[BLOGGER POST] D-6 in Seoul, Korea

Dirty clothes are compiling and I had to wash them today. Woke up early today at around 8AM because I had to wash the clothes and dry them before going out. It is free to use the washing machine but I have to pay for the dryer and it costed 2,000\. I've waited for the laundry for an hour and the dryer for another 40 minutes. After getting everything ready, it was around 12PM. I've planned to visit Nami Island and Petite France today since the weather forecast for today is sunny. The distance of the station that I should exit to reach Petite France to the station nearest to my hostel took around 1 and a half hour, not including waiting time. I took a lot of time, waiting for the train and transfered line to line. 

A cute old Korean couple on the train, mesmerized by the views

By the time I reach Cheongpyeong, it was already around 2:30PM. After reaching Cheongpyeong station, I had to wait for the shuttle bus that will stop me at Petite France first and then Nami Island. I've waited the shuttle bus for ages. Finally, the bus came. I paid 5,000\ for a one day pass so I can hop on the bus to different location that are listed in the brochure without further paying.

A boring selca at the bus station

A view that you won't see in the middle of Seoul

Bus ticket

Petite France was crowded with K-drama fans as a few hit drama have chose Petite France as one of their filming location. The most popular drama now would be My Love From The Star. You can see lots of posters and banners of the drama hanging around the building in Petite France. The main actor and actress of the drama (Kim Soo Hyun as Do Min Joonand Jeon Ji Hyun as Cheon Song Yi) shared a kiss right at the garden near the entrance of Petite France. Many people were standing there, taking pictures of the sceneries and themselves. Other than My Love From The Star, Secret Garden and Running Man also came here for filming before, and that explains why Petite France is a place that you HAVE to visit when you come to Korea. Other than the most famous spot where Do Min Joon and Cheon Song Yi kissed, there are also many places to explore in Petite France. 

A familiar scene ;)

Petite France

There were puppet shows, souvenir shops, live performance, cafes and many other location for you to take nice pictures. Since I only had kimbap for breakfast, I was hungry at the moment and I've bought an ice cream and a hot dog at a cafe in Petite France. Of couse, it was pricey. The ice cream costed 3,000\ each and the hot dog costed 2,000\. You can see different travellers from all over the country, gathering together with their tour guides.

 Ice cream!

A selca with the ice cream, see how tall it is

In order to catch the bus to Nami Island, I have to leave Petite France after stopping there and taking pictures for around one and a half hour. The entrance fee for Petite France is 10,000\. Fortunately, I manage to catch the puppet show right before the bus to Nami Island arrive. So, the bus to Nami Island took around 20 minutes from Petite France. If you want to visit Nami Island only and do not want to stop by at Petite France, it would be better for you to exit at Gapyeong station instead of Cheongpyeong station because Gapyeong station is just 5 mins away from Nami Island. I had to take a ferry to reach Nami Island, so the bus stopped at the bus station where I have to walk down to the immigration center to buy the entrance ticket (8,000\) to Nami Island and wait for the ferry at the dock. The ferry ride took around 5 mins. 

On the ferry to Nami Island

Nami Island was very beautiful! You can spot a lot of couples spending their time, strolling around the stretch of roads. As you know, Winter Sonata, the iconic K-drama was filmed there at the very stretch of lane with trees covering the road like a shelter. It is a good location to take pictures during noon or before the sun set. While I was there, taking my pictures, I saw a newly wed couple, taking their wedding photos at the exact location where Bae Yong Jun and Choi Ji Woo filmed for Winter Sonata. Since it is spring now, all I see is tall green trees and sandy roads. If I were to visit here during the winter, I bet it would be covered in snow and it would look really beautiful too.

Selca at Nami Island

Selca with my sister

I've decided to take the taxi to Gapyeong station from Nami Island so I would have more time walking around, taking more pictures, rather than rushing myself to catch the last bus back to Gapyeong station. I've spent more than 2 hours at Nami Island. I left around 8PM and I couldn't see any taxi or buses anymore. There were a few travellers, waiting at the bus stop, hoping to catch a taxi. Then, a lady stopped in front of the station and told us that there will not be any buses or taxis stopping by at the hour and all of us freaked out. The lady offered to bring some of the travellers to the station since she was heading that way too. 4 of them hopped on and we were still left behind. 3 Koreans standing beside me asked where I was going and they wanted to share a taxi with my sister and I if there is a taxi later on. Of course we agreed to. But it is not allowed for taxi drivers to load 5 passengers in a taxi so we had to ask permission from the driver. Not long later, a taxi stopped at the station and my sister and I hopped on. The 3 other girls asked whether if the driver could bring all 5 of us to the station. The driver refused to and said there will be more taxis stopping by later so the 3 Korean girls decided to wait for the next taxi. The taxi costed 3,100\ from Nami Island to Gapyeong station. I was relieved that I arrived safely at a station instead of being isolated at a desert-like place in the middle of the night. It was tiring, having to take the subway for around 1 and a half hour to reach Jonggak. I nearly fell asleep in the subway on the way back.

I've actualy planned to visit Namdaemun and have dinner at the area but it will be late by the time we reach there. So I headed back to my hostel. Since I hadn't have dinner yet, I've asked the staff working at the information counter of my hostel to order 2 jjajangmyeon for me(I haven't tried any delivery food in Korea yet). It costed 9,000\ for two. It was quite delicious but tasted a little bit sweeter than the one I had in Malaysia. The jjajangmyeon wasn't really big but if you weren't that hungry, you won't be able to finish the whole thing up. I actually stuffed all of it into my stomach because I don't want to waste any of it tho I was really full at the time. 

Jjajangmyeon with sides (pickles and raw onions)

After stirring the noodle with the sauce...yumyum

Well, that pretty much sums up my day. The pictures taken at Nami Island are so beautiful, I'm so happy.