The Naminara Ferry Ride!

Coming from our Hallyu Train ride from Seoul, then into our BBB buses which dropped us off at the Naminara Harbor, everyone was getting excited on hopping at the ferry boat to cross the lake and into the Nami Island.

The crossing was interesting. There was an Immigration gate through which all tourists pass, and the waiting area displays international flags with words of welcome in each of the country's language, although the supposed greeting for Filipino was a bit off! What the hell is 'Taggapin'?  They may have goggled and ended up with 'tanggap', which actually means accept. "Mabuhay!" would have sufficed.

                                                    (The 'pre-departure' area)

                          (What the hell is 'Taggapin'?)


The ferry was enough to carry the eager tourists across the lake, which I wished was infested with crocodiles, piranhas, or some other aquatic predator that would have made the crossing fun, especially if somebody fell off the boat! Ha-ha-ha!


Instead, there were banana-boat riders who were thrown into the lake by the mischievous boat driver. And had there been piranhas in the water, everyone on the ferry would have enjoyed watching the bloody feast! Ha-ha-ha!

               (Tourists waiting at the 'pre-departure' area)


Although the ride was a short, it was the final mode of transport that brought us to Nami Island that day. And we all just stood there and walked around during the ten-minute boat ride.

I guess everyone was eager to get to the island, which was actually the highlight of the BBB tour.

                                       (The other Nami Island ferry)

       (Banana boat-riders being fished out of the lake)


Next stop....Nami Island!

                   (The torn Philippine flag flying on the ferry)

An Alcohol-Free Friday NIght In Rained Out Gangnam

 Most people in Seoul would rather be in Hongdae or Gangnam on a Friday night. Why? Because these are places most popular for clubs, bars and restaurants, where you can meet up with friends to dine, drink, chat and...drink some more!


In Korea, going out at night will last until the next morning. There's the dinner (1-cha), then the norae-bang, or videoke (2-cha), then transfer to a bar (3-cha), and if everyone's still walking upright, there's another eating (4-cha)!  

                           (At the pedestrian crossing)


When I first arrived in Seoul, I didn't know about this cultural drinking spree, until I was in one!  We had a Friday night dinner at 8PM, transferred to a videoke at 10PM, and somewhere that I lost track until it was time to go home at 4AM!  And everyone was still walking upright! Ha-ha-ha!  I told my Korean friends I had to wake up early the next morning because I had my Korean classes at 9...while they continued on until 6AM!  I was impressed!


But this Friday night, there wasn't going to be so many drinking cha's as it was raining and I had to get up early the next day for my volunteer work. (I was spending a day with the orphans and they don't need an alcoholic role model. Ha-ha-ha!).

                                          (An empty outdoor coffee shop)

I was meeting up with my friends Woong-Jae and Jee-Ho whom I haven't seen in about two years. They since have changed jobs. One is now in the oil and gas industry, while the other is in investment banking. We needed to meet and catch up!


We decided to meet near the Gangnam Station, which is just less than 15 minutes away from Hannam-dong, where I live. That is if it's a normal, traffic-free road.


But it was a Friday night, where most people flock to Gangnam, and most vehicles pass through that area going south of the city. And the fact that it was raining hard added perhaps 30 minutes into my travel time.


I tried to get there the fastest way I know: a 241 Blue Bus from Hannam-dong to cross the Hannam Bridge, get off at Sinsa Station bus stop, walk a block to Kyobo Building, and I was almost there!


I got wet with all other pedestrians all right. But I made it!

 (This Hanskin Building reminds me of a cheese full of holes)

     (We tried checking out these restaurants but didn't find the one we wanted.)

We tried to look for a good Korean restaurant behind the Kyobo Building, and found a favorite! A buddae-jiggae restaurant!

While chatting and munching down the giant dumplings on the buddae-jiggae stew, we all forgot it was raining outside and that we all get wet coming over. But we all got together finally, after all these years!

                                                     (The pot is full.)

                               (Now, it's empty!)
Dinner from 8 till 10 for the 1-cha, then we decided to get some coffee after (and not soju!) or dessert, and to continue our catching up!

Most cafes we checked out were full and we ended up at a coffee shop which served patpingsu, the Korean version of the Philippine halu-halo but with lesser number of ingredients:  ice shavings topped with sweetened beans, flakes, sweet tteok and other boring toppings.

It was great to see these great friends again after a long time. And we promised to meet up again soon. Perhaps, under a drier weather and perhaps, the next time, we just don't end the night on the 2-cha! 


Soju, anyone?

Cooling Off At The Cheonggye Stream

It's been a hot (but rainy) summer in Seoul, and on nights when one needed to walk off a stomach full of spicy chicken dinner in Myeong-dong to welcome a kasimanwa (townmate) to Seoul, strolling along the Cheonggyecheon, or Cheonggye Stream is not a bad idea.

 (The Donghwa Duty Free Shop building on the opposite side of the road from the Cheonggye Stream where I bought the cheapest Faceshop scrub for my Mom...because it's duty-free!) 

                       (Less crowd, more space, more enjoyment!)

Since it was a week night, the crowds cooling off at the Cheonggye Stream were not as much as the ones you would see during weekends.   

                                            (Peeping down through the bridge)

Only a handful of parents with kids, couples and groups of  friends gathered at the stream, dipping their bare feet into the water.

 (The white and blue lighting behind the water falls at the source of the stream make the place a favorite photo spot for everyone.)

                                          (Enjoying coffee, tea or... soju?)

Or just enjoying the night scenes along the banks.

A couple of stand-up singers by the stream shared their melodies with the passers-by.

 (This guy was playing a ukelele and was singing English songs...in perfect pitch! He sounded much better than those over made-up boybands on TV who sing out of tune even while rapping!)

                            (Another singer with a guitar on the other side)

A few horse-drawn carriages were on hand to give couples a ride around the stream.

You can cross between the banks by stepping on stones.

A stroll to burn out the spicy chicken turned out to be a night photo walkabout by the stream.

 (The crowd under the bridge and under orange lighting!)

                                   (A photo exhibit under the bridge.) 

Passers-by played with the moving colored laser lights on the wall.

The Cheonggye Stream stretches for more than eight kilometers, and I didn't have the whole night to walk that far.

Perhaps, some other time after another spicy chicken dinner?