Charming Busan, South Korea

Lop Ponciano & siblings with their new found friends in Busan, Korea watching the 2014 World Cup at Thursday party bar. They have foosball, tv for watching sports, beerpong and reasonably priced drinks. :)

Lop Ponciano on Busan, South Korea
Lead Vocalist, The No Name Band
Owner/Therapist, Ponciano Clinic (with complimentary Chinese Medicine treatments and non-invasive liposuction) located at Rm. 915 Medical Plaza Bldg., San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas

Lop's sister, Juts

Lop's brother Ivan

 
1. What brought me there:

Groupie at the Kyani Convention at Bexco Convention Center

Kyani, Convention at BEXCO Convention Center...  a mostly expense-paid trip.

2. Must-try food: 

A. When in Haeundae Beach in Busan, try Turkish ice cream!!! The texture is very different from all the ice cream I've tasted... It's more chewy, almost like bubble gum but after my first lick, I wanted to bring home the whole cart!! It's that good!! 

We found it on one of the alleys in front of the sea animal aquarium one afternoon. It's really a must try for only $3 / KW3,000.00.  

B. It's a small restaurant ran by a curly-haired, bespectacled and thin ahjumma (mature woman) I forgot the name but the location is very fresh in my mind like it was yesterday. Hihi!
forgot the name but the clams, pajeon, and noodle soup are good! We ordered one of everything. Hehe! It's good to eat their food with sake especially on a cold night.
Go to the street on the right side of Haeundae Grand Hotel. It's the first restaurant to the left. It's small and it's between a convenient store and a Japanese restaurant.  

C. For more seafood options and when you have more time to go farther, go to Gwangalli Beach and there's the Millak Hoe Town Market and you can satisfy your seafood cravings there.
 
3. Must-go to:

My brother Randy walking on the shore of Haeundai Beach

A.) Haeundae Beach

I was told that it's one of the famous beaches in Korea... Uh, still nothing like our Boracay but it's all they have. Hehe.

The Westin Chosun Hotel, the place to be

Note: If you are to splurge on a hotel: choose WESTIN CHOSUN hotel. It's connected to the beach. As soon you step out the back entrance, you'll step on sand already and the view is not bad at all from your hotel room. Secondly, the hotel has a nice lap pool and American Indian Teepee (Indian tents made of animal skin) near the pool area where kids can play at. There's also a wooden swing, and barbecue grill and the view from there overlooks all of Haeundae Beach. 

View of Haeundae Beach from our hotel room

 

Lop and siblings playing beer pong

Lop & siblings playing foosball

Sometimes, too they have concerts and other events at the beach so explore, lose yourselves in the alleys (but not too lose) and make friends in the bars. There are a lot of friendly people there especially when we were watching the World Cup together. ;)

 

Exploring Dongbaek Island with siblings and good friend :)

B. Dongbaek Park also connects to Westin Chosun Hotel. It's a great place for jogging, walking, and picture taking. You can already see so much  just in this park. 

At the light house with my sister Juts and our friend Jaeseok aka Jessie (he had his internship at Philippine Bank inside the UP Campus. :)

 - Light House

Inside the APEC Memorial (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) where all the countries involved gathered for the meeting. :)

 - APEC Memorial (where the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation Leader's Meeting happened in 2005) Included in the meeting was former President Gloria Arroyo. 

Hanging bridge at Dongbaek Park

- hanging bridge
- a view of Haeundae
- and a whole lot of history. Which you can read about here .

C. go to Spa Land, Korea's most outrageous sauna in Centum City.

D. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple at Gijang-gun is also great! A lot of people head over there for the view and it's said to be the best in Busan if not the whole of Korea.

E. Visit my friend's family-owned noodle restaurant, "Yang Nam Noodle," located at Gyung Ju Si - Yang Nam Meon - Su ryeom Ri - 108-11. Look for Jessie and tell him Lop sent you.

4. What I saw:
Busan compared to Seoul is more laid back. (see a tour review of it here.)

But based on a research I saw, prices of goods are higher in Busan than in Seoul, but rent and restaurants charge lower in Busan. In terms of shopping, I was surprised that Busan was more expensive than in Seoul. Check this site out for a detailed comparison.
 
