A ferrari? A fighting jet? A hot air balloon? A yacht? Well I choose a bike. A pink one with a huge basket in front.

I wanted to bike around a foreign city because its a good way to travel and explore. I can go fast or go slow. I can feel the wind crash into my face and then playfully caress my hair. It’s really relaxing and fun.

Biking around Imperial Palace, Tokyo 2010

Naminara, Korea 2012

Since we have started travelling together, Mon and I have never woken up early for the following day’s activities. We usually leave at around 10:00 AM the earliest, or even almost lunch time the latest. However, it was different for the third day of our trip. I set my alarm clock at 7:30 AM because we had to travel all the way to Gapyeong to visit Nami Island. We were to originally go to Petite France but we have half-decided the night before that our first priority was Nami Island, and should we have more time, then we’d visit Petite France.

(CLICK PHOTO TO ZOOM) See how far Nami Island (upper right) from Seoul (lower left) is?

I already knew that it was no good because it was more difficult to go to-and-from Petite France due to the limited (and expensive) transportation options. Truth be told, my only motivation to visit Petite France was the supposed convenience of it being situated in the same train route to Nami Island. But since we had already half-planned going to the War Memorial of Korea after, I was honestly more excited for it.

So from our guesthouse in Myeongdong, we traveled and made several train transfers. However, we were barely even done with our first transfer in Dongdaemun station when I realized that I have left my earmuffs in the guesthouse. I was so mortified because we were going to the potentially-coldest place in our whole trip. I wanted to buy one should we see any store selling a pair but there wasn’t one in sight.

Luck wasn’t still by my side. I had an unfortunate run with the local food the previous day that I wasn’t really comfortable travelling. At the risk of giving too much information, needless to say, we had to stop by Cheongpyeong station but not to visit Petite France. LOL

After more than an hour of travelling from Mangu station (could have been shorter, if not because of my unfortunate stop in Cheongpyeong), we finally  reached Gapyeong station. We headed right away to the line of cabs waiting few meters from the exit and we had almost kissed the cab driver because of the superbly working heater he had. We just said ‘Nami’ and he immediately understood where we were headed to.

After paying the admission fee (or the immigration fee), an officer inspected our ticket and asked us from which country we were. When we said Philippines, he grabbed one of his colleagues from the booth and put her in front of us. She was a Filipina — or at least she was originally from the Philippines because looking at her name plate, I saw “Lee H.N.” and she might have already settled in Korea for a long time already. We had a little chat and we first mentioned how cold it was. She just replied “Di pa nga malamig ‘yan eh. Nag -17 °C pa kagabi dito eh” (It is not even that cold. We even reached -17°C last night). O_O I cannot imagine how cold that was because we were only at around -5°C that time. I literally shuddered.

While waiting for the ferry to arrive, Mon and I just stood next to some fireplace (or an oven-like apparatus, I don’t exactly know) to warm ourselves. The ferry eventually arrived and after people disembarked, we were one of the first people to get in. It wasn’t that warm inside, though, and our hands were already freezing from the cold. It made me wonder how much colder our destination could be. The ferry waited for more people and the ferry to be substantially occupied before leaving. We were lucky enough to aboard early because we managed to get good seats by the glass panes. The rest had to stand.

After five minutes of travelling across the river (and it is worth mentioning that I did not even feel the ferry moving), we arrived at this wonderful place as if directly lifted from the pages of Narnia. It was so cold that even the banks of the island has frozen over. Leaving the ferry one by one, there was already a bunch of people waiting for us to leave so they can travel back to Gapyeong wharf.

The words amazing and breathtaking couldn’t capture enough how fantastic the place was. Granted it was cold and I did not even notice/feel funny stuff dripping from my nostrils (not to mention I had no earmuffs on), I did not completely mind because I have half-walked and half-run just to see what the island had in store for us. It has been always a dream of mine since I was a little kid to experience this much snow in a place. The snow from previous day’s visit to Namsangol Hanok Village couldn’t hold a candle next to Nami Island. I was literally a wide-eyed kid from the tropics that was made happy by the mere sight of snow everywhere.

