(Wednesday / 17:08)
While having a delicious chocolate cake just now, I felt so guilty for not blogging. I came back to the hostel all prepared BUT blogspot says that I had ran out of space for pictures!!!! I am a stingy person so I am not prepared to spend money to buy storage space so.. I am probably moving? But it sucks that I am halfway on my trip and then I had to post somewhere else. :( Let me think about what to do now... Would appreciate solutions people!
( / 01:17)
9th
Bus ride for 6 hours back and fro but stayed at the attraction for about 2 hours only. I wanted to visit Byeonsanbando National Park but it seems like the bus terminal was far from it so I just went to the beach located behind the terminal. I was surprised by the number of people at the beach! It was chilly but there were still people playing with water.
When the tides go down the sea wall(?) is shown and it looks like "millions of books stacking up" according to some information they had written over there. They really get very creative with their descriptions eh.
While walking/hopping on the rocks, I could see a lighthouse so I walked deeper into the rocks and I got stopped by 2 man. I could not really understand what he was saying so I guessed that he was telling me not to go too far out because the tide is coming in. I also heard "kachi" which means together (I learnt the word from the night before haha) and I start to wonder if he is asking me to follow him somewhere or something. Kept my distance while heading back to the beach hahaha
Walked back to the bus terminal but decided that it was really too early for me to leave this place after spending such a long time traveling so I went onto the other side looking for food. I found the way to the lighthouse instead but it felt so farrrrrrrrrr away and I had only 30minutes before the bus arrive (bus is not frequent for Jeonju/Gyeokpo) so I just stayed close to the land.
Cave walls
Walked from the bus terminal to the hostel again but this is when I finally realized where the main gate to the terminal was. All the while I was trying to look for it but I just never seem to get it right. Then I realized it was located just by the street but I have been walking past it without knowing 'cause I always thought it was a bank entrance or something -_________-
Finally visited the old school cafe!
Right after I ordered my drink I could not stop snapping around the shop hehe
Drawings by the owner himself! He went "my painting", beaming with pride
The space was small but filled with antique stuff. I spent so much time looking around! The owner could speak enough english to make a conversation with me (I am ashamed that I am not able to use their primary language to talk to them in their home country actually).
He used to own a museum that holds all these antiques but he moved it to this 1 year old cafe. I did not ask why. He also told me that these stuff were normally bought off the internet and some items were purchased when he was traveling overseas.
And he totally reminded me of Love Rain Seo In Ha hahaha
The place is located just next to the Jeonju Hanok Village.
10th
Carried my load and walked to the bus terminal because I did not know what bus to take haha
Being back in Seoul gives me a sense of familiarity. Hm. So glad for the subway ^^ Met up with some friends and had my first real mexican food at Itaewon. I like it more than I thought I would! We also had pies after the meal (again, my first). Expensive but according to them it was really good. Never had pies before so I don't know what is 'good'. I enjoyed it though!
After that we headed to a pub/club(?) name Monkey Beach and well, it got a lot better at the end although my shoes had puke and it rained when we left. hahaha
(Monday / 11:13)
7th
Visited attractions near to the hostel. Jeonju Hanok Village was the highlight of the trip and damn was it beautiful.
Wondered into the streets behind the village and I was in for a surprise. Old fashioned Korean houses have been transformed into restaurants, homestays, shops and cafes! It was amazingly beautiful! Took so much pictures of trees too haha Never had I photographed trees that much before.
Craving for sweets, I went into a dessert cafe called Grandma's and ordered red bean soup, something which I do not even enjoy in Singapore. I always think green bean makes better dessert. When I first walked across the cafe it was filled with students from the neighbourhood so I thought it would not be too expensive but guess what! It costs 6,000won!
At first it was really delicious but I got sick of it quickly. Not the usual kind of red bean soup I had in Singapore. My guess is that they added some other ingredient to make it thicker and sweeter and that was not to my liking. Ohwells.
