#KoreaVibes
The kettle clicks off from the corner of the room; I'm munching on some marshmallows under my Primark throw because it's been raining since morning and the room is quite chilly (Typical Leeds ).
It's been 3 days since returning back from Seoul, South Korea and honestly I'm going through some Post Korea Withdrawal Symptoms- The real deal.
But enough of my personal emotional issues, I'm here to give an overview of my 2 months in Korea. I'll try to keep it short as this post is supposed to be sort of a picture Blog! YAY!
Prior to my summer break from university I applied for a student summer exchange program to the University of Korea (고려대학교) and I got in! Long story short I found myself in Seoul on the 25th of June despite the initial worries of the MERS outbreak.
Throughout the 8 weeks in Korea, I've tried to visit as many places I could; Met many wonderful souls and ate gobsmackingly good food!
These are just some of the highlights of my trip and it is almost impossible to fit 2 months worth of memories into one Blog post!
It's been an amazing experience, especially since Korea has been one of my must go destinations and my undeniable love of Korean cuisine!
Cut to the chase, here are some of the places and things I've done along the way: *Reminiscing the good times* *Whimpers*
Pictures may take some time to load, but I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless.
~Links to more information by clicking on the title
1. Gyeongbokgung Palace 경복궁
This is a must go "Touristy" place to visit and you'll find lots of information about it on-line. Situated in the heart of Seoul city it is easy to access and tickets are only 3000won (1.6GBP).
One can get dressed in the traditional 'Hanbok' clothing and roam around the palace grounds.
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| Changing of guards |
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| Signalling the changing of guards |
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| One of the entrance from the inside |
2. Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain 반포대교 달빛무지개분수
Not a must see but it's definitely a nice sight when you just want to chill and relax by the Hangang (한강) river. There are many parks along the way and it's a normal sight to see families pitching tents and having picnics on the open field. If you have time to spare, cycling along the Han river should be a great way to unwind and get some exercise done.
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| Beautiful reflection |
3. Daebudo Island 대부동
Only for the adventure enthusiasts! Not a lot of information online as it is mostly a local getaway. There are no taxis and bus is the main transportation. However, go to the information centre upon arrival to the entrance of Daebudo for the map of the island and there are several trails on the map that one can tackle. However, it is quite tough to locate at times but the main thrill is getting somewhat lost and discovering beautiful sights and sceneries along the way.
Watching the Sun set was one of the highlights of this trip as well as meeting friendly people who speak no English but would go out of their way to help you.
4. Yongma Land (Abandoned amusement park) 용마공원
First thing that came to my mind about visiting an abandoned amusement park ? Killer clowns! But the hipster-ness in me was more intrigued by the place and photo opportunities. Not the usual touristy place to go but after reading several blogs about this place I decided to pay this place a visit. It was quite hard to find the entrance and was a long walk from the nearest train station but eventually with the help of 'Naver' map I got to the park and paid an entrance fee (5000won) to an Ahjussi and then the exploring began. As expected it was a run down amusement park, rusts and broken glass everywhere but many picture perfect locations. Friends, professional photographers and couples were among the few who visited the park while I was there.
Also, this park was a music video shooting location for one of the K-pop groups but I don't remember who.
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| Control room |
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| Went up a dodgy flight of stairs in an office to the roof for this view. Well worth it! |
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| The sun began to set |
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| At the right moment |
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| Merry-go-round that still operates but with a fee |
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| This piano had some artistic feel to it |
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| Perfect setting |
One of the school trips organised by the Korea University summer school team where we got to watch the baseball game and take part in the chants/ singing and dancing with the supporters. It was a nice atmosphere as supporters sang and danced to different songs as different players turn came.
6. Soongsil Hat (Ultimate Frisbee)
This was my first ever hat tournament and to be playing it in Korea itself was a very special moment. Not knowing anyone or who my team mates were it was a pretty daunting feeling initially but everything panned out pretty well eventually. Until I landed on my good ankle and was out of the the game but pushed on to play on the second day. Really enjoyed playing with team Kimchi! I mean who wouldn't love a team with such swag?
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| Picture from team mate Oliver |
Seoraksan was one of the most picturesque places I wanted to visit. It's also a World Heritage site listed by UNESCO. However, luck was not on our side when the day we made our way to Sokcho it was pouring down with rain. The rain did not ease up the next morning as we pushed on to the park, I didn't bother taking the cable car ride up to the peak as I was sure there wasn't much to be seen and all hiking trails were closed for safety reasons. After enjoying a cup of coffee at a quaint little cafe in the heart of the park the weather slowly cleared and we went for a short trail (2.4km) to Biryong Falls. Along the way the scenery was pretty spectacular, with suspension bridges and the thundering roar as gallons of water came cascading down the mountain ravines. It's just a shame that we weren't able to hike to the top of the peak.
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| On the way to Biryong Falls trail |
Cue the Cabi bay song ft. 2pm and SNSD hotness overload *ABS ABS ABS*
Be prepared to spend a long LONG time waiting for rides that last for less than 2 minutes. A fun experience nonetheless. Would've been more amazing if Taec-ssi was there.
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| Wave pool after closing time. 10 minutes ago this pace was completely packed. |
Stalls after stalls of good food. Bibimbaps, snacks like red bean porridge called patjuk (팟죽), jokbal pigs’ feet and sundae (순대) blood sausage. And the famous Bindaetteok (빈대떡) a thick pancake made from mung bean and vegetables. Another must try is the Mayak Kimbap 마약김밥; sesame Korean sushi roll goodness.
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| Bindaetteok (빈대떡) |
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| Side dishes that really caught my attention and the ahjumma was really kind to offer some of her chilli baby crabs. Taste wasn't that great as it was salty as well as too crunchy for my liking. |
Visited this fish market with a friend from home and had the experience of eating the highly anticipated live Octopus 산낙지, raw sea urchins, abalone, crab soup and steamed king crab full with mouth watering meat!
We chose the seafood we wanted and was given a price, the stall owner then led us to a restaurant upstairs where they cooked the seafood to of your choice. It was a good and filling meal!
Be prepared to fork out a good amount of money for the meals.
11. Solo travels to Busan
A more in depth post of my 5 days 4 nights trip to Busan will be up soon with details of my travels, accommodation and itinerary. In short, it was a great getaway from Seoul to sunny sandy Busan!
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| An amazing sunset on the first day at Haeundae Beach |
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| Where the rich reside |
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| Yonggungsa Temple 해동용궁사 |
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| Taejongdae Park 태종대 |
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| Nike! 그냥해 |
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| Wish I had enough cash to eat fresh Sashimi on the rocks by the cliffs |
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| Hope I wasn't intruding |
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| Jagalchi fish market 자갈치시장 |
Korea is such a unique country that still holds on to its traditions and rich cultures. It is admirable that a country with it's own language has grown into a successful and developed country. Of course like any other countries it has it's own flaws.
2 months flew by so fast and there are still countless places and things I wanted to do but couldn't make time for it. Hoping I'd get the chance to come back to this amazing country soon!
I'm ultimately grateful to my parents for allowing me to go on this trip of a lifetime as well as the University of Leeds for the opportunity to study in one of Korea's prestigious university (Korea University)
Shout out to every individual I've met in Korea; Hope you're doing well! Peace out~
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