Uni grad trip to South Korea day 4: 24th May 2013

We left at 8am, and grabbed Issac Toast nearby for breakfast!

I tried the egg toast, while others had ham and cheese toast... gosh it was nice! The taste of corns, with egg and toasted bread was daebak! *We ate in the MRT... all the way till we reach Gyeongbokgung stn haha!* 

It was a 15mins ride by subway. We took a few pictures ard光化门, before proceeding to buy our tickets. *Asked 2other angmohs to share and buy grp tickets with us... so only 2400won per pax.* 

We were waiting to watch the guard changing ceremony, but since it hasn't started, we went thru the entrance at勤政门first. *Lol~ some China tourist“搭讪” YY over here... tot she was a Japanese and asked her to help take photo, in the end take with her haha.*

There were quite some tourists on a friday, and everyone gathered at the square to watch the guard changing ceremony, a re-enactment of an impt event in the palace in the past. *Wow those guards had no facial expression at all... kinda stern haha.*

We continued to walk further into the palace, which was built three years after the Joseon Dynasty was founded and served as its main palace.

I am assuming the mountain backdrop behind us is the infamous Mt. Bugaksan? SS, YQ and XY walked away at one pt of time, and the 5 of us were left behind, sitting down cos our legs were tired from walking. After we all met again, we headed to土俗村蔘鸡汤for lunch. *Lucky we were thr early, cos we saw a super long queue by the time we finished lunch at 1+pm!*

I liked the decor. We had to take out our shoes to go into the eating place. Split into 2 grps to share our lunch, and we only ordered 2 bowls of ginseng chicken soup nia... WT, SS, MT and I shared the one with ginseng powder (4200 won each) I think. The chicken meat was tender, but as for the soup... I think it boils down to whether or not you like the taste of strong ginseng haha.

The side dishes were like 2 big tubs above haha~ can't finish of cos! MT was happily downing soju thr... and until the end she told us she saw somewhr muz add the wine into the soup to eat... er... lol. Then, we walked back to Gyeongbokgung's direction and wanted to go to Samcheong-dong. We did walked past National Folk Museum but didn't go in though, and since we'd pass by光化门again, we seize the chance to take photos with the "guards"! *Poor them... have to stand for hrs under the blazing sun!*

It was a long journey to Samcheong-dong lol. We took about 20mins to reach the alleys... and began taking pics here and thr!

And again, we saw many diff cafes/shops that had pretty nice decors! *OMG I saw a dress that was elegant yet ex~ about SGD80bucks o.* XY was happily buying clothes thr too haha. Until one pt of time, YQ felt thirsty and we went into one of the cafes for a sip. We were asked to go onto the 2nd flr, which was a bit stuffy cos the staff din switch on air-con before we were thr. 

Can't rmb who didn't want to order anything but juz sit and relax, but the stupid staff insisted each of us had to order sth, so in the end SS, YQ and XY went off eslewhr instead. I had banana and kiwi juice (6500won)... average lo but so ex in a small cafe neh! After half an hr or so, we meet up with the rest, and walked into a small arts market... they were selling hand-made items thr... pretty!
The weather was getting hotter, and we really had no idea which direction to walk towards, and somehw we reached Insa-dong lol~ so SS and I crossed the road to the tourist info ctr to ask for direction. In the end, we had to go under the subway underpass, and come out from another exit, leading to Bukchon Hanok Village. It was another 10-15mins of walk, and even though we didn't find the prettiest house/alley thr, we went into one of the cultural centres. 

After this, we took subway back to our guesthouse, rest for a while before heading out for dinner and Namsan Tower~ which was near to us! 

I failed to "capture" how steep this slope the girls are posing on was! It was up-slope from IBVille, and you literally bend ur body when u walk up this slope. Worse thing was... thr were many more steps ahead omg! *I'm pretty sure I saw another small alley beside that could lead the way up, instead of this only route.* There were some cafes and restaurants at the foot of Namsan tower, which was whr we were at after climbing those steps. *It almost freaked me out when I heard we need to climb up more steps before reaching Namsan cable car! Lucky it wasn't the case!* All of us took photos outside this French-decor cafe cos it's simply classy!

Dinner was at Herzia western restuarant... next to the cafe.