Went back to the hostel for a rest and did some research for a good bibimbab.
10,000won for a bowl. It has to be good right?!
Disappointing!! The rice was not even hot D: It was too dry for me D: It costs 10,000.... I was freaking full and I could not finish the side dishes. Felt like puking but I had to push it in because it costs 10,000won haha
Visited a cafe after that. The main reason I went to the cafes was so I could use wifi (wifi sucks in the dorm!) and to take a look at the beautiful interior.
I was hooked onto Faith(2012)! Every cafe visit I spend like two hours catching on the drama haha LEE MIN HO~ I have been faithful to his yearly drama project ever since Boys Over Flowers though I did not like the drama nor find him attractive. He was gross. But everything after that was rainbows and unicorns.
Back in the hostels, I met two Korean girls who are younger than me and they keep calling me unnie!! We managed to talk and laugh although my korean level was equivilant to her english hahaha I felt bad when she had to do online translation so I could understand because I could not go online and do the same.
8th
Walked from the hostel to the bus interchange for slightly less than an hour. Beautiful weather! Would not do that if it was summer haha Took an hour bus to Jinan to visit Tapsa Temple.
I was lost when I got there. There was no information counter and their ticket counter is located behind the convenient store made out of a big box. -_- I stood there for awhile and no one came over. When she finally did, she just shook her hands at me when I say I want to go to Maisan.
!!!! Annoying. So I took a taxi instead because according to my research it is only 5 minutes away. The driver was really nice though. With my best Korean (Maisan, buss, anniyo?), he gave me a string of reply which I could hardly understand but I guessed he meant no bus go there. Then I asked how do I return from the mountain later (cho neun, maisan, buss terminal? (with a lot of hand signs involved)). He said I could call for a taxi to pick me up but my phone does not work in Korean. Moreover I am sure the service person will not be able to understand me through a phone. haha
The ride was about 10 minutes I think? I was not paying much attention to the meter after seeing that it stayed at 3,000won for quite sometime but upon getting off it got to 12,000won. He gave me a picture of Maisan and then asked the information counter to take care of me before he leave. AWWWW And someone from the counter could speak chinese so yay! She told me there is a bus that returns to Jeonju directly too so I had about 2 hours to wonder around.
Did quick prayers in the different temples and honestly I could hardly recognise any of them.. I guess its time to learn!
Really beautiful scenery!!!
The stones around the temple was amazing! I mean, how it is possible for such thing to happen!!
On the trip back to Jeonju the driver tried to start a conversation with me but his questions were too hard for me to understand haha He gave me an apple upon arriving Jeonju! hehe I received so much that day.
Walked back to the beautiful street I went yesterday and got pretty lost. Took more than an hour I think. I had (still having) a strong craving for Starbucks christmas drinks, thanks to all the people on instagram, but I wanted to visit the local cafes more. Starbucks can wait - it is everywhere in Korea.
Yesterday while walking around the street, there was this old restaurant located at the corner which caught my nose. The smell was so amazing I could not forget! So I went in for my early dinner and ordered the cheapest food on the menu with no idea what it was. All I know was that it got to be good. The smell~~~
She offered only two side dishes but the amount of kimchi was WHOA! And the main dish, which is clam soup with noodles, had a lot of clams inside! She is not stingy with the amount and it made me really happy! The noodle and soup does not smell like the aroma outside the restaurant but I was enjoying the meal so much. ^^
Cafe time!
That night I had new korean dorm mates and we went drinking together. We tried Moju, which is a specialty of Jeonju, but it taste more like tea than alcohol. It contains 1.5% alcohol so.. haha Told them that I would like to get a job in Seoul and one of them said we could meet up if it happens. I could teach her English while she will teach me Korean hehe
And I got a taste of what it is like to hang onto each other with your friends while walking on the street! The moment we got out of the hostel, one of them just cling her arms around the other two of us. hahaha I was not used to it honestly but I went along and enjoyed Korean style sisterhood haha