Korea Winter Discovery --- Day 6

Day 06 - Gangwon-do, Seoul

Temp: -5c to 5c

lobby, Seorak Hanwha Resort

Day 6 out of 8. Did not have a good sleep due to the coldness of the "cold palace". We were not expecting much from the breakfast since the standard of the apartment was way below what we had expected. It was like waking up in your typical old HDB flat with freezing weather. Thankfully, the breakfast served was acceptable, beyond our expectations. Probably its because its in the newer annex of the resort. Well, nothing much can goes wrong with food that only requires boiling or frying...Luckily there were some western dishes that will satisfy ms-tai-tai like Ra.

Breakfast

After breakfast, we proceeded to Mount Seorak, which is famous for it beautiful scenery, especially during winter where there was suppose to be snow. Boy, it was a long journey. The probability of viewing snow during this period is almost 10% only. How disappointing...

FYI:Also called as Seolsan and Seolbongsan, the mountain was named Seorak because the snow would not melt for a long time and its rocks stay white like snow. In November 1965, the Seorak Mountain district was designated as a Natural Monument preservation area. Afterwards in December 1973, it was designated as a park preservation area, and in August 1982, as a Biosphere Preservation District by UNESCO.The park is spread about in 4 cities and counties, in Sokcho, Inje, Goseong and Yangyang. Featuring the highest peak Daecheongbong, the east side is called OeSeorak and the west is called NaeSeorak, which is divided again into North NaeSeorak and South NaeSeorak. North NaeSeorak is composed of Bukcheon, which flows to Ingyecheon and Baekdamcheon. There are numerous valleys in NaeSeorak. Follow the Baekdamcheon valley where all the streams meet and you will reach Baekdamsa Temple, which is known for its beautiful scenery. At the upstream there is Gayadong valley and Suryeomdong valley, and past Yeongsiam and Mangyeongdae there is Madeungryeong ridge(1,327m) that leads to Seorakdong. Follow Suryeomdong valley and you will reach Waryong Waterfall and Ssangpok. Go up the mountain a bit more from here and you will reach Bongjeongam(1,224m sea level). Once you mount Daecheong peak you can view the mountain peaks, and the sunrise viewed from here will make your heart pious. South NaeSeorak directs the valley from Oknyeotang area to Hangyeryeong. Daeseung Waterfall north of Jangsudae is the most beautiful site of NaeSeorak, which is 88m high. On the south valley of Yongdaeri there is the twelve fairy bathing spring, Oktang Falls, and Yongtang Falls, etc.

Yes indeed, we did not manage to catch the snowy scenery of Mount Seorak, however, it proved to be a very good location for photo taking, which definitely brought joy to us. The temperature defintely caused our ear lobes to ache again, it was roughly -4 centigrade.

Mount Seorak

a quick pose

Of course, Mount Seorak is certainly not Bukit Timah where you can just climb up by foot (yes you can, but in such a freezing weather, hardly anyone did), so the group took a cable car, which the size of one carriage is about the size of one LRT train. It was defintely an enjoyable ride as we could enjoy the scenery as we ascended. The whole cable car system is defintely of some world-class standard on par with those you see in European ski resorts. However, the cable car did not brought us to the highest point that can be reached so we started to walk up, just for the photo taking chances that it provided us with... lol... it was not easy to capture those beautiful pics. No pain no gain...

the cable car

cable car platform

ascending to the summit...

unique rock formation

snapping pictures/posing

reaching soon....

broad daylight...

a random photo...

what pose is that... a leopard? "roar..."

nice scenery

at the peak

Of course, due to our obsession with photo taking, we were the last group to start climbing down the mountain, and as usual, we were the last to reach the cable car platform... but it was all very worth it(even it means getting cold hard stare from you-know who, tsk.. tsk... tsk... some people just don't know how to fully enjoy the trip)

long long walk...on the rubber padded floors

quick shot before descending

view from the cable car

reaching soon...

After the mountain climb, we visited Bronze Jwabul Statue, which is a very large Buddha statue made from bronze and of course, we had some fun time doing group pose.

