Korea D2 - Seoul Searching

Good Morning Blog,

Today was the second day in Korea. Everyone's body clock simply woke us up to prepare for the day ahead.

ML and I decided to step out to explore the place where we stayed.

HD was on his way, taking a transit flight to Korea to join our group. He should arrive within the next few hours to bring us around.

Nearby our Airbnb, appeared to be another Airbnb, as I saw people of various races emerge from their homes.

Oooo! Miss Sky also made it to Korea. The morning temperature was about 10 degrees, and if there was any wind, I might freeze.

A typical Korean street that differed from Singapore's tall skyscrapers and apartments.

(Credit ML) I was curious about the small green patch on Google Maps, and since it was close by, I decided to check it out. I also wanted to give G a personal space in the house to ease her daily output.

The cables are neat and tidy, making me feel safe.

Korean manhole designs will never win over the Japanese.

I like how nature combines with architecture.

(Credit ML) Now, add in a human element, specifically me as a model, to make the entire scene look bad.

This scene is ideal for converting into anime style. Let me give it a try!

It should have a pencil sketch effect, rather than an anime style.

We arrived at Neutinamu Children's Park, a small park. Actually, I wanted to explore somewhere larger... Which is Seongsan. Oh well, I can not take ML with me; she will kill me for walking too far. I guess I will do it myself next time.

Beautiful blue sky, which I rarely see in Singapore; usually I only see cloudy skies.

Small park, but happy memories for the children who played here.

HD had arrived safely, and it was time for him to be our guide.

Korea's escalator culture, with most people taking the right lane, is similar to Taiwan's.

HD told us today that he will show us his favourite itinerary for anyone visiting Korea for the first time.

(credit ML) Just have a moment to myself

Typical weekend morning, similar to Singapore's MRT system

Finally, our wish to travel with colleagues came true, which may appear ridiculous to others, but in our case, it took years of comfort working together and special arrangements at our workplace to make it happen; therefore, if either condition is not met, I doubt it will happen at all.

Alright, back to the main topic: where were we going today? HD suggested that we travel to Nami Island by rail cycle.

We needed to stop at Yongsan Station to purchase an ITX ticket for the express train to Gapyeong, where Nami Island is located. Otherwise, taking a regular train would result in a long ride.

HD tried to purchase express tickets at the counter; luckily, she could converse with us in English.

Entry requires a special paper ticket. My mind blurred as I tried to understand how the train network system worked.

We were assigned a cabin to sit in. Luckily, we had free seating; otherwise, we might have ended up standing throughout the ride, and a conductor moved around to check our tickets.

In the meantime, everyone occupied themselves with their phones and other matters.

I just moved to check the scene outside the window.

I saw some passengers walk past us and enter through this door. So I opened the door; there were two floors in the cabin!

Let's start with the top.

Oooo! Interesting.

What about the bottom floor?

It’s fascinating to have two floors combined into one cabin, just like the top floor.

It’s fascinating to notice that the bottom of the seat has a design.

I just enjoyed a Danish pastry for breakfast on the train. Oh my! It was good!

This express train may save us time, but we need to transfer to another ITX rail at Sangbong station to reach Gangyeong station. (To be honest, it was a bit confusing. I had to check with HD several times to understand what was happening while writing this post.)

Generally, this ITX train cannot take us to the designated station, so we need to transfer.

I took a while to understand it properly. (based on the Korail map)
We began our journey at Hongik University Station on the turquoise line and needed to reach Gimyujeong Station, which is on the dark turquoise line. To save time, we decided to take the ITX train. We purchased an express ticket at Yongsan Station and then travelled to Sangbong Station, where we transferred to the dark turquoise line. After stopping at Gapyeong, we returned to Gimyujeong Station, as it does not have ITX service. Confusing? Yes, I know... Writing this here, was to assist myself in understanding what was going on. So you can skip this.

Gapyeong station. Oh my! Miss Sky was also excited!

Let's have a group together!

According to HD, our destination was Gimyujeong Station, which ITX does not stop at, so we had to exit at Gapyeong and then take a normal train.

Waiting and loading... Blank out!

For the time being, I guess I will just follow and empty my mind. Information overload.

Looking out the window, I was awed by the natural scenery.

Then a lamppost got in my shot.

Full, unobstructed view of the landscape

Finally, we arrived at Gimyujeong Station. What an iconic architecture.

(Credit ML) They were taking a wefie, and I composed myself to fit into their shot.

According to HD, Gimyujeong is a great place to unwind and enjoy the scenery, and we plan to do some activities here before leaving.

I enjoy seeing a country's natural and less urban areas.

Like less tall towering buildings and older architects.

YuJeong Forest Story

Hmm... There is not much information available online about the Yujeong Forest Story; it is more likely a scenic spot with cultural significance, and I do not see any forest or an unknown story.

But, regardless, it will become the EAS Korea Story because the trip itself was already impossible.

And this was our first itinerary of the day together. The captain agreed! ✌🏼

I am still curious about the story behind Yujeong Forest... Then I started imagining... The story began on a train.

There is a saying that 'Life is like a train journey, where we stop at various stations, picking up and dropping off passengers - people, experiences, and moments - for a brief time, before continuing on to our final destination.'

