Chasing Time at Gyeongbokgung Palace

When our tour guide announced that our next stop would be Gyeongbokgung Palace, the weight that was gradually growing on my eyelids suddenly disappeared.  Being a history buff, the magnificent structures of the Joseon Dynasty were on the top of my list of the must-sees in Seoul.  However, my excitement quickly fizzled out when I looked at the window as the sun was about to start its descent.

Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds.

We arrived at the Gyeongbokgung Palace Compound at around 3:30 p.m.  I was a bit disappointed that we did not alight at the Gwanghwamun Gate, the main and picturesque entrance of the complex.  Instead, we took a peripheral access that fronts the National Folk Museum of Korea.

The National Folk Museum of Korea inside Gyeongbokgung Palace

The building that houses the museum is majestic.  Built in 1972, the five-story structure was patterned after the Palsangjeon Hall at Beopjusa Temple.  I would’ve really wanted to climb its grand staircase, but the clock was already getting impatient with us.  I didn’t mind ditching the idea, though.  Judging from the number of steps that I had to take to reach the top, I was pretty sure that my heart and lungs would give up on me midway through the climb.

Despite my decision not to flirt with cardiac arrest by testing my mettle on the grand staircase, my stamina was still surprisingly taxed -- inside the National Folk Museum of all places!  Our tour guide only gave us 40 minutes to survey the thousands of artifacts that were on display inside the building.  Doing that on a leisurely stroll is next to impossible.  Thus, we brisk-walked our way through the whole collection!  That was quite disappointing considering that the intricacies of some of the displays demand time and attention.  I really would've wanted to go to the details of each exhibit which depicts the typical daily life in Korea during various periods.

An interesting exhibit inside the National Folk Museum of Korea

After mimicking the participants of the Amazing Race, we were allowed to catch our breaths on a leisurely stroll towards the Sinmumun Gate.  As we made our way towards the exit, we chanced upon Hyangwon-jeong, one of the famous sites in Gyeongbokgung Palace that was built by King Jeongjo for his and his family’s relaxation.  This garden features a small pond with a manmade islet that supports a beautiful two-story pavilion.  The sight was so serene that I forgot that Ms. Julia was already making her way to the finish line!

Hyangwon-jeong garden inside Gyeongbokgung Palace

Upon exiting Gyeongbokgung Palace’s rear gate, we took a few minutes to take some pictures in front of the Blue House, the Head of State’s official residence.  I would’ve wanted to stay behind and walk around the compound longer, but filial duty (and a laughable amount of Korean Won inside my wallet) made me decide to stick with the group.

South Korea's Blue House with Mt. Bukak on the background

If you plan on dedicating only a few measly hours for a tour of Gyeongbokgung Palace, then you may want to revise your South Korea itinerary if you really want a serious engagement and experience of the place.  The buildings' ornate and intricate designs alone would require more than just a glance to elicit a true and meaningful appreciation of the same.  It is worth to note that Gyeongbokgung was the first and main palace that was built by the Joseon founder.  Hence, it should not be surprising to know that the compound's layout has been conscientiously and beautifully designed to be fit for a visionary monarch.  This historical tour guarantees a treat for the mind and the senses.  The enormity of the compound demands that one dedicates at least half a day for this excursion.

The Sinmumun (rear) gate with a glimpse of Mt. Bukak

How to get there

Going to Gyeongbokgung Palace by train / subway is easy.  You’ll find yourself right in front of the complex by taking subway line # 3, Gyeongbokgung station, exit 5.  You may also take line #5, alighting at Ganghwamun Station’s exit 2.  This would require a ten to fifteen-minute walk, though.

South Korea Theme Parks: Everland and Lotte World (Day 3, Part 2)

Everland Resort

Everland Resort is said to be South Korea’s response to Tokyo’s Disneyland and its neighbors’ lavish theme parks.  This is not entirely correct, though.  Everland first opened its doors to Korean familes in 1976.  It wouldn’t be until 7 years later that Disney would put up and open its first theme park outside the United States.  Thus, it could be argued that this Korean family gem is the catalyst that caused theme parks to sprout around the region.

