Inside This Korea Log
 
Daemyeong Resort
The last shot of the resort where the group stayed at Seorak.		 This one for the album
Against the backdrop of the snowfall, here's a picture taken for the album.		 More for the album
We don't get to see winter scenery back home, so here another for the album.
Back to Seoul
It's very windy as the group assembled to head back Seoul.

COLD is the word as we embarked our hilly ride back to the capital before the day saw it's first sunshine.

Finally, we got to see our first snowfall in Korea at the halfway stop.


 
Halfway stop
Most halfway stops in any long journey is always a welcome relief to all.
The Blue House
 Surprisingly, the area where the Blue house is one of the lowest in terms of property value despite being the most secured place in South Korea!
This toilet here
Myth was that President Park Chung-hee was assassinated near this toilet in 1979.
 		 Mt. Bugaksan
I was told in my last trip here that having Blue House near the Mt. Bugaksan, was purely because of it's good location in geomancy .		 The main premises
Like any official residence of that of a head of state, all visitors are restricted from entering the main building.
Deoksu Palace
This palace is the where the last Korean Emperor, Emperor Gojong stayed until he passed away on Jan 21, 1919.
The signboard
Here's the signboard that led us to the last imperial palace of the Korean royalty		 Junghwamun
The entrance that led the visitor to Junghwajeon - the main hall of Deoksu Palace		 The marker stones
Flanked on the both side of the main path that led to the Junghwajeon, each marking on the stone indicated where the officials should positioned according to their rank.
Inside Junghwajeon
This is what we saw inside Junghwajeon, the throne.

If l remember correctly, the king was seated on the left while the queen on the right 		In front of Junghwajeon
Took this picture with our guide right in front of the main hall of the palace.		 The statue of King Sejong
King Sejong is the Korean monarch who invented the Hangeul (the Korean alphabets.)

He is revered as the greatest among the Joseon kings for the works he did
Cheonggyecheon Stream
Prior this trip, l read that this stream project was the main reason why the current Seoul mayor won the election, as he had secured  the mandate of people thanks to the benefits they would stand to gain from it.

Only after l heard from the guide, it gave me a different picture that in fact, most of people live in Seoul actually loathed the idea of this stream project.
Myeondong & Namdaemun
Make it simple Myeondong what Orchard Road to the Koreans while Namdaemun is what midnight version of Chatuchak

Streams of shoppers make their way to these places to shop for their daily needs like clothings and etc.

Just like in Dongdaemun, another fruitless trip as thought of hunting for another cap went for nothing

Another trivia Myeondong is the most expensive land in Seoul where a lot of ethnic Chinese used to stay before they left the place gradually during the rule of President Park Chu-hee.
 
The Korean cuisine
Some gourmets will definitely give thumb down to the Korean cuisine.

Known for it's simplicity and bland favours, as told that so long the stomach is filled it doesn't matter if the food is delicious or not.

Learn to appreciate the taste and style of cooking actually will make one enjoy the food (the "kimchi", especially became my favour dish throughout the trip).

What we have eaten
This is my first meal after arrived in Korea, the price tag - 6000won (approx:$9.80) At least, something to smoothen our taste bud, by having Chinese meal as our first lunch Before we were introduced to the real Korean cuisine - the steamboat style dinner
And also the grill-pan style, where all ingredients such as meats and veggies being stirred fried on a hot plate before being served. Another Korean dish - Stone bowl rice, in which the diner must stirred the rice and ingredients throughtly before sampling. Roadside stall like this is a common sights in the streets of Seoul.
Conclusion

Minus the regret for not able to ski because the back injury sustained, the whole trip had been a wonderful experience.

Got the touch and feel of the thing called -SNOW

Thanks to "kimchi", which l believed because of it, my wobbly ankles don't felt any pains during the trips (it's no wonder actor Jang Dong Gun missed it so much during the filming of the movie "The Promise").

Although the main hiccup is the language problem, which always a pain in the neck.

(Picture on the left: with "my sassy girl" Jeon Ji-hyun at the Korean Entertainment HALL OF FAME)

 
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