It's greenery outside the balcony... pleasant. MT and I shared the seafood pasta in tomato sauce. *The bread was super soft~ and their apple salad was very crunchy o!*

Our pasta was good, esp the seafood in thr haha... though it can't be compared to the seafood we had in Jeju lol. I think the pizza that the rest of them had shld be nice too. *Spent 8000won for such nice dinner~ aiyoh South Korea is quite a food paradise itself too isn't it?*
The Namsan Cable Car sth was juz 3mins walk from us. Got the round-way tickets at 8000won each, and we climbed up to the 3rd storey to queue for the cable car. I took some photos thr... and the scene is so similar to what I usually see on "Running Man" haha~ how their houses look like in Seoul.

Trust me~ I was a lil' freaking out... to be in a cable car with over 20ppl! *The last time I was in one was like 10+yrs ago~ when I went Genting.* I observed how the cable car "swayed" in the wind (kinda windy as we go up), and my heart literally skipped a few beats lol~ I've some degree of acrophobia. The cable car swung more at the beginning, but was more stable later. *Jenny was so nice... holding on to me... for fear I can't take it lol!* Lucky it's only a 2-3mins up thr! *I was joking I'd "kill" my future bf who thinks that going to a place high up is romantic lol.* Oh well what's more "terrifying" is to see even more steps when we got down the cable car... aiyoh they are everywhr!

After 3-5mins of walking up the stairs, we finally reached the bottom of Namsan Tower! Dunno from what show did I see a glass elevator, so I told the girls I won't go up the observatory, and Jenny joined me. *SS told me it wasn't though...* Both of us only gt the entrance tickets to the Teddy Bear Museum (6000won... 8000won by right but somehw she gave us more change back haha.).

The Teddy Bear Museum tells of the history of the Joseon dynasty, and some displays were very cute. But honestly, I'm not a "cute-sy" person, so I simply tot this is a place that first-time tourists muz go haha. *In fact, I'm more intrigued by the trees filled with locks, and the view of Seoul from the foot of the tower.* 

I admire how the artist below has the courage to paint out the ugly sides of the times... thumbs up.

After finishing part 1 of the walk, we went into part 2 of the museum... which depicts the modern facets of South Korea. *YQ actually wore the same top as PSY's bear lol!*

Some of the bears can move... and I liked the "hip-hop dancing bears" haha. The last area was one which tourists could watch somewat a super short "musical" put up by the bears... so cute. I liked the display itself. SS even recorded down the whole thing haha.

Jenny and I continued walking and talking, looked at the beautiful sceneries of Seoul after exiting from the museum, while the others went up the observatory. *Jenny and I had to squeeze with other couples thr to watch fireworks from Han River lo lol.* SS borrowed my cam and took some photos from the observatory:

Lol SS told me thr was actualli nth much up thr, except for the sceneries haha. They came down after 20mins or so, and all of us gathered ard the couple tree areas to take pics! A Korean student, who was kinda excited, helped us took photos by the bench.

MT bought a lock and locked it on one of the trees haha. This is definitely a place for couples to come to... spend some time talking... well sometimes it really isn't about the scenery haha. Namsan Tower lights up at night, and we were all trying to take a nice pic of it~ mine's not bad imo!

Nearly 9pm and we finally left the place. *Thks YQ for holding my hand tight in the cable car lol~ riding cable car down is another challenge for me haha.* I rmb a guy beside me asked if I was Taiwanese while the rest of us were talking lol~ and I think he was a lil' disappointed when I said I wasn't keke. And the last photo on top wasn't taken while I'm in the car cos I'm too busy being afraid than anything esle lol, but when we were down at the foot. 
I think almost all of us, except for YQ, headed straight to Myeongdong for last min shopping again. We shared the dokpokki, fish slices soup and bimbap that sells at the basement of the subway stn... omg tasted so gd! I bought a Peripera lipstick (7200won), the stick was yellow in colour, but appears red on ur lips haha. 

SS and XY couldn't curb their cravings, and bought a choco ice-cream we all shared together! MT cutest la... she wanted so much to eat the "twister potato" that when a gal passed by us holding that, MT went up straight and asked whr she bought it~ haha cool! Think we ate quiet a bit of snacks that night... feels great.