Kickin' it in Korea

I must admit, my friends really have the adventurous spirit in them. It does not matter whether North Korea fired at South Korea and there is an impending war that week, nothing can stop us from having a great time. :-)

I had my doubts at first but as long as there's no travel advisory, off we went! :-) The first few times in the subway, I was a bit jumpy and observing the local reaction to everything. I would even look over the shoulder of train passengers to watch the local news through their mobile tv… hahaha… not that I understood anything… hahaha!

Another crazy adventure for me, Jacky, Kat, Meme and Grace!!! To Seoul, Anyonghase yeo. Til we meet again. :-)

From Incheon airport:

Get a bus ticket inside the airport before going out to catch your bus. We were staying in Banana Packers and our drop off is Anguk station we took bus 6011 in Exit 5. As soon as we got out of the airport, we felt the 0 degrees weather. MAN! It was like a freezer!!!

The bus ride is about an hour to get to Seoul City. The bus station is around the 3rd stop. You will see an SK gas station. Get off there and walk towards the gas station. Make a right and then cross the street on the first stop sign. Walk into a small alley. Banana Backpackers is about 500 meters from the main road.

As soon as we are all settled in, we ordered food for delivery. Not bad. There was sweet and sour park and noodles in sweet black sauce which cost about Won6,500 (around P300 that can be shared).

First day:

Slept in till about 12… had late lunch and money changed.

Just walked around… first time to taste bibimpap in Korea. Yes… Its a challenge. Point and eat. hahaha! that's what we did.

After having money changed, we walked towards the direction of the main road and it led us to Insadong Market. Went around for a bit and then had coffee in a small bakery.

Even if I was still scared about the N. Korea and S. Korea conflict, I braved riding the subway to go to Dongdaedum market. From Anguk station, take the orange line, transfer to the blue line and then go down Dongdaemun station.

I must admit. I was jumpy and paranoid but I braved it! :-)

After Dongdaemun, we went back to the hostel and waited for Melody and had another serving of the black noodles and sweet and sour pork.

Second day:

SNOW DAY!

Started our day with lunch at a nice resto and then we went to Deoksugung Palace. Entrance fee is W1000 and its closed on Mondays.

The National Museum of Modern ARt is there and there was a show of Picasso's work from Albertina, Vienna. The show entrance cost W10000 but I opted to wait outside and explore the grounds. I chanced upon the changing of the guards which was pretty cool.

After our palace visit, we had coffee at Beans and Berries followed by dinner in KFC. Nothing different, just a bulgogi burger… no rice too. True to form, we really have to try out Mc Donald's and KFC in every country we go to. :-)

After dinner, we tried to catch the lights and sound show at Cheonggyecheon but failed this time since its only until 8 pm. while we were walking we felt that there are small snow flakes falling but it was not until we reached, the shops area where it really snowed.

IT WAS OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE OF SNOW and it was so much fun!!!! :-) I enjoyed just having the snow fall on me and although it was cold… it felt so real and I felt so lucky having to experience snow (of course being born and raised in a tropical country, this experience is quite a treat)! Photos galore! :-) The best part of it, I experienced it with Grace, Meme and Jacky! Fantastic time! Since this was a moment to capture, I bought my Seoul Starbucks mug! :-) Memories! :-)

After playing under the snow, we had ice cream in Baskin Robbins (I know, right! :-)) and then went home after.

THIRD DAY:

After starting with an early lunch, we headed to a coffee shop and then to Nandaedum market where you can find good and cheap clothes, shoes, etc. And then Mengdong for more shopping.

Street food trials galore is what I did today. From hotdog with fries waffle (how efficient right?), to crispy rice cake, to crispy sweet rice cake, gyoza that loos like a siopao to red bean cake shaped like fish… I tried them all. :-)

We finally caught the light show… you have to go to the middle of the stream to watch this 5 minute show. Dinner in the same area and again, Baskin Robbins ice cream to conclude Day 3.

FOURTH DAY:

Lotte World day. Admission price: W26,000

I was really really impressed with this place. Its no Disneyland but its obviously way way better than Enchanted Kingdom. hahaha! My favorite ride of all is the Pharaoh's Fury... the line going to the ride felt like a museum. Its suer galing!

We had chatting while in line. I think that's the best part of traveling with great friends. You have non-stop conversations about everything under the sun.

FIFTH DAY:

Namsol Hanok Village day. Its nice to be able to see the traditional houses but to be honest, there's nothing much here. Its a good park and good for an afternoon stroll.

