The Grinch(es) take Seoul for Christmas

[bPeteb]

The hotel offered no breakfast so we had bought some 'stuff' from the supermarket across the road the night before. When we opened the curtains it was snowing! Very gently, and not enough to land, but it looked beautiful blowing around outside our room.

Hamee and his Sonata were waiting downstairs when we came out of the lift. We sat in the lobby and worked out a rough plan - south and east day one, north and wherever day two.

Destination one was the Osulloc Team Museum OSULLOC TEA MUSEUM. Both concerned this was nothing but a shopping stop and it kind of was, and kind of wasn't.

Obligatory shot standing in the tea across the road from the museum


then across the road into the architecturally stunning museum (and shop). We found the whole place lovely - the museum interesting, the buildings beautiful



including a room I would not normally take a picture in


and a cafe/shop with the most delicious treats



then it was on to Yongmeorihaean Coast (용머리해안) where if you squint and cough three times, the headland looks like a dragon. It was quite a spectacular sandstone headland that was a tad non-HSE.



There were a couple of women divers there selling their morning's catch/gather

 

[bPeteb]

Yongmeorihaean Coast (용머리해안) continued. Bizarrely we were pelted with sleet/micro hail as we were walking back to Hamee and the car.


Camellia Hill next. Again, not really our thing and this time, not really our thing. Hamee let us know how long we should take but we were back at the car way sooner

 

[bPeteb]

Lunch time. It was an unexpected delight. Neither of us is into fish with tiny bones and Jeju's speciality, the hairfish, is bloody full of them. But there we were agreeing to eat one. Hamee handed us the menu and the prices were a little, higher than I was expecting, until he pointed out the 67,000 KRW for two deal (some prices were 4x this).

We held our breath. Out it came and it was delicious. One of the staff scraped the bones off the top and bottom of the fish, peeled back the skin and away we went. Not a huge amount of flesh on it but gee it was good and a great experience to boot.


all we forgot to do was ask for a beer!

the rest of the afternoon was a decent amount of walking to various coastal waterfalls. I could look them all up but yeh, nah. All very picturesque, and as the afternoon got later, the walks got colder

 

[bPeteb]

more coastal rocks, more waterfalls, and a bridge or two. Maybe a waterfall too many but still we had a great day. Hamee was a very good driver and even better super friendly.

apart from tangerines and hairfish, another of Jeju's specialties is black pork. Al was a little concerned it was the colour of the meat but it's just the colour of the hair. Hamee highly recommended it and sent a few recommendations via WhatsApp after we got back to the hotel.

We didn't bother trying to make a reservation despite it being Friday night and off we wandered. We ended up at Doldam Black Pork and it was terrific. Great food, great service, great atmosphere and lovely cold beer Pork and huuuuuge mushroom cooked and cut up for us. Nothing better than pork on a bbq

 

[zig]

Food looks amazing.

 

[drron]

@bPeteb seeing those meals you are eating look amazing but huge. Is the first b now signifying biggerPeteb.

I put on 6Kg in our time in Bangkok. Fortunately 4 have disappeared in the 2 weeks back.

 

[bPeteb]

Actually lost weight Ron due to the amount of walking we did! Our new digs in the city, surrounded by restaurants and bars, might now be a problem.

 

[JackMiles]

Thanks for this TR, Pete. Enjoying it a lot. Many happy reminders of my trip to Seoul in 2017. I stayed at the Courtyard, right next to where you stayed, and also really liked the Namdaemun area.

 

[bPeteb]

We stopped at a bar/restaurant on the walking street and beacuse we wanted just beer we were sat outside. IT WAS FREEZING, so we had one beer and left. We called into a GS, or a 711, or the supermarket and as well as brekkie supplies - sweet 'stuff', bananas and yoghurt - we decided to try some makgeoli Makgeolli - Wikipedia with our mandatory icecreams. Tangerina makgeoli is super delicious and cheap! Perfect

No snow this morning but we did see some light flurries during the day.

Hamee was waiting for us again when we came downstairs


the hotel entrance


Day two on Jeju Island started not far from the city at Hamdeok Beach. A beautiful wide sandy beach that is covered during winter to protect the sands. We wandered out to the end of the breakwater with some very light snow swirling around, and then retreated to a very nice cafe for some coffe and cake. Gee they do desserts well in Korea!