Bronze Jwabul Statue

group photo, in front of Bronze Jwabul Statue

After the statue, we went to the nearby Sinheungsa Temple

FYI:
Sinheungsa is located 10 minutes walking distance from Sogongwon ticket counter, and many people visit because of its proximity to Sogongwon. Sinheungsa is a temple which used to be called Hyangseongsa, built by Jajangyulsa (590~658), who traveled to famous mountains all over the nation, in Queen Jindeok’s (?~654) 6th year of reign. It was wrecked and rebuilt many times since.On the path to Sinheungsa, there is a great bronze statue called Bronze Jwabul Statue, which is well over 10 meters high. Past the statue, which is on a granite terrace, to the right, there is a bridge called Hyeonsugyo, which was newly built for crossing the ravine. Past the bridge there is a long stone wall with a Cheongwang door, and you can enter the temple. At the entrance there are four Cheonwang (king) statues (Jiguk Cheonwang with a sword, Damun Cheonwang with a lute, Gwangmok Cheonwang with a tower, and Jeungjang Cheonwang with a dragon), placed on both sides. The Buddhist statues at Sinheungsa were placed here during the founding days of Seongjeongsa, and includes the statues Mireukbosal, Gwaneumbosal, Seji, etc. which were sculpted by Uisang Daesa. The buildings which were built during that time are still standing, like the sanctuary, main temple, Myeongbujeon, Bojaeru, and Chilseonggak, etc. There is also an important cultural property, Treasure No. 443, called Hyangseongsaji, a three-story stone tower.You can reach the Ulsan boulder by following the wall outside Sinheungsa. Sinheungsa is an ancient temple with deep historical significance, and many tourists come because of its beautiful scenery.

The temple was quite different from temples in Singapore such that all the doors of the different building are all closed and sealed and not many devotees were around, unlike Singapore's where the temples are more of a 'open concept'... it is interesting to see that they can write down their wishes on a tile, which is then displayed in front of the store selling the tiles.... hmmm....

Sinheungsa Temple

holy water

on sacred ground

random pic...

make a wish ... on a tile

the IMPOSSIBLE door

After all morning rush, we settle down in a nearby restaurant for lunch and guess what is for lunch???

Yes! it is hotpot again but this time there is dumplings added inside...lol... at least there is some variety... the soup was nice and the dumplings, especially the spicy kimchi dumplings, was fufilling. Furthermore, there is fried fish pieces as a side dish, other than the usual side dishes, though it is a bit cold, it tasted better than the rock hard fish from the 'imperial' dinner.

dumpling steamboat

sides dishes with cold fried fish


6 minus 1

After lunch, we finally took a long distance trip to return to the city area of Seoul and of course, our lodging for the last two nights in Korea, Lotte World Hotel- Jasmil. It was definitely a vast improvement from Seorak Hanwha and certainly deserved its 5 stars status. It was quite disappointing we did not get those international branded hotel names like Hilton/Ritz. Due to fact that we checked in at around 2pm, most of the rooms were not ready for us, we had to deposit all our barang barang into one of the rooms as we were in the hurry to proceed to one of the highlights of the trip, Lotte World Amusement Park. Incidentally, we met our chambermaid "Kim Myung-Ja", who will make a big debut by name later...

inside the hotel room

the toilet

the lobby

reception

waiting impatiently

As the names suggested, the amusement park was just next to our hotel and we walked briskly to the amusement park.

FYI: Lotte World is the perfect spot for entertainment and sightseeing in the heart of the city. It is a theme park filled with the most thrilling rides, an ice rink, and different kinds of parades as well as a folk museum, a lake, and much more. About 6,000,000 visitors are welcomed every year, and about 10% of the visitors are foreigners. The structure inside makes use of the natural sunlight, and it is open for visitors all year round, regardless of the weather. Lotte World is divided into a '’Adventure’ theme once you are inside the building, and outside is a ‘Magic Island’ theme next to Seokchonhosu Lake. Lotte World Adventure has certain districts representing different countries with various kinds of facilities and souvenir shops. You can enjoy watching parades, numerous films, laser shows, and a variety of international cuisines even during the holidays. Magic Island is situated outdoors, where the dazzling Magic Castle is located as well as thrilling high-altitude rides that you can't experience elsewhere. Be sure to also check out the peaceful walking trail around the lake. One of the major reasons tourists are attracted to Lotte World is the amusement rides. The Gyro Drop and Gyro Swing are the top pleasers– a steep drop with an altitude of 70 meters, or taste the thrilling sensation of being inside a tornado. You may need to take your shoes off before you get on since mostly likely they will come off during the ride. The Flume Ride is a long boat with a high-altitude wave, and the Spanish Pirate Ship swings at an electrifying 75 degrees. Besides the excitement of these rides, Lotte World also contains a variety of parades and laser shows. The 200 performers sing and dance to music in the World Carnival Parade, which adds excitement to the theme park. The parade takes place at 2p.m. and 7:30p.m, and the laser show is held in the late evening at 9:30p.m. After enjoying the rides, don't miss skating on the ice rink as well as visiting the museum. The ice rink is situated indoors on the B3 floor, and is opened throughout the year. Its pleasant atmosphere is perfect for family and couples to enjoy. The hours are from 10:30a.m. to 10:30p.m., and runs even during the holidays. Its facilities include a restaurant, a ticket booth, a snack bar, a sports shop, a skate rental service, and a changing room. On the other hand, The Folk Museum is the most popular museum for foreign tourists. Folk cultural items are displayed and the items go back 5,000 years in Korean history as well as miniature villages, and a playground. The museum layout was arranged to attract the visitors' attention and the displays are easily understandable. In addition, audio-visual devices and miniature models will make it more enjoyable.