Jeff, a nerd, was on his way to Korea for the first time and was concerned about what lay ahead. But he knew he would have to be patient and cautious to get on the right train, or maybe find someone to ride with.

(credit HD) So he kept looking but did not dare to hope for anything.

(Credit HD) Alright! It is time to board the train and see what has been installed for him.

A friendly conductor directed him to his seat, but it was empty.

(Credit HD) So Jeff waited and waited. There is no one to interact with, and some passengers simply arrive and leave. He sometimes forgot where he was going, and it was more like a journey of numbness that made loneliness bearable.

Jeff considered becoming a train conductor instead of a passenger so that he could serve and ride alongside the passengers more often. What a way to improve his chances of meeting someone special.

Two passengers always took long-distance train rides. How does Jeff know that? Because he noticed them but lacked the courage to approach, he understands that most passengers do not want to be bothered by anything unnecessary; therefore, knowing and not having a thick skin can sometimes be a curse.

Jeff now has a new role, which allows him to engage and interact with passengers while learning more about them. That is where the friendship began to develop. Unfortunately, happiness did not last long, as a virus outbreak turned humans into zombies. 🧟‍♂️

This was not what Jeff asked for! Because his friends had transformed into zombies! The loss of friendship turned his and other people's lives upside down. Jeff had to abandon his friends, who had turned into zombies, to save the survivors. This marks the beginning of Yuchun Train Story 愚蠢火車故事 Silly Train Story (a pun on Yujeong Forest Story).

Stay tuned to find out what happens next. Part 2 will be available if there is enough budget (nonsense).

If we were to continue the Yuchun Train Story, what would happen to the survivors? What awaits them on their journey?

Jeff must face an inner demon: the realisation that everyone has their own set of standards, beliefs, fears, and selfishness that must be balanced against the greater good of other people's safety and survival.

Feeling trapped and wondering...

When will the apocalypse end? But in this way, nature will be balanced and free of human destruction...

Anyway, back to reality. HD told us to walk to Rail Park which is nearby.

(credit G) Gangchon Rail Park.

Ooo, there were a lot of visitors here.

It was morning but somehow it felt like evening.

(Credit HD) Oooo... I thought HD mentioned cycling earlier, so I assumed we had to ride a bicycle, but we would be riding on a rail cycle.

(Credit HD) According to HD, when he enquired about the time slot, the majority of them were already taken, leaving only two slots (5.30pm or 6.30pm) in the evening, so we purchased the 5.30pm slot... Now we had about six hours of timing, so...

...We returned to Gapyeong and took a taxi to Daljeon-ri.

Daljeon-ri is a small tourist town from which you can take a ferry to Nami Island.

Tourists from China (in particular) were instructed to gather in one location to await the leader's purchase of tickets.

I just waited here with Ice Cream Monster for HD and the gangs to pick me up.

Time to load ourselves onto the ferry.

It appeared that there were only two ferries that transported passengers back and forth.

Is there a story about this ice cream?

Inside the main deck, it was much less crowded than...

...outside the deck of the ferry.

Because you can capture photographs of the scenery.

I attempted to take photos from both inside and outside the main deck; I believe the glass panel from the main deck creates an interesting rainbow in the photo.

Salute the sailors who are guarding the ferry, and repeat... Most people will get "job sick" from this.

Oh, Nami Island is ahead of us.

According to Google Maps, Nami Island appears to have formed when a main river flow was split by a solid or higher ground.

According to some research, Nami is a man-made island created in 1944 as a result of the construction of the Cheongpyeong Dam north of the Han River. The Island had been a wasteland for two decades before it was purchased in 1965 and forestation began.

Every passenger began to unload and head inside, while others waited to reload the ferry.

I am not sure if you are an ice cream monster or what.

Oooo, it reminded me of Coney Island in Singapore - everything here is not natural and was artificially planted, but it is still far superior to Coney Island due to the beautiful trees, though Coney Island is also trying.

Ah! Is this a snowman or ice cream mascot?

It is interesting to see Korean traditional architecture here.

It would be great if someone could explain how they or Koreans live in such environments.

So far, all I can do is feel it.

Ah! This is a 葫蘆藤 bottle gourd. It has a long history of growth, particularly in Japan and Korea. It can be used for a variety of purposes, including medicine, food, bottles, and even decoration.

This was stunning, and I can imagine taking a picture of it without the crowds and being a part of it. Oh well, it is a social media versus reality moment.

I found a perfect moment with less crowds, but no one was there to help me. 😂. In any case, I am not a demi god that others would want to snap.

I would like to have a picture of just rows of trees with no people in it.

If my hiking spot looked like this, I would be overjoyed because the neatness of the trees would help to relax me even further.

The metal cloud frame is more visible at night, why so? Because it will light up at night.

An interesting monster sculpture made from a dead tree. I was curious what these words meant... Can anyone help me?

I lost track of my colleagues while admiring more trees as if they all had the same goal. Hmm, where are they heading to?

Oooo! This is what a Nami Island looked like, along with potential cycling routes.

