unsaid but hopefully well written

On my second day in Seoul I decided that I'm going to visit the City Hall for... no particular reason actually. It's just the building is actually an extension of the old building and it was shaped of curved glass. In warmer days, it's also possible to do picnic on the lawn in front of the City Hall so I decided to just see what it would look like.

The Seoul City Hall

The museum displays were right under your feet

After that, I was going to look for some souvenirs in Nandaemun Market, so after spending some time in City Hall, I went to ask directions from the people on the information desk. But before I did, I found something I had miss in the guide book before. It was featuring places near the City Hall and it said that in the Seoul Museum of History, they have a permanent exhibition of a Seoul's scale model.

I seriously had a thing on city miniature! (and if it's not for the guide book, I must have missed it) that's why I was soooo excited and immediately change my route for the day. To the information desk, I asked the direction to Seoul Museum of History instead.

The girls on the information desk draw the route on my map. She said it was easily reached by walking. By my own experience, walking distance in another country is definitely not the distance I would walk in my own hometown, so I was kind of prepared of a bit longer journey. Besides, it was easy. Go straight, and then go left. I can do this.

I started my journey, walking to the direction of Gyeongbokgung Palace I visit the day before. The weather was cold, but I guess it wasn't as cold as the day I visit the palace and on that day, I had my gloves on (win!).

While walking, I noticed that there are sign directing to the Cheonggyecheon Stream. It was a place I reeeeeaaaalllly wanted to cover on my trip to Seoul. You know, with the history and public spaces and everything. I know it might not look as warm as the photograph since it's winter, but I definitely can miss this. So, I decided to visit the stream after I went to the museum before the Nandaemun.

But then, the statue that marks the Cheonggye Plaza was right in front of me. Oh well, why not change the plan to visit the museum after this. I've already there anyway.

Towards Cheonggye Plaza

I walked along the stream (which is the opposite way of my next destination), took a picture of strangers, watch carefully as a kid whining because he was afraid to step on the big stepping stones to cross the stream and wishing it was at least spring already.

The stream on winter. Not enough sun to melt the ice.

After some time, I stopped because it was the opposite direction and I have had enough of the stream in the winter. I decided to walk back, passing the Tourist Information on my way back and visit the building (because I read somewhere that the place had toilet with bidet and pray room (in short, because of no particular reason)).

Until then, I have walked for more than 1 km and definitely away from my city scale-model.

I did visit the Tourist Information though and making sure of my route. The officer told me that I need to cross the road using the subway exits and I'll be on my way to the museum. Other than that, the building was pretty cool. They had guides in several languages and also some VR Equipment.

How far I was willing to walk for a 1:1500 city scale model? Apparently, 20 minutes or more. After a short visit to the Tourist Information, I walked along the Cheonggyecheon to my first place and turn left to cross the roads via subway exits. I actually found another Tourist Information stand but I refrain myself from visiting the place to ask for more directions because I was so sure I was on the right direction.

And no, I wasn't wrong, I was just a bit panic because the street becomes a bit narrow and there are so many people walking. I was afraid I had made a wrong turn, but after a while of walking straight, there's a sign of directing towards the Seoul Museum of History. There's truly an achievement and satisfaction on finding the way to the museum on my own that I regard the fact that I have been walking for around 3 km.

There you are

Outdoor exhibition piece

The building was standing there, big and welcoming in brown with a spacious outdoor area that was also used as an exhibition space. City Scale Model, I'm coming.

The museum was warm and bustling with people. Apparently, there were another exhibition about H.C. Andersen and there were many children visiting with their parents.

The feel was kind of different there. The museum had no ancient or old feeling to them. The building was big with a high ceiling. A transparent wall on the opposite side of the entrance shows another outdoor exhibition space.

City Scale Model, here I come

The permanent exhibition was on the second floor and I went in and I was in awe. It was big, just like in Singapore, but it had a glass platform on top of them, so it was like looking on Google Earth, only in 3D.

My third city scale model!

The glass platform

The rest of the museum was also very exciting. It shows a complete guide to South Korea's culture and national history. There were a booth where you can learn how to fold paper Hanbok and there were also more miniature of South Korea's typical houses and neighborhood in certain year.

I think that was one of my best museum experience yet.

Seoul then and now

Display on Seoul Museum of HIstory

Looking back, I was grateful for the guide book and how the people in Seoul City Hall told me to walk to the museum. I was grateful for the detour. I got to see the Cheonggyecheon, being in awe for such a wonderful museum displays in both City Hall and Seoul Museum of History, feeling the satisfaction of navigating myself in a place I've never been and had the chance to walk the distance I never walked in my own country.

Last but not least, I learn more about the importance of planning a trip without losing the joy in exploring the city.

Anyway, see you in #6!

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!

Gamcheon Cultural Village

The first thing my aunt said to me when I finally arrived in Busan was, "how come you only arrived now?"

With direct flight, I only need about 8 hours to arrive in Busan. My aunt, whose plane transit in Seoul arrived in Busan less than 12 hours after her departure. My travel time was the longest time yet, it was 17 hours. To be fair, I spend 3 days traveling to Bali 2 years ago, but I was using train (that delays all the time the express train pass the station) and I stopped in Surabaya for more than 12 hours. So yes, 17 hours was too long.

To be honest, I have expected that I need even more time to travel. For my sudden departure, I need to found the cheapest ticket possibly available and I didn't even mind if I have to spend a day for layover. I've been thinking about Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and even Manila for my stop-over before arriving in Busan, my first stop for my trip, even though to be honest, I was totally nervous because this is my first trip being totally, completely, alone on the go (I don't get lost in cities though, as long as I remember, I got lost in a department store instead -,-).

Buying an open jaw ticket is both risky and also one thing I have always want to try. For this trip, going to Manila first totally save my time and it's even cheaper than a direct flight from Jakarta or flight that requires me to stop in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Fortunately, when I was ready to buy the ticket, my friend told me about Cathay Pacific promo for Jakarta - Seoul via Hongkong. The price was waaaaaay cheaper (even though I had to take a KTX to Busan right after arriving) and it's a full service airline! (Means : I don't have to worry about food! Yeay!). I bought the ticket right away and well, I'm ready to go.

source

I have always had this urge to visit South Korea. Most of it might be because I watch a lot of korean dramas and variety show and also the fact that it has one of the best subway system in the world. Since last year, I already plan to visit Seoul and Busan in a week trip on autumn this year.

Then, on December last year, my aunt told me that she is going to South Korea on February. She said that we can share the hotel room if I decided to tag along. Of course I told her that I might not have money I needed to go on a trip at that time even if I wanted to, besides I haven't been working long enough to get a week leave.

Nevertheless, I told my parents about it, still with no intention to go. Unexpectedly, they told me to just go. Now, or not very soon later, because they against me traveling solo. That left me hesitated for a whole month before I asked my principal for a week leave.

It never occured to me that my trip to South Korea would be decided in a month's time. After getting the (unexpectedly easy) permission to leave, I only have around 4 weeks before my departure date on February 20. In that time, I need to apply for visa, find flight tickets, and deciding my itinerary because my aunt will be in Busan while there's no cheap flight to Busan at that time.

Long story short, I finally went through it all and currently counting down to my departure date. Yeay! In a full service airline with price cheaper than low-cost airline too. Double yeay!

So, this is going to be my third traveling series and hopefully the most exciting one yet.

Winter in Korea, here I come :)