The nearest tree lane with its vanishing point was really, really nice. I knew that it was not exactly as well-known as the famous one in Winter Sonata (which I did not even watch) because there were few tourists who actually stop to take a picture, but it was nevertheless amazing.

There were also interesting creatures charming the tourists. Squirrels kept on running around and they were not exactly wild because they sometimes allowed people to pet them lightly as long as they think you have something for them. There were also a lot of these black and white ducks (?) that roamed freely and they too were not to shy away from a photo op.

It wasn’t a walk in the park, though, because we kept on running towards the nearest burning fire to warm ourselves. Well honestly, I just endured the cold so I spent less time towards the fire compared to how Mon “hover” around them like a moth to a flame. I just wanted to maximize my stay in the island.

As we were walking, we kept on seeing people holding sausages on a stick and we were desperately looking for the place where they have bought some. Fortunately, several meters away from us, we saw this ‘stall’ with lots of people waiting for their sausages to be ready. It cost KRW 2,500 and we were so delighted with how hot and comforting it was that it was gone in less than three minutes. In front of the stall, there was also a bonfire and a bunch of school kids hoarded the fire so we just went elsewhere to have our extremely periodic fix of warming up.

Then of course, the area of the island I was most excited to see was the metasequoia tree lane.

Next to this picturesque metasequoia tree lane were statues of the stars from ‘Winter Sonata’. Again,  I have still yet to watch the drama, but we did not pass up the chance to have a picture with them just because. =P

It was very nice fooling around the snow that I almost slipped badly but managed to get my balance after sliding for almost a meter. It was scary because I had my brother’s camera on hand and I might have smashed it to pieces. It wasn’t fortunate enough on our first day when it fell on the snowy ground and I was not about to finally break it.

And alas, I could not help but try to take a picture again with the trees, similar to my first attempt at Mulberry’s F/W 2012 campaign by Lindsey Wixson back from July. =D

Before leaving the island, we decided to try another food that the other tourists were eating. Near this metasequioa lane was a place that sells ‘Snowman Pancake‘ for only KRW 1,000. I did not initially know the difference between their pancakes and normal pancakes, but upon tasting, I’ve noticed that it has less of that waffle-y taste. It was still a nice eat as it was very hot and we were getting a bit hungry as we had not eaten a proper breakfast earlier that day.

We then walked back to where we initially disembarked from and waited for the next ferry to bring us back to Gapyeong wharf. We managed to easily get seats because not a lot of people were waiting for the ferry. We then waited around ten minutes for more people to board before we crossed the river again.

Upon arriving, we saw this way beyond cute kitty, warming himself in front of some wooden stove. We tried getting his attention but he was not to be disturbed and too adamant to keep his ‘warm’. LOL

So, how to go to Nami Island? If you look at the subway map, take note that you will be travelling northeast-ward, so the direction should be primarily to the right (just making it clear).

1) Since we will be coming from Downtown Seoul, we took the train from Myeongdong station (Line 4) until Dongdaemun station (four stations away).

2) From Dongdaemun station, we transferred to Line 1 in order to reach Hoegi station (five stations away).

3) Then from Hoegi station, we transferred to Line J and travelled to Mangu station (three stations away).

4) The final transfer was from Mangu station to Line G, which will take up a great chunk of your travel time. Get off at Gapyeong station (ten stations away) or if you intend to visit Petite France before Nami Island, your stop will be at Cheongpyeong station (eight stations away).

5) Exit Gapyeong station and you will immediately see a line of cabs. Just say ‘Namiseom’ and off you go. We did not know how much the fare was, so I just handed out a KRW 5,000 bill. He gave a KRW 2,600 change, so that was exactly KRW 2,400 one-way. It will only be about five minutes going to the wharf

6) Upon reaching the Immigration, pay KRW 8,000 that includes the two-way ride from the wharf to Nami Island.

Please take note that the trains from Hoegi to Mangu (vice versa) and Mangu to Gapyeong (vice versa) follow a schedule.

(ETA:)
You can also see for yourself the estimated travel time from the closest station to your hotel/guesthouse to Gapyeong station, using Seoul subway’s ‘Cyber Station’ map/guide https://www.seoulmetro.co.kr/station/eng/linemap.action. I also tried to input Myeongdong station as point of departure and Gapyeong as destination. The estimated travel time shown was 81 minutes.

