My series of misfortune event in Korea started right before I arrived in Seoul.

On my last morning in Busan, I went out alone to see Nurimaru. My aunt had told me that I had to go there before I went to Seoul. She also said that I should use the shortcut because it's pretty far. But taking the shortcut means I didn't get to see the Haundae Movie Street that was right in front of the hotel, so I decided to pick a further route to see more things.

Haeundae Movie Street

Featuring Lee Jong Suk (ha!)

Nurimaru

The route was not only further, it was reaaaaaally far. The view of the sea and the Nurimaru was amazing, but still, it was around 2,5 km. It makes me walk 5 km back and forth. No wonder I only arrived at the hotel around 11 pm and started to seriously thinking about going by KTX instead of the regular bus to Seoul because I was sooo tired.

Anyway, it can't be helped. I have to go to Seoul. So I packed up my bags and leaving. Finally realizing that my scarf has been missing.

Busan was windy and Seoul is even colder. The scarf was actually a big help to fight the cold, but I lose it (maybe somewhere on my morning walk route). Oh well, I thought, I just had to leave without it.

It was around 7 at night when I decided that I wanted to went out of the hostel and see Hongdae. My feet were actually aching from my walking in Busan (especially the morning walk which I did that very morning) but I just wanted to see Seoul on my first day.

So I went out to Hongdae via two subway exit. Yes, my hostel located in another side of Hongdae Subway Station. It wasn't the distance I would want to walk very often in my hometown, but since it doesn't involved bad pedestrian walk and very much pollution, it was okay.

I strolling around there for a while, bought a cup of coffee (I drank even more coffee in my week in South Korea than my month in my hometown), and stop by a kebab store to buy dinner. Right when I arrived at the hostel I realized that I had lose my right glove. While in Hongdae I keep on put it on and off since it's kinda hard to handle things with my gloves on. Apparently my clumsiness kick in and I lose it less that 4 hours after I arrived in the city.

The next day, I went out early in the morning to go on a walking tour in Gyeongbokgung. I have booked this free tour in advance and I was curious about how it will turn out. So I went out of the hostel pretty early and head straight to the palace. It was verrrrrrrry cold that morning (just check the actual temperature for that day in accuweather and turns out the lowest point that day was -8C and the highest was only 1 C. No wonder I was freezing) and I didn't have my gloves on. Another thing was I came too early so I had to wait in a very cold area (a woman in ticket counter actually told me to enter the museum because it's warmer but my feet still aching (now I know it's more likely because of the very dry weather) and I didn't think I would wait that long).

Gyeongbokgung

My tour guide came right on time at 10 am and she exclaimed that I must be feeling cold, it was minus degree in the morning and I didn't even have my gloves on (that should be why I was started to shiver). She is Korean and she had her gloves and hot packs, and she kindly lent me a glove (only for my right hand because she wore the left one) and gave me a hot pack.

The tour went smooth though my feet still sore and even though it's midday, it's still super cold. I have another tour on 2 pm for Bukchon Hanok Village and I decided to wait in the King Sejong Museum so I can walk again later to Bukchon (because, the problem is, it was quite a distance to walk but a complicated trip via subway and I didn't have my internet connection to search a bus route). That was when I realized that I had lose my T-money card.

Okay, this is disaster. I've been losing three things just 5 days after arriving. I wasn't this clumsy back in Indonesia. I misplaced things often but I don't really lose things. And of all things, it should be my T-Money card with around KRW 20,000 balance. The amount was actually enough for the rest of the trip!

Being disappointed and upset of myself and also freezing, I impulsively purchase a not very good scarf while looking for a subway exit (and just 30 minutes later I found a woolen muffler in Insadong only twice the price, but totally warmer, see what I can do without proper planning -,-). I purchase another T-money card in a convenience store and start to find my way again to Unhyeongung, where I would start the tour.

Uhnyeongung

Bukchon Hanok Village

After that my trip went smoothly except that it's very cold eventhough it's the end of winter season, my sore feet (that actually can be solved by vaseline petroleum which I only bought before my last day in Seoul), almost getting lost in Yeouido on my last day and how I always started early while Seoul wasn't a city that started early.

At that moment of losing things I was verrrrry upset that I thought about coming home. Maybe I don't suit this solo traveling thing... I'm not sure. But at the very least, I've been there and done that. Besides, what is a trip without a misfortune stories :)

See you in #5!