After a brief introduction by Sean, it is free and easy for all... the group first went to queue up for the monorail(which was highly recommanded by Chris for photo taking), after almost one hour, we finally boarded the monorail, yes, we were sure feeling hot hot hot due to the warm air in there and our thick winter clothes. Nonetheless, the monorail did provide photo taking opportunities but definitely not worth the time wasted. The hot air balloon ride around the theme park is a no-no according to David's recommendations.

Lotte World Amusment Park

monorail

After the monorail ride, we went on a very very dull indoor ride, the Dynamic Theatre, which is like watching a very very very boring show in a cinema with old rocking chairs (just imagine yourself inside one of the inferior cinema in Singapore, such as Pri***ss and E*g W*h). Finally, we ventured outside where the real fun begins in the wintry weather....


the castle

outdoor amusement

The queues for the outdoor rides are even longer, thus, we decided to go for Gyro Drop as, according to Raymond, this ride could clear the queue very fast. Gyro drop, as it was named, is a free fall ride where we were brought to about 70m high then suspense... suspense... then whoosh... down it goes. The drop was so fast that our screams hardly had the time to come out from our vocal cords.

gyro drop

Certainly, one thrill ride is just not enough for some of us... thus, off we go in search of another thrill ride, Gyro Drop, which according to Sean/Chris, they just dare to try it once. Basically, Gyro drop is like a combination of the viking and merry-go-round. It swings like a pendulum, from a small angle to when the seats is perpendicular to the ground, and while it swings, the seats rotate like a tea cup ride. The ride lasted 1 minute and 45 seconds and did 6 oscillations. It was OMG...especially with the cold wind hitting our faces with each swing. Of course, you can enjoy the full view of Seonchohosu Lake if you can keep your eyes open. Definitely a ride that make your heart pumps extremely fast. A 5/5 for thrill factor.

gyro swing

After the Gyro Swing, we did not have enough time to queue up for Atlantis Dream which is the latest addition to the park as we wanted to attend the nightly performanance, which is like a mini-Chingay. Of course, we took photos along the way... specially at the 'trademark' made famous by the Korean drama, 'Stairway to Heaven', which, according to Sean, is one of the few merry-go-round in the world where you can see lots of adults queuing up.

merry - go - round

nightly parade

After all the excitment and wonderful light display, we needed to fill our growling stomach and we decided (after walking around for quite some time) to have our dinner at the food plaza...

dinner at...?

The Food Plaza is something like a food court in Singapore, however, instead of ordering at individual stalls, they have a centre ordering point where you order all the food items you want then you go to all the different stalls to collect. As what Jay commented, it worked like our polyclinics, your order numbers will be flashed on a digital number board, then you go to the stall to collect.

As what we had expected, the ordering must be done in Korean, and this was worse as there is no menu for us to point at. Luckily for us, there was a display of the food items available in the food plaza, so using our copying skills, we copied all the strokes, circles and squares onto a piece of paper and handed it to the cashier.

our order...

We ordered zha jiang mian, which is featured in most of the Korean drama. However, it turned out to be a disappointment. The gravy was not thick enough and tasted quite bland with a few onion pieces, and the worst thing was, the noodles was a bit overcooked and soggy.