I don't remember the sequence of events anymore... hahaha! but I do remember going to Itaewon Market and having a night out in Myeong Dong. We also went to a couple of palaces but its really nothing breathtaking. I think if you see one, then, it'll be enough for your whole trip.

A trip to DMZ was not advisable at that time unless we wanted to be part of the American-S. Korean exercises. hehehe!

Others:

Hostel: Banana Backpackers in Seoul - Nice, clean and affordable. For 8 days there, I only paid around Php 6,000.00. Not bad eh! :)

Mode of transport: Bus from airport to hostel

Train all around

Favorite meals: Street Food - chapchae noodles wrapped in nori… oh!!!! everything actually! hahaha!

There's this restaurant in Insadong Market (it has a small fountain in front - I really wish I can remember the name but just like everything else in Korea, i don't remember any names! hahaha!) which serves the yummiest Kalbi Jim I've tasted. Its pricey but really yummy. We went there twice.

Other tips:

1. Get a Hi Seoul Card. You can get this in any convenience stores and have replenish the used up cash in any subway stations. This is useful most especially if you intend to ride the train all the time

2. There are so many stalls selling clothes, bags and other stuff. They can be seen on every subway station. :-)

3. If you're going in November, bring winter clothes (especially if you are in a tropical country). Or buy shoes and clothes there. :-)

4. Bring shoes that are insulated in the foot are and above the calf area. Ugs type shoes are recommended.

5. The people will bump into you in the subway and will not apologize. Get used to it.

6. They still do not speak english well so get ready to point point in restos and have "surprise" food served.

Pagsanjan Falls -- Shooting the Rapids

With short planning time and limited budget, we decided to stay in Manila for the 5 day holiday. Not wanting to do nothing for these rare vacation moments, we decided to do a day trip in Pagsanjan Falls. I've been hearing about this place since I was a kid but I've never really had the chance to go so its pretty exciting to see what this place is all about.

Pagsanjan is about 2 hours away from Makati. We left Makati at 730 am on a Good Friday so there were almost no cars on the road. To get there, take the South Super Highway all the way down to the last exit -- Calamba, Laguna. Follow the road that leads to Los Banos, Laguna. Take the main road and you'll get to Pagsanjan, Laguna. You'll be passing the municipalities of Los Banos, Pila and Sta. Cruz. Enjoy the ride! The view of the trees and the rice fields reminds me how great it is to be out of Manila! Wonderful! We got to the resort at 930 am.

A Pagsanjan Arc will mark your arrival at your destination. Pass the arc and you'll see the Pagsanjan church. Make a right at this point and you will notice a lot of boatman flaggers on the streets. Billboards along the roads will notify you that you shouldn't be dealing with illegal boatmen in the area. Be warned too that there are flaggers as early as 20 minutes away from the main Pagsanjan area. They will tell you that they are part of the Boatmen Association and will bring you to the area. They might be legal but its still best to trust the Department of Tourism Accredited groups.

We have made earlier reservations with La Corona Hotel in Pagsanjan. Their contact info is: 049-5011753. Look for Michael or Marvin. My suggestion is to arrange and book a trip with a hotel or a resort since you can use their facilities after you get wet from the falls. Believe me!!! You would want to take a shower after the trip. With the heat of the sun and the cold water of the falls, you need to freshen up after the rapids trip. :-) It's P100 more than the normal rate but you get to use their facilities and the best part is that, the resorts have back-ups and emergency support if in case something happens during the trip. Their shower rooms are clean so freshening up is not a problem. I just wish they had an exhaust fan in the shower room since its a bit warm.

As soon as we got there, we were received with a warm smile by the receptionist. After paying P760 per person, we relaxed for a few minutes at their breezy patio/ restaurant. After a cup of coffee, a couple of juice drinks and a plate of french fries, we were off on our Shooting the Rapids adventure.

Our Boatmen were waiting for us by the steps leading to the river, ready to put our life vests on. Once the vests have been secured, we got into our canoe. The boats can take 3 people max. I was so scared that we might fall off the canoe in the beginning. It was a small thing carrying 4 people with the boatman in front leading the way and skillfully stepping on the rocks to move our boat forward. These boatmen are unbelievable! After a few minutes of seeing how our boatmen can easily maneuver our boat, I relaxed and just took photos. It was really amazing how they can kick and pull and carry the boats from one point to another.

In between rapids, you will see lush greens on both sides while you're cruising through calm waters. You can hear birds, see dragon flies and spot monkeys along the way. Its a nature trip! Fantastic!

