By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Magdalena Krisnawati
Photos = Magdalena Krisnawati
I haven't written for the inwards a long time. Thank God I finally receive got spare time, thence I tin focus on writing again. This time, I desire to percentage my experiences too my personal feelings too thoughts most Korea afterwards visiting the province inwards mid-April. For another Korea.net honorary reporters who alive inwards Korea, too for you lot who receive got visited Korea many times, what I write hither may non live real special. However, for me, who only visited Korea for the commencement time, I was thence excited too it made for me some actually unforgettable memories.
I went to Korea amongst my best friend to relish the jump there. Though this was my commencement fourth dimension inwards Korea, I chose non to become amongst a tourist group, but planned my trip myself, from getting the visa too arranging the itinerary all the way through to booking a room inwards a hostel. What made me a fleck worried was when I applied for a visa. I was thence happy when my friend's too my visa applications were approved. Then nosotros were only counting the time, twenty-four hours past times day, until the big twenty-four hours came.
It was Sunday, Apr 16, 2017, when our plane took off at 11:30 p.m. from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport inwards Jakarta. I could hardly slumber during the nighttime flight. I wondered what nosotros would live going through tommorrow. Until the morn came, a few minutes earlier landing, nosotros had a lot of turbulence equally the atmospheric condition was gloomy too cloudy. Thank God everything was fine too nosotros safely landed at Incheon International Airport on fourth dimension at 9:30 a.m. local times. Finally! Korea hither nosotros come!
Heavy pelting welcomed us upon our arrival inwards Korea. The atmospheric condition was real mutual frigidity too windy. This wasn't what I expected. I idea the atmospheric condition would live warm inwards the spring. From the hot atmospheric condition inwards DKI Jakarta to the of a precipitous mutual frigidity atmospheric condition inwards Korea, my trunk needed to conform for a while.
The side past times side surpise came when I took the aerodrome motorcoach to our hostel inwards the neighborhood of Sinchon. I actually felt the give-and-take bbali-bbali when the middle-aged homo inwards accuse at the motorcoach halt asked me to hurry up, to deed faster, to instruct on the motorcoach quickly. It was a fleck surprising, but it makes me smiling to recollect that.
After an hr too a one-half journeying past times bus, nosotros checked inwards at our hostel, took a interruption for a while, too and then nosotros started our adventures inwards Seoul.
Night tour at Gyeongbokgung Palace
Our commencement goal was the Cheonggyecheon Stream. I took the subway to instruct there. I downloaded an app to aid me role the subway inwards Seoul too to uncovering directions to almost all the places nosotros desire to become to during our remain inwards Seoul.
By the fourth dimension nosotros flora the location of the Cheonggyecheon Stream, nosotros only said, "Wow. Here it is! The Cheonggyecheon Stream, the current that I commonly catch inwards many Korean lather operas." It's soundless unbelievable forthwith that I was inwards the reason of Korea. After enjoying the nuances of the Cheonggyecheon Stream too taking some pictures, I went to a big edifice across the street, the primary tourist information center, where the K-Style Hub is located. We tin uncovering all sorts of information most Korea here. We tin endeavor on some traditional Hanbok attire for free, too at the K-Pop Star zone -- thank you lot to technology -- nosotros tin accept a painting amongst our favorite star equally if nosotros were actually side past times side. It's actually fun there.
We continued our walking tour that day, heading for Gwanghwamun. It was real crowded. There was a receive going on for a presidential election, too the tents to commemorate the Sewol ferry tragedy inwards 2014 were soundless there. From Gwanghwamun Square nosotros reached Gyeongbokgung Palace. This is actually especial because inwards Apr the palace offers nighttime tours for visitors. We bought tickets for the nighttime tour too I saw that at that topographic point were many professional person photographers there, too also some visitors wearing beautiful Hanbok attire. It was getting black when I went through the primary gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace too I was able to catch the beauty of the palace at nighttime amongst colorful lights. Lucky me, that I soundless could experience the nuance of the cherry blossoms there. It was a actually romantic nighttime tour.
Nami Island, Petite French Republic too Myeongdong
We enjoyed these iii places on our 2nd twenty-four hours inwards Korea. It was raining during our tour of Nami Island, but it couldn't dampen my spirit to explore this country. What nosotros were looking for was the filming spot of the lather opera "Winter Sonata." I think this demo agency a lot to a lot of people, non alone inwards Korea but also for Korean lather opera lovers all around the world. We all knew that "Winter Sonata" was the starting betoken of the Korean Wave, the popularity of Korean pop music, TV shows too movies across Eastern Asia too elsewhere. For lovers of Korean TV, "Winter Sonata" made a deep impression on us, too that's why people around the basis come upward to Nami Island to convey dorsum the retentiveness of the distressing storey of "Winter Sonata." Again, I was happy that I soundless could catch some cheery blossoms on Nami Island. It looked to a greater extent than beautiful inwards the rain.
Enjoying the nature of Nami Island made us experience fresh too peaceful, but I had to tell goodbye to the romantic isle too exit for Petite France. As the hollo implies, nosotros were able to experience what it felt similar to live inwards a modest hamlet inwards French Republic at Petite France, a filming spot for many Korean lather operas, such equally "Bethoven Virus," "Secret Garden" too "My Love From the Star." I similar the pastel colours of all the buildings combined amongst the colorful flowers there.