As of today, Mon and I talked over dinner how much we both want to go back to South Korea again. I know that I have mentioned before that we consider trying other countries after our recent visit back to Seoul. But after a few days, we had a change of heart and we now think of going back for autumn 2013. =D We’ll still see, though as it depends on plane ticket prices.

*See related posts in this “Winter in Seoul 2012” series.

Sorry for the radiosilence the past few days, to be honest, I thought I had uploaded the previous post a long time ago.. But I didn’t have the picture of me and the cats yet.. I hope you enjoyed the pictures ^^.  So last Friday, I had dinner with the same person again, and I guess we seem to get along. The day after we met up again and saw a movie this time. After that I went to COEX’s Zara for around 10 minutes, to realize that the prices are not really something I can afford in Korea either. The items I really wanted, started at ₩ 59.000, which is a weeeee bit over my budget.

Sunday I ended up at the cinema again (I’ve really missed going..), but thanks to one of my friends her awesome skills, we took the bus and managed to end up in front of the mall where the cinema was at. It was amazing not having to take the subway and having to transfer, since that would have doubled our travel cost (not that travelling here is expensive, but it’s still nice ^^).  Monday during East Asian History, I didn’t get much of the lecture, I do try to pay attention though. This time we’d finally moved on to Korea, which is something I am honestly interested in. I mean, how can a country go from one of the poorest countries in the world during the 1950′s move up to the top of world economies in contemporary society?

The video however, felt a little more like propaganda for Korean awesomeness, than something that was meant to be educational, the only thing missing were K-pop and drama references, since there was not that much on the hallyu wave. But it’s alright, it’s another perspective on the growth that the country has experienced, it also showed how the people on the top layer of the country, the so-called ‘chaebols’ (people who own Samsung, LG and SKT) are in charge of a lot of things. I’ve known about this before coming to Korea, but sometimes their presence can be felt everywhere in the country.

I didn’t know how it would be to live in a country where there would be an oligopoly of companies who are providing services for so many people at the same time. This has been new to me too. Also, the working hours of some Koreans, would scare the hell out of Europeans. In Korea it’s not uncommon to work for 12 or 14 hours straight sometimes. Especially the people who work at Samsung, they might be paid really well (₩4.000.000 per month /€2 880.08) , but per night they might only go home to sleep for 6 hours, before returning to the company to work again.

A lot of company workers live off convenience stores, which provide them with not so nutritious meals. They really have no time for a social life. Also, from time to time, they might have to deal with more stress than they are able to handle; which can result in alcohol abuse (or abuse of loved ones). In other companies there is the same sort of mentality. From what I’ve heard, it shows that you are loyal to the company by staying longer after hours, even if there is not that much to be done anymore, just in order not to leave before the boss does. (Leaving before the boss does, is frowned upon. Also, for the foreigners who work here, taking sick days seems to be something that just.. doesn’t happen. )

On the other hand, it´s helped the country to maintain a steady growth, and also from what I´ve heard from the KBS producer who came to do a guest lecture this morning, the effects of the korean wave are having more impact in Asia than in Europe. Of course, most of us have learned about the song ‘Gangnam style’ by now, but the impact of Korean drama is negligable.

The only TV channel in Europe which airs Korean dramas is in France. There have been no attempts to launch the full scale of the korean wave, when relating to popular culture; in Europe. Only one of the K=pop groups that has a large fanbase in Europe, is Shinee. Even though they sing in Korean, their fanbases in especially the UK and in France are reasonably large ^^. There were even protests by fans to have them perform in European countries.

Furthermore, like with most mass media, the lecturer this morning, explained that right now the producers are interacting with people in a different manner than they were fifteen years ago. At that time, it took a camera, and someone with editing skills. Nowadays, it’s easy to upload a video and to edit the material on your computer by yourself. The contents has changed a little, but the platforms on which the materials are placed have changed. We now have Youtube, TV and Twitter to interact with these people. Back in the day, you could only write a letter or give them a phone call. Now you just have to tweet them, or place a comment on the Youtube page to have your voice heard. (This post is turning out longer than I expected. Sorry!)