After about 10 minutes on the boat, we had a stop over in a place where you can buy drinks and eat grilled chicken. This is a tourist trap! Once you get off your boat, the vendors will instantly ask you to buy a drink for your boatmen. Since our boatmen were so good, we decided to get each one of them a can of coke. Hmmm... How much is a can? P40! Highway robbery! But, I guess the boatmen do deserve the rest and the soda. The second part of the ride to the falls is much harder than the first part.

When we got to the Pagsanjan Falls (which is actually in the Cavinti, Laguna area), we got on the raft that will bring us inside the cave and under the falls. The raft ride is P90/ head. This is the part that you should not miss!!!! You get wet big time but its so much fun. Remember to put your head down but tilt it a bit on the side where you can get some air. You'll be under the water fall for a good 10 to 20 seconds. Scream as much as you can and enjoy the super cold water!

After a few minutes of rest and admiring the falls, we headed back to the resort. The ride back is faster and more fun since the water is down stream. It felt like being on the Log Jam ride of Enchanted Kingdom!

After 2 hours, we were back in the resort for a much awaited meal. LUNCH! The lunch in the resort is super yummy! Don't miss their Adobo de Pagsanjan (there's a lot of pork fat though so please tell the waiter to remove them if you don't want fat) and Spicy Sizzling Sisig.

To cap off the trip to Pagsanjan, don't ever miss having a massage by Lola Lolita through the resort! She's the best! Plus, you'll have the massage in a cabana near the pool area.


Expenses breakdown per person:
Shooting the Rapids package via resort:
P760 inclusive of vest, boat ride, guide, use of pool and showers at the resort
P 80 two cans of coke for our boatmen
P 90 Raft ride to the falls
P 50 tip for the men at the raft ride
P 200 tip for our boatmen
P 200 (estimate) for lunch
Total cost: P1380
** Exclusive of Gas and Toll fee

Things to remember:
1. Expect to get wet so be in clothes that can get wet
2. Bring toiletries for showering
3. Use sun block -- it can be really hot
4. Bring either a pelican or a bag that is water proof so you have a container for your camera and money
5. Bring water for drinking while you are on the boat
6. You might want to bring a towel or sarong to cover your legs from the heat of the sun

On the way to Camiguin

One hour road trip and one hour ferry ride from Cagayan De Oro City is a beautiful virgin island called "Camiguin".

The journey to get to Camiguin was crazy for us. From our hotel, Casa Crystalla, we rode the jeepney to the bus station. As soon as we got off the jeep, there were men who took our bags from us and carried them towards the area where we can get a ride to the Balingoan port. It would have been very regal and prince charming-like if it was not forced because they need to be paid. We had no choice. We felt like we were being attacked by pirates! Seriously!!! One piece of advice, hold on to your bags if you don't want to be ripped off by these porters. It would be nice if they would offer to help nicely rather than just pulling your bags from your shoulders. I would have given them a bigger tip if that was the case.

The 1 hour, which turned out to be 2 hours, trip from CDO city to Balingoan was funny but excruciatingly painful in the butt. We were in a Kia Besta Van together with 14 (+4 of us) other people. Can you imagine fitting 18 people in one Besta Van?!?! Oh... that does not include, boxes, 7 huge bags, 2 sacks of rice and a rice cooker! hahaha! It was too cramped inside the van that one of the men, had to sit beside the driver while hanging on to the opened door! How unsafe and amusing!!! hahaha!!! After sometime, they realized that we can't travel that way, the man had to find a seat inside the van. Problem is, he won't be able to go in through the door since its packed with luggage. What did he do? He entered through the left window of the van!!!! It was so unbelievably funny! I felt like I was in a middle of a stint in WoW Mali! Hahaha! Check out the guy near the driver in the photo.

After reaching the Balingoan port, we ran to catch the 2 pm ferry. The ferry ride is P107/ person. My suggestion is to get the schedule of the Super Ferry from Balingoan to Benoni. Their ferries are cleaner and faster. We rode a super slow and old ferry but it was a great experience coz you're really with the locals.

As soon as we arrived at the Benoni port, the porters/ pirates were unbelievable!!!! They jumped on the ferry even before the ferry has docked. Hold on to your bags, people!

It's best to coordinate with your resorts on the time you will be picked up from the port. These pirates or some of the multicab operators will cajole you to take their services for 150% of the normal cost that the hotels or resorts will charge.

The journey to get to Camiguin maybe tough but the island is wonderfully beautiful!