Day 6: The ancient and cultural Seoul.

Day 6 was my course registration day. Which means I have to register for my course that I am going to take in Year 4 Semester 1 back in Singapore. Which means, I need internet connection, and fast ones. Because NTU operates on a fastest-fingers-first basis when it comes to course registration. But here comes the problem: the Wi-fi has been flickering the entire night!! When I woke up in the morning, the Wi-fi was still on and off and this cannot do if I really want to get my courses. So, Shan and I decide to look for a cafe to have breakfast while I tap on the Wi-fi. And I immediately thought of Paris Baguette!! Yadayadayada, let's not talk about the details of course registration then.

So after lugging my stupid heavy laptop up the steep slope, and 5 flights of stairs back to guesthouse, I rested enough and finally found the energy to start the day of activities. We were already severely behind schedule because our initial intention was to have brunch at Tosokchon Samgyetang (discussed later in this entry). We decided to skip that and head straight for Gyeongbukgung first.

Built in 1395, Gyeongbokgung Palace is also commonly referred to as the “Northern Palace” It is also arguably the most beautiful and remains the grandest of all five palaces. So, how could I miss this palace right?!

Directions: Gyeongbokgung Station. Exit 5. Walk 5 minutes.

It is very easy to find the directions to Gyeongbukgung from the subway station. Upon getting out of the exit, you will see one of the palace gates in front of you. Walk through it and all the way straight to get your tickets. The ticket costs only 3,000won for one single entry. If I'm not wrong, 10,000won for all 5 palaces in Seoul and valid for one month. For that price, I would say, go for it! It's an amazing experience and so so beautiful.

When I go for palaces like this, I try to find if there is any guided tours because in my opinion, I feel that the main purpose of these trips is not to just take a look around, I would love to understand the rich heritage and culture behind. And without a tour guide, I'm afraid it's not quite possible. Thankfully, Gyeongbukgung has guided tours. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it was true when I visited: 

Tours depart in front of the Information Center at Heungnyemun Gate (흥례문). 

Tour Schedule: 

English: 11:00, 13:30, 15:30

Japanese: 10:00, 12:30, 14:30

Chinese: 10:30, 13:00, 15:00

These are two of the most impressive buildings in the palaces. And really, you have to be there to witness the beauty. Anyway, I believe it's gonna be a really awesome view if you were there in the spring or autumn season. If you have those photos, do share with me. :)

This picture below features a scene in one of my most favourite Korean drama everrrrrrrrr. I'm not sure if my views are trustworthy though, because I can count with my fingers on both hands, the number of K-dramas I have watched. But this one is from Queen Inhyun's Man, and I really like it!! The male lead, is a perfect example of how someone may not be the best-looking one, but yet he has that charisma and X-factor. Which reconfirms my point that a guy really needs to know how to dress up!! Okay, drifting away...

We had a late lunch at 2plus in the afternoon at Tosokchon Samgyetang. Samgyetang, otherwise called Ginseng Chicken Soup, is a famous dish of Korea and Koreans love to eat it in summer to cool down the heat. But I think they eat it anytime... I mean, if there is a bowl of hot Samgyetang right in front of me on a chilly winter night, I would be so glad!!! And Tosokchon Samgyetang is apparently the famous, according to many tourist blogs, but somehow, my Korean friends have yet to hear about it. Hmm...

Directions cannot be provided on my part because me and Shan got lost again. We turned round and round and spent half an hour looking for this place when it was just 5 minutes away from us. So, after much turning, I wasn't sure where I was already. But if I happen to be there, I can find it. Anyway, it should be near Gwanghwamun Exit 1 or 2 but please don't trust me on this! Oh yes, and Tosokchon Samgyetang is good!! At least I think so. And I'm craving for some samgyetang now, wondering if there are any decent ones in Singapore.

After lunch, we decide to continue on our cultural trail and head to Bukchon Hanok Village. And it was yet another total failure. Surrounded by Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine, Bukchon Hanok Village is home to hundreds of traditional houses called 'hanok' that date back to the Joseon Dynasty.