Recently I’ve also been part of a google+ hangout where you could directly talk to the K-pop stars on the internet. It was quite fascinating to see them react without anyone else having to tell them what to do or where to look, it gives another ‘vibe’ too. What we need to keep in mind, is that our reactions are public, and that the information given during this hangout will be used for further PR or other activities that the group might be having. If the fans also represent their own countries, it might be nice for the stars to know how far their influence goes, and provide new opportunities for the management team (they will undoubtedly go through the comments too, don’t forget that ^^)

Now for my Tuesday, I went to Nami Island.

This was also mentioned in the lecture this morning. There was a producer who had made a Korean drama, but in Korea; it flopped. Then, they imported this drama to Japan, where it became a MONSTER hit. Japanese tourists are still coming to Nami island because of this drama, to this day (the drama is from 2004) it’s a tangible consequence of the korean wave.

I got to give it to these people, but. I think I will have to come back when it’s actually snowing in Korea.

As you can see on the picture, Nami Island has an ‘immigration’ office. Its kind of interesting to see, since it’s still part of South Korea. The island is named after General Nami, who died at age 26. Furthermore there are little memento’s of the drama which you can find all over the island. We actually managed to walk to the end of the island, and there they have a little sign that also declares that ‘this is the end of Nami Island’  they have their own flag, and it’s also known as the ‘Naminara Republic’ (Nara means ‘land’ though).

Since we are foreigners, it’s only ₩ 8000 to get in, which is not too bad. The island was tranquil, only some of the artsy things really didn’t make sense to me. Maybe I will have to end up watching this drama, and then going back during the snow. Since the trees etc. didn’t look so amazing as they did on some of the pictures that are circulating on the web.

Until the next post!

- Kirti

Overnight, Hugo’s condition got worse!  Hugo was not a full werefox again but was a half werefox.  Hugo knew from experience that he could become a full werefox at any time!  Hugo went to see the wearbears in desperation.

Photos at:

http://s883.photobucket.com/albums/ac35/foxhugh/Korea%202012/

Werefox Links

Australia

Cambodia, Angkor Wat

Florida, Renaissance Festival

Japan, Hokkaido

Japan Tokyo Disney

Japan Tokyo

Singapore

South Korea, Lotte World

Kao Kaew Open Zoo, Thailand

Korea 2012

Werefox Stages

Werefoxes

Werefoxes Meet Magical Beings

The beauty of Nami Island is indescribable. This small charming Island is a popular tourist destination in Seoul. Known for its stunning scenery, this is a must-visit attraction and you need to set aside half a day for your visit.

Nami Island or Namiseom or Naminara is a small ‘doraemon pocket lookalike’ island situated 63km from Seoul in the middle of the Han River. For those who are wondering, this small island is famous for ‘Winter Sonata’ drama in 2002. The island is gaining popularity thanks to winter sonata. Still, I have not watch it before but I’ve heard the famous theme song from the drama. Apparently, Nami Island declared its cultural independence on March 1, 2006. Like other independent republics, Naminara Republic has its own national flag, anthem, passport, postage stamps, telephone cards, written characters, papers, and currency. Don’t worry, you don’t need a passport to get to the island. All you need is to pay visa aka admission fee.

Below is a video I’ve edited to show how this beautiful island look like.

There are various ways to get to Nami Island. Here are the options.

Traveling free & easy is awesome! With the extensive railway system, traveling by train to the Island is a breeze. However, there are a couple of things you need to know if you’re traveling by train. For a subway person, this gonna be a breeze for you. The only hassle is just about the transferring and the direction the train is heading. Please refer to Real time rail map for your route. Again, iphone users, please download the apps that I’ve recommended in my post.

1st option: If you are traveling by rail, above is the route that I took to reach Gapyeong station. From Chungmuru >> (Transfer) Oksu  >> (Transfer) Sangbong >> Gapyeong. Do note that from Sangbong to Gapyeong, you are traveling in Gyeongchun Line which is operated by KORAIL. You will find that Sangbong station or Gapyeong (Gyeongchun line) doesn’t exist in your subway map because they operate individually. However, you only need to tap in your T-Money card from the station you depart (eg. Chungmuru) and tap out at exit (eg. Gapyeong). No additional ticket needed. The whole train ride cost 1,950KRW.

