Travel Asia: Autumn in South Korea Part 4 - Nami Island

Autumn in South Korea: Part 4


NAMI ISLAND

Gapyeong Station

To get to Nami Island, ride the Korail train and get off at Gapyeong Station. From there, there are buses and taxis that are willing to take you to the ferries and then to the Island. I've found this blog budgettravel2korea  that gives you other options when commuting especially if you're not part of a tour bus or just in for a quick day trip. However, be aware that I have not personally tried them out. It would always be best to always ask and research ahead of time to make sure all the details are up to date and correct. It would also be best to check the Namisum hotel website that contains shuttle bus information or just call them up if you need directions even if you're not checking in.

Nami Island or Namisum Island which is also situated in the Gangwon-do province was not originally an island but was only formed when the water rose because of the construction of Cheongpyeong Dam in 1944 . It was named after General Nami who was executed, together with his mother and faithful followers, at a young age of 28 because of treason, which was later found out was based on false evidence.  

Below is a poem supposedly written by General Nami when translated in English:

"I will cut the boulders of Mt. Baekdu until my sword is worn away,

                           I will water my horse with the waters of Duman River until it dries up,

If a man cannot subjugate an entire nation by the age of 20,

then no one will deem him a hero."

In 1965, Byeong-Do Min, donated two thousand trees to the island that included Cherry, Ginkgo, Redwood, Tulip, White Birch, and White Pine. The fascinating way the trees were planted and grouped plus the serene surrounding made it famous to tourists and artists. But the kick off for me was when I learned that this was the  place where the Korean teledrama "Winter Sonata" was filmed.  

On March 1, 2006, Nami Island was renamed Naminara Republic and declared it's cultural independence. An imaginary self governing country that embodies the hero General Nami's greatness. They issue and invented their own "passport" that serves us ticket to get to the Island, own currency, stamp and telephone cards. 

Immigration center of Naminara Republic

The Island boasts of its tolerance for artistic people. You can see it when you go around the island. They have their own art gallery, area for concerts and events, museum and a music hall. Even the groundskeeper shares his artistic side by forming heart shaped lump of leaves on the park grounds. You can't miss it, it's everywhere. =)

Korean pots display at the Nami hotel lobby

Our stay at the Namisum hotel is actually very pleasant, we have a queen size bed over a wooden platform and a huge window that has a clear view of the lake outside. It also has internet connection too but no TV (which I think is good because Dennis and I are always tempted to just waste away in front of it whenever there's one around). Instead, they provided us books found in shelves that contains Korean literature and Haikus. The perfect "soul" book for the place.

Dennis and me tree-watching

There is a map available in the hotel that can serve you well when exploring the island. Not being able to speak Korean or communicate in English to non-speaking Koreans, it is hard for us to order food with a Korean menu. So we always look for restaurants with pictures on them and just point out what we like to eat. (which is what we did mostly in this trip). We opted to go out even though there is a cafe restaurant in the hotel because we find their price a little expensive for us.There is an area in the island with rows of small restaurants that has just that when we scouted for something to eat. There is also a convenience right at the port where we bought snacks and drinks. We were told that they don't have 24 hr stores or restaurants in the island so we made sure we had food to eat if we ever get hungry.

Dennis eating a Korean street food

Korean Streetfood

Now, as I mentioned in the beginning of this journey in Seoul, this was the trip where my "then" boyfriend and "now" husband Dennis proposed to me. And, he couldn't have picked a better place. The place is quiet, romantic, and the time ---perfect.  =)

Sharing with you our engagement photos below. 

Our proposal picture

Engagement photo in Nami Island

To End, South Korea is actually a very pleasant country. Even if many people do not speak English, I would still come back and take the time to get indulged with its rich culture, learn it's history and get to know it's people and of course create more beautiful memories. Maybe someday, with our kids (?) 