Bukchon Hanok Village has a total of 8 photo spots, whereby the picture will look the best if you stand right on the photo-spot sign and take a picture. Or so they say. Below is a picture of photo-spot 3 and guess what, that's the only photo spot we found and Shan and I gave up!!! It was too difficult with the many slopes and paths that lead everywhere and anywhere. Even with a map on hand, and me the self-proclaimed brilliant map reader, I cannot figure out the way. After a tiring one hour, we decided to give up. Our legs were going to give up on us already. I'm not so sure whether it is worth a visit but I heard the same from 3 other groups of friends that tried/attempt to conquer the place.

Insadong should come into mind when we say 'cultural'. So it was definitely one of the places we had to go. By this time, I just wanted to rest my legs so we found a nice cafe that specialises in tea, and we sat down in the very cultural and artistic cafe. I think we stayed there for close to an hour, but Insadong didn't interest me that much, because I wasn't into all these artsy stuff. But if you do, it's definitely worth a visit. I was only interested in all those caricature stuff.

The merciless sun and the walking (though failed ones mostly) meant that we just wanted to go back to our comfort zone and rest. So, we decided to have a takeaway dinner at the comfort of our room, with blasting aircons etc. We got Saboten from Myeongdong, which was 10 minutes away from our guesthouse. The Mozerella Cheese Tonkatsu was to-die-for. IT WAS SO GOOD!! But equally sinful yeah. But chewing away on chicken cutlet, and watching We Got Married on the super big and clear HD TV in the room... best way to end the night!!

Day 5: Edae, Sinchon, and Hongdae.

The agenda for Day 5 was packed to the brim. Luckily, we had a good night's sleep so we're all ready to check out the highly-raved Edae, Sinchon and Hongdae area. This is supposedly one of the most hip areas around Seoul, where a lot of youngsters hang out. Of which, Hongdae's club scene is one of the most famous. But clubbing isn't my thing and I didn't go into one during this 46 days, so I'm sorry there isn't much information I can give about it.

We started off the day at Ewha Woman's University, also known as Edae. This is because Koreans love to short-form all their words. Edae is a short form of "Ewha Yourja Daehakyo" (이화여자대학교). For instance, Hongdae, is also a short form of "Hongik Daehakyo" (홍익대학교). It follows the same idea, though not all universities' names have a short form. I'm amazed there is Sungdae, which is my school, Sungkyunkwan University (성균관대학교).

Anyway, I'm drifting area from the point. Edae, is famous for its nice landscape and structure. And it being a woman's university, the streets surrounding or leading to Edae from the Ewha Woman's University Subway Station, sell many clothings and shoes suitable for girls (mostly) in the teens or 20s. We definitely couldn't miss out on the amazing views of Edae, so we head straight to the university first to capture some photographs.

Shan and I purposely chose a Sunday, hoping that there were little people, and lucky for us, we were right! Below is a picture of the famous structure that looks like some staircases but inside, there were lots of classrooms. And also me snapping a photo infront of the prettiest building in the school (in my opinion). The staircase and the European style buildings must have made coming to school a much better experience.

Edae fashion street, however, didn't impress me as much as the university does. I don't feel that the clothings and shoes there were that cheap. You can find huge stores selling many designs of shoes and they can be cheap, but you never know until you ask. At least for me, the ones I liked, weren't cheap. After a while, you start to realise once there is a certain trend in Seoul, you see it everywhere in Seoul. And if it is quite a common piece of clothing, I would say, go to Express Bus Terminal Underground Shopping (will be discussed later) to get it.

After lunch, some shopping and exploring around Edae, we decided to go to Sinchon. Shan and I must have poor direction sense or something, we did not find the fashion area which everyone was raving about. After getting lost and seeing a rather boring Sinchon (we probably weren't at the right place), we decided to head over to Hongdae earlier. Even if you are not into clubs, Hongdae is still a nice place to hang out. And Koreans love to chill in cafes, and in Hongdae, there is the largest Hello Kitty cafe in Seoul!!

I'm not a fan of Hello Kitty, but I'm a fan of anything pink and cute. I am not too sure how many Hello Kitty cafes there are in Seoul, but so far, I know there is one in Hongdae, and there is another one in Daehangno (Hyehwa subway station). This one is two-storeys high and is pretty huge, and it's worth a visit unless you absolutely hate Kitty or anything girly. I couldn't remember the exact directions there, but don't worry, because in Hongdae, there are lots of ambassadors in red shirts around. They are there to help tourists, and you can find the one that speaks your language (most of the time, either English or Chinese or Japanese). They gave us a map and directed us here. It's pretty easy with the map.

