Seoul Markets in Autumn ~ the Quest for Teh's Military Coat

Hello mga Teh! Samahan sa (medyo window) shopping sina Teh and Sensei around Seoul.

Dahil hindi naman nagwi-winter sa Pilipinas, and in the coming months I knew na mapapadpad ako sa 4-season land, namili ako ng isang winter jacket dito. Natandaan din ni Teh na biglang lamig noong last day namin so nagamit ko rin 'yon habang nasa Korya. (Actually, 'tong sentence lang na 'to ang relevant sa title ng post hehe.)

Anyway, here are the 4 major markets that you can visit in Seoul - kung saan ba sila matatagpuan and anong mabibili sa bawat market. :)

~ Dongdaemun Underground Market ~

Nearest train station: Dongdaemun, Subway Line 1 or 4

If you want to be in fashion in Seoul, better shop here mga teh. In general, during Autumn, you can find Autumn/Winter wear and shoes here. Very stylish in my opinion (or kakaiba lang kasi hindi naman uso sa atin mga ganito), and so far dito na pinakamura mamili, on par with Namdaemun Market. 

A portion of Dongdaemun Underground Market

~ Namdaemun Market ~

Nearest train station: Hoehyeon Station, Subway Line 4

Another place to shop around for trendy stuff is at Namdaemun Market. I think mas malawak ang shopping area na ito as compared with the Dongdaemun, most especially when it comes to product diversity. Merong seasonal clothing and shoes, sport shops, Hanbok costume shops, pasalubong shops, street food, etc. Name it, most likely you'll find it here! :D

Namdaemun Market (afternoon)

Kaya hindi nakapagtatakang ginabi kami rito kakaikot. :D

Namdaemun Market (evening)

~ Insadong Street ~

Nearest train station: Anguk Station, Subway Line 3

Humandang magsawa sa mga authentic Korean souvenirs pagpunta rito. Hindi kayo mauubusan ng pasalubong dito promise. :D

And in one of the shops here, we met a very happy Oppa (Kuya). Kumita kasi siya sa amin eh hehe. ^_^

May mga street food din along the street, pero hindi ko maalala na kung ano ba tinda nito. (Churi...) So hindi rin kayo magugutom sa lugar na ito. :D

~ Myeongdong Market ~
Nearest train station: Myeongdong Station, Subway Line 4

In general, mas mahal mamili rito compared with Namdaemun and Dongdaemun markets kasi medyo pa-high end na mga tindahan dito. Most of the brand stores are here. Pumunta lang sina Teh rito para ngumanga hehe.

Dahil tapos na kaming mamili ng pasalubong, it is time to say goodbye now to Seoul. Thank you so much sa lahat ng happy and kind people that we've met there. Kam samnida! :D

Before leaving Choi's house. We left a note because nobody was in the reception area.
And Choi was joking (was he) about being in Manila. :P Kam samnida! ^_^

Kind, happy-hearted Koreans who served us in the restaurants, 

who gave us discounts and freebies and who chatted with us,

kam samnida! ^_^

Teh will always be thankful for the wonderful experience that I had in Seoul. Till next time mga teh, thank you very much for visiting my travel journal! ^_^

We're leaving on an airbus~♫

Special thanks to the following who made the adventures of Teh in Seoul successful:

• Promo fare by Cebu Pacific Air.
• Choi's House Seoul for making Teh and Sensei feel at home and for the guidance in revising our original itinerary.
• Darlene-sensei for the photos and company.
• Korean Tourism Website for refreshing Teh's memories (official page link here).

Seoul Nights

Hi mga teh! Samahan sina Teh at Sensei sa continuation ng aming adventures in Korya. Ngayon, let's visit Teh's favorite places in Seoul. ^_^

~ Cheonggyecheon Stream ~

Recommended Time/Length of Visit: Evening

Para mahaba-haba ang lakaran at mas ma-explore pa nina Teh ang stream na ito, sa may malapit sa Jongmyo Sam-ga Station kami nag-start. (Although sa palagay ko kung plaza lang naman gusto niyo makita, you can start from Gwanghwamun Station). Well, at first medyo boring, pero as we drew closer to the plaza (the target/finish line), it just got more interesting. :)

First, nadaanan namin ang isang mahabang pader ng tiles kung saan naka-print ang prusisyon ng Royal Family noong uso pa ang mga dynasties. Then at the edge, merong naka-print na map of old Seoul. Also, there is a portion along the stream that has a mini-museum place. Noong napadaan kami, saktong may exhibit ng art contest doon.