Icar

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Travel Asia: Autumn in South Korea Part 3

Autumn in South Korea: Part 3


GANGWON-DO PROVINCE


Gangwon-do Province is a train away from Seoul, we planned to stop by Chuncheon city to see the Soyangho Lake which is the largest artificial lake in Korea and visited the Cheongpyeongsa temple nearby  before we move on to the quiet and romantic island of  Nami. We we were hoping that we will have time to proceed  towards the east to see Seoraeksan National Park which is famous for it's mountain scenery, glorious waterfalls and several temples and hot springs however, due to time constraints and I was already sick at the time, spent the remaining  days of our travel in Seoul again .

We checked out from Yim's House and rode the train of subway line 3 (our hotel is near exit Jongno 3) towards Cheongnyangni station where the Gyeongchun line of the Korail train passes by. The train ride is really comfortable and easy. Dennis fell asleep during the trip while I enjoyed the view of the countryside. We had made reservations at Sejong hotel, which is a business type hotel in Chuncheon and at Nami Hotel in Namchuncheon which made the trip easier for us since we don't need to worry where to check in. 

When we got off Chuncheon station, we hired a taxi that took us  to our hotel, the way the roads are constructed in the steep hill, reminded me of Mabayuan, Gordon Heights and Baguio. The hotel has its charms. The Korean temple gate serves a welcoming reminder to guests where they are. It is away from the town proper and had a bird's eye view of the small city below. The neighborhood is so quiet too, I felt we were in a residential part of town.  The hotel room is American standard, it has a queen size bed, a TV, vanity table, coffee table and chairs, its own bath and toilet and definitely larger and cleaner than Yim's house. It costs us around PHP4,000 per night to stay in this hotel (around $80). After we checked in, we decided to walk around the city for a while. There are no taxis around so we walked down the steep hill to get to the main town and took more pictures. During this time, I am having a hard time imagining myself climbing back the hill again to get to our hotel once we decided to head back, but, I decided to just go with the flow and enjoy the journey with Dennis. When we got to the busiest intersection we can find, we found ourselves a shopping street which reminded us of Myeongdong in Seoul. There are a lot of stores lined up; there are some Korean ladies calling out to customers to buy products out in the cold and of course places to eat and unwind. We usually chose traditional looking Korean restaurants whenever we eat (which is a good way for travelers to experience local food ) and we were always asked if we wanted to drink Soju, which I regret not trying. Overall, I like the Korean food but I deeply apologize for saying this but I am so over Kimchi. I remember, the first time I ate Kimchi was with a Korean businessman who came to the Philippines to learn English (I was tutoring him) and it was delicious. I told Dennis that I will not have a problem with Kimchi, but, having to eat everything with Kimchi as an appetizer or as a side dish everyday with every meal, I got  fed up with it so no more Kimchi for me from now on. I'll try my luck again once I travel back to Korea again.

Breakfast at Sejong Hotel

Moving on, when we decided to head back to our hotel, it was already nightfall and we can't seem to figure out where to go. So, like Jack and Jill that we are, we just went up the hill (to wherever it is going) and walked in circles hoping to see a familiar landmark (luckily there's no well and we did not tumble down). We finally realized how lame it is to not ask for directions. But apparently, everyone we have met does not speak English so we decided to just hail the first available cab that we saw and tried to communicate the name of the hotel we're staying in. Luckily, the cab driver we met is really accommodating and funny. He asked us where we're from (he speaks a little English in his own way) and when we told him that we came from Philippines, the first name he blurted out was "Marcos" and the next one is "Pacquiao". He also said "Philippines good english" which we thought was a compliment for us being able to speak English fairly. We thank him after he dropped us off to our hotel and we didn't realized how sleepy and tired we were until we hit the bed.

The next morning was a blast for me because, I finally got a break from the Kimchi stuff and was able to eat an American breakfast, which comes with the hotel package that we got -- bacon, eggs, toast and new zealand butter, coffee and sausages. We were ready and full of energy when we hit the town again and tried to figure out a way how to get to Soyangho Lake and see the dam plus the temple.