We were lucky to come in when there was no one. I quickly snapped some photos of the cute interior before more people came in. And I got an amazing window seat to people-watch heheh.

Shan and I decided to take a chocolate banana waffles which was at 3,500won if I remember correctly. I also took the vanilla latte while Shan took the caramel latte. If I'm not wrong, one was 5,000won and the other 5,500won. For the prices and the nice ambience, I would love to come here again! Also, most cafes in Seoul has wifi, so you can sit there all day reading a book or doing your homework. In fact, the prices are cheaper than most cafes I know. Oh yes, it was a hot day but we ordered the hot lattes because we wanted the latte art. Please don't be dumb like us, iced lattes also have the latte arts. ): But iced tea don't.

Second reason why you should visit Hongdae: there is an awesome art scene around here. In Hongdae, you can find many many mural paintings. You also can find people performing with their guitar and just an amazing voice. They are doing it for nothing, no money or anything, but solely because they love art and music. It's amazing, I like how Hongdae is always so lively and warm. It's comparable to Myeongdong (my favourite place in Seoul). But Hongdae is populated with Koreans, go there if you want to have the Korean experience. Myeongdong, on the other hand, has many foreigners so you feel comfortable there. I shall discuss my love for Myeongdong in another entry.

Third reason why you should visit Hongdae: Trick eye museum. If you have not already known, the Trick Eye Museum features a good collection of two and and three dimensional trick art that were especially designed for photographs. There is one in Jeju too, but I think I read some reviews that the Hongdae one is better. But I can't guarantee okay, do your own homework.

And look, this is one of my most favourite picture everrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Trick Eye Museum is a place where you can easily spend 2 or 3 hours. There are many pieces of paintings all around so take your time to have a look. Even if you are there alone, don't worry! There are personnels situated in various parts of Trick Eye Museum to help visitors take photographs. Even if you cannot catch hold of any personnel, just politely ask any other visitor, I'm sure they will be more than willing to help you!

Dinner for that day was at Pal Ja Mak Chang, a restaurant specialising in selling grilled pig intestines. If you are a fan of Running Man, you will be glad to know that Pal Ja Mak Chang is a franchise outlet owned by HaHa and Kang Gary. The one at Hongdae is owned by HaHa, though I'm Gary's fan, but his was too far off. Personally, I love the warm BBQ-ing session, but I found makchang too tough for my liking. If you are a Singaporean who loves eating Kwaychap, nope, makchang is not exactly the same as the pig intestines in our Kwaychap. It is much tougher, and because it isn't marinated/soaked in the gravy, it has a rather strong smell and taste. The taste can be easily overwhelmed by the very awesome sauce which you wrap along with in the lettuce leaves. But no, the texture still isn't to my liking. The smell of BBQ lingers in your hair and clothes too. Nevertheless, BBQ is something you HAVE to do in Korea, either makchang or pork belly, and I will recommend makchang, because it is almost impossible to find Korean restaurants selling makchang in Singapore as far as I know. If you do know of any in Singapore, please let me knowwwwwww!

Day 4: Onwards to Seoul

I was so happy to be going to Seoul. Jeju was fun, but transportation wise and entertainment wise, it was lacking. Of course I didn't go to Jeju for shopping, it was a nature and sightseeing place, and I kind of strongly recommend it actually.

So, first thing after arriving back at Gimpo Airport was to find our guesthouse. I was carrying a huge 17kg luggage and it was really no joke for 2 short girls. I booked I-House at Myeongdong because of its convenient location, but alas, the subway stations with their stairs was such a huge problem. We also didn't realise that the AREX card we bought at Gimpo Airport, wasn't the same as those we use for subways. Once you tap out of the AREX line at Seoul Station, you have to purchase the normal subway passes, even though though they're linked. Weird. Either that, or you can get T-money, which I will mention later.

Our guesthouse, I-house, is a relatively new guesthouse located about 10 minutes away from Myeongdong. This was the room that I stayed in, and I booked it via AirBnB. (Website: https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/959795) The room looked exactly the same when I stepped in, although the place itself might not be that easy to find. It was one of the best guesthouses I have stayed in, clean, cozy and just so awesome. Except one thing - it was located on a steep slope. And by steep, I really meant steep. I really loved the place but similarly glad to move out after 4 nights - my legs were giving way already. But if I were to go back again, I might very well head back to I-house. James, the owner, also spoke perfect English, so it helped a lot, and we also met a Singaporean family there.