Though over all, I had more fun in Seoul probably because I mapped out my own itinerary with my friend Lorre. In Busan, most of my time was spent attending a convention. :)

5. Most memorable/awesome thing I saw....
It was the first time I've been to a red light district anywhere and my first time happens to be here.

Taking a groupie inside Lotte Hotel with an imitation of the Trevi fountain at the background.

 Also at Lotte hotel, my friend Jessie took us to the food court. You have to go around first and choose from all the food they have: soup, ramen, kimbap, tonkatsu, and all the other yummy food in big servings with side dishes all ranging from KW5,000-7,000 each.

6. Thrilling budget find:
I'd have to say good food for good price like the restaurant I mentioned before and at the Lotte Hotel food court.

Shopping in the subway...

Shopping again in the subway station at Lotte Hotel. We got a lot of freebies from Inesfree and Faceshop. :))
Yogurt drinks in different flavors, apple, strawberry, mixed berries, and coffee drinks all for KW1 each.

7. Local's advice?

 I didn't get any but I have some advice based on my experience.

 
When you get to the subway at Lotte Hotel, remember where you passed by because it's easy to get lost there without a guide.

8. What I expected:
I expected to be needing my adaptor for Korea but the hotel had outlets for the normal sockets. Yey!

I didn't expect to see more foreigners in Busan than in Seoul.

9. Travel tips: 
 
A. Trade your money at the bank. You get more won that way! B. Check out the way to your destination in Google maps so the taxi driver can't cheat you easily. Sometimes they'll take the long cut even if the place is just near by and you end up paying more.
C. Plan ahead, but be open to surprises!

Korean words that may come in handy:
1) Kamsahamnida - thank you
2) Hwajangshil odisoyo? - where is the comfort room?
3) chomgak ajuseyo - discount please.
4) Annyeonghaseyo - hello/ goodbye!

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA PHOTO COLLECTION OF LOP PONCIANO

Here's more of what Lop Ponciano saw in Seoul, South Korea. 

Gyeongbokgung Palace

An artist at work at the Hyangwonji pond and Hyangwonjeong pavilion

Cheon Gye Cheon stream. You can take a leisurely walk at night here.

You can already imagine Dong Yi, Jumong, Jewel in the Palace coming out from the door any minute.

Shooting site of Coffee Prince

Visit the Banpo bridge and watch the dancing lights show that lasts for 15 mins and starts at 9pm.

Assorted meat with duck and moving octopus best eaten with a drink of "soju"

Taken at one of Insadong's photo studio for $20.

Love locks at Namsan Tower

Souvenir shop at Insadong

A GANGNAM STYLE SOUTH KOREA TRIP BY LOP PONCIANO

Lop Ponciano and her friend with Psy the teddy bear in the teddy bear museum

Lop Ponciano on Seoul, South Korea
Lead Vocalist, The No Name Band
Owner/Therapist, Ponciano Clinic (with complimentary Chinese Medicine treatments and non-invasive liposuction) located at Rm. 915 Medical Plaza Bldg., San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas

1. What brought me there

It has been my dream to travel to Korea and see/experience what I've been seeing in Korean telenovelas/dramas. I went there with my friend, Lorre.

2. Must-try food

Moving octopus found in typical Korean grill restaurants.

The butterfly cocoon sold along the sidewalk of Dongdaemun shopping complex, in front of Cheonggyecheon stream.

King's biscuit (nut covered honey strings) spotted at Insadong.

3. Must go to

A. Jimshilbang (Korean traditional spa) in Seoul. The one I went to is found at Dongdaemun for only KW 7,000 or about P 280.00.

How to go there by subway:
Take LINE 5 (purple) to Dongdaemun history and culture park and go out at Exit 14. In the middle of Exit 13 and 14 is the entrance to the mall. Take the elevator to basement 3. Entrance to traditional Korean spa is on your left. After changing to spa clothes, go down the stairs to the spa. The look of the spa is common to how they are shown in Korean dramas.

*Check this site on how to make a "sheep towel" which was made famous in the Korean drama, "Kim Sam Soon" in 2005, How to make a Korean sauna towel

B. Sleep at hanoks (traditional Korean houses)
Warning: You'd have to sleep on the floor and the towels they provide are as big as hand towels. Bring your own towel (better the absorbent ones to save space in your luggage) if you plan to stay for more than a night.