 

[bPeteb]

One of the things we really hope to see on Jeje were women divers. We'd seen a doco on Apple TV late last year about them The Last of the Sea Women - Wikipedia. Just amazing. SO when Hamee said we'd be going to the national museum of the haenyeo Haenyeo - Wikipedia we were very excited. A beautiful museum, South Korea does great museums, in a beautiful location.



Then we went to see the Bijarim Forest, a torreya/chestnut tree forest Bijarim Forest

A very peaceful walk through a forest of ancient chestnut trees with one 800yo tree right in the centre that is the aim of your walk. Might have been 4km. Quite beautiful


lunchtime and again Hamee suggested seafood. bAlt asked what kind and when Hamee mentioned octopus and squid bAlt looked at me and said no. I asked Hamee what other options there were and when he said what about Jeju noodles we were both a big yes.

Way too much of course and I'm sure it was just us in the restaurant. Delicious. Sensibly we asked if we could have a beer with lunch. Of course we could. Koreans love their beer! The owner even brought us each a tangerine as a gift.


we then drove out to the coast to see and walk up Seongsan Ilchulbong 성산일출봉 Sunrise Peak. Seeing those steps gave me memories of Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca Trail but it was no real effort to get to the top and look out across the caldera and the surrounding coastal areas. Spectacular!


It was on the way down that I realised something wasn't quite right with Colin. He'd been so well behaved. I kept fiddling with my bag and eventually I had to stop and it was then I saw the leak. Luckily it was only when I'd went to lift my jumper (off white) that I saw the leak

I just held on tight as we sped down the path and I veered into the toilets. Nothing quite like standing at the basins in a zero degree public toilet washing your clothes off. Anyways, my thermals were untouched and I hadn't been wearing my puffer so I had enough warm clothes to continue. If Hamee noticed that something wasn't quite right he said nothing. As the saying goes, cough happens. Then you just get on with it.

The best thing about this experience was that it wasn't a problem with Colin or his caravan. It was me. I'd forgotten to reseal it after I'd been to the loo after lunch. I'll be much more mindful going forward.

 

[bPeteb]

This coastline was just so beautiful. The volcanic rocks contrast with the blue of the ocean and the sky and the white of the sand.

At some point when we were driving to the next stop bAlt asked about how agriculture was managed. It seems with great difficulty along the north as the volcanic rock holds zero water and crops rely on a thin layer of soil/mulch, and rain or pumped water.

For tangerines especially the conditions to the south are much more amenable.

We were driving into the carpark for the Seopjikoji Lighthouse Seopjikoji when Hamee noticed what we had been hoping to see - the women divers. Yay!!!!!


gee these women are tough. Loving these shoes!


the work up to five hoursfree diving for various molluscs and seaweeds. Gee they are tough. I even recognised one of the women from the doco that we'd watched. Apparently the oldest diver is now over 90!!


views from the walk up to the lighthouse

 

[Flyfrequently]

With the death of my mum in mid-December 2023, and both of us on enforced summer shutdowns, Christmas/New Year in somewhere new every year is to become our norm.

When Jetstar announced in Feb it's new direct flights to Seoul, our summer break destination was set.

Between Feb 20 and 25 the trip was booked -
Jetstar Y Brisbane to Seoul Incheon on Christmas eve
Three nights at Fraser Place Namdaemun Seoul
Korean Air Seoul Gimpo to Jeju
Three nights at Hotel Alice and Trunk Jeju City
Korean Air Jeju to Busan
Three nights at Mipo Oceanside Haeundae Busan
Transport tba Busan to Gyeongju
One night Y Collection by Unboundi
KTX (booked mid-December) Gyeongju to Seoul

Away we went.

On board with you @bPeteb

 

[bPeteb]

We finished our tour of Jeju Island at something that might appeal to families/kids but it sure wasn't for us - Jeju Rail Bike Jeju Rail Bike. If I could post the video you would understand. Photos don't do this place 'justice'. Hilariously bad. Just don't.