Going to the ferry 

We were supposed to ride a bus that can take us to the Lake but, again, we were not that lucky with finding the correct bus stop so we went and take the cab which costs us around PHP500 pesos (I think). The ride is actually easy - no traffic at all (the lake is in the outskirt of town). We felt really really cold as soon as we stepped out of the cab. The lake is surrounded by mountains and you can see small boats around the lake. We walked towards a side road that has rows and rows of small stalls selling grilled corn, peanuts etc. We walked past them and headed towards the buildings around the lake and got to what seem to be a small dock where the ferries are. The ferry ran in a tight schedule, we bought the next available ride right away to not waste time but still had a lot of time to spare. So we took a couple more pictures around the lake and decided to eat lunch. 

 

The building behind is where we ate lunch

We found a small building not far from where the ferry stop is and we went ahead and eat a traditional Korean meal Bulgogi (Marinated Korean beef) with rice, which we absolutely loved.

Picture of us in Soyang Lake

We boarded the ferry and enjoyed the cold wind and the view of dried up but still colorful trees lined up in the mountains. It was nice that we can freely go as we please around the boat and take as many pictures as we like (just don't go overboard and fall off the icy water). The ride to the Cheongpyeongsa temple stop took us about 20 to 30 minutes. We were reminded that the last pick up trip passing through that stop is 4PM . We followed a bunch of people who seems to lead towards a mountain. We knew that we have to climb up to see the temple but we had no idea that there are "literally" a lot of hiking involved in this side trip.

Soyangho Lake

The lake looks so serene looking out a clearing from the mountain. And, even though we spend a good whole 2 hours hiking up that mountain to get to our destination, I personally, find the journey more interesting than the destination itself. There are a  lot of couples walking hand in hand and enjoying themselves up that mountain, there are stores that you can pass through if you need to take a break and get souvenirs from, while the comfort rooms ( which are traditional Korean toilets) are stationed near the foot of the mountain. There are also unexpected sights that we can't resist to take our eyes off and a must sight to take a quick stop over,  like that of the Guseong Waterfall.

Guseong Waterfall

Guseong Waterfall which is about 9 meters high. Legend said, it was named Guseong because it can  make Nine distinct Sounds (which reminded me of Hinulugang Taktak here in the Philippines). It sits comfortably near the hiking path so you can't miss it.

As we walked farther up the mountain path, we find this statue in the middle of a stony creek. Which we later found out, upon doing research, that it is a statue of a princess of Emperor Shun who had a really bad problem with a snake. The snake is so in love with her that it literally stalked her and won't leave her alone. It is said that the princess went up Cheongpyeongsa temple and after praying there got rid of the lovesick snake. When the emperor heard of this, he built a pagoda nearby named Gongju.

Cheongpyeongsa temple

Right before you enter the temple grounds, you will pass by a ticket office that has a "Sandara promoting pepsi" poster in it ( I wished  I had the picture I'd taken that time). Anyhow, we paid the entrance fee and hiked the most steepest part of the path. Finally, we arrived at the temple. There is a free-flowing water fountain at the foot of the entrance that people are drinking up. I wanted to try it out but I played it safe and just decided to buy a bottled water on our way back. We spent some good 30 minutes there observing the quietness of the place, there are people kneeling down, piling up rocks and offering their prayers. It such a serene place to be.

We come across these rows of hanging (I'm not sure if they are lanterns) colorful things that has some tags on them with writings on it. Up to this time, we have no idea what they are for and what the writings meant.

Overall, we find this temple not as grand and memorable as the palaces in Seoul. But, as I said before, I was looking for a much more laid back side of South Korea. A different kind of experience - something off the beaten path. And, I guess the hike up the mountain itself just did that.