After settling down and stuff, we decided to go for some lunch. Yoogane (유가네) immediately came into mind because I have been anticipating this for the longest time ever. Basically, Yoogane serves dakgalbi (닭갈비), which is stir-fried spicy marinated chicken. It comes with lots of cabbage, potatoes, and tteokbokki (떡벅이).

I am such a carbo person, so I cannot do without rice. Usually, I will order rice to go along with dakgalbi, but if you like, there is always ramen, or udon as well. Shan and I had chicken with octopus that day. Both were good, and the spiciness level was within our limit (though we drank a lot of water). The good thing about Yoogane was that it is more tourist-friendly, and there are English menus and servers know simple English. Also, you don't have to do anything at all! Servers will be going around helping you to cook your dish, so just sit back and relax. Aprons are available if you are still worried about staining your clothes. Best of all, Yoogane serves the best dakgalbi in my opinion.

After lunch, we decided to go to COEX Aquarium. Shan and I learnt our lessons that after a flight and dragging heavy luggages and settling down, it wasn't that wise to head for a long day of activities. We wanted something slow-paced and relaxing, so the aquarium came into our mind.

Directions: Take the subway to Samseong Subway Station. Follow the sign towards COEX mall, which is an underground shopping mall connected from Samseong Subway Station all the way to COEX Aquarium.

COEX Aquarium, terribly disappointed me and Shan. We reached to find out that it was a kids' heaven, parents and kids were EVERYWHERE. Also probably because we have no interest in fishes at all. I ended up spending almost an hour before I took a picture of the cute stingray. We spent slightly more than an hour there, but I would say, unless you really really love these underwater sea creatures or are around with kids (kids love this place), skip the aquarium. There was a Kimchi Museum nearby which looked more interesting, but we didn't have a chance to go in. Oh yes, and COEX mall was also under renovation then so I have no comments about it.

We then decided to go to Apgujeong / Gangnam area hoping to find some entertainment agencies there. We totally alighted at the wrong stop, so despite asking some passers-by, we could not figure our way around. (Stay tuned to later entries for entertainment agencies.) We then decided to head to Hangang Park earlier.

As far as I know, there are 8 bridges across the Hangang River, but the most famous or prettiest one has to be the Rainbow Banpo Bridge. Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain is the world’s longest bridge fountain. At night, 200 lights illuminate the fountain as it sends up dancing, rainbow-colored jets of water in the air in synchronization with music.

Directions: Alight at Express Bus Terminal Subway Station [고속터미널역] Turn right out from exit 8-1. Take a 180 degrees turn and turn left again at the first junction. You will be walking alongside some apartment buildings and it looks as if you entered some residential area. You're not wrong!! Just continue walking straight down, you will also pass by a park. At the end of the road (after 5-10 minutes or so of walking), you will find a path beyond the parking, follow this to the right for another 50 meters or so. You will see a tunnel on your left; go through it and you will be in Hangang Park, which leads directly to Banpo Bridge.

Hangang Park is an awesome place for you to relax and chit-chat with your friends. Many families were there having picnics too. (Koreans seem to really love picnics). There are specific timings for the lighting of the LED fountain, and they change depending on the months and days, so do check it out before heading there. I would say the best timing to catch it is about 8.30pm if you're heading there in end June/July. At 8pm, Korea's sky is also starting to turn dark. There is a large area for you to sit down but Shan and I chose to swing our legs right at the edge, which means the river was right below our feet!! You can also order fried chicken and delivery right there (if you know Korean) so don't worry about starving. Otherwise, get your food before coming because there isn't any food sold in the near vicinity.

Last but not least, I just had to talk about one of the most basic yet important things you have to get upon reaching Seoul - T-money. T-money works like our Singapore's EZ-LINK card. Basically, it is a transportation card that allows you to board buses and subways just by tapping. T-money are sold in all GS25 and most other convenience stores. A simple T-money card costs you 2,500won (with 0 credits inside, so you have to top-up/recharge the card upon buying). T-money is also available in the form of handphone straps and in different shapes and sizes. Look at mine!! I got mine in Rilakkuma and it is so convenient after I hanged it onto my phone (because I hold on to my phone practically every moment). They also have it in Hello Kitty and Angry Birds, but I think Rilakkuma is much more expensive at 8,000won. For me, I didn't mind because it doubles up as an accessory - it's still on my phone now!

