Namsan Tower, or some known as N Seoul Tower is situated at top of Namsan Park. We were devastated to find out that 2011 winter had been too cold that the cherry are not going to blossom after all. So, instead of perfect spring view we were greeted with dried and heartless trees at Namsan Park.
There’s a few way to get to this huge park but I’ll put it in another post later. We reached the parking lot of Namsan Park via shuttle bus but that still required us to walk a little slope up the hill. Walking up a slope is nothing new to me but I happened to wear heels instead of sneakers!
The most interesting agenda of NT are the Love Locks. Lovers from all over the world come here to ‘lock’ their love (padlock) and throw away the keys so that their love will last forever. A few years ago, only the fences were full of locks but when they were too full, trees were added to provide more space.
Even the sheep-shaped bonsai was ‘victimized’.
Tourists and locals alike, love Namsan Tower. We took some time to explore the surroundings and the shops. We didn’t visit the Bear Museum or go up the tower due (7,000 Won) to the mix review I read online.
Remember when I mentioned we found a better place to try hanboks than Gyeongbokgung? Here it is – Korea Tourism Info Center in Plaza M Level 5, Myeongdong.
The hanboks in here are so much better in colors and designs compared to Gyeongbokgung’s and some studios that offer rentals and photo taking for a price. Best of all, it’s for free.
I had seen Myeongdong in many K dramas and movies but still, non of them prepares me for the overwhelming crowds. It’s very alike to Women’s street in Hongkong, full of vendors selling clothes, shoes, snacks, cosmetics and skincare.
Grilled dried squids, 5,000 Won for each packet.
Underground shopping center is common in Korea. Myeongdong underground shopping center is one of the famous ones but I think it’s kind of overrated. I prefer to stay above the ground.
Cosmetics and skincare are cheap in Korea, also happens to be my biggest loots from this trip. The skincare shops are so concentrated in Myeongdong that it’s not surprising to find 5 or 6 same brand shop. The bad side is, the plentiful same shops made me lost my sense of direction. CS never has any sense of direction so he lost nothing. Tips : never ever use a skincare shop as landmark to navigate in MD.
Averagely, shoes and clothes in MD have prices out of our league, but we found good deals in Lotte Young Plaza, so much better than its elder sister – Lotte Departmental Store. All in all, we love MD and even visited it twice during the trip. Another little tips though; make a list of what you want to buy first or you’ll ended up buying skincare like you had been possessed.