                                                         

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Travel Asia: Autumn in South Korea Part 2

Autumn in South Korea: Part 2

Being a Catholic Christian myself, visiting Myeongdong Cathedral has it's special meaning. It's really intriguing for me to see a Church in the middle of a city with so many eastern religions in place. Walking up the plights of stairs towards the Cathedral, we saw nuns in their "religous habits" walking around. I think there's a convent nearby but I can't really say. Anyway, if you're looking for a place to rest and contemplate for a while. This is the place to be. There's also a small grotto in the back that has the Virgin Mary's statue in it. We offered some candles and prayed.

Having built in 1898, it is said to be the first ever Western- style brick building in whole of Korea. It offers English mass at 9AM every Sunday. It is also just a walking distance from Myeongdong Station (use Exit 8) Line 4 or Exit 5 of Eujiro 1 (il)-ga Station, Line 2. And, it sort of gives us a hint that South Korea are very open when it comes to choosing Religions. We even pass by a Pentecost church that we thought was the Cathedral because it has similar architectural design.

I hope I could share more pictures with you when we also visited Changdeokgung Palace and Namsam Tower, but, unfortunately, most of the pictures that we took when we were in South Korea got corrupted =( . And, most pictures that I've got left are mostly taken during our visit in Gyeokbukgung palace.

But nevertheless, I still want to tell you all my experiences when we visited Changdeokgung Palace, which is is a few steps away from where we're staying, and it is also a sight to see. It is a smaller palace compared to Gyeokbukgung. So, they are particular in controlling the number of tourists coming in. Everyone is being assigned to a tour guide so even if you bought your tickets already you can't just walk in. And, you can literally see people closely monitoring the batches that goes in and making sure everyone is sticking to their group.

They let us to join a group of foreigners that came on buses. We were led by an English tour guide which I was impressed with. Having the perfect American accent, our batch were led to the different courts with divided rooms and shown how they heat up their baths and floors during winter (which reminded me our cold room back at Yim's house).

The picture on the left is from Gyeokbukgung's inner courtyard that holds a similar look on the rooms and courts at Changdeokgung. The colors are not that intense as compared to the Chinese' palaces we've visited, made me realized that Koreans during the early times are more conservative than the Chinese people. 

Me at one of the city street in Seoul

Whenever night falls, Dennis and I, usually take short walks to the numerous malls around the metro to buy food, shop around or sometimes just people watch and look around to see what the city night offers. The clothes are really really cheap, and the shoes too. There are a lot of improvised stalls at night, similar to our (Philippines) Divisoria (although not that rowdy not to mention cleaner) that sets up in the sidewalks selling street foods, clothes, shoes, mittens, socks, etc. We bought a couple of socks because the temperature keeps dropping especially at night. But there is one thing we regret not trying though, that is, to drink the famous Soju, which is like the San Miguel beer of Korea. However, it is said to comparably taste closely to vodka rather than to a beer. Anyway, we already have Soju here in the Philippines (with so many Koreans visiting us, it's about time it is offered here) so we would probably be drinking one of those soon. :) What can I say about Koreans at night? Oh boy, they love to drink. Don't be shocked if you see 3 or 4 drunks at night on their american suits, wearing ties and leather shoes slumped in the corner somewhere. I guess they work hard in the morning and party harder at night (?) hehehe..

Seoul Lantern Festival sign

One of our nightly rendezvous led us to Cheonggye square which at the time is the venue for the Seoul Lantern Festival, and the starting point of Cheonggye stream. We have no idea that there was such an event but we were eager to check it out while we walk along the historic stream of Cheonggye. There are many people around ---- mostly families with their kids, couples holding hands or group of friends joking and walking around, taking pictures and just enjoying the view; we did the same and enjoyed ourselves with the rows of lighted figures floating in the middle of the stream while checking out the monuments and man-made bridges above us.  We even joined a crowd of people signing up notes and names to the numerous lanterns line up in the wall.