Thank goodness, the rest of the dishes we order was delicious enough to cover up for the inferior noodles.

zha jiang mian

yum yum yum

finished dinner(except the golden coins)

We made a boo-boo mistake as we combined all our cutlery and mixed them up totally and the stall-owners were asking us where they went to. Thank goodness they got disrupted and we went off...hmmm....

Straight after dinner, we went back to our hotel room to plan for our night adventure. As this is our first night in the city area of Seoul, we decided to venture further than what we did in the past few nights, which is explore out of the surrounding of the hotel. The recommendations of marked-down branded goods shopping street was axed off the plan as the place was unknown due to the foreign language.

Of course, this time round it required our group navigator, Jay to decipher the complicated train system of Seoul, SMRT( Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit). Finally, we decided to go to COEX Mall, which required us to transfer at certain interchanges( there were at least 6 interchanges on each railway lines) so the posibility of getting lost was quite high.

miss dawan resting ...even though its a short discussion

planning in progress

Although it has a lot more stations and lines, the SMRT system is very similar to Singapore's MRT system...so we did not have much trouble purchasing the tickets, even for those of us that brought the tickets at the counter, apparently, the person at the counter just throw you the ticket worth whatever amount you handed to him. a modern rail but ticketing rather primitive, though its faster than queueing for the dispenser.

subway station

ticket vending machine w/complicated map on top

golden ticket

the gantry

uniquely Singapore ads on their metro platform

on the train

on the train too...

After a confusing train ride, we finally arrived at COEX Mall safely(thanks to Jay).

FYI: COEX Mall is a novel entertainment facility in the heart of the city. With over 250 large commercial stores and over 100,000 visitors on weekdays, it is generally considered to be the best entertainment complex around. There are over 800 restaurants to dine in, and various places to shop, eat and play, such as night clubs, theaters, book stores, record stores, and a grand aquarium. There are also banks, post offices and other facilities for daily living. First time visitors may get lost and confused. The best places to visit in COEX Mall are the Megabox Cineplex, Kimchi Museum, Food Court, and Bandi & Lunis Bookstore. The unique, fancy and beautifully lit interior of Megabox Cineplex resembles a space-station, and is a favorite with teenagers. With a total of 17 screens, you can pick from a wide selection of movies. The aquarium has a water-tunnel where you can see sharks and tropical fishes swim over your head, and is a place sought out by many couples. There are about 40,000 aquatic creatures, which you can view just as if you were actually in the ocean. The Kimchi Museum is a popular place for foreigners; it exhibits about 70 different types of Kimchi, pictures, Kimchi jars from different districts, and other historical exhibits about kimchi. The Food Court has a cozy atmosphere, with natural sunlight filtering through the pyramid-shaped glass roof. With its cross-marked glass floor, the water flowing underneath it, great prices and great atmosphere, it is simply one of the finest places to eat. There is also the huge Bandi & Lunis Bookstore, Game Park, Young Fashion Plaza and many other great places to visit.

COEX Mall

Basically, COEX Mall is similar to Suntec City, with convention centre and what not all thrown in. Too bad we arrived there at around 9pm and most of the shops were already closed(we were walking in the opposite direction from most people). Still, we had a fun time exploring the Mall and the shops that were still open for latecomers like us...

Jackie's kitchen

COEX aquarium

closing soon

Soon the whole Mall was closing, thus, we had no choice but to leave.... so it was back to the subway station once again...

It was already 10 plus when we boarded but the train was so crowded that we were packed liked sardines inside the carriage and we had a first hand taste of what Koreans would do just to get a little space in the super packed train(turning around unnecessarily, elbowing is just some of the examples). Of course, being the Resident Slut, Raymond would not allow anyone to cross him so already armed with weapon (aka, his red muffler), he swept it across one of the poor lady's face who was just a victim of the situation.

Raymond, who wasn't even apologetic said:" that will teach her to choose her enemy more carefully, my muffler came in handy... lol" Meanwhile, the flash of red across the lady's face has given her a scale of pain similar to a slap.

We had a hard time alighting at our station as some of the passengers(pest-engers) near the door just refused to give way, as if they were rooted to the ground like carrots. Sadly, we had to elbow our way out... desperate times call for desperate measures.

while waiting

on the train, aka mobile sardine can

After the exhausting and eye opening experiences, the group went back to their luxurious hotel room for a good night rest.... and new adventures await in Seoul... yesh, we needed that beauty sleep in that posh room.