I'm hoping I have a chance to be using it again the next time I go back to Korea, which I am not sure when.

Day 3: Wonders of Jeju

Before travelling to Jeju/Korea or in fact any other foreign country, the smart thing (and a rather mandatory thing) to do is to research beforehand. And from my research, I realised that Jeju has no subway system and the modes of transportation there are mainly buses or taxis. Taxis are easily available in the city area but I wouldn't really know how available it is if you end up in some attractions far from the city. To be safe, me and Shan thought that hiring a taxi for the full day is a better idea.

If you are interested in hiring a taxi in Jeju, this is the contact of the driver I had: 

Mr Moon Young Sam

(+82) 010-3203-1719

moonys1719@naver.com

By the way, I booked Mr. Moon at 120,000won for 9 hours (9am - 6pm) but I think their rates do fluctuate depending on whether it is peak period.

And, the thing is I actually booked Mr. Han but 12 hours before the taxi tour, Mr. Han emailed me saying he was not free but he had already arranged his friend, Mr. Moon, to bring us around. Honestly speaking, I wasn't very pleased with Mr. Han's attitude. Informing us at the very last minute wasn't a really pleasant thing to do, and in addition, we bumped into him bringing another group of people around. His perfect excuse of being not free. Anyway, Mr. Moon arrived at the doorstep of our guesthouse 10 minutes before 9am. He then discussed with us the various locations which we wanted to visit (we emailed Mr. Han a week before) and planned the route for us well. 

The weather forecast said that it might be raining that day, so me and Shan decided to wear our sandals out because it will be so uncomfortable walking around in damp shoes. Mr. Moon noticed that we weren't wearing covered shoes and insisted we went back to change. I didn't understand why, but he was pretty insistent, so we did change anyway. It then started drizzling not long after, and Mr. Moon stopped by a convenience store, and we thought he needed the restroom or something, but he came back with ponchos for us. We were so touched, really.

Our first stop was the Manjanggul Cave. Manjanggul Cave (만장굴) is one of the finest lava tunnels in the world, and is a designated natural monument. Only 1km of the Manjanggul Cave is open to the tourists. The inside of the tunnel sustains at a temperature of 11~21℃, creating a comfortable atmosphere.

Upon reaching, Mr. Moon went ahead to buy the entrance tickets for us, and took some photos for us. He then handled us the ponchos to wear, because it was drizzling, and also because he said that water will drip from the top of the cave. I have realised that anything that requires entrance fee, Mr. Moon will not come with us. I guess it is right too, doesn't make sense to spend more money.

So Shan and I headed off into our first destination alone. Oh yes, Mr. Moon also brought a torchlight for us because it was really dim at some point in time. The path was uneven too, so it is better to lit the path with a torchlight. The ground was also damp at some point in time and yes, water was dripping from the top of the cave. It was freezing cold, something like 15°C I feel, but it was a wholenew experience. You don't get to see such things in Singapore, all those nice lava tubes. Some people find it too dark to see anything, but I found it impressive instead. At the end of the 1km, you get to see this impressive lava formation.

Our second stop was Maze Park. Maze Land is a themed park boasting the world’s longest stone maze, measuring roughly 5.3km in total length. The maze is made mainly using stone and wood found on Jeju. As far as I know, there are two such parks in Jeju, the Maze Land and the Gimyeong Maze Park. The maze land I went was also the one that Running Man went to in one of their episodes.

Personally, if you would take the map and look at it, you will realise there is only one path out at all times. (And I will not spoil the fun by telling you the path.) Shan and I felt that it was pretty stupid and lame, because you just keep walking and walking and you will reach. There was no twists and turns at all. Well, if you like the fun, maybe keep the map aside, and somehow you might get lost, and you will find it more fun? Shan and I wanted to try separate ways to see who got there first, but we didn't want to get lost and anyway, we both found out that there was only one way out, and we didn't want to walk around thinking there might be another way out.

You have to head to the end and ring the bell here. Of course not this big bell. There is a smaller bell. I think it meant something like your wish will come true, or you will have a smooth life or something. Hahah I don't usually pay attention to such things, but I would do it still. 