C. Gangnam is more than just the "Gangnam" style!!
Aside from doing the "Gangnam" pose near the sign that says Gangnam...
It is the best place to be if you want to spot/meet celebrities face-to- face. In my case, I met Jang Geun Seok of "You Are Beautiful", "Mary Stayed Out All Night" and the current endorser of Nature Republic.
There are high chances of celebrity sightings here.

D. Changdeokgung Palace moonlight tour if given the chance. It would be a rare experience to see it at night : ). http://eng.cdg.go.kr/main/popup/eng_poster.html
Also in the palaces, they have a live play with the palace guards by the entrance, free of charge : ).

E. The streets of Honggik University in Hongdae are lined up with artsy clothes, shoes and coffee shops that have this friendly neighborhood flair with a homey, welcoming feeling: ). It would be an art enthusiast's go to place since the surrounding area oozes with creativity. On weekends, they have a bazaar of unusual finds made by students and street performers, too.

F. Insadong is a good place although expensive for shopping because it is a tourist spot and it's also near the palaces. The neighborhood is a mix of traditional and artistic buildings which is a breath of fresh air from the busy city : ). It's a good place to hangout and relax, too.

G. Participate in traditional craft making. You can check Bukchon tourist center near Anguk subway station in front of Hyundai corporate building for schedule of events. They also have this on the lower level of Incheon airport.

4. What I saw

Korea, I think, is the coffee shop capital of the world. Everywhere you look are coffee shops of different brands, local and international alike : ). Near our hanok were about 5 coffee shops each, a 5- minute or less, walk away.

5. Most awesome thing I saw

When we were in my friend's car and a taxi was blocking the way, I expected my friend to honk his car horn to make the taxi go away. But my friend didn't. Honking of car horns is apparently uncommon in Korea. Even if some people were blocking the car's way, drivers would just wait for the people to realize that they are blocking the way, wait for them to move away, before driving forward. Impressive road manners.

6. Thrilling budget find

You'll see a couple of clothes on sale wherever you go but they are usually a dime a dozen. If you want to spot sales everywhere, go to the subway station in Gangnam. I think it's a shopping haven of cheap but good finds : ).

In Insadong, near the tiled mural, you can find good quality and fashionable shoes for P400.

Beauty brands like, Etude, The Face Shop, Innisfree, Missha, Nature Republic, Olive Young, etc., often have sales in all of their branches. You'll see them in Dongdaemun, Myeongdong, Insadong, Gangnam subway, etc., : ). They have wholesale items at good prices. Also great for pasalubongs : ).

7. Local's advice

Travel after 9:30 am since rush hour happens before this time. Anyway, most stores and cafes will still be closed if you go too early.

8. What I expected

The hanok to be spacious, it wasn't. But, it was comfy nonetheless.
Not to be able to go to a lot of places, but I did.
It to be like in the Korean telenovelas, it was far better than that.
Not to see an actor I like after a long time, but I did.

9. Must-avoid traveler's traps/travel tips based on my experience

A. Buy a plug adaptor. Just show them the picture below if you don't know it in Korean. Their sockets are round so our plugs won't fit. I'm not sure with high-end hotels though.

Plug Adaptor suitable for use in South Korea

B. Better to change money in Korea than in the Philippines. USD 200 in the Philippines = 190,000+ won. In Korea, where I traded mine in Insadong, it was 217,000 won. Huge difference!.

C. For souvenirs, like small items, etc., best to get them at Dongdaemun shopping complex along Cheonggyecheon stream , right behind Dongdaemun malls. Cheaper and at wholesale prices, too. Say, " chom gak ajuseyo" , to ask for a discount ; ).

D. You get to save on roaming charges for calls/ text via Viber/Kakaotalk messenger (Korean version of Viber) since Internet is available in most places. But, you'll need a password to get full access outside your hotel or in restaurants. 

You can buy wi-fi cards/password at convenience stores. Register in the internet provider's website and input the password, then you're wi-fi ready.

Wi-Fi card

note: don't throw away receipts from cafes because that is where they put their wi-fi passwords.

E. Get the map of the subway and of Seoul to get ready. Map out your itinerary on the first day or before that so you'll be able to maximize your stay there.

F. Somethings might not be as you expected, but learn to have fun and make the best out of what would be an irritable situation!

Annyonghikaseyo!


Seoul, South Korea Photo Collection by Lop Ponciano