Wednesday, September 14, 2005

How this trip actually went - a summary

This trip was the first one that we took by ourselves, free and easy, without tour group or parents, relatives or friends. It was very surreal when we arrived and walked around by ourselves on Korean soil. Strange feeling to have finally arrived after discussing, preparing and worrying for the weeks prior. The weather was hotter than we expected, very similar to Singapore's. We were prepared for commmunication/language barriers and true enough, most Koreans except a few in the service line (hotels, shops, information counters) did not speak English. However, most were wiling to try to help with hand signals and pointing. Nearing the end of the trip, I was looking forward to coming back, which is really strange and new for me because holidays are really a big escape. This time I just missed baby too much and needed to come back and see, hold, hug and kiss her. Must of made people's hairs stand up repeating that. I changed a lot more currency than usual expecting to shop till I dropped, but that wasn't the case when I realised most of the things were expensive and could probably be found in Singapore. Most of my days were occupied and time was too rushed to search for good deals. We are very grateful to Dr Baik, Dr Kim and Mr Yong for spending their precious time with us on our first day there. We were also glad to have befriended Ally, a young korean lady, who shared about Korean culture.

At Insadong, there are some art galleries and tea houses. This is a picture of some of the exhibits - painted rocks. Quite nicely done. There are also a lot of shops selling paper and other odds and ends but our Korean friend, Ally, said that locals dont' really come here to shop and it's mostly for the tourists.

After seeing the giraffes in our zoo after their recent introduction back, it's interesting to see the giraffes here. They look different, as they are darker than the ones we have. But we didn't know enough about giraffes to tell if they were a different species/type.


roadside fare
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small garden feature
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At the Seoul Grand Park, the first animals we see are the primates. The conditions are so different from that of the primates in the Singapore Zoo. We are saddened to see them housed in run down concrete "boxes" without windows or other natural features. Food was thrown all over the floor and included onions cabbages and apples. In other cages, the food was mixed with the water into a glop. I fought back tears as we walked around the primate area; there is the dilemma with zoos, they are imprisonment. I know the arguments and I can't take either side, whether there should be zoos are not.


crop garden
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beuyiful bright flowers
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At the palaces and this Great South Gate (Namdaemun), there is a changing of the royal guards. Something like what we have at the Istana, I suppose, but these are dressed in their traditional garb.


stay off grass
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huge aloe vera
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in the palace
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Spotted this sun dial (at least that's what we think it is) at Cheongdeok Palace. Didn't have time to figure out how it works though.

Using water power was the traditional way in which the Koreans milled.

Monday, September 12, 2005


What does that say?
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The secret garden in Cheongdeok palace, supposed to be one of the most beautiful places in the palace.
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Close up of the tiles. Some of them have plant or flower imprints
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Cheongdeok Palace. Looks like Gyeongbok. The architecture is pretty much the same
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There is this dish that is sold on the streets; I think it's some kind of maggot or larvae
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Cheongdeok Palace is the second palace we visited. One can only go in on a guided tour - no prizes for guessing who the lady is.
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Gyeongbok Palace is the principal palace. It's a rather large place and takes a long time to walk around.
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The city is quite hazy, especially in the mornings
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The Dongdaemun market operates 24 hours, but not all the shops are open at any one time. With our limited time, we were only able to go at night. The stuff there is expensive, with shoes going at around $US85. This is a picture of baby's clothes which look like they come straight out of Adams family
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They sure have the room for stadiums; this one's for baseball. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the baseball game. The girls were just as, if not more, excited as the guys and screamed and clapped and made much noise with their cheering balloons.


The subway is very much like our MRT. Cept the people are so disciplined. ALL of them stand on the right on the escalator and they line up, yes LINE up to get on. It's pretty scary to get in the Koreans' way when they are on the move, especially at the subway, so you'd better stick to the right if you're stationary on the escalator and line up proper. And don't sit on their seats reserved for pregnant women, disabled and elderly - you might get started at in the least and might even get shouted at! Wow..and here, people don't even stand up for you...We were asked for directions a few times at the sub and on the streets, apparently we look really Korean. I think I've been asked more for directions there than in my years in Singapore!
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Of course there is mac's and burger king and what have you, you don't have to eat kimchi every day ya know!
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I stop to take take in the beautiful flowers and sights. Wonderful
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Isn't it just lovely? This picture was amazingly taken in the middle of the lake. How? On a "bridge" made entirely of stones
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The korean folk village showcases scenes from the traditional lifestyles of the Koreans
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The place is big and beautiful and the lively residents complete the scenic views. The river that runs through the village is so appropriate and even allows for small boats
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A press to make sesame oil. The seeds are fried before putting in press and oil is collected below
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Sujjongkwa. More on it in sweet and savory blog
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How paper is made in the traditional way, after which they write on in calligraphy
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A wedding presentation for visitors to experience the traditional ceremony
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Pretty purple flowers spotted
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This is usually erected at the gates or entrance of villages, and is meant to protect the villagers from harm, disease, etc. One represents a man, one a woman.
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These are some of the small berry like plants we spot at the park, which is rather big and nice with its piney scent. Definintely not a major tourist attraction, most of the few visitors are obviously locals out for a morning walk. This park is comprised of a few royal tombs and it takes us 45 minutes to walk to and figure out how to get in. Really tired and sweaty and thirsty work! A young lady we meet on the way can only give hand signals - we learn most Koreans do not speak English.
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The misty look of the area greeted us as soon as we stepped outside.We arrive at the hotel after more than an hour's taxi ride during which my heart rate jumps with the taxi meter. At the end of it all, the fare is US$90! This was somewhat expected as we were told by the information counter that the fare would be around $70 without jams. We quickly start our exploration with a walk around the hotel area and after setting an appointment with our Korean friend, we decide to quickly walk to the nearby park.
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Arriving at the airport, we see these funny freaky cartoons of a bear like alien looking monster thingy that welcomes you to korea - it seems to be their airport mascot. The immigration lines are long and take a long time. Am surprised to be waved through only after a few minutes of checking when the people in front of me each took 5-10 minutes.
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Thursday, September 08, 2005

Welcome to our new blog! This will be the place to share our travelling experiences. Besides satisfying our blog addiction, it will be a showcase to display our photos from our travels. It will be also a place to find out more about our travel fantasy and maybe we can also write on our dream destinations, how we are going to achieve it and our future travelling plans!