Last week, I called up Korea Tourism Organization's #1330 hotline to ask about the night tours of Changdeokgung Palace. The female operator handling the English hotline told me that tickets were made available days before and they were sold out.
Something in me didn't believe her. Why? All my professional life I was trained not to believe unless I see evidence. And unless she told me her source and verified it myself, I didn't believe a word she said. Ha-ha-ha!
(Photographers and onlookers standing on the rooftop of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History)
And I was right not to believe her.
Yesterday, I logged on into Interpark's website and, viola! I was able to buy a ticket! For a night tour of Changdeok Palace! They weren't sold out after all!
(Gyeongbuk Palace lighted at night)
I wanted to call back #1330 and tell that female operator to stop informing her callers that tickets were sold out. Because if she did, those tourists and visitors to Korea who wanted to experience walking around the Changdeok Palace at night would just forego the experience of discovering the Palace's nocturnal character.
The temperatures in Seoul are getting warmer these days, and it should be comfortable walking around the palatial grounds even at night.
And maybe when it's really quiet and calm at the Palace, perhaps, it won't only be the tour guide's voice that the visitors would be able to hear. We should also be able to hear the voices of the past residents and the stories they wanted to tell the visitors.
(The main gate of Gyeongbuk Palace
at night)
Details of the night tour:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=1087481
It's spring time again in Korea, when everyone wants to go outdoors to smell the flowers. Literally.
And this year, the cherry blossoms are already starting to bloom and this weekend, a million people will gather again in Yeouido to enjoy the flowers, the festivities and the fun that go with this celebration of spring time in Seoul.
On my first spring time in Korea, my good friend Jeeho, who used to work in the Yeouido area, told me to meet up with him at Yeouido Station one Friday night during the festival, so he could show me what it was all about. When we got there, at the area lined up with cherry blossoms which were all lighted with different colors, I was surprised that the place was already crowded with couples, families, people with pets and of course, office workers like Jeeho and me.
And as we navigated the five kilometer route behind Korea's National Assembly, I was glad I switched shoes before coming over. Walking the whole route in rubber shoes would be more comfortable, especially if the purpose of your visit to Yeouido is to enjoy the blooms and bring home nice photographs, and not bring home an aching pair of feet.
But if you want to avoid the crazy traffic of both vehicles and people during the weekend, you can always stop by during the week. On weekends, going there by car will be a challenge and finding a parking slot near the festival site will be a problem.
The National Assembly Station (Line 9, Exit 1) and the Yeouinaru Station (Line 5, Exits 1 and 2) are the nearest subway stations to the site. Once you get out from these exits, you can always follow the crowds, or the scent of the flowers, whichever works for you.
When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, they are like white wedding bouquets hanging up those trees, and they fall off a few days after, especially during a windy or rainy day.
If you're planning to bring your whole family, you can always bring a mat and picnic basket with you, and just park your car at the park near the 63 City Building, that tall golden brown building that used to be the tallest in South Korea when it was completed in 1985. From there, you can stroll and find a spot closer to the Yeouido Park.
At Yeouido Park, expect a lot of families, couples and bikers who would all be competing for space on the grass with a nice view of the Han River and the cherry blossom lane.
Although there are restaurants and cafes on the floating vessel parked at the Yeouido Park, expect long lines of people queuing to get some food, drinks or coffee. Also expect long lines at the toilet.
But once you're settled and have found a cool spot, you can just relax and enjoy the day under the sun and spring weather. And don't forget to dispose of your litter properly. There are huge designated waste disposal areas.
But for those who just want to stroll around, make sure your cameras and smartphones have enough battery charge as they might run out of energy as you won't stop clicking away having 'selfies' or taking photographs of the flowers and blossoms.
And if you get hungry along the way, there are always these food stalls where you can buy cheap snacks, or in my case, dako-yaki, which is one of my favorites. Luckily, I stumbled upon a dako-yaki food truck, which made my visit to Yeouido even more enjoyable. This was the first time in years that I have tried dako-yaki again, after my favorite dako-yaki stall at the Lotte Department Store food court closed shop.
(My favorite dako-yaki! For only KRW5,000)
So, you better hurry up to Yeouido this week when the cherry blossoms should be in full bloom! And please have some dako-yaki for me in case you see this food truck along the way.
Enjoy!
Just in time of my return to Seoul, the Visit Korea Committee launches the Korea Grand Sale!
How timely! My refrigerator is empty! I need to get some groceries!
Yes, people, the Korean Grand Sale does not only include shops selling clothes and shoes, it also includes....E-Mart! Even the information officer at #1330 didn't know about this. I called #1330 to inquire how much worth of groceries do I need to purchase in order to get a discount from E-Mart. She initially didn't know. I told her E-Mart was on the list. In 2011, I was able to get discounts for my groceries. This year, I intend to get some again!
And after I got the Korea Grand Sale coupon at the customer service counter at E-Mart, I just needed to buy KRW80,000 worth of groceries or household items so I can get a KRW5,000 discount. That's about a 6% discount!
And now that I got my groceries secured, I might as well move on to some discounted clothing, too.
While the shops in Myeong-dong have all their winter clothes and jackets on sale, I was zero-ing in on those spring and summer shirts. I already have a lot of winter clothes and jackets that could last until the next Ice Age. I was more interested in those shirts and pants that I could wear in the tropics while on vacation.
And luckily, H&M still have some of those shirts left! They sold those for KRW15,000 last December. Now, they're down to KRW5,000! Discounted summer shirts in time for global warming. Ha-ha-ha!
And not to be outdone, ZARA also has discounted items in the men's section, too. Some summer shirts and pants, but no likeable shoes, though.
Of the discounted items I was able to get from the Korea Grand Sale, I am most happy with my groceries. Why? They already fed me and kept my home clean. An instant happy shopper! Ha-ha-ha! And I still have to wait for summer to wear those shirts!
So, if you haven't availed of the Korea Grand Sale discounts yet, make sure you visit their website:
koreagrandsale.co.kr
And check the list of participating shops and outlets. You might be interested in those winter clothes.
If you're heading to Myeong-dong, check out the shops starting from the Uniqlo store next to Exit 6 of the Myeong-dong Station, then work your way down from there.
Now, do I get more discounts from the Korea Grand Sale for blogging about this? Ha-ha-ha!
It all ends on February 28, by the way.
PS. I saw this kiosk selling some hard biscuit (at KRW3,000 each) coated with different flavors. I asked to buy the chocolate variety, and the guy put it in a small bag and hammered it into pieces. Well, the biscuit was very hard. No wonder he hammered. And I didn't taste any chocolate. Not worth it. I should have gone for the 'keran-pang', that hot bread with a whole boiled egg inside. Next time.
