The next installment of this trip: we are Seoul-bound! About time right? At this rate, it may be a full year since the trip until I finish doing the entire write-up. (￣οΎ›￣;) But I'm happy to do it since it's nice to have a way to look back at these memories.
The day started off super bright and early. We woke up at 4:00 AM to get ready and quickly walk over to Tokyo Station. Our flight wasn't even scheduled that early but because it was an international flight and the fact that it takes a little over an hour to get to Narita Airport from the city, our only option was to take the airport bus as trains weren't running yet.
When we arrived at the airport and to our gate, we decided to eat breakfast at the only restaurant open in the terminal (not knowing that our 2-hour flight also included a full meal). My sister got the tonkotsu ramen with sliced chashu, bamboo shoots, pickled ginger, and greens.
I didn't really have an appetite so I just ordered a side of gyoza. It was nothing special.
Although I already bought quite a lot of souvenirs, I was tempted to pick up some more while we were just waiting around at our gate. Prices are probably more expensive at the airport but I picked up more flavoured Kit Kats as well as a box of Tokyo Banana.
Tokyo Banana is one of the most popular souvenirs you can get in Japan! It's a fluffy sponge cake filled with a banana custard cream. Think Twinkie if you will. I got a box of the maple banana flavour since the design was adorable, but there are other flavours available, including original, caramel, chocolate, and honey. The cakes have a short shelf life (about 1-2 weeks) so it's a good thing I didn't go too crazy with buying them.
Arriving in Korea at Incheon Airport!
After clearing customs, we picked up our pocket WI-FI (called a pocket egg in Korea) and headed to the subway station at the airport. The AREX train is probably the best and most economical way to get to Seoul from Incheon. We took the Express train, which took about 45 minutes to our destination and cost 14,800₩ (around $17CAD). There's also an all-stop train option, which is significantly cheaper, but takes slightly longer as it stops at every station along the way.
Instead of buying subway tickets each time, it's also more convenient to get a T-money card from the convenience store. Equivalent to the SUICA or PASMO card in Japan, you just top up the card with money and tap it on the bus or subway. Although Seoul's subway map looks intimidating, I found it so much easier (and less confusing!) to get around in Korea than in Japan.
We booked an Airbnb literally across the street from Seoul Station, which was a great and pretty central location. This was our view from the 15th floor of the apartment. It was also nice to have a lot more space to spread out compared to the apartments in Japan!
After settling in, we went back to Seoul Station and hopped on line 4 to go to Myeong-dong. Myeong-dong is probably the most popular tourist shopping area in Seoul. From clothes to cosmetics to cute socks, it's a great place to get all your shopping done. There's also a ton of restaurants, cafes, and street food stalls. Because a lot of tourists come here, it's not surprising to find workers who can speak English, Mandarin, or other languages besides Korean. I think I was more surprised at how pushy some of the sales people can be. Lots of shops will offer free samples to entice you to step into their store.
Before we shopped, we needed sustenance! Myeong-dong Kyoja has been around for more than 40 years, and has two restaurant branches within close vicinity of each other. Every table here orders the same thing. Almost literally, because they only serve four items! Mandu (dumplings), kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), bibim guksu (spicy noodles), and kongguksu (noodles in cold soybean soup).
An order of mandu comes with 10. Thin, translucent skins filled with ground pork and vegetables. Super delicious!
We also shared a bowl of kalguksu. Slippery noodles in a warm, comforting broth with minced meat, more dumplings (shaped like wonton instead), and vegetables.
Everyone really enjoyed the meal but my mom and sister particularly loved the kimchi here. It was almost too spicy for me, but you can tell there was a ton of garlic involved in its preparation.
Shopping time! Before coming to Myeong-dong, I'd advise coming up with some sort of game plan and shopping list. Know what you want so that you won't be as overwhelmed like I was!
Korea has the cutest socks. Only 1,000₩ per pair!
Remember what I said about having ice cream every day on this trip?
Couldn't pass on this adorable rose ice cream! They had four main flavours of ice cream: strawberry, yogurt, chocolate, and green tea. You can order it in any combination that you'd like and they sculpt the rose using paddles instead of scoops. I got the yogurt and strawberry combination and while it's not the best ice cream, I loved the tangy flavour of the yogurt.
K-pop goods galore. Located in the Myeong-dong underground.
Stylenanda Pink Hotel aesthetics. Someone was literally having a photoshoot in this store.
Hi GD!
We were pretty exhausted so we actually didn't buy too much. At the end of our trip, I almost wished we were able to stop by Myeong-dong once more, especially to try some of the street food! Next time, I guess!
- CT
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