Each day with Hamee was a fixed price of 220,000 won. That included fuel, insurance, parking and the driver's lunch. We paid entrance fees and meals. Most important, no tipping. 440,000 won was way cheaper than the two day private tours we had been looking at originally. We had a fantastic two days with Hamee and highly recommend https://www.jeju.go.kr/globaltaxi and specifically @jeju_english_taxi_tour if you visit. I have Hamee's WhatsApp number if anyone wants it.

Dinner was back at the walking street where we'd seen a food court kind of place called Night Market. Much excellent fried food, skewers and more importantly cheap beer was consumed before we called it a night back at the hotel with a couple of bottles of makgeoli (we had the tangerines for breakfast )

 

[bPeteb]

We loved Jeju Island and look forward to coming back in summer or maybe early autumn. Our time was up and it was time to head back to the mainland and Busan. We didn't need to leave until 11 so we had a lazy wander around the streets of Jeju City

Sunrise


a shop dedicated to butter


and another to tangerines


do you think anyone will notice?


we love you too Jeju


We'd been messaged a couple of times the previous day by friends checking in that we were ok. There had been a terrible plane crash and people were concerned for us. We had watched the news with horror the night before and it was even more disconcerting to be sat in Jeju Airport and looking out at JEJUair planes


with all of the big screens in the departure hall showing replays of the crash. YIKES!!

a quick airport lunch


and we were off to Busan on just about the only 737 I've never flown on. A 737-900. No winglets. Seemed old.


When I'd selected our seats there was a dog symbol beside me. I didn;t give it any more thought until I tried to check in and got a message that I had to complete checkin at the airport. That dog indicated someone with a dog would be sitting beside me and they had to check it would be ok. It would be kept under the seat in front for the duration of the flight.


well no, it wasn't. It was brought out as we the seat belt sign went on for landing. Wtaf?????


Stood wating for our bags when I realised that I didn't have my phone! I'd left it in the seat pocket. Went back up the steps (I most likley shouldn't have) and as I stood at the locked door looking towards the ramp someone was walking up it with a phone in their hand. They saw me stood there, opened the door and asked my seat number.

Here's my phone


I booked a Kakao taxi on the Kakao 'English' app and off we went to Haeundae beach Busan. Our Ioniq 5 driver had an unusual driving technique - accelerate, declerate, accelerate, declerate. This for the whole 30 or so minute trip. Maybe it was his method of battery top up. Bizarre.

Busan is a sea of huge buildings separated by rivers and mountains

 

[Justinf]

I plan on doing a lot of on-the-ground research, but in your opinions, what were the best run of the mill beers to have in Seoul?

 

[craven morehead]

With the death of my mum in mid-December 2023, and both of us on enforced summer shutdowns, Christmas/New Year in somewhere new every year is to become our norm.

When Jetstar announced in Feb it's new direct flights to Seoul, our summer break destination was set.

Between Feb 20 and 25 the trip was booked -
Jetstar Y Brisbane to Seoul Incheon on Christmas eve
Three nights at Fraser Place Namdaemun Seoul
Korean Air Seoul Gimpo to Jeju
Three nights at Hotel Alice and Trunk Jeju City
Korean Air Jeju to Busan
Three nights at Mipo Oceanside Haeundae Busan
Transport tba Busan to Gyeongju
One night Y Collection by Unboundi
KTX (booked mid-December) Gyeongju to Seoul
Two nights Ibis Ambassador Seoul Insadong (second night just to have room for whole day until we head to airport for late flight)
Jetstar Y (exit row) Seoul Incheon to Brisbane

In November we booked two days on Jeju with an English speaking taxi driver. These Global Taxis are through an initiative with the local government. All managed through WhatsApp. Our assigned driver Hamee was in touch straight away.

As some of you know we were trying to sell our house in the second half of last year. Contract was finally signed in November, subject to sale of our purchasers' house, with a provisional settlement date of Jan 10, five days after we got home. Then we signed a contract on what is our now new home, with settlement on Jan 6, the day after we got back. We booked movers for Jan 8. I was back at work on Jan 7. bAlt had the rest of the week off. Nothing like some stress to start a holiday.

