THE LIFE OF VEE

Some of the things I looked forward to witnessing in Korea are the festivities. I was truly rooting for the spring festivals happening all over the country. I imagined how great it would be to pick strawberries or apples in some orchard in the countryside, be mesmerized by Cherry Blossoms in Yeouido, sip green tea while looking at this gorgeous view of the field, or feed animals at Anseong. Months before my scheduled trip, I went crazy researching for the must-see places and festivities. To my dismay, most of the spring festivals would have been over by the time I fly to Seoul. Most of them were over by Mid-April. But then, I read somewhere that the Haeundae Sand Festival takes place in early June. I got lucky because it coincided with my trip to Busan.

The 9th day was a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Half of me was looking forward to a new adventure while the other half was wanting for the 8th day to stretch a bit longer. Obviously I wasn't prepared to leave Bundang although I knew that an entirely different experience awaits in Busan.

At exactly 5:30 in the morning, I woke up to a mix of incoherent sounds from two mobile phones - C's and mine. I had another restful sleep - uninterrupted - much like the other nights, a testament to a full, exhausting yet fun-filled day that was. I went straight to the bathroom and took a quick shower. C's mom was already up and by the time I was through dressing up, a breakfast of sandwich and coffee was already waiting on the table. C was up too as she would send me off.

We were already at the door before 6:30, the chilly morning breeze hugging us. I said my goodbyes, and for the nth time in less than 48 hours, I thanked C's mom for accommodating me. "Thank you" wasn't enough though for their generosity.

We got to Yatap Bus Station before 7. I bought a ticket for 33,600 won ($33.60) and got to the bus a few minutes later. "goodbyes" and "take cares" were said and C headed back home. The bus left at exactly 7:10.

Here's the second installment of my 7th day in Seoul. After a lovely lunch at a tonkatsu place, we dropped by Tapgol Park.

Tapgol Park is small but holds so much history and significance especially in the Korean people's quest for freedom. On March 1, 1919,  the independence movement against the Japanese rule took root here and quickly  spread across Korea.

A ten-storey stone pagoda, encased in glass, from Wongaksa Temple site is also displayed in the park. The pagoda must be pretty old since Wongaksa Temple was founded in 1465 and the Monument of Wongaksa (the tortoise stele in the photo below) was built in 1471.

My Seoul itinerary was not a fixed one. The good thing about traveling solo is that you can always be flexible and yes, my sched was just like that - it could pretty much change any minute depending on the weather, the availability of my friends, or my ability to find the places I was looking for. But I had a few staples - places that I SHOULD see no matter what. And one of the "must-see" was Han River and Banpo Bridge. I was extremely lucky because I stayed somewhere in Jamwon-dong/Banpo area just a walking distance from Han River. That means I didn't have to hurry home when it was getting late and I had all the time to savor the view and just hang out with three of my former students. 

Hanok means Korean traditional houses. They are structured in consideration of their surroundings and may be built in closed square form especially in cold regions. Some houses are "L" shaped while others may be in an open "I" form.

Bukchon in Samcheongdong is probably the most popular Hanok village in all of Korea. I was able to walk around in its neighborhood on my first day there, and yes, it is someplace you shouldn't miss. But apart from Bukchon, another hanok village worth visiting is Namsangol near Myeongdong.

Namsangol Hanok Village is a collection of five hanoks from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), recovered from different parts of the city and relocated to the northern foot of Namsan mountain. The interiors of each of these five houses reflect owners from different walks of life, from the middle class to the yangban (who were mainly high government officials, noblemen and aristocrats). [Source] 

Right after a sumptuous Korean lunch, we walked the calories away to Gwanghwamun Square. It's really easy to spot. It's right across the main entrance of Gyeongbok Palace. Gwanghwamun is located in Sejong-ro, Jongno-gu in Seoul and is near Insadong, Cheonggyecheon and Samcheongdong. A whole day is not enough to walk around in this area; there are just so many places to see.

5th day continues with more walks inside the grounds of Gyeongbok Palace. At the far end of the compound are more clustered quarters, kind of like (very) small villages. From this point, you can actually see the blue roof of Cheongwadae, Korea's version of the White House. And from here on, you'd see lots and lots of green, a full view of a mountain, a pond and a pavilion; and feel like you are in a countryside and detached from the buzzing city that is Seoul. It's really amazing to find a space like this in a much urbanized metropolis. Truly awesome.

It's been exactly a month now since my trip to South Korea and it feels like ten days there passed by too quickly. If not for the photos, I would think that everything was just a dream - it wouldn't be too impossible because I truly have a very vivid imagination. haha. Anyway, I'm not quite done with Day 5. Gyeongbokgung is such a pretty place - the area is huge and every corner is interesting and quite lovely. Let me share some photos that I took inside and around the palace after the Royal Guards Changing Ceremonies. 

It was great to have a lovely weather on the day I was scheduled to go to Gyeongbok Palace (gung). Going there was really easy, especially that I was coming from Jamwon-do, where I could take Seoul Metro Line 3 straight to Gyeongbokgung station. If you ever go to this palace, one thing you shouldn't miss is the Royal Guard Changing Ceremonies. Be there before 10 in the morning so you have plenty of time to take photos and find a good spot when the ceremony starts. The reenactment takes place three times a day (10am, 1pm, 3pm) every day except Tuesdays.