It is time for me to share my trip to South Korea, specifically Seoul which I did 3 weeks ago. Ah… I miss Seoul… We really had a good 6 days time even with the large language barrier and malfunctioning of my sense of direction.

We woke up in Kara Motel, feeling groggy from the lost-in-the-city adventure we had the previous night. I thought it wasn’t that cold in Seoul after all. So, I chucked my jacket (CS had no jacket because he left his at home!), armed with only tops and cardigan and we stepped out of the motel. A gush of cold wind woke me up, chill to bone and I ran back and get my jacket plus gloves.

First on our itinerary was Bukchon Hanok Village. I thought I had all the information and maps that I need to navigate around, but we’re lost, the moment we stepped out of the Anguk station. I made the starting point with Unhyeongung but then, where exactly is the palace’s front and back? After a few trys to get help from passersby, an elderly man spoke to us, “Follow me!” Somehow we did what he said (I wouldn’t do that in Malaysia) and after a while we were in streets full of hanok houses.

The elderly man (let’s just call him ‘uncle’) can speak very few english but he knows how to write chinese. He scribbled on my notepad “China?” to which we wrote back “Malaysia” in chinese.

We were taken to Baek Inje’s House in Gahoe-dong, but it was closed for renovation. Surprisingly the uncle started to keep pressing on the doorbell (yes, a hanok house equipped with door bell and CCTV) and called for the guard. We tried to convey the message ‘it’s all right, we can go to somewhere else’ but he’s insistent that tourist should not be rejected at door.

We were led into the house but the guard warned us not to take pictures in the house or its compound, which explained why I only have the above picture. Inside this door, is what used to be the house of upper classes in old Korea. We got the chance to explore its living corners, storages, chambers and even the lavatory!

The streets in Buckhon made us feel like time had gone back to a century ago.

The other side of Bukchon/Samcheong-dong which were populated by expatriates and Caucasians. In short, rich people’s residences. I certainly would love to own a place like this someday.

Our tour guide uncle was very kind and did not mind spending 2 hours taking us around Samcheong-dong and Bukchon area. His family started to worried about his whereabout and called him! Still, he even offered to take us to Gyeongbokgung but we didn’t want to take his kindness for granted anymore. After some assurance that we’ll be alright, he bade us goodbye.

Then we walked to Gwanghwamun Square, which had appeared in hit TV series ‘Iris’.

The square lined by shallow streams on both side. We’re curious about the numbers and Hangul written in the streams.

It was still early so we had the square all by ourselves save for some passersby.

The pop jet fountains, functioning at certain time daily, was fun to watch and would be playable too if not for the cold weather.

Gwanghwamun Square is also the resting place of King Sejong’s statue and …..

a certain General Yi Sun-Shin.

Just metres away is the Gwanghwamun gate itself, which served as the entrance for Gyeongbokgung.

Gyeongbokgung constructed in 1394 and was the main palace of the Five Grand Palaces in Seoul, translated in English as “Palace of Shining Happiness.” That, of course, guaranteed us with massive crowd during our visit.

The lake on the left side of the palace.

Guard changing ceremony will commence sharp on every hour. The ceremony takes quite a long time and walking that I got bored after a while.

X marks the spot but these stones marks the officials’ status in the court. The smaller the number, the more important one is and the top officials stand at the furthest front.

A hall used to hold ceremonies and celebrations overlooks the beautiful lake. A perfect place for party.

The main hall where the king meets the officials and discuss country matters.

As I was expecting Gyeongbokgung will boast grandeurs and luxuries, I was a little disappointed to find the place simple and minimalist, unlike all the palaces I had been to. In fact, the main hall, secondary hall and the rest of the quarters are very much the same except for the sizes. A little tip for visitors, if you like the idea of wearing a hanbok and have your photos taken in this surrounding, head to a cafe near the left side fences. You can try on the hanboks for free but the line can be frustrating. We gave up after waiting for 30 minutes but later found a better place to try hanboks.