a lot of photo taking moments. We took a group photo between the infamous two rows of trees.
group photo, Nami Island
...naturally
slutty.... 
....nice
huts.... 
fun... fun... funSince the island was made famous by 'Winter Sonata', it was not surprising to find a statue of the lead actor and actress on the island.
third party... It is also worthy to note that most of us was only wearing two layers of clothing(except Raymond, who wore many many layers since he was in Singapore) when we went to the island, thus, we was fighting the coldness when we took the photo, of course, not to waste any precious opportunity... lol... It was in fact, a good time to flick people's ears for fun, as everybody's ears were quite red due to the -8c temp.
After all the running around the island to capture all possible pics, we were the last group to arrive at the pre-arranged meeting place for the tour group(got a cold glare from Mr Sour Plum). The group was brought to a restaurant nearby for lunch.
first lunch in Korea ....As most should have noticed from K-drama, lunch was in the form of hot plate where they throw all the ingredients possible, like cabbage, meat, tapioca, nian gao... with some sauce. Of course, no meal in Korea is without kimchi and at least 3 other types of side dishes
However, for this lunch, when we almost finish off what is in the hot plate, the lady boss added in rice into the hot plate so we had something like fried rice to go with what is left in the hot plate. To prevent overcooking, the rice need to be stirred almost continuously... lol.
kel's fast paced stirring....As it was a nice feeling to have some hot food in the cold weather, add that to the less than satisfying breakfast, the hot plate was totally cleaned off when we were done with lunch.
the emptied hot plate....Feeling contented afer lunch, the group was brought to Gyeongbok Palace(as there was still some time to spare before our flight to Jeju)
FYI: Established in 1395, Gyeongbok Palace is also called “Northern Palace” because it is located more toward the north compared to Changdeok Palace (Eastern Palace) and Gyeonghee Palace (Western Palace). Gyeongbok Palace prides itself for having the largest magnitude and being the most beautiful among the 5 other palaces.
Gyeongbok Palace
the throne As we were not yet accustomed to the weather in Seoul, the palace trip proved to be very challenging, especially when we had to stay out in the open to listen to Sean about the different in structure between palace in China and Korea and a super summerised lesson on the Korean language.
Not soon enough, it is free and easy time in the palace which equates to more photo taking... a only activity that we bear the cold weather for... lol...
cozy and warmth... notShortly after, it is time for us to travel to Gimpo International Airport(despite its name, it is actually a domestic airport, with only one international flight to Tokyo) for our flight to Jeju Island. The airport has at least some standards, we were quite surprised you could check-in like 1hr before departure, which is hardly done at even China airports.
on the coachQuite disappointingly, our boarding pass is like what Air Asia does, a NTUC receipt with a barcode, flimsy & easily blown away. Prior to boarding, we observed that Asiana Air stewardess stand up & greet the senior levels whenever they walked pass the juniors. Hmm...something that you dont see elsewhere. And of course, not to forget, the new revamped Korean Air winter jacket for their crew, its simply stunning. Boarding was punctual and with a scan on the receipts, we hop on to our flight OZ 8931.
Boeing 737-48E
HL-7517- Delivered on 25/07/1997 (7 years 5mths+ old plane)
Temp @ Seoul Gimpo: -3c (sunny)
Temp @ Cheju: 1c (Flurries)
1655hrs - OZ 8931 departed from Seoul Gimpo (GMP) airport.
What an old plane, the windows were so dirty that you cannot take good photos. No TV onboard, so it was like back to the 90s where you have a stewardess manually doing the how-to-wear-a-lifejacket act. Obviously, many were ignorant and proceed to sleep or read.
OZ 8931
last glance at Gimpo International Airport 
OZ 8931Firstly, there was not as much leg space between the seat, and the cabin crew was not as welcoming as the international haul. The worst thing is, the pilot did such a rough landing onto Jeju International Airport that Raymond commented: " I just had my first thrill ride of the trip, even before i reach Everland!" Yes, indeed you could feel the wind actually shaking the flaps of the wings, the pilot sure had a difficult time landing on the windy coast of Cheju. From the low altitude, one could see the rough waters splashing on the coastal area.
1755hrs - Flight OZ 8931 landed on Cheju (Jeju) Int'l Airport with a bump and a swerve left & right as the wheels werent aligned to the path, before a huge roaring of the reverse thrust of the ageing Boeing plane. We are 5 mins ahead of the scheduled flight time upon arrival at Gate 9. Well done, but not the bumpy landing.