Next was Seokjikoji Coast before it was time for lunch. Seopjikoji is located at the end of the eastern shore of Jeju-do Island. It boasts of beautiful views and also a lighthouse at the end. I wonder what's with lighthouses seriously. The waves were strong that day, and Seokjikoji looked lovely. We cannot help but be amazed by nature. Jeju is a rather well-preserved place where you get to see nature at its close-to-best form. The scenery there was good, and you could also get a horse-riding session if you would like. The horses really stink though, I am not keen to go near there, let alone ride them.

Lunch was at a restaurant which Mr. Moon brought us to. It was located at the bottom of Seongsan Ilchulbong. Sadly, I do not have the name of the restaurant. I believe that taxi drivers usually have commission when they bring us to such restaurants, and I don't really care about spending a dollar or two more than other restaurants, as long as it's good. And the one Mr. Moon brought us to, was.

I already mentioned way before that I wanted to have sea urchin soup and abalone porridge for lunch. And when Mr. Moon brought us here, I wanted to have those two plus an additional pajeon. Mr. Moon stopped us, saying it will be too much for two, so you see, he isn't all about getting the commission. He then made sure we settle down well, before going to settle his own lunch. Do note that for most drivers, they will require you to pay for their lunch expenses as well, and it is only polite for you to do so, but despite us asking, Mr. Moon refused to accept our offer.

The side dishes were one of the best I have ever eaten. I have been looking to find this same tofu side dishes everywhere, but failed to. The seaweed had the taste of the sea still, so you can see how fresh it really was. Abalone porridge and sea urchin soup was up in no time, and Shan enjoyed her abalone porridge albeit it being a little bland. My sea urchin soup on the other hand was flavourful, but there were too much seaweed in the soup that I couldn't taste the sweetness of the sea urchin. Nevertheless, both were nice and I had to say that abalone and sea urchin in both portions were pretty generous!

After lunch, we decided to do some exercise and we arrived at Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak to climb the hill. I really wanted to come over at sunrise but it wasn't very convenient to do so. Anyway, the view in the daytime was also magnificent. It was no doubt tiring climbing the hill. Mr. Moon told us most people will ususally take about an hour to climb up and down. But Shan and I decided to brisk walk up, and slowly walk down. I ran out of energy after 10 minutes, and I think we took 15 minutes to get up, and 20 minutes to get down. We took the photos on the way down, because whilst on the way up, the only thing I could think of was rest and water.

The last bit of our trip was Jeongbang Falls. We scheduled the folk village at first, but I wasn't that interested in it, and we cannot leave Jeju without seeing one of its three best waterfalls. Jeongbang Falls (정방폭포) is only water fall in Asia that falls directly into the ocean. I heard about its beauty and how people raved about it, so after much deliberation, we decided to change our schedule to head there.

It was SO WORTH IT. I did not have a full picture of the waterfall but it was not easy at all getting there. There was this exceptionally high rock where Mr. Moon told us we had to sit up there for the most exceptional tourist view, and I was wondering how is that possible. The rock was about twice my height and we got to step on the slightly flatter surfaces to get up. What a struggle! But the pictures were really good. You become the focus and all the many passer-bys look like ants heheh.

Get what I mean whereby you become the main focus and the rest of them are like ants? Actually for most of my picture, I couldn't even see anyone else. This is how good this rock is. But be careful while climbing it!! It can be really dangerous!! Getting up is one thing, coming down is another problem hahah.

The rocks here were sharp and slippery and I finally understood why Mr. Moon made us wear covered shoes. Most of our attractions had rocks that could easily cut, or uneven paths who could be dangerous, so covered shoes are an essential!! 

On the way back, we passed by this horse-ranching field. And Mr. Moon stopped to let us see the horses. They were really good though they stink much, but how many such chances do you have, to stop your car at the middle of the road, and come by to look at horses? We snapped some photos with the lovely horses before proceeding back to our guesthouse.

All in all, Mr. Moon's English wasn't perfect (I haven't met Koreans who had perfect English). He had the sort of elementary school English but with some sign language, it was possible to understand. And he was friendly and also tried his best to help us, so thank you Mr. Moon for an amazing day and letting us understand Jeju better!

Day 2: Udo Island, a small island off the shores of Jeju.

Upon reaching the guesthouse, Shan and I decided to go to Udo Island seeing the good weather that day. To get to Udo Island, you have to go there by ferry from Seongsan Port. The ferry ride is about 15 minutes, and the price of the ferry ticket (there and back) is about 5,500 won.