There are a lot of history involve with  Changgye stream. It is said, in the olden days, the stream has actually been set as a divider for the people in Korea. Those born of noble families and those that holds offices in the government were settled in the Northern part of the village while the poor and common people settle in the Southern village, with the stream being the boundary. It is actually sad to think that long before there is North and South Korea, the country already had a history of division among its people. On the brighter note, if you walk farther, you will see another symbolic monument that consists of thousands of signatures who wrote their dreams and hopes. The Wall of Hope. It stands 2.2 meters in height and 50 meters in length. And the pictures depicted that of love and hope for peace.

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Travel Asia: Autumn in South Korea Part 1

Autumn in South Korea: Part 1

I love to travel and I am grateful that God gave me the opportunity to see a little more of the world I know.

One of the most memorable travel that I had was with my then boyfriend and now husband, Dennis. When we went to Korea for a little R&R and backpacking in November of 2009. It was most memorable because we did not only get to see the UNESCO Heritage sites and  for me, experiencing autumn for the first time, but this is where he finally asked me to marry him.

After completing and compiling the required documents to get a Korean Visa. Our journey started off easy. We headed off to board the Cebu Pacific plane at around 7PM on November 10 and it flew us straight to Incheon International airport which is about an hour or so from the capital -- Seoul. I had a bit of a hard time at the immigration because of the "mugshot" picture in my passport (I can't wait to change my passport!!Arrgh!). But after that, everything went ----> cold. Yep, it is a big change of temperature for me since I came from the very hot and always summer-y islands of the Philippines. The usual weather here is about 24 degree Celsius (which is already cold for us) up to 32 degrees Celsius. So when we stepped out of the airport with a temp reading of 11 degree celsius, I went into shock. We wanted to know if there is an express train that goes from the airport to the city just like in Hongkong but the train is being constructed at the time. So we opted to ride a bus (which is much cheaper compared to taxis) to take us to a stop near the inn that we're scheduled to stay for the first 3 days. The bus system is very efficient. We easily got our tickets through a counter that is just outside the airport however, we had a hard time communicating with the driver where we needed to go. Since no one speaks English and there are no other tourist around, Dennis had to constantly check with the driver where our stop is but with no luck, the nodding driver dropped us at the wrong stop. And, so we walked the cold cold street of Seoul and tried to find our way through the map that we got from the airport. It's almost 1am now and the weather has become bitterly cold for us. We decided to just try our luck with a taxi. We waved at a black taxi that halted in front of us with no effort. We showed the taxi driver the piece of paper with the name and address of our hotel and crossed our fingers that he knows where to go, he called a number (probably the hotel) and spoke Korean, he nodded and we boarded the taxi with our luggages at the trunk. The driver entered something into his GPS system and made a quick U turn. After a few blocks, he stopped in a small inn in a narrow alley. Yim's house -- finally we're here. 

Note:

For info about the requirement and recent update in getting a Korean Visa if you're a Filipino, kindly visit the link below. As a tip, never submit your documents stapled and always have an extra copy of everything with you. Make sure all documents are complete. There will be no interviews, you'll just get a number, fall in line and pass all the requirements to the Korean consuls, she'll check it and give you a stub when to come back for your passport (usually it took about 3 to 4 days for us). DONT LOSE YOUR STUB.

http://embassy_philippines.mofat.go.kr/eng/as/embassy_philippines/visiting/visas/index.jsp