The excitement among the young ones and the uhmmm “young once” were very glaring when the sight of the park first came to view.  However, such thrill was later on dampened – literally.  Rain clouds followed our bus from the strawberry farm to this part of Yongin City.  By the time we were able to enter the park, all of us were already wrapped with plastic rain coats that the park gave us.

Cable Car Ride at Everland

Before we were allowed to roam around the theme park by ourselves, our guide first lead us to Safari World.  Some of us nearly weren’t able to go with her, though, as cold feet brought about by fear of a cable car ride (instead of the cold weather) made them froze on the platform.  Luckily, their fear of being left out or lost is stronger than their fear of heights.  Needless to say, everybody survived our first “unofficial” Everland ride :)

Animal Counter at Everland's Safari World

Now back to Safari World.  The line was long, suggesting that this attraction is a must-see.  I wasn’t exactly sure as to what we would be seeing or experiencing inside this mini zoo.  But judging from the animal counter, we would be laying our eyes to many four-legged creatures.

Everland Safari World's main star is definitely
smarter than your average bear

At first, I thought that we would be seeing the animals from afar like in Sentosa’s Night Safari.  But we were delighted to be wrong.  First to grace our cameras at only several inches away was the king of the jungle with his harems.  It was an incredible encounter considering that they were only a few rulers away from the bus window.  Tigers also roamed around the mini-African landscape.  We also saw ligers!  In case you don’t know, ligers are the result of the union between a lion and a tiger.  Now who would’ve thought that that’s possible.  But the mammal that stole the show and our hearts were the well-trained bears that seem to have traces of Yogi’s DNA as they were definitely smarter than your average bears.

T-Express: Steepest Wooden Rollder Coaster
in the World

After the 10-minute ride around Everland’s Safari World, we were towed by our guide towards the Four Seasons Garden.  As expected, my mom was delighted by the sight of flowers that carpeted the grounds.  They’re definitely a Korean attraction, especially the tulips which were already in season.  Ironically, the background of such relaxing and lovely sight was the heart-wrenching wooden roller coaster called the T-Express which is said to be the steepest in the world.  It also ranks 6th in terms of length.  Bordering the gardens are houses and structures that mirror those in Holland.  Fountains and sculptures from the Renaissance period also adorned a good portion of Everland’s European Adventure section.

The park is divided into five zones that have their own distinct themes: Zoo-Topia, European Adventure, Global Fair, Magic Land, American Adventure.  Unfortunately, we were only able to roam around the first three.  My preoccupation in finding the lone money changer in the park may have caused me to miss some of the finer details in the map that would’ve lead us to the last two sections.  We were even surprised that there was a water park inside Everland!  The lucky ones who were able to find their way to Carribean Bay told us that that the Wild River ride was worth the long lines!  Oh well…

Cinderella hour for us came quite early as we were set to depart for Seoul Tower at 5:30 p.m.  While we were waiting at the Global Fair, Ms. Julia told us that she would be making some changes in our itinerary due to the weather.  Instead going to Seoul Tower, we were headed instead to another theme park – Lotte World.

Lotte World

Lotte World Adventure Indoor Theme Park

While it may not be as big as Everland, Lotte World is still a sight to behold and a recreational center definitely worth visiting.  Some even prefer the latter over the former due to its proximity and accessibility, being located right in the heart of Seoul.  It is divided into two sections – Magic Island (outdoor park) and Lotte World Adventure (indoor).  Due to the inclement weather, we were only confined to the indoor section of the theme park.

In case you’re into superlatives, Lotte World hosts the world’s largest indoor theme park.  Ironically, we were only given about an hour to roam around the massive complex.  Thus, we only contented ourselves in exploring the 3rd level of the building.  The indoor rides were not as hair-raising as their outdoor counterparts, but they were already enough to cause our hearts to work overtime.  Of course, weak-kneed excursionists would delight in the slow-moving balloon ride which will give you a spectacular panoramic view of Lotte World Adventure.

