Day 6

Day 6 was pretty slack, we left the guesthouse quite late, I can't remember for what reason, but I think it had to do with me having to file for graduation or something like that. So before we left for sightseeing my brother and I and went to the convenience store to stock up on all these. Hahaha I actually had the intention to drink half the number of bottles of banana milk that I bought, because since it was already day 6 and it would be more expensive in Singapore for sure. But I didn't in the end! Major regret! Next time when I go to Korea again, I'm going to have one bottle daily! Or maybe have coffee as well. Why am I thinking of all these now when I'm not even going there anytime soon.. Hahaha.

And the coffee. I actually bought the healthier choice, which was less sugar or something. But it didn't taste nice. The nice one was the one I had on day 5. Moral of the story: When on holiday, do not think about healthier choices!

My Mum, brother and I in front of our guesthouse. We stayed there based on my friend's recommendation that the owners are very friendly, but maybe not to us. I read somewhere that Koreans are actually more friendly to people who travel alone, so we didn't fall into the category of people who they think should deserve their hospitality more I guess. But they're helpful though! They helped us book a taxi to the airport on the last day. And we paid about $21 per person per night. There're other cheaper guesthouses but I was quite satisfied with what I got. They had free wireless so I could use Whatsapp and my laptop, and you don't even need a key or card because they use the high-tech number system. Don't know how to describe it but it's the kind you see in Korean dramas. I thought it was quite cool. Our room was just like a small house, with a stove, washing machine, refrigerator and toilet. Very self-sufficient. So I highly recommend this guesthouse! And it's rather convenient, because you can just walk from Hongdae station. Although it's quite a distance, but it's Korean style! They walk a lot everyday so it's good to live like the Koreans when in Korea. Good exercise after a heavy meal of meat and all!

The path we walked everyday. I liked living in a guesthouse, as compared to a hotel. Not that I lived in a hotel in Korea, but it just made me feel like I was experiencing Korea not so much as a tourist, but living like they live. Like walking on the streets to the subway station like they do and all. Not sure if I'm making sense here, since I was, without a doubt, a tourist.

A very nice looking ddeokbokki shop. I bought from them the moment I had the chance to. One day while walking back to the guesthouse, we saw it was closed so we peeked inside and saw that they were filming a drama!! Too bad they have way too many broadcasting station and way too many dramas released at one time, so we won't be able to find out which drama it was. I really ordered ddeokbokki whenever I passed by a shop that sold it. But I always couldn't finish it, so luckily my mum and brothers helped me finish them^^. Relatively cheap in my opinion. It costs about 2000 won or 2500 won for quite a lot, which is actually one serving. 

So we headed out for duty free shopping. Not that I had anything I wanted to buy. But we were so smart that we forgot to bring out our passports. So we couldn't buy a single thing. Couldn't find lotte duty free so we went to shilla duty free and met Yunho and Changmin! In poster and advertisement form. Lol!

Stairs, stairs and more stairs. Not that I'm complaining! Hahaha. 

So after realising we couldn't buy anything from the duty free, we left to go to Dongdaemun, or was it Namdaemun. Really can't remember! I think it was dongdaemun because we went to the lotte supermarket to buy some side dishes for my Dad! But yet I don't remember walking so far from Dongdaemun to Namdaemun. Our first fast food lunch at Lotteria. I liked lotteria because they have shaker fries all the time! And so many different flavours to choose from! I had the bulgogi burger, which was actually just a beef patty burger, but it was still nice. Their menu looked really nice but as always, the pictures always look nicer than what is really served.

On the way to Namdaemun! I had starbucks before that in some shopping centre [edit: Dug out my receipt from Starbucks and checked the name of the shopping mall. It's Shinsegae in Myeongdong. No idea how we ended up in Myeongdong that day though!]. But now I really can't remember where and which shopping centre it was. Should have blogged sooner): Very atas, and it looked a little like Ion or Taka. I had my usual of green tea frappucino, and it tasted the same no matter where I order it. I've ordered it in Taiwan as well. Same taste.

Their banks look so nice on the outside.

No photos of Namdaemun because I was busy shopping and combing the malls by myself. There honestly wasn't anything much, or I wasn't looking in the right places. But I got a maxi dress for only 10 000 won! I only spent a grand total of 15 000 won there. Equivalent to about S$16.

Then we headed to experience a piece of Korean life! The words in orange read 'Happy day spa'. Which was essentially just the bathhouse that my mum wanted to visit so much. Managed to find one in Hongdae, but it wasn't easy to find because I was following the instructions to look for a wedding hall, which was a huge building in brown or orange. But we walked up and down the correct place, only to realise that the wedding hall was under construction. Omg really such a coincidence that it was on construction. I really couldn't believe it. Hahaha. And my brothers were blaming me because we walked past it many times. But how can they blame me.. My eyes were on the lookout for a tall and big building, not something covered in green mesh under construction. The entrance fee cost us about 8800 won each, which gives you 12 hours inside the place. Quite worth it if you want to sleep for the night, if you compare it to a guesthouse. Last time in Korean tutorial we had to plan a trip given a budget (for fun!) and people said they wanted to live in a bathhouse! Because some had limited money.

They gave us these clothes to change into. Very comfortable like clothes I wear at home. And they gave 2 lockers. The first, a very small one to put the shoes, and the next a huge one to put our clothes (the ones you can see behind) and belongings. Quite cool okay! Not key operated, we just had to tap the coin looking thing we were given on the sensor and it would open/lock. 

And I was so not prepared for the sight that awaited me in the showering area. Obviously I didn't bathe there because I was not comfortable bathing with so many people around. So we just went to the mixed area where we could meet my brothers.

So after much difficulty communicating, we finally had eggs to eat! The lady couldn't understand a single bit of English and I don't think she understood my Korean as well. We wanted to buy eggs and yet she told us that we couldn't wear watches in the place and had to keep it in the locker. No idea what the difference in colours of the eggs meant. I think I only had one though! They gave us packets of salt to eat with the eggs, lol.

The interior of the room, which you can sleep in. Reminds me of we got married! The Adam couple and Woojung couple especially. 

So we didn't stay in there for the 12 hours. Kind of wasted money since it was really quite expensive. We only stayed in there for about an hour. Just for the experience I guess. And it was dinner time! Didn't try tonkatsu at all during the past 5 days, so we decided to give this restaurant a try. The display (as always) looked so tempting. 

My mum's seafood udon or something like that. The portion was quite small! 

And my curry tonkatsu! I love japanese curry. Okay I know that we were in Korea, but still.. It tasted really really good. I think I finished all the rice and everything on my tray except the soup. The yellow slices are pickled radish, if I remember correctly. It's 단무지 if I'm not wrong! Haha we learnt it in Korean 2. These food photos are making me want to eat these again! But I shall wait! Good things shall come to those who wait:D

My brother's set which consisted of both rice and noodles. 

A last minute attempt to capture the surroundings and streets of Hongdae. Since we wouldn't be visiting this part of Hongdae again. This is how we all are, aren't we? In the early days, we're so caught up with the excitement of being in a foreign land and experiencing what it is to be a tourist there that we forget to capture those moments. Although I feel that those moments are really valuable and meaningful, for me I tend to forget those quite fast, so in the last day or last few days of a trip, I'm always scrambling to take photos of the places I became familiar with, so that I don't forget. Or at least if I forget, I have these photos to fall back on. 

This dude in grey was sketching my brother while we were on the train. It was really kind of obvious because he kept looking at my brother. And check out the guy on the left, staring at what he was drawing. It was quite a sight, so I took this photo of them. I was kind of hoping that he would give the drawing to my brother, but he didn't!