YIM'S HOUSE

Our home for the next 3 days. Yim's house,  is a budget friendly inn that serves well to "backpackers" like us. The internet is free, there is drinking water (hot and/or cold) outside the hallway that is also free for guests which came very handy since we usually have the urge to eat cup noodles or drink coffee or hot tea during our stay. Our room had two twin beds set in the far corners of the  main room, with a vanity table set in front of it, there's a small tv with cable, a small refrigerator, couple of chairs, the closet is right infront of the entry way, and we have our very own toilet and bathroom. Mr. Yim, checked us in and led us to our rooms reminding us to close the lights and all the appliances whenever we leave the inn and to use the slippers by the doorway whenever we step inside the main room. Our stay was quite okay for the first two days and convenient since it is near to almost all the tourist spot in the city, but, I guess the cold is getting into me. I felt the heater is not enough to warm the small room and having the bed leaning on the cold concrete walls when you sleep doesn't help fight the cold as well, I felt suffocated at times too and felt that the window curtains has never been washed and since it is a small room, the musky dust seemed to have settled inside and with the thin air, the smell won't go away. Anyway, it is comfortable as you can get with 35,000 Won a night (around PHP 1420.38 only or around $35), that is already a good deal with all their freebies. And, besides, we are not planning to stay in the room all the time, for the first three days that we're in South Korea, our itinerary was concentrated in visiting all the tourist spots in Seoul which includes all the UNESCO heritage sites in the city like the palaces -- Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and Biwon garden etc. We also intend to visit the country side as well to see and get to know the people outside the bustling Seoul. 

SEOUL

Gyeongbokgung palace was our first stop; it is said to be the grandest among the five palaces in Seoul and it is. When I walked closer and closer to it's gate, the palace guards marching outside did a good job in making me feel I've stepped back in time. The long colored walls and arches of the palace gate already satisfied my eyes. I feel really grateful to have seen this wonderful place. And it costs only 3,000 Won or $3 (around PHP122) to see it. It's not also hard to find - Coming from Jongno subway station 3 switch to line 3 (going to Daewha line) and get off at Gyeongbokgung stop.Walk straight till you see the walls. After passing the inner courts of the Gyeongbokgung palace, there is a large park that accommodates the National Folk Museum and the National Palace Museum of Korea. I forgot if we pay a fee when we entered the National Folk Museum but I don't remember paying anything

the arches of Gyeongbokgung palace

Me outside the National Folk Museum

Anyway, it's a folk museum so expect to see the evolution of the Korean traditional clothes -- han-bok (which I regret not buying or trying one on when we were there). Well, knowing Dennis, I knew he wasn't that thrilled to enter the museum (or any museum at all) so we did not finish seeing the whole place and just went outside and walked around while we took more pictures. It was a big place and I couldn't seem to see where the walls stopped. When we got tired, we had a little coffee in this small cafe nearby. I was grateful there was a lot of walking involved, in this way, I will be able to get my blood circulating and not be able to feel the cold weather.

Me at the Lotus pond in Gyeokbukgung palace

Hyangwon-jeong, a hexagonal pavillion in the middle of a lotus pond sits on the north part of the palace and is said to be one of the most picturesque and photographed view of South Korea. You may think that it is a two strorey building but actually it is a three-storey building if you count the structure below the first floor. The King Kojong had it built in 1867, he had a pond dug in the south of it and the pavilion built on the island in the pond. They say, the king took many walks here. The bridge is not accessible to tourists though but it is really worth the visit. There are some picnic tables around the pond that I think will suffice if you want to enjoy a quiet day reading books or share a meal with a loved one.

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Foreword for a Roomy Life

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."
- C. S. Lewis

Thank you for passing by my little blog. This is one of my dreams, to share stories about things in my life that I find beautiful and grateful for. Little as they may be. Morbid as they may seem. I hope in some way, I will be able to inspire and encourage anyone who is reading this to also try to reach their dreams how little or silly or cheesy it may be. I believe that Life is too precious and too amazing to not participate on it. And sometimes, all we need to do is make a little more room for those things that really matter to us. Forget criticisms that only puts us down, fears that holds us back, worries of tomorrow, and anxieties of today. Squeeze as little as an hour each day to do something that really makes us happy and that will help us get through this very short, I say again -- very short life. 

Thank you

Icar