Jeju International Airport
When we exited from Jeju International Airport, we exprienced flurries, which is not exactly snow but it was a nice exprience(though it hurts where the flurries hit). It was only 6 plus in the evening but it was already very dark as during winter, the day is shorter and the night is longer. But, we still have one more location to visited before we complete the itinerary for Day2, and it was Yongduam, also known as the Dragon Head Rock. Come to think of it, the guides were prolly trying to squeeze the itineary and fit this Dragon Rock trip into the night. It was defintely not a gd time to take photos.
Big Waves @ Yongduam
It was so dark that no amount of spotlight helped us in observing the larva rock formation which is suppose to look like a Dragon Head. Legend has it that there were once a dragon that wanted to attack Jeju but was stopped and it crashed into the sea to form this rock formation.
Jeju International AirportWhen we exited from Jeju International Airport, we exprienced flurries, which is not exactly snow but it was a nice exprience(though it hurts where the flurries hit). It was only 6 plus in the evening but it was already very dark as during winter, the day is shorter and the night is longer. But, we still have one more location to visited before we complete the itinerary for Day2, and it was Yongduam, also known as the Dragon Head Rock. Come to think of it, the guides were prolly trying to squeeze the itineary and fit this Dragon Rock trip into the night. It was defintely not a gd time to take photos.
FYI:Yongduam is a volcanic rock that was created from an eruption about two million years ago. It is 10 m high, and 30 m long. It is named so because of the legend that a dragon (“yong”) living in his dragon palace tried to ascend to the heavens and got stuck. Because the shape of the rock resembles the shape of the dragon’s head, it is called Yongduam. The rock now has only its body parts, because during a heavy storm a while ago, the head part of the rock was hit with lightening and fell off.
Big Waves @ YongduamIt was so dark that no amount of spotlight helped us in observing the larva rock formation which is suppose to look like a Dragon Head. Legend has it that there were once a dragon that wanted to attack Jeju but was stopped and it crashed into the sea to form this rock formation.
Furthermore, the waves were so big and the wind at the cliff was sooooooo strong that we were having a hard time climbing down the precarious stair. But nothing stopped the group from capturing the majestic scenery, as usual, we were the last to board the coach(it is becoming more like our usual practice to be the last...-.-). It was defintely like one of the most dangerous places of the whole trip. Stairs were slippery, flurries were blowing at us, the sea waves were roaring & splashing as if a sea demon is going to devour us.
group photo, Yonduam, Jeju
As Chris arranged some expensive seafood dinner for the rest of the tour group(40000W per head), we decided not to join them as we knew that amount of money can be put to better use. So we were left to settle our dinner by ourselves for the first night in Korea. Sorry dear davidgan, we cannot possibly be indulging on good seafood all the time.
Namseoul Plaza Hotel
After a short rest at our hotel for the two nights in Jeju(Namseoul Plaza Hotel) 4*, we ventured out into the streets around the hotel for dinner and of course, more photo taking.
On the street
Frozen....
"lettuce" pot
After some extensive exploration around the area, we went into one of the many restaurant available there and not surprising, their menu was all in Korean, a langauge that none of us can read or speak. We did a little of mix and match and by pointing at the menu, we mangage to order a few dishes without knowing what will be served. Raymond was incharge of deciphering the squares, circles & lines, and he did a match on the menu tick-list. All our appetites were dependant on Ra's choice. Jay had to ask the waiter to go out with him & point at the dumplings which was featured at the shopfront but not the inside. Haha.
lost in translation...
a translator, please?
Luckily for us, the spread we ordered turned out to be very very yummy. There is ramen, dumpling, fried rice and Korean sushi(both spicy and non-spicy) and as expected, kimchi and other side dishes were served. Special mention goes to the spicy sushi in which the chef added in green chilli that were very very hot as well as the spicy fried rice which was served on a hot stone plate.
amazing spread...
ramen, with cheese and nian gao, in a tangy sauce
spicy fried rice
seafood fried rice
dumpling="man tou"
Of course, the six of us is not going to miss any photo taking moment... ...
group photo
After dinner, as not to waste the first of only two nights we had in Jeju, we romped around the streets and stumbled upon The Face Shop(which is very common in Korea), Dunkin' Donuts. Ra had his 1st shopping at the Faceshop with the shop assistants trying to promote their authentic Jeju products. They were trying to convince Ra with mandarin that you cant find them in Seoul.