Some that you may see along the stream are the flowers (pero baka sa iba maliit na bagay) and illuminated snail shell near the plaza. ('Di ko alam ano itatawag eh...)

Along the stream, you can see a waterfall landscape na nature lost in the city ang peg. Sa tingin ko eh konti lang ang height difference nito with Teh. Habang dumidilim, paganda nang paganda ang paligid. Little by little, umiilaw na ang mga installed illuminations on some portions of the stream and on the plaza. Sa haba ng nilakad nina Teh eh pahinga-pahinga rin kasi may time. :D

~ N Seoul(Namsan) Tower ~

Recommended Time/Length of Visit: Before sunset till evening

Maganda sana kung before sunset kayo umakyat dito para abutan ang sunset sa observation floor ng tallest tower in Korea.

Habang paakyat sina Teh sa Namsan Mountain to reach the tower, hindi ko naiwasang mag-emote sa ganda ng effect ng autumn foliage (yes nemen fumo-foliage) at late afternoon sunlight. :3 

Arriving before sunset lets you see the two sides of a place. For example, sa staircase na ito. Noong maliwanag pa nakaka-amaze 'yung autumn foliage. Sa gabi, medyo afraid na. @_@ (Pero siyempre, echos lang 'to. Maliit na bagay kaysa sa mga susunod na pics...)

In the daylight, mukha itong communications tower but at night, it shines like a candle in the dark. (Chos.)

Just in time! Palubog na ang araw noong nakarating sina Teh sa itaas. Emote pa more. Lavvveeettt[1]!!! ^_^

At dahil gusto naming masulit ang ticket namin, nagbaon kami ng dinner at kumain dito habang nanonood ng sunset and city lights. Teh loved this place because you can watch this wonderful transition. ^_^

~Palace Illuminations~

Locations: Any palace in Seoul na umiilaw sa gabi

Recommended Time/Length of Visit: Siyempre gabi

Dahil hindi informed si Teh na umiilaw ang mga palace sa gabi, hindi namin naisipang bumisita at night. Pero siyempre, sa labas nga lang kayo ng palace kasi admission hours is until around 6PM lang. Anyway, pasensya na sa super blard[2] shot na 'to kasi habang nasa bus sina Teh nakunan ito. Pero in Teh's memory, it was beautiful. :)

This ends our night sightseeing adventure in Seoul. Sana ay nag-enjoy kayo mga teh. Till Teh's next adventures! Thank you very much for visiting my travel journal. :)

Special thanks to the following who made the adventures of Teh in Seoul successful:

• Promo fare by Cebu Pacific Air.
• Choi's House Seoul for making Teh and Sensei feel at home and for the guidance in revising our original itinerary.
• Darlene-sensei for the photos and company.
• Korean Tourism Website for refreshing Teh's memories (official page link here).

~ Vocabulary ni Teh ~

[1] Lavvveeettt - Slang/beki term for "I love it". Required na tig-tatlo ang letter "v", "e" at "t".
[2] Blard - slang term for "blurred". Basta minali spelling slang na. XD 

Bongeunsa ~ A Temple Lost in a Modern City

Hello mga teh! To continue with the adventures of Teh in Korya, let's visit Bongeunsa temple, a Buddhist temple in Gangnam District...

Dahil medyo napagod si Sensei sa dami ng lakad here, there and everywhere, mag-isa ang Teh na gumora rito. In short, ako lang ang napagod this time around. About 0.75 kilometer walk ito from the nearest station (Samseong Station, Seoul Subway Line 2, Exit 6). So round trip walk is 1.5km. Hashtag: #pagodacoldwavelotion.

As you enter, you will see statues of what they regard as the "guardians" of the temple's gate. Buddhists passing by these statues bow to them as a sign of respect. Kaya naman as a sign of respect to their religion, nag-bow din ako. Para na rin hindi masyadong O.P. si Teh. Hehe...

After entering the temple gate, on the right you will see some tablets on which the names of the past abbots or head monks are engraved. Medyo cemetery feels.

Dito, ang pagbili ng mga io-offer nila kay Buddha ay by honesty policy system. Kuha sila ng bigas tapos ihuhulog na lang sa drop box ang bayad. For example, 'yung bag of rice na binibili ni ateng Koryana na nasa picture... :)

May isang portion dito na hindi ko mapigilang mapatigil at tumitig sa itaas dahil sa mga red lanterns. Nasa harapan ito ng isang malaking prayer hall.

Sa palagay ni Teh, isa ito sa main prayer hall ng mga bumibisita rito. Pero hindi katulad ng ibang temples na napuntahan ko, hindi masyadong crowded ang main hall na ito.