View from the balloon ride at Lotte World's Indoor
Theme Park

Our 1-hour sojourn to Lotte World Adventure did not allow us to explore the other rides and amenities of the complex, which include a skating rink, movie houses, and even a hotel.  However, our weary bodies made us already thankful that our second theme park visit for the day ended a bit early.  But I really would’ve wanted to take that chilly, but relaxing stroll around Seokchonhosu Lake at Magic Island.  Oh well, at least I have one more reason to go back to Korea :)

Everland Admission Fees (Daytime / Nighttime):

Adult:  W30,000 / W24,000
Teenager:  W25,000 / W22,000
Children:  W22,000 / W20,000

*Nighttime rate starts at 5:00 p.m.

Lotte World Admission Fees (Morning / Afternoon / Evening):

Adult:  W26,000 / W22,000 / W15,500
Teenager:  W23,000 / W19,000 / W13,500
Children:  W20,000 / W16,000 / W11,500

*Afternoon rate starts at 4:00 p.m.
  Evening rate starts at 7:00 p.m.

Directions to Everland and Lotte World

How to go to Everland Resort by bus:

There's a bus that goes straight to Everland at Dong Seoul Bus Terminal and at Seoul Nambu Terminal.  Travel time is approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes.

How to get to Lotte World by Train / Subway or Bus:

Going to Lotte World is easy and convenient by subway/train as there is a direct access to the station.  Take subway line 2 and 8 to Jamsil Station (Exit No. 4).

South Korea Vacation: Kim Chi-Making, Hanboks, and Strawberries (Day 3, Part 1)

Day 3 of our South Korea itinerary was all about bringing out the inner child in us.  The teens and the tweens in our group were anticipating this part of the tour since the first day we set foot in the country.  I am not a big fan of theme parks, let alone the rides therein that seemed to have been made and meant to test how fast you can control that sphincter in your body which is closely associated with the 7th planet of the solar system (if you know what I mean).  But since I can’t dissuade them from flirting with cardiac arrest, not to mention that we’ve already paid for it, I squeezed out every ounce of enthusiasm that I have for scary rides.

Scary Ride at Everland

Of course, there was that calm before the storm.  The first order of the day was a visit at a strawberry farm.  Clouds were hovering around the city since the sun woke up.  Of course, that meant that the 15 degree Celsius forecast for the day missed its mark by about 6-7 degrees.  It was freezing!

Before we went to the tents where the strawberries were to be picked, we were first lead to a place where Kim Chi was being made.  The kitchen lesson was interesting, although I’m not quite sure if I got the mixture right since I was juggling between pressing the shutter and putting spicy sauce on a cabbage (or was it lettuce?).

Kim Chi-making

After a futile attempt at a career in the kitchen, we were then taken to a small Korean hut where a good number of Hanboks (local traditional costumes) were available for photo-op purposes.  Being a fan of Korean TV series featuring the days of old in this part of North Asia, my mom immediately grabbed the opportunity of trying every costume that she could get her hands on.  The same interest was exhibited by almost all of the women in the group.  As expected, the men were relegated to the menial task of taking their pictures.

Hanboks

Ms. Julia then whisked us to long white tents where the strawberries were to be picked.  We were only allowed to pick 5, but it seems that many were arithmetically-challenged that day.  I caught some doing some multiplication instead of simple addition in arriving at the prescribed number :)

Korean Strawberry Farm

Lunch came just in time as my tummy was already screaming persecution.  The food was, as always, sumptuous.  I told Gin before I left Manila that I will probably be losing a few pounds because of the endless walking that we would most likely be doing in Korea.  But I was dead wrong.  Judging by the effort that I was exerting every morning in buttoning my pants, I lost nothing and gained something!

Bulgogi lunch. Unlimited meat!

 And now for the main event -- Everland and Lotte World!  (Click on article link)