Day two came and I was a woman on a mission. I promised myself during my first visit to Seoul back in 2011 that I will bring my future hubby to Namsan Tower to exchange locks of love but before that, we went to Insadong first for some Korean Culture 101.
We rode the subway which had an intricate, interconnecting stations that impressed my hubby.
We rode the subway which had an intricate, interconnecting stations that impressed my hubby.
What's more impressive was that an elderly woman noticed us looking lost (we were having a hard time figuring out which way to go) and asked us if we needed any help. What a heartwarming gesture to anxious tourists like us! This was the exact spot where the elder approached us.
To that old lady, bless your heart!
After a few minutes of train ride, we finally reached Insadong. I was so confident that we wouldn't be lost since I already went there years ago but surprise, surprise! I completely forgot. I remember telling hubby that there's a Starbucks somewhere (which I referred to as my landmark) because I remember taking a picture there (which later on became a favorite profile photo of mine haha) but was miraculously out of sight which ended up in us asking for directions from these fine gentlemen.
 |
| No, I was not in trouble even though it looked like it. |
I love that these men walked with us instead of just giving us directions. So considerate!
In my country, "Tae" means poop and I sure don't want my tea to taste like one. haha
After being side-tracked a bit by Taetae, we arrived at our first stop. It's a Buddhist Temple named Jogyesa Temple (조계사), the center of Zen Buddhism in Korea.
A few more walks led us to Insadong-gil, the place where past meets present. There were a lot of exquisite-looking shops that displayed Korea's rich tradition as well as its modern culture.
I adore the products sold here. They may not be branded but the quality and craftsmanship are impeccable.
Oh hello there, Byun Baekhyun.
Probably the highlight of our Insadong stop was this fella.
What an amusing guy to watch! He really knows how to pump up the crowd and gather around him.
My brother-in-law thought he looked a lot like hubby. hahaha
We also went to this place called "Ssamziegil (쌈지길)" which is a shopping center that has an open ceiling and a spiral staircase that connects the four floors of fashion, arts, crafts, food and gallery shops.
They have this cute store filled with stuff toys which we couldn't resist. We ended up buying gifts for our niece and nephew, Miguel and Laine!
Ahh... tons of colorful things. My eyes were dancing!
We eventually went back to our hotel when our calves started betraying us. It was time to fulfill one of our goals which is to have Patbingsu which is the Korean counterpart of the Philippines' famous "Halo-Halo". We called the lobby to ask for the nearest Bingsu place and the lady at the Concierge was nice enough to recommend Caffe Bene which was a couple of steps from our hotel. She said that her favorite there is Strawberry Bingsu which we tried.
 |
| Excuse my attempt at endorsement haha |
After our satisfying Bingsu experience, we strolled a little more in Myeongdong and grabbed a quick snack. We passed by this stall with an old lady busy serving different street food so the curious us took a peek and bought this sweet-spicy sausage stick.
It was weird at first but gets addicting after.
While walking around, this Teddy Bear shop, Teteru, caught my eye because of the two newly-wed bears.
A few more walks and our stomachs began a riot. We stumbled into this small eatery that's packed and had a hard time ordering. I threw in the towel and ordered my safe meal, Cutlet, while hubby got adventurous and went with Cold Noodles with Vegies.
Let me just say he missed Han's Deli a lot after taking a bite. haha
After a sorta disappointing lunch (for him), we went up to Namsam Tower and when I say "up", I meant via a cable car! Kudos to hubby for overcoming his fear of heights!
Ahh but the ride was worth it. Seeing and being at Namsan Tower again this time with my lifetime love, is just in-explainable. Everything just looks and feels beautiful and romantic.
Ahh... I still remember years ago, I wasn't able to bring a lock so I just brought out hubby's picture (he was my boyfie then), made a wish of forever and took a photo here at N Seoul Tower. Couldn't believe that four years after, my wish of marrying this man came true.
 |
| I think this shot best capture the mood haha |
 |
| Yes, I know those people at the back are looking. Come on, let the tourist have her shot! hahaha |
By the way, there's a Teddy Bear Shop here as well. Wonder why Koreans are so into these cuties...
And yes, I got hungry and tasted this potato twist to end our Namsan Tower escapade.
Our Hongdae experience will be up on my next blog!
No comments:
Post a Comment