Well not for long. Today we slept in a bit since there wasn't not much point waking up early before the shops do. However the first destination for the day was the Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung-gu. It is one of the most popular tourist places to stop by in Seoul. Surrounded by tall business buildings, this village was once a summer village in the Joseon era and preserved till this day. We stopped by Paris Baguette, a bread chain like Bread Top, just outside the village for brunch. They have reasonably nice breads and cheap coffee, although perhaps more on the sweet side for their mochas.
Entry into the Hanok Village is free, and closes only on Tuesdays.
If you take your time, it takes about an hour to explore the village. In the distance is the N Seoul Tower, which lies behind Namsan Park. It is possible to walk over...as you will later find out.
We went in December so the conditions of winter was still quite ripe. There were little snow around, but the lake had already turned to ice.
The interior of most of the buildings were also put on display. Their furniture were mostly mahogany, but when they add a splash of colour with things like bed sheets or cushions, it also adds a certain charm in the room.
Like I mentioned before, we attempted to walk to N Seoul Tower from the Hanok Village. Namsan Park was nice to stroll through, at that time it seemed like we entered an area existing in between spring, autumn and winter since the trees still bloomed leaves at different stages.
At the back of the park was a road, and from memory we found a bridge nearby that led us up and across to another road closer to the Tower.
Across the bridge there were immediately signs pointing to Seoul Tower. We were halfway there! Well no I lie, probably a quarter...
We went through the tunnel...
...up the first incline of the mountain...
...continuing up the mountain...
..and as we climbed, the view of the city became smaller and further away..
...the hiking continued...
...And we finally made it to the base of the cable car! (never thought it was possible to be drenched with sweat at this time of the year)
We bought round trip tickets costing 8500W
Because we went during a public holiday, the line to the cable car lasted for about 20 minutes. It seems like a popular destination for locals to go to on Christmas day.
We only got to the base of N Seoul Tower, taking the lift up costs separately. Still though, there were plenty of things to see, and you can still admire the view of Seoul from this level.
Many, many couple locks are attached all around the railings facing the scenery.
Coming to N Seoul Tower seems to be a very social thing to do for Koreans. Around me I saw families, friends and couples taking photos and enjoying the city's scenery on a clear sunny winter's day.
It was late afternoon when we left the tower, and decided to go to Gwangjang Market for the local food and products. Sadly though it was closed when we arrived, but whilst we were planning to walk over to Dongdaemun, we found another small market on the same street where locals flooded to sit down and eat street food. So all hope was not lost!
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There was plenty of pig intestines on display, but I was too chicken to try haha. Although I had other street food on my mind...
Each food stand pretty much sold the same product, so finding a place to seat was our first priority. We chose a handful of my favourite Tteokbokki (rice cakes in sweet, hot sauce), gimbap (seaweed rolls similar to sushi), a bowl of hot soup noodles and japchae (stir-fried 'glass' noodles). Each dish cost around 3000W each. Despite the crowded environment and people brushing your back as they walk past, it was a good experience for typical Korean street snacks. Worth the try! =)
After filling our stomachs with delicious Korean snacks, we headed down to Dongdaemun to explore the number of shopping centers. When night fell, the streets were lit up and decorated with colorful Christmas decorations. Also around this time, activity levels increase by 10 fold as people get off work or students finish classes to go out with friends and family. As long as shops are opened, the activity never dies.
For our Christmas meal, we went to a restaurant nearby where we had kimchi soup, bulgolgi soup and bimbimbap. Add the rice and side dishes and bam it looks like a feast! We also ordered a bottle of Soju to see what all the hype is about, but it just tasted foul to us so our fascination ended fast. It did warm and perk me up a lot...maybe that's why locals love it.
We also walked by a fruit store where my friend suggested trying Korean grapes. It was totally unlike any other grape I've tasted! It was like eating candy - sweet and chewy. The only downside were the seeds, but I just can't stop eating them! Ahh what's with the strawberries and grapes in Korea? They're so sweet and perfect! <3
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