Hello and welcome to the first post of Maru’s travel! In this new series, I will be sharing my travel experiences, sights and stories as a way to preserve my memories.
In the past few years, the various border measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 had significantly disrupted air travel. After being cooped up in Singapore for so long, I was excited by the recent easing of travel restrictions and booked a flight to Korea.
11th January 2023 – Day 1 (of 7)
As this was my first time flying solo, I felt quite nervous and reached the airport early for my afternoon flight. Questions like “Where is my passport?” and “What if I miss my flight?” were constantly in my mind.
I had a quick lunch with my parents, went through immigration and headed straight to the gate, skipping through the duty free shops as I was worried about missing my flight.
I arrived at the gate early, but ended up waiting a little longer than expected as the boarding time was delayed.
It was a relatively empty flight, likely due to the recent relaxation of Covid-19 rules. I was lucky to have the whole row to myself – a rare experience I probably won’t have again anytime soon.
The flight was uneventful, aside from the occasional bumps. I also caught a glimpse of another plane flying in the same direction above us.
I landed around 10p.m. local time, cleared immigration and went straight to a convenience store to find a Tmoney card. I was determined not to miss the last public transport to the hotel.
With the help of Naver and Kakao Maps, I managed to find my way to the hotel. For the next 6 nights, I’ll be staying at Four Points by Sheraton Josun, Seoul Myeongdong.
As this was an impromptu trip, I didn’t spend much time searching for a hotel, and opted to pick a brand I was familiar with.
The hotel was just a short walk Euljiro 3(sam)ga station, situated in a quiet area at night. The room was comfortably sized, featuring a clean and tidy bed. One of the main factors in choosing this hotel was the spacious sink, which provided ample room for toiletries.
After settling down and unpacking my luggage, it was time to call it a night.
12th January 2023 – Day 2
The afternoon sun was already blinding my eyes when I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed. I got ready and met my girlfriend for lunch at Gaeseong Mandu Koong, Insadong (to double check later).
We ordered Spicy Mandu (dumplings) along with a bowl of noodles each. I was surprised when the noodles arrived with generously filled dumplings. The portion was so large that we had to stuff ourselves to finish the meal.
Next stop: Cat Cafe
The were so many adorable cats! They were incredibly friendly, a far cry from other cat cafes I have been to. There were also some content creators filming in French.
We wrapped up the day with dakgalbi for dinner at Hongdae. Outside, there was a crowd gathered around a group of dancers livestreaming. I admire their resistance to the cold weather, especially since I was freezing just standing outside.
13th January 2023 – Day 3
Unfortunately, my phone camera decided to unalive itself, so there won’t be many photos for the remainder of the trip.
Our first stop was to Sinleedoga 신이도가 Cafe. We each had a drink, some pastries and of course, marshmallows to roast in the cold winter. A little kid sat beside us and started burning the sticks, probably out of boredom.
After our visit to the cafe, we took a stroll in Seoul Forest.
The winter chill and hazy atmosphere gave the park a sombre feel that day. With only a few people around, the occasional elderly passerby only added to the melancholic ambience.
Afterward, we headed to a KBBQ restaurant for dinner and called it a day.
Day 4 – 14th January 2023
We visited Changdeokgung Palace Complex, which, while smaller than the other palaces, still offered a glimpse of Korea’s royal history. We took the opportunity to try on traditional Hanbok and snapped a few photos against the palace’s backdrop. However, the cold quickly became unbearable and we decided to change out and head indoors.
The only other memory (and photos) from today are from Cafe Onion Angguk. We ordered some pastries and a cup of coffee each.
Day 5 – 15th January 2023
I only had photos from Thanks Nature Café to remember the day.
To be honest, I’m not sure why we ordered bingsu in 0°C weather. Sitting there with a frozen dessert made me question my life choices.
The only photo I had with the sheep. We arrived near closing time, and by the time I came back from the washroom, they had already been led back into their kennel to rest for the day.
For dinner, we had Kyochon chicken and ordered some extras for supper.
16th January 2023 – Day 6
We woke up bright and early and spent the day at Lotte World. My memory was a haze and I could only remember feeling a mix of excitement and fear of rides. I was too much of a scaredy cat and just watched from afar, while my girlfriend queued multiple times.
In the evening, we visited Cheong Su Dang cafe in Jongno, where we had the best matcha cake. The cashier was nice enough to suggest us to share a serving instead of ordering too much, explaining that most couples cannot finish two cakes. We opted for a matcha fromage cake and I had black coffee. No photos for now, maybe I’ll update when I find some.
17th January 2023 – Day 7
Today is the final day of my trip. My adventure in Korea ends here, with some last-minute shopping at Olive Young. The flight home was packed with exchange students, a stark contrast to the empty flight at the beginning of my journey.
Thank you for making it to the end of my very first (and incomplete) post. Up next: Japan in June! I hope you’ll stay tuned and join me in my future adventures! 🙂