First holiday with my brother and the 9 days were absolutely memorable, albeit went by too quickly. As the saying goes, time flies when one is having fun. Indeed. It may not have been as epic as my 2014 Easter Europe escapade, but this trip was significant in strengthening the sister-brother bond. As much as having 2 trips in succession has its toll on my bank account, I don't feel that a single cent was wasted.
There were many highlights in this trip but I'm just going to put down the Top 5:
#1: MT HALLASAN HIKE via Eorimok Trail
We weren't even sure if we were able to complete the 3hrs trek & catch the last bus as there's a cut-off time period and limited shuttle service during winter. But God truly knows the desire of our hearts and upon reaching the visitor centre of the nature reserve, we were so hyped up. We reached at 10am, as what we planned to, and we knew we had enough time to finish the entire trail. The ascent was an uphill task, with slippery grounds and we weren't in the most appropriate hiking gear, unlike the many locals who were also doing the trek. But we made it within the 3hrs time frame and the aching calves and sweaty shirts were totally worth it as the landscapes that greeted us at different points of the hike were truly captivating. We saw snow-capped mistletoe trees, luscious greenery interspersed with what's remaining of the autumn season and the fact that we didn't know what to expect next was enough to just keep us going. At the rest point, we ravished a hot bowl of ramen each and it was brunch with a spectacular view. The descent took less than 2.5hrs and we completed the entire trail by 2.47pm. That feeling of satisfaction was simply indescribable. I believed Benji enjoyed every moment of it as much as I did! I was glad I did a hike with the lil bro!
#2: JEJU FOLK VILLAGE MUSUEM
Good decision on the bro's part to focus on this village for our 2nd day in Jeju and it was truly a fulfilling outing. There wasn't a mad crowd at the museum and at times, we felt like we were the only visitors! We had the time and space to explore every nook and cranny of the entire place, tried out some traditional activities and goofed around. 4hrs went by just like that. The disappointment was that we didn't get to see the outdoor performance as stated in the website. But that aside, it was an eye-opening experience and it was surreal to be on site the filming grounds for some of the mega classic Korean period dramas like "Jewel in the Palace" (大长金).
#3: DMZ-JSA TOUR (Seoul)
Balanced our trip with a historical tour to understand more of the context behind the tension between North and South Korea. The drive through the DMZ showed us how tough it is to be based there to watch guard; there's basically no entertainment whatsoever and it was stretches of barren land with no inhabitants. It was like revisiting some scenes in Descendants of the Sun :) And yes...we drove past the site that was used for the filming of DOTs. The guides were candid and it helped to make the journey more enjoyable as some of the political issues can get rather heavy. Having said that, this tension still exists and those deployed to serve their military duties here really gets my utmost respect. No one ever knows what can trigger an attack and in fact, they are still uncovering many landmines in the DMZ area. Living life on the edge it is.
#4: FOOD...GLORIOUS FOOD!
No trip can ever be complete if food is not in the picture! In our 9 days there, we were treated to an assortment of side dishes, piping hot stews, and their kimchi never fails to whet our appetites. We were never once sick of eating kimchi! We made a point to try out the local delicacies that we know cannot be found easily in SG. As for the street food, Myeongdong seemed to be the one that struck the right chord with us. We thoroughly enjoyed the simple fares we had at the numerous traditional eateries we chanced upon. Nothing we ate disappointed us. Either we are too good at choosing our food or Korean cuisine is simply just mind-blowing!
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| Great help to have! |
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| On our way to Jeju & the wind was crazy! |
There were many highlights in this trip but I'm just going to put down the Top 5:
#1: MT HALLASAN HIKE via Eorimok Trail
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| Summary of our unforgettable hike in winter. |
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| One of the many breathtaking scenes that welcomed us during the trek. |
We weren't even sure if we were able to complete the 3hrs trek & catch the last bus as there's a cut-off time period and limited shuttle service during winter. But God truly knows the desire of our hearts and upon reaching the visitor centre of the nature reserve, we were so hyped up. We reached at 10am, as what we planned to, and we knew we had enough time to finish the entire trail. The ascent was an uphill task, with slippery grounds and we weren't in the most appropriate hiking gear, unlike the many locals who were also doing the trek. But we made it within the 3hrs time frame and the aching calves and sweaty shirts were totally worth it as the landscapes that greeted us at different points of the hike were truly captivating. We saw snow-capped mistletoe trees, luscious greenery interspersed with what's remaining of the autumn season and the fact that we didn't know what to expect next was enough to just keep us going. At the rest point, we ravished a hot bowl of ramen each and it was brunch with a spectacular view. The descent took less than 2.5hrs and we completed the entire trail by 2.47pm. That feeling of satisfaction was simply indescribable. I believed Benji enjoyed every moment of it as much as I did! I was glad I did a hike with the lil bro!
#2: JEJU FOLK VILLAGE MUSUEM
Good decision on the bro's part to focus on this village for our 2nd day in Jeju and it was truly a fulfilling outing. There wasn't a mad crowd at the museum and at times, we felt like we were the only visitors! We had the time and space to explore every nook and cranny of the entire place, tried out some traditional activities and goofed around. 4hrs went by just like that. The disappointment was that we didn't get to see the outdoor performance as stated in the website. But that aside, it was an eye-opening experience and it was surreal to be on site the filming grounds for some of the mega classic Korean period dramas like "Jewel in the Palace" (大长金).
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| Epic dramas! |
#3: DMZ-JSA TOUR (Seoul)
Balanced our trip with a historical tour to understand more of the context behind the tension between North and South Korea. The drive through the DMZ showed us how tough it is to be based there to watch guard; there's basically no entertainment whatsoever and it was stretches of barren land with no inhabitants. It was like revisiting some scenes in Descendants of the Sun :) And yes...we drove past the site that was used for the filming of DOTs. The guides were candid and it helped to make the journey more enjoyable as some of the political issues can get rather heavy. Having said that, this tension still exists and those deployed to serve their military duties here really gets my utmost respect. No one ever knows what can trigger an attack and in fact, they are still uncovering many landmines in the DMZ area. Living life on the edge it is.
#4: FOOD...GLORIOUS FOOD!
No trip can ever be complete if food is not in the picture! In our 9 days there, we were treated to an assortment of side dishes, piping hot stews, and their kimchi never fails to whet our appetites. We were never once sick of eating kimchi! We made a point to try out the local delicacies that we know cannot be found easily in SG. As for the street food, Myeongdong seemed to be the one that struck the right chord with us. We thoroughly enjoyed the simple fares we had at the numerous traditional eateries we chanced upon. Nothing we ate disappointed us. Either we are too good at choosing our food or Korean cuisine is simply just mind-blowing!
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| Black chicken ginseng soup |
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| Soondae stew - blood sausage and pork innards |
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| Myeongdong's goodies |
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| Jumbo Castella Bread - simply fantastic! |
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| Kimchi stew that really hit the sweet spot! |
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| Kalguksu - handmade noodles in seaweed broth. Never knew something so simple can taste so heavenly. |
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| Tonkatsu that wins any pork cutlet hands down! |
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