Since Dunkin' is not available in Singapore, we decided to treat ourselves to some sinful supper, and the donuts there were far more appetizing that what we have in Singapore with all chain stores opened by craze followers. We want Dunkins!
yummy...
tasty...
After the supper, we wanted to try the highly famed zhajiang mian so we ventured into yet another restaurant for second or was it third round of supper. Unlike the previous restaurant, the menu came with pictures so ordering was much simplified and disappointly, zhajiang mian was not part of their menu. But, we ordered anyway as the lady boss had already served us the side dishes(yes, kimchi and preserved radish,aka golden coins). Again, it was just pointing here & there on the menu.
more food....
group photo, Yonduam, JejuAs Chris arranged some expensive seafood dinner for the rest of the tour group(40000W per head), we decided not to join them as we knew that amount of money can be put to better use. So we were left to settle our dinner by ourselves for the first night in Korea. Sorry dear davidgan, we cannot possibly be indulging on good seafood all the time.
Namseoul Plaza HotelAfter a short rest at our hotel for the two nights in Jeju(Namseoul Plaza Hotel) 4*, we ventured out into the streets around the hotel for dinner and of course, more photo taking.
On the street
Frozen....
"lettuce" potAfter some extensive exploration around the area, we went into one of the many restaurant available there and not surprising, their menu was all in Korean, a langauge that none of us can read or speak. We did a little of mix and match and by pointing at the menu, we mangage to order a few dishes without knowing what will be served. Raymond was incharge of deciphering the squares, circles & lines, and he did a match on the menu tick-list. All our appetites were dependant on Ra's choice. Jay had to ask the waiter to go out with him & point at the dumplings which was featured at the shopfront but not the inside. Haha.
lost in translation...
a translator, please?Luckily for us, the spread we ordered turned out to be very very yummy. There is ramen, dumpling, fried rice and Korean sushi(both spicy and non-spicy) and as expected, kimchi and other side dishes were served. Special mention goes to the spicy sushi in which the chef added in green chilli that were very very hot as well as the spicy fried rice which was served on a hot stone plate.
amazing spread...
ramen, with cheese and nian gao, in a tangy sauce
spicy fried rice
seafood fried rice
dumpling="man tou"Of course, the six of us is not going to miss any photo taking moment... ...
group photoAfter dinner, as not to waste the first of only two nights we had in Jeju, we romped around the streets and stumbled upon The Face Shop(which is very common in Korea), Dunkin' Donuts. Ra had his 1st shopping at the Faceshop with the shop assistants trying to promote their authentic Jeju products. They were trying to convince Ra with mandarin that you cant find them in Seoul.
Since Dunkin' is not available in Singapore, we decided to treat ourselves to some sinful supper, and the donuts there were far more appetizing that what we have in Singapore with all chain stores opened by craze followers. We want Dunkins!
yummy...
tasty...After the supper, we wanted to try the highly famed zhajiang mian so we ventured into yet another restaurant for second or was it third round of supper. Unlike the previous restaurant, the menu came with pictures so ordering was much simplified and disappointly, zhajiang mian was not part of their menu. But, we ordered anyway as the lady boss had already served us the side dishes(yes, kimchi and preserved radish,aka golden coins). Again, it was just pointing here & there on the menu.
more food....Despite the pictures on the menu, we were shocked when the lady served us a plate of innards, made up of pig's ear, liver, small intestine and large intestine stuffed with glutinous rice and pig blood(which we found out later, it is called "blood saugage"). Thank goodness we ordered the small plate. Now this dish ranks the top in the memorable dish of the trip - "The Lumen". As the lumen proved to be unappetising to most, we decided to split and get everyone to force eat their share of the ear & lumen. Lets hope they washed off the wax off the ears =p.
innards(aka lumen)
Aaron and his golden coin
lot of leftovers... hmmmm....
innards(aka lumen)
Aaron and his golden coin
lot of leftovers... hmmmm....After filling all available stomachs to the maximum, the group went back to the hotel and recharge for the next day... It was a day of exotic dishes, its definitely better than david's seafood indulgence. Our night was suppose to include Ra's bathrobe fashion show, unfortunately it was not featured as we were too tired.
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