We had to be mostly packed up before we flew out on Christmas eve. Miraculously we got rid of nearly everything in the house we decided we didn't want to take (truly ruly nearly everything). When we walked out the door the house was a jumble of packing boxes, a couple of tvs, two beds and some chests of drawers.

Away we went.

Signing on

 

[bPeteb]

The taxi driver went straight past the hotel entrance despite us telling him to stop. We must have said stop about 10 times before he did. What a loony tunes. We got out and walked back.

We wanted on the beach at Haeundae as it was sunrise central but our budget did not stretch to The Westin Josian. We settled on Mipo Oceanside. Can't provide their link as it's not secure. The Ocean Double rooms were expensive, I suppose because of it being over New Year, so we booked the City Deluxe. It was a third bigger and we preferred space over a little room with an ocean view.

This is what the City Deluxe room looks like. Nice eh?


I could see on the paperwork that I signed on check in that it said Ocean Double. Here's what we stayed in for the next three nights


We very quickly realised that we did want an oceanview although the view we got v the ones all of the other Ocean doubles had was a tad limited. And we also missed out on a retracting tv!


beggars cannot be chosers. The room was bijou, as was the window, but it was perfect, because we'd only paid for a city view

Sunset, from our room. take that Westin Josien!

the hotel occupies what I'd call the second floor with breakfast up on the third - ground, first, second, third. Our room is at the far right


sunset from outside


the 101 storey LCT The Sharp, right across the road from the hotel


Haeundae Beach

 

[bPeteb]

As part of Haeundae Beach's seasonal festivities there was a large light installation on the beach that drew quite the crowd. Temporary boardwalks linked most of it but for those who ventured onto the sand there were high pressure air shoe cleaners up above the beach!


Once we'd had enough of the lights we beelined it to Gorilla Brewing ABOUT | My Site. We had of course investigated prior to arrival and were delighted that there was a new outlet even closer to our hotel, looking across the esplanade to the bay. Being used to Aussie tasting paddles we were a little surpised when six pots each were brought out!! We of course took it like the (old) men that we are, and added some deep fried stuff to soak the alcohol up



of course the night was still young so after the long 100m or so walk back to the hotel


we went up to Oase Busan, the rooftop bar, where hotel guests got 10% off. Who were we to say no to a discount. The coughtails were very nice

 

[bPeteb]

I plan on doing a lot of on-the-ground research, but in your opinions, what were the best run of the mill beers to have in Seoul?

Interesting question Justin. After consulting with my partner in crime we admit we have no idea. We just drank whatever was 5000 or 6000 won for 500ml. I've now just checked some photos and we appear to have consumed quite a bit of CASS. We liked the beers we had at the first chicken place, Daily Beer we think. Then the Kabrew beers right at the end at a bar in Insadong called 1993.

 

[bPeteb]

Breakfast at the hotel is self-serve up on level 3. Coffee, tea, juices, sweet cereal, yoghurt, bread, fresh eggs and a little stove top and frying pan to cook them, boiled eggs and bananas by the dozen. A big terrace that you could go out onto and eat but of course it was zeroish.

from the breakfast room


gull from our room


Hocheon Village was our destination for today. Tourist Attractions | When in Busan | Visit Busan

There's two 'culture villages' in Busan. Gamcheon and Hocheon. From what we read Gamcheon is quite touristy, so of course we chose Hocheon. We headed for the nearest subway station Jung-dong via a detour to check out possible sunrise viewing spots near the hotel.


Sky Capsule line up behind the hotel and Beach Train line below


Then it was onto the subway for a trip across town


Transferring between lines is so easy. The annoucements on the trains are multi-language and at the stations themselves the signage is excellent. Knowing what exit you have to leave the station from is super important as you need to start tracking it from the platform. Exits can take you out blocks from each other. If you get it wrong from the platform you can find yourself going back 'into' the platform area but tapping on and off as you do this doesn't charge your card.

Hocheon had no subway station that was very close. We gave a line transfer a miss and accepted the longer walk as the healthier option. When it's cold walking is so easy.



The village itself is a colourful town built across a hillside. It reminded us both of a tiny La Paz. It was super quiet. We saw just a few other people walking around and very little was open. Winter maybe? Or New Years Eve? Who knows. Lots of steps, lots of colour



loved this funicular back down to the lower levels