Nung napadaan naman ako sa hall na ito, sa right side ng main prayer hall, nakasaksi ako ng patapos nang memorial service. 

Dahil medyo creepy ang feeling ni Teh (naaalala ko kasi mga asian horror movies), inantay ko munang matapos ang memorial service bago ako um-enter sa hall na ito.

Afterwards, I went to the upper portion of the temple to explore further.

Disclaimer lang mga teh. Sa na-oberve ko, I think depende sa prayer petition ng Buddhist kung saang hall sila magdadasal at magbibigay ng offering. That's how Teh understood it. ;)

On the northwest part of the temple, Teh saw a huge, outdoor Buddha statue.

And on the leftmost portion of the temple, you will find a staircase leading to what Teh remembers as the monk's residence. Well, off-limits po doon mga teh, unless, of course, you're a monk. :D

Upon checking the surroundings of the temple, you will notice lots of high-rise buildings. So ngayon gets niyo na siguro kung bakit ang title nito ay "~lost in the city". Looks beautiful but solitarily sad somehow.

After exploring this temple, you can drop by the temple store where you can buy charms and other Buddhist-related items. Located just outside the temple's main gate. :)

This ends our short visit to Bongeunsa Temple. Thank you very much for visiting my travel journal. Till the next adventure! ^_^

Special thanks to the following who made the adventures of Teh in Seoul successful:

• Promo fare by Cebu Pacific Air.
• Choi's House Seoul for making Teh and Sensei feel at home and for the guidance in revising our original itinerary.
• Darlene-sensei for the photos and company.
• Korean Tourism Website for refreshing Teh's memories (official page link here).

Bukchon Hanok Village ~ A Mirror of Old Korea

Hello mga teh! Samahan si Teh at si Darlene-sensei sa kanilang adventures in Bukchon Hanok Village! (Backlog since 2013...) 

If you walk 300m away from Anguk station, you will find these traditional houses na existing pa since the Joseon Dynasty, around 6 centuries ago.

Somehow, the architecture of these houses seems like Chinese and Japanese architecture fusion, which is a little bit logical because the earliest traditions of Korea rooted from Chinese people (proof is that, their old handwriting was Chinese characters before it became Hangul), and Japanese occupation during early 1900's.

Pero siyempre, with the effort of Korean government and its constituents, na-preserve nila ang magandang village na ito. Hats off for their great job in preserving this old village! ^_^

Emote pa more, Teh.

In this village, puwede ninyong ma-experience ang traditional Korean homestay, ang pagsusuot ng Hanbok and tea ceremonies. Booking in advanced is required in general so Teh recommends that you ask your hotel/guesthouse staff regarding this. 

Dahil walang booking sa maski anong activities dito, wala kaming specific na bahay na napuntahan. Teh and Sensei just strolled around the village, as if we were lost in time... (emote...)

As for the tourist information centre, as far as Teh remembers, free admission sa loob nito. Inside the tourist information centre kasi, merong photo gallery depicting the history and restoration projects for the Bukchon Hanok Village. 

Bukchon Tourist Information Centre

Natapos namin ang aming DIY walking tour within half day, in the morning. So you will notice that we've reached the end of the tour. Thank you very much for visiting my travel journal mga teh! Till next time! ^_^

Special thanks to the following who made the adventures of Teh in Seoul successful:

• Promo fare by Cebu Pacific Air.
• Choi's House Seoul for making Teh and Sensei feel at home and for the guidance in revising our original itinerary.
• Darlene-sensei for the photos and company.
• Korean Tourism Website for refreshing Teh's memories (official page link here).

A Slice of Korean Dynasties ~ Palaces and Shrines

Hello mga teh! Welcome to the new series of Teh's adventures. This time, samahan si Teh together with my professor turned life mentor, Darlene-sensei, sa adventures namin sa Seoul, South Korea. Pasensya na, backlog ulit. 2013 pa kasi kami pumunta rito. Pero hindi naman siguro sobrang bongga ang difference. (Hopefully para may sense pa ang post na ito para sa inyong nagbabalak tumungo rito. :)

Teh's back! Walling sa Gyeongbokgung Palace.

~ Gwanghwamun Square and Gyeongbokgung Palace ~

Recommended Length of Visit: 3~4 hours

As far as I have read, this palace is the most significant palace among what the locals call as the "Five Grand Palaces". Kaya naman ito ang unang target puntahan nina Teh and Sensei. At sinaglit na rin namin ang Gwanghwamun Square, where the statue of King Sejong, the 4th king of Joseon Dynasty has been established. Sa naaalala ko, tanaw mo agad ang statue paglabas ng train station.

