First stop of the day was to explore the Bukchon Hanok village alleys. There were many modernized old residences and cafes along the road we walked, though alleys were few. I didn’t get a chance to shoot the alleys I’ve seen in other photos, but we encountered a filming scene about to happen. The missus couldn’t recognize the actresses but then said the actor looked familiar – Song Jae Rim. Don’t ask me, I don’t watch enough Korean dramas. 😛
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As we walked along the road we took, we realized we were passing the walls of a nearby palace. We were surprised to discover the palace grounds was in fact the one we needed to go today – Changdeokgung. In order to visit the Huwon secret garden within Changdeokgung, you must purchase the palace entry ticket and tour into Huwon. Furthermore, entry point of Huwon was inside the palace grounds.
The secret garden or forbidden garden talks more about how the kings used the area for thinking, spending time and creating a space for their kin. It’s a 1 hour 30 minute tour and will require lots of walking on flats, stairs and some hills. While I observed a pair walking with slippers, I wouldn’t advice it because some paths were sand and slippers don’t have the best of grips.
After the tour, on our way to the subway station we bought a snack – ham, cheese and egg toast. As simple as it sounded, it was still great in taste with the accompanying sauce of ketchup and mustard. *slurp*
While walking around an underground shopping center, we stumbled on the first shop selling k-pop goods for fans ranging from collectible albums, posters, light sticks and more.
We then landed back in Myeongdong again. Instead of a cat cafe, we chilled awhile at a dog cafe this time. They had quite a number of breeds and it was the first time I’ve seen a bulldog up close. The fellow was adorable. Lol. We did notice though that most dogs had a sad look on their face. Not sure why..
Well, it was time to meet up with the missus Korean friend; Chloe, and her bf. From here, we were on an eating spree with first having Korean BBQ. The samgyeopsal (pork meat) was superbly thick and juicy. Paired with other dishes like kimchi jiggae and another kimchi noodle which was served cold, it made the meal even more awesome. *om nom nom*
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Here’s something I learned Koreans do when in Korean BBQ a places, they can stuff their belongings or jackets into a plastic bag to lessen the smell from getting attached to their belongings. This makes it surprising as to why this isn’t the practice in Malaysia too.
Once dinner was done, we headed for a friendly game of bowling. It was the first time I’ve seen a bowling alley with lanes on 2 floors. And they even had older bowling balls which likely belonged to hook bowlers previously, but now it’s used as house balls.
After a round of bowling, we chose to either have chicken or dessert. We settled for dessert at an outlet specialized in Korean desserts – can’t remember the name. The desserts were shaved ice topped with fruits, but ours was finely grinded rice cake and almond nuts. Servings were generous and it was to be eaten with honey milk.
Needless to say, with full tummies, we continued walking around and explored the Lotte Young Plaza. Soon enough, it was nearing closing time and we made our exit. After which, we exchanged farewells and headed back to our hotel to crash.
It’s been a glorious day without rain. We hope the same will apply the following day.