Looking at the map, it appears to be Coney Island, complete with proper natural setup and locations.

This was afternoon sun, but it appeared to be 9-10:30 a.m. in Singapore. I suppose the sky will look different higher up from the equator. Obviously!

But, to be honest, the visitors were rather dense for today; I believe it would be less crowded on a weekday.

The heritage structures here are better maintained than those in Singapore, which last only a few months.

They also keep the area less wild and more organised because it is a paid tourist attraction.

If I were exploring in Singapore and came across an abandoned house like this, I am sure the authorities would demolish or remove it; otherwise, explorers would damage it.

There are numerous beautiful and photographable structures here.

The HD group was looking for a halal-certified restaurant to have lunch.

As for me, I just enjoyed the scenery and chatted with them.

(Credit HD) We did not have much time to explore the entire island, so we took some quick shots before leaving.

Smile everyone!

Remember how we scheduled the railway cycle at 5.30 p.m.? It was now around 4:45 p.m. After we had loaded the ferry, it waited for more passengers to board before leaving... I had a bad feeling.

Beautiful sunset, and I wish I had more time to visit this island again.

Guess what... it was 5:15 p.m. We did not have time to return to the Railway Park because it would take at least 35 minutes to travel from this town to the train station, wait for the train, and arrive at our destination.

So we decided to take a taxi and arrived at Railway Park around 5.45 p.m. We arrived late for the cycling.

That place was deserted when we arrived. The 5:30 p.m. slot had left us. HD approached the staff, who stated that they could not do anything for us without a refund. What a waste of money... Not that we missed the ride and had to pay for a taxi to get here...

(Credit HD) Insert the music song "🎼lonely🎶 I feel so lonely🎵"

Oooo! Three eggs were the same price as two at the convenience store, but these tasted better.

I figured we would spend the time taking photos here while there were fewer people and a decent amount of light for great shots.

We tried and learnt that we needed to adjust our time properly. Perhaps the time spent at Nami Island for lunch should be monitored.

Taking photos with fewer people makes me feel more at ease.

HD felt bad for us for missing the ride, but he also felt that we should enjoy our time in Korea. HD always recommends Rail Park rides to his friends, especially first-timers, so he will pay for us and request the last available slot. The staff also felt for us and gave us a 20% discount (or something).

I suppose I understand why we could not continue with the 5.30pm slot because there was a safety briefing and they needed to clear in batches because we had a train to catch to a nearby station, so they could not wait for any latecomers.

Thanks to HD for this treat; without you, we might not have experienced it.

(Credit ML and G) Everyone was excited for this ride.

I looked out the sky...

It's getting dark now. No wonder most people prefer an earlier slot than the last slot.

Imagine if it were daytime; the scenery would be amazing.

We started our ride, and oh my, let me tell you—the evening temperature was freezing! As we cycled, the cold wind numbed my face, neck, and even my fingers. I had initially wanted to wear shorts, but luckily, HD stopped me from doing so.

Exciting moments made us forget the cold as we approached the first tunnel. The first tunnel was illuminated by glowing lalang plants, creating a beautiful scene.

A creative way to earn money while also making us feel that our spending is worthwhile.

After one or two minutes, we exited the tunnel, and I thought we were coming to the end of the ride.

There was a second tunnel filled with bubbles! We were so excited about it! The tunnel also had the sound of bubbles.

I couldn't stop taking pictures here because it was so dreamy.

The ride was so slow that the next one approached behind us, forcing us to speed up.

Oooo! Another tunnel!

What theme does this third tunnel have?

Galaxy themed! I love this!

We were entering another dimension!

He turned back and snapped, managing to get the best tunnel shot, perfect for desktop wallpaper.

We thought we were done with the tunnel when something bright started coming toward us! THERE WAS A TRAIN COMING TOWARDS US!!! NOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo~!

Okay... It went passed us.

From a distance, we should hear something... The fourth Tunnel!

It was a disco tunnel! We just danced and went wild to the techno music!

The disco light kept flashing and changing, which easily excited everyone!

The video could explain how the flashing was, but unfortunately, I was unable to capture the other colour flashes.

It was our last tunnel, and we were craving more!

Here was the end of the ride.

The satisfaction level was at 101%. I believe that if we chose an earlier slot, the tunnel might not be as dark, allowing the colours and lights to shine through better. This would create a different experience for HD as well, which is evident from his expression.

The next item after the ride was the Romance Train

It was an open cabin train and it was windy too.

It was a dark sky, and I could see many stars. I didn’t bring my star pointer to share constellations with them!

I tried to capture the sky, but the train captain jokingly approached me, saying he was cold. Hahaha! I understand; the temperature here is really freezing!

We were supposed to take a shuttle bus back to our starting point. Oh my, it was about four or five stations away.

Bye mascot, I did not have time to get to know you.

After more than two hours of non-express train travel and transit, G wanted to make a last-minute purchase in Myeongdong, while I just got this delicious Acai bowl for dinner.

Overall, today's itinerary was exciting. We got to see the scenic side of Korea, but we did not have time to visit other places. But, as I reflect, today was only a taste of it. I plan to explore Taiwan or Malaysia first if I have the time and money.

Jeff