Left: Statue of King Sejong
Right: Entrance to the Gyeongbokgung Palace

Saktong naabutan namin ang munting palabas ng mga Imperial Guards ng palasyo pagdating namin. Hindi lang sigurado ni Teh ang interval, pero sa tantya ko, every 2~3 hours, merong palabas na ganyan. Kasi paglabas ulit namin, meron na naman. At nasaktuhan din naming nakita ang mga batang nakasuot ng Hanbok[1]. Ang cute-cute nila. ^_^

Imperial Guards: Kaliwa~ kaliwa~ kaliwa, kanan, kaliwa~
Teh: (Kilitiin ko kaya mga 'to. Magre-react kaya sila? XD)

Highly recommended, by the way, ang pagbili ng mga entrance tickets na naka-bundle. In our case, bumili kami ng Integrated Palace Tickets. Malaking tipid and valid siya for 1 month. As of 2013, nasa 10,000 KRW siya. Around 400~500 pesos when you convert.

Reminds Teh of Beijing's Forbidden City... 

The main attraction is the center of the palace. Parang sa Forbidden City rin na nagsusumiksik ang mga people para makita ang mga gamit ng hari. Sagrado kasi para sa kanila ang mga gamit ng royalty dahil para sa kanila, diyos ang mga nagiging hari noong unang panahon.

The heart of Gyeongbokgung Palace, sacred to many devotees of the kings.

Sa sobrang lawak ng palasyong ito, hindi maiwasang kung saan-saang sulok kami napapadpad. Pero dahil Autumn, hindi masyadong mainit kaya keri lang maligaw. And look oh, nakakaganda ng paligid ang red maple leaves. Pati 'yung bundok sa background reminded Teh of Beijing. ~_~

When there's another door, there's another chance to get lost.
(Buti na lang may mapa kami...)

Sa totoo lang, mahirap mapansin ang difference ng palace architecture ng China at Korea. Pero if you will notice the smallest detail, doon mapapansin ang difference. Pero dahil walang time at brain cells si Teh para pagkaisipin pa 'yon, picture-picture na lang ang nagawa namin.

Top left and bottom: Lake inside the palace. 
Paano ko matandaan pangalan eh ang hirap bigkasin. -_-
Top right: Playground where you can play sipa and other outdoor games...

The palace seems to house a small community of commoners as well. I think mga palace workers ang nakatira sa area na 'to before.

Looks like a small village inside Gyeongbokgung Palace. Find the emoting Teh. (5 pts.)

~ Jongmyo Shrine ~

Recommended Length of Visit: 30 minutes (fixed, guided tour)

Kamuntik pa kaming hindi makaabot sa last tour available in English (4PM). Shrines, unlike palaces, are regarded as sacred place because they are tombs of great people in history. So tourists cannot just go in and roam around as they like. Also, controlled din ang number of visitors na nasa loob ng Shrine dahil after the guided tour, you really have to leave.

Our tour guide, si Ateng Nakahanbok and the Shrine Entrance.

Ever wondered why there's an elevated walkway whose center is elevated further and bawal siyang tapakan? Lakaran kasi ng royalties 'yan. And the middle one is reserved for the king.

Preparation room of the royalties for ceremonies to be held in the shrine.

Medyo natakot lang si Teh nang kaunti kasi sobrang tahimik ng place. Ramdam mong sementeryo siya. Haha. Awoo~ -.-

Left: Ateng Nakahanbok explaining the ceremonies held in the Shrine.
Right: Main shrine, Jeongjeon, that houses the tablets of the Joseon Dynasty Kings.

Dahil hindi nakapagsuot si Teh ng Hanbok, nag-picture na lang kami ni Ateng Nakahanbok. Salamat sa pag-guide sa amin. :)

Kamsamnida Ateng Nakahanbok. :)

~ East Palaces: Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung + Huwon Secret Garden ~

Recommended Length of Visit: 4~5 hours

Siguro kung tatanungin si Teh kung anong lugar sa Korea ang pinaka-ubos energy, East Palaces ang sagot ko. Sobrang lawak ng area. Pagtabihin mo ba naman dalawang palasyo eh. 

Different sights at Changdeokgung Palace.

Built during Choson Dynasty, ang sabi ng information tablet sa loob ng palace eh this is the "epitome of Korean Architecture". But still, at a glance, it's difficult to separate its identity from the Chinese Architecture.

The heart of the Changdeokgung Palace.

I really cannot recall every part of the palace because it is too big. Kaya nag-emote na lang ulit si Teh. :))

Teh thinks that this is a common area where people can study or hold feasts.

