[korea blog] day trip to seoul: insadong, myeongdong & more | summer in korea is hot af | lots of pictures taken

Hey!

I’m dying as I’m writing this because we did so much walking today.

By walking a lot I mean over 18,000 steps.

I anticipated walking a lot today but 18,000 steps in a day is insane 😅

Anyhow, I’m dead tired but let’s get rolling with this blogpost.

On our way to Seoul!

We’re taking a day trip because we’ve got some errands to run in the city.

But first things first, lunch.

Exited Jonggak station and was greeted with slightly cloudy weather.

But it’s good to see the sun after two consecutive days of rain 🌧️

Well, at least for now because it’s about to get scorching hot mid-afternoon.

Headed straight to our go-to restaurant but guess what?!

Closed.

Are you kidding me?

It was a public holiday in Korea so I guess many businesses were on a break.

Oh well…

Walked around for a bit looking for a noodle place I had last year alone.

Some shots taken while looking for that particular place.

Prices have gone up quite a bit in Seoul.

Just in case you’re curious, have a look at this signboard.

Found the place!

Finally.

It was past 1 pm so we were famished.

Kimchi and water are self-service.

Helping ourselves to a generous serving of kimchi.

Food came out pretty quickly.

You know how Koreans are, right?

Their “빨리 빨리 (fast fast) culture” is no joke.

After lunch, we took a walk through Insadong.

We’ve been here so many times but this time felt different because the tourists are back in full swing.

At least it felt like that.

We were walking back and forth for our errands and the weather didn’t seem to be helping.

Getting hotter and hotter.

Omg. Help me.

Quick question:

What does this building look like to you? 🥸

Let me know in the comments below! :’)

It was hot af by the time it was 3 pm and we desperately needed something cold to beat the heat — a short stop at a convenience store.

Spotted this carrot ice cream (on the left) 😂

I didn’t get it but I’m curious about its taste 👅

Anyhow, the boyfriend wanted a zero-sugar drink instead so we got the zero-sugar flavored tea at 1+1 for US$1.66.

Took a wrong turn thanks to the boyfriend and ended up walking towards 시청 (City Hall) instead.

I’ve stayed around this area for a while, so it’s good to be back in this neighborhood.

Also spotted this memorial altar for the Itaewon disaster victims.

This open field changes as the season change so be sure to check this space out if you’re in Korea.

It’s right in front of Seoul Metropolitan Library (서울도서관).

And this is Seoul Metropolitan Library (서울도서관).

If you need some quiet time from the hustle and bustle of Seoul city, here’s a good place to go.

And after walking a little bit more, we got to Myeongdong.

Like, finally.

If you’re a tourist ready to spend and feed the Korean economy, by all means, go ahead.

But be ready to pay tourist prices as well.

We also checked out this newly opened Daiso spanning 12 floors.

There’s only one lift and a flight of staircase up.

Extremely slow so I reckon you take the stairs.

Prepare for lots of waking though.

I don’t think there’s anything special here, having shopped in Daiso all around Korea.

It’s also very narrow so not shopping friendly at all.

But for the experience, yeah, not too bad for a one-time visit.

I was so tempted to drop by this place for some ramen because I was too hungry.

It’s right beside the 12th-floor Daiso and has a “cafe zone” on the 2nd floor with seats.

But the boyfriend wanted to head back straight for dinner.

So off we went.

Goodbye, Myeongdong.

See you soon?

Our legs were breaking but it was rush hour and there were no seats available.

And when it comes to Korea, especially Seoul, prepare to walk a lot and climb stairs.

It was a crazy workout day for me for sure.

Anyhow, we reached our place and headed straight to Lotte Mart to grab dinner.

닭강정 (dakgangjeong: crispy and crunchy Korean fried chicken) was so 25% sale so I got it at a really good price.

새우탕 (prawn soup noodles) was so good. Just US$0.66!

We also got snacks and alcohol but I was too full to have them.

Should I have them now before bed? 🙃

Heh.

Anyhow, that’s all I have for this post.

I’ll see you in the next, yeah?

Bye! :’)

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