Because it was already 1.30pm when we reached the guesthouse and the last ferry back was at 6pm, hence we have to try to get on the 3pm ferry there. It was impossible to get onto the 2pm ferry because our guesthouse is at Jeju City Hall area, which is on the opposite end of Jeju Island with Seongsan Port. We requested our guesthouse owner to get us a taxi, and the taxi driver quoted us 20,000won. So, we went ahead because while doing a quick online search, it was supposed to be about 30,000won. With that, I also have to comment on the efficiency of our guesthouse. The owner called for the taxi immediately and in 5 minutes, she was rushing us to get out because the taxi was already there. And she also brought us to the taxi, made sure that the taxi driver know where we were going, before she went back to the guesthouse. The cab fare turned out to be 31,000won, roughly similar to what most people mentioned online, but the driver also accepted 20,000won from me, which was really commendable and honest of them.

Upon reaching Seongsan Port, you have to get a slip of the paper, fill in where you want to go, pass it to the ticketing counter, and they will give you the tickets. Actually I don't understand why she cannot just give me the tickets since there was no one at the counter anyway. I was supposed to meet a friend, S, to board the ferry together to Udo, but because of miscommunication, and the auntie was chasing us up to the ferry, I left S behind at the port since I couldn't manage to find him. :<

Udo Island was beautiful, it was very rural, and the modes of transportation were bus, ATV, scooters or bicycles. We decided on the tour bus because we only have 2-3 hours and bicycles was definitely not enough. Anyway the island looked way too big and we were too tired to be cycling anyway. Imagine not sleeping on the plane at all, and we had 3 plane rides before that. I have heard that the ATV requires an international license though, but some people managed to rent it without any.

The tour bus had a tour guide, but he spoke in Korean throughout. It was frustrating to hear people laughing but I couldn't get any joke at all. Nor did Shan. We alighted at the first stop - Udo Lighthouse. See that lighthouse in the far distance? That is the Udo Lighthouse. As to why we didn't go all the way... we were really shagged and we had to get back in time for the tour bus. The bus had 4 stops, and at every stop, the bus comes by once every half an hour. 

The views however, were breathtaking though. Udo/Jeju area was so well-preserved that the seas were so blue and the grass so green. The wind so strong and cooling, it was just great to be strolling around in this kind of weather. If only time permits.

At the second stop, it was the Women Divers' area. Unfortunately, there was no women divers' performance at that time we were there. If there was no women divers' performance, I would say, give this place a miss. But we found out too late and the bus had already left. We then walked around and spotted some restaurants across the road, and some stores selling the famous peanut ice-cream. So since it was another half an hour till the bus comes by again, we decided to sit down and have some ice-cream. It was nice and refreshing, but more like an yogurt instead of ice-cream. Still good though.

We decided to skip the beaches because we might not make it in time if we get off. Also because we were in shoes and it would be troublesome to have sand in the shoes. But I heard the black pebbles beach is a must-visit though, and the white sand beach has water so clear. If you have the chance, do go there and let me know how it is.

All in all, I think me and Shan were too tired to enjoy Udo Island. It was a real pity and the time was short for us to explore too.

After we got back to the port, we decided to go by the most basic form of transport - bus, to get us to our guesthouse. Because taxi was too luxurious. But alas, we missed the bus when we got to the stop and the next bus was 40 minutes away. We were pondering whether to take the bus when we met a China couple who asked us for directions. We were unsure and wanted to get on a cab together since we were both heading towards city center. There was 2 other Korean girls and one of them understood Chinese so they told us bus could get us back and is way cheaper. With the help of them, 6 of us decided to wait for the bus together. Amazing how people from all over the world can communicate with a mix of Korean, Chinese, and English. Shan and I got back and headed to a nearby restaurant to eat seafood stew. This was our first proper meal in a Korean restaurant, and I realise Koreans can smoke even in the restaurant (at least in Jeju). We were also amazed to find out that there is free instant noodles with whatever you order. It was a good meal too, except that everything was way too spicy for us.

So that concludes our first day of Jeju/Udo travel. I would advise people to have ample rest before heading to places like Jeju. Because of its nature, there is a lot of walking and exploring involved, and if you are tired, you are definitely not in any mood to enjoy nature to its best.