Walking further within the Changdeokgung Palace, you will see gates that lead to Huwon Secret Garden (left) and Changgyeonggung Palace (right). Now you may see the convenience of buying the Integrated Tickets I've mentioned kasi you can immediately flash your ticket when crossing between the two palaces. Bonus rin ang entry sa Huwon Secret Palace by the way. :)

Top left: The gates that lead to Huwon Secret Garden and Changgyeonggung Palace respectively.
Others: Lake and tree sights in Changgyeonggung Palace

I think that this is more of a garden palace rather than structural palace. Parang 70% ata ng lugar na ito eh halaman at puno. They even have a greenhouse inside this palace. :)

White house na green house. :)

And here are the (maybe around) 30% of the palace, that are buildings. :3

Some structures inside the Changgyeonggung Palace.

So when you enter the left gate, heto naman ang mga makikita ninyo. Garden. (Hello?) Dito nakapagpulot sina Teh at Sensei ng maple leaf na ang laki-laki at sobrang dilaw. Do you see Teh smelling the leaf? (Infairness, amoy lupa haha.)

Enjoying the Autumn trees while exploring the Secret Garden. :D

Somehow, I didn't expect to see more Korean-inspired buildings inside. Dahil may "garden" sa pangalan ang area na ito, Teh expected plants and flowers. Pero okay lang din. Sobrang presko kaya sa lugar na 'to. Sarap ngumanga for a while. At medyo nirarayuma na ang Teh. :))

Ngangahan place sa Huwon Secret Garden. :O

A little bit surprised to see a small chain of houses here, or should I say common areas. Parang school din kasi ang itsura eh. Makes sense, because the Garden has served as training ground for military drills, a place for farming and for culturing silkworm.

Top left: Abangers ng lalabas.
Top right: Classrooms kaya ito?
Lower left: Dalawang teacher na nag-aabang ng klase.
Lower right: Walling. Nevermind...

~ Deoksugung Palace ~

Recommended Length of Visit: 2~3 hours

Medyo kakaiba 'tong palace na 'to kasi ang sabi eh free admission to those who are wearing Hanbok. Hay kung alam lang nina Teh sana 'yon na lang sinuot namin. :))

The traditional Korean structures inside Deoksugung Palace.

At kakaiba rin ang palace na ito in the sense that it houses some western-style buildings inside.

British-inspired buildings inside the palace.
The large building (bottom left) is a Japanese art gallery (which Teh did not enter).

As we walked further, natiyempuhan namin si Ateng Reyna in full Queen attire. Akala namin may nauupahan doon na royalty attire. 'Yun pala may gagawin lang ata silang pictorial. Pero hindi ko ma-confirm kung artista siya kasi hindi siya gaanong dinumog ng mga tao.

Around these areas, we found the Queen. Lumabas kaya siya from time machine? @_@

Huling palasyo na itong binisita namin, kaya lang hindi ko pa rin maisip ang pinagkaiba ng Chinese at Korean architecture sa maraming tinginan. (Not just once, twice, n times...)

The central structure at Deoksugung Palace.

Compared with other palaces, this is relatively smaller. Hindi naman kasi hari ang tumira dito kundi kapatid niya.

One last emote before we leave. XD

~ Heunginjimun/Sungnyemun Gates ~

Recommended Length of Visit: 5 minutes (just for exterior photo ops)

Actually, hindi alam ni Teh kung alin ang alin sa dalawang 'yan. Basta 'yung Heunginjimun Gate is near Dongdaemun station while Sungnyemun Gate is near Namdaemun station. Magkakamukha lang kasi ang fortress gates ng Seoul. These are just 2 out of 8 fortress gates in Seoul's Fortress Wall that surrounded the city during Joseon dynasty.

Alin, alin, alin ang naiba~ Hindi talaga mawari ni Teh. -_-

Sa palagay ko ay napagod na rin kayo sa pag-iimagine kung gaano kalalayo mga nilakad namin. Sa susunod na adventures ni Teh with Sensei in Seoul, we will explore the Bukchon Hanok Village. Thank you very much for visiting my travel journal. ^_^

Special thanks to the following who made the adventures of Teh in Seoul successful:

• Promo fare by Cebu Pacific Air.
• Choi's House Seoul for making Teh and Sensei feel at home and for the guidance in revising our original itinerary.
• Darlene-sensei for the photos and company.
• Korean Tourism Website for refreshing Teh's memories (official page link here).

~ Vocabulary ni Teh ~

[1] Hanbok - traditional Korean Costume.