We were dorsum inwards Seoul inwards the afternoon too went to Myeongdong. This neighborhood is a existent paradise for those who honey to clothing upward too position on laid upward up. What I similar hither was that at that topographic point were diverse Korean brands of cosmetics amongst cute packaging. My friend told me that buying Korean cosmetics inwards Korea was cheaper compared to buying them inwards Indonesia. That’s why I saw many Indonesian tourists inwards Myeongdong buying all sorts of Korean cosmetics.
Insadong, the Bukchon Hanok Village, KBS too the Hangang River
My friend too I woke upward early on the side past times side morn on our 3rd twenty-four hours inwards Seoul because nosotros were going to see 4 locations that were quite far apart from each other. Again, nosotros did a walking tour of Insadong too of the Bukchon Hanok Village. I think I roughshod inwards honey amongst Insadong because at that topographic point were many traditional Korean handicrafts at that topographic point too I bought some Korea souvenirs, too. By the way, for whatever other Indonesian tourists out there, if you lot run out of Korean cash afterwards shopping inwards Insadong too if you lot alone receive got pupiah left, you lot tin uncovering a KEB Bank at that topographic point too alter your rupiah into won at that bank. You don’t receive got to worry whatever to a greater extent than most shopping inwards Insadong.
From Insadong, nosotros went to the Bukchon Hanok Village where I was able to relish some traditional Korean houses amidst the many modern buildings. We followed the modest alleys to catch many types of traditional Hanok homes too their distinctive architecture. They were all beautiful too unique. If you lot don’t desire to walk, you lot tin hire a rickshaw to instruct around the Bukchon Hanok Village, the best way to salvage your energy.
The atmospheric condition that twenty-four hours was real hot. So afterwards lunchtime, nosotros determine to become to our side past times side destination, the Korea Broadcasting Service (KBS), to come across our friend who go at KBS Radio Republic of Indonesia Service. I volition tell you lot most my experience at KBS inwards a split upward article. Now, however, I volition tell you lot most a identify that's real cool too a must-visit when you're inwards Seoul. This is the Yeouinaru Hangang River where you lot tin accept an Instagram-worthy painting hither nether the sign that says "I Seoul U." For me, this was the primary landmark of Seoul, afterwards the northward Seoul Tower, of course.
We spent an afternoon at Yeouinaru enjoying some alive music too the Hangang riverside. I actually felt a practiced ambiance at that topographic point that eliminated our fatigue afterwards our day-long trips.
Itaewon, northward Seoul Tower, Seokchon Lake too Banpo Bridge
Those are the places nosotros hitting on our 4th twenty-four hours inwards Seoul. For Muslim travelers, visiting Itaewon is a must, where nosotros could catch too experience the life of the Muslim community inwards Korea. Besides that, nosotros were able to see the Seoul Central Masque inwards Itaewon. If you're lucky, you lot tin come across some Korean Muslims at that topographic point too inquire most the life of Muslims inwards Korea.
After looking around Itaewon, nosotros went to the northward Seoul Tower past times bus. Initially, nosotros planned to become to the observatory deck, but nosotros only went to the terrace of northward Seoul Tower where nosotros could catch a panoramic persuasion the metropolis of Seoul. , As you lot all know, you lot may exit a trail of "locks of love" at the northward Seoul Tower.
We were at that topographic point for alone an hr too a half. We took the subway i time again to become to Seokchon Lake. We went at that topographic point because nosotros wanted to catch the Sweet Swans project. It’s a floating menage unit of measurement of giant swans too 5 cygnets around them. The swans are inflatable sculptures created past times Dutch creative somebody Florentijn Hofman.
“The swan menage unit of measurement is a visualization of love, which, similar the air, surrounds us, but nosotros oftentimes forget most it,” said Hofman, equally quoted inwards Korean media.
I really felt the beautiful jump air equally I was sitting past times the lake looking at the giant inflatable swan. People all around me also looked happy there. This was the joy of spring. However, nosotros had to exit the beautiful sights of Seokchon Lake equally the dusk was coming too nosotros soundless had i to a greater extent than destination. We i time again took the subway to the Banpo Bridge to relish the rainbow fountain there. We asked some people for directions to the bridge. After walking most thirty minutes, nosotros finally flora the perfect seat from which to relish the Banpo Bridge.
The Banpo Bridge rainbow fountain demo started at 8 p.m. Looking at the colorful fountain water, I of a precipitous felt a fleck distressing that this would live our finally twenty-four hours inwards Seoul. We had to pack this night, too accept a morn flying the side past times side day.
Above all, I give thank you lot God that He gave me a peril to catch other parts of the world. I actually had a practiced fourth dimension inwards Seoul over the past times 4 days. I also give thank you lot too recollect the people who kindheartedly came to us too helped us uncovering the correct directions too accept the correct prepare during our trip. These were people who spoke to us nicely fifty-fifty though nosotros could alone communicate amongst gestures. Nonetheless, nosotros exchanged smiles too laughter.
I don’t know if I'll live able to become dorsum to Korea again. Nonetheless, what I receive got gone through inwards Seoul volition live everlasting for me. Maybe that’s why jump is e'er beautiful too full of love.
Annyeong, Seoul. Until nosotros come across i time again
wisdom117@Korea.kr
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