Day-5 Is reserved for the Grand Gyeongbokgung Palace, a walk through the Buckchon village and a Blue house Tour. We walk through the historic Sejong-ro, Seouls main boulevard. We walk past the 9.5 meter tall statue of King Sejong to reach the Gyeongbokgung palace. It's Grandeur and the architectural aesthetics is breathtaking. We need to walk fast as the sky is now rumbling. After the tour we make our way to the National Palace Museum which exhibits the relics of the Joseon Dynasty .We look around the museum and marvel at the artifacts. The Rain God dares. Its raining heavily so we put Buckchon Hanok Village on hold and visit a Classic book store nearby. Its Lunch time and the walk has left us ravenous. Minae directs me to her favourite food court and we decide to eat at the Indian Restaurant. Our first Indian meal in in 5 days. Hot garlic naan, Saag and mixed vegetables. Rain is still smiling and challenging us and we accept the challenge..Nothing seems to dampen our spirit. There is so much to do and so little time. We head to Buckchon village holding umbrellas. It is a district with 900 traditional houses where prominent and affluent class of people reside. It has retained the old appearance of the city and is now a popular filming location. The rain turns to drizzle and finally stops to make way for pink clouds. The sky is suddenly laden with a splash of pink, grey and silver clouds and The Majestic Blue House against the heavenly sky is a show stopper. Our agents have organised our Blue house Tour and we meet our guide and make our way into the Blue House. Days almost done but there is still time for Dongdaemun market the fashion hub of Asia. It shines through the night as a whole sales /retail market and through the day for people of all ages. Beaming with Outlets, Plazas, Malls and Flea markets Dongdaemun is a must view.
Day 6 And we are headed for a day trip to Mt Seorak, The Garden of Calm and Nami Island with our friends. The scenic beauty of these places has us mesmerised. The view acts as refresh tears for our eyes. It's truly a balm for those tired and dry eyes. Clear vibrant jade streams, and home to more than 1000 species of plants and 1562 animal species Seoraksan National park has been declared by UNESCO a Biosphere Protection Site. There are 2 Buddhist temples here and some of the most scenic trails for hiking. We go on a fascinating Cable car ride and after that go to Nami Island where we are greeted by Redwood, Gingos and Pine trees. Nami island is a half moon shaped island which is away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Here one can walk and be one with nature ,experience rail biking and boating. We hear the familiar rumble and look up to see dark clouds. We still have to visit the Garden of Calm. We quickly drive to the garden and get to see beautifully sculpted and manicured gardens, trees and pathways of this garden paradise. The stillness and beauty of the Garden stays with us till we break for lunch. Our friends treat us to a meal by the by the beach and we head back on a 2 hours drive back to Seoul.. We are now knackered. But Cheonggyecheon Beckons and we are back for earthing. The dip has became a part of the day for us like brushing teeth. Another day gone by and there’s so much still to do.
Day 7 is DMZ. The Demilitarised Zone separates North and South Korea. Visiting this area without a guide is impossible so we request our agent to organise the same for us. We meet our guide at a designated place and he navigates us through the tour. We are shown the Imjingak-Pyeonghwa-Nuri park, Bridge of freedom, DMZ, Dora observatory and the third tunnel. All though the tour our guide keeps us immersed with his in depth knowledge and commentary. Its been heavy day, as getting a glimpse of history leaves us with a heavy heart. We decide to lighten our mood and day and go to the Kwanjang market for our meal. The street food in Korea is world famous. Very Organised, clean food stalls fill the streets with a scent of flavours that immediately whet our appetite. Using garden fresh vegetables and all fresh ingredients and traditional recipes, Street food is a huge part of the Korean Culture. We reach our Hotel and pen down our thoughts of the day.
Day 8.. A fun trip to the Trick eye museum has us laughing. It is an Augmented Reality Museum. Trick Eye is an art technique where 2 dimensional Paintings are turned into 3 dimensional images using Optical Illusion. We are kids again and keep clicking away till we give up. It is a must see museum for all ages to carry back memories with you. We then drive through the Hallyu filming locations.The popularity of K pop and Kdrama is spreading globally so a lot of Film/Drama shooting sets have been turned into Touristic sites. Here one can visit these sites and relive their favourite scenes. We then head out to view a Kpop dance class as we are too tired to participate in the class and finish our day by learning how to make Scented Ceramics. A day full of activity, rushed but yet so zen.
Day 9. Our last day and we reserve it for our friends..We get together, we eat, we laugh and we pray. We drink fruit and flower teas and indulge in hugs and tears.. all good things must come to an end.. but we have faith ..our end is just our beginning..