While transferring at Sangbong to Gyeongchun Line, please take note of the line that you’re heading to. In this case you’re heading to Gapyeong. When I was there, apparently both track are heading to Gapyeong station. There was a bit of issue there. Thanks to the local guy, he told me that both track going to Gapyeong. My suggestion is, just follow the crowd :D

From Gapyeong Station. Take a cab to Nami Wharf. There’s a taxi stand located outside Gapyeong station. Cab drivers there understood well enough regarding the existence of Nami Island ferry terminal because most visitors take cab there. This short cab ride will cost less than 3000KRW per trip.

The total duration of the trip to Gapyeong station is about 2 hours ++

This is how the KORAIL logo look like. The train look exactly like a normal subway train. Apparently Gyeongchun Line was operated recently in 2010. Unfortunately, I have to stand throughout the way to Gapyeong from Sangbong.

Gapyeong Station

2nd option: For those who wish to spend a little bit more. There is a Shuttle bus departing from Insadong. Please refer here for more info. Round trip will cost 13000KRW per person. Depart from Insadong (Tour bus stop near Tapgol park) at 9.30am. Returning to Insadong from Nami Island at 4.00pm. To do so, you need to book your ticket in advance OR be there as early as 9.00am to buy your tickets which is subject to availability.

2 ways to get to Nami Island. The conventional way or adventurer way.

For adventurers, you can take zip lining which you bring right to the Island! It cost 38,000KRW including admission visa. Fastest way to reach and you can enjoy the adrenaline rush.

The conventional way is by ferry. Get your entry visa at the counter cost 8000KRW per person which include the round trip of ferry ride.

You come across “Immigration” sign upon entering the wharf to board the ferry.

Nami Maid Ferry which will lead you to Nami Island. The ferry depart every 10 – 20 minutes from 7.30am to 9.45am. The island also support Unicef.

To remind how cold the weather was, notice the blocks of ice floating at the sea.

More of it here

Similar ferry to Nami Island.

Upon reaching Nami Island wharf, notice the statue wearing red top right in the middle of the sea. It is one of the famous landmark.

Nami Island was named after General Nami, a notable figure in Korean history who courageously fought in battles but died at the age of 26. Above is the tomb of General Nami.

Activities you can do there at Unchi garden aka Un-chi(Unicef+Child). Sky Bicycle, playground are some of the activities you can do.

The UNICEF train runs between the entrance of the island to the central station in the main square. 2000KRW per ride.

Wooden characters

Symbol of Nami Island, the imaginary nation.

Winter Sonata location. Bae Yong Joon & Choi Ji-woo

Trees reaching sky. Some of the location of Winter Sonata

Beautiful scenery of the lane

A stroll along the coastline. Enjoying the nature and white winter

While walking I saw this couple standing in the middle of the frozen sea!

I saw more and more people on the frozen sea and I decided to join in the fun. lol

Shortly after, we’ve been chase out by the police official for safety reasons. Anyway, I don’t want to die because of hypothermia in case the layer of ice breaks.

My Snow man!

There are different apartment to stay at Nami Island. This is one of them called Dahlia.

Same inner wear & shoes; a trend for korean couple

Ducks?

Ostrich!

A cafe to get a cup of coffee

err.. I don’t need to elaborate on this.

You read it right, Winter Sonata Gallery

Inside the galley contain all the photos of the winter sonata drama in 2002.

These thai girls trying to keep warm. Fireplace like this are provided at designated place

You can easily find a children story books! Even in the toilets cubicle.

If you’re up for an adrenalin rush. There’s a Bungy jumping activity, a 55-meter jumping tower near the dock to Nami Island.

 Related articles: Arrival & Chungbu Market | Gyeongbokgung  | N Seoul Tower | Shopping District & Cheonggyecheon | Changdeokgung & Changgyeonggung | Lotte World & Coex | Hello Kitty Cafe & Teddy Bear Museum | Iteawon & Seoul Central Mosque | Seoul Gallery

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Other destinations: Auckland | Singapore | Paris | Shanghai | Tokyo |  Malaysia

Anyway, we arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 6:30 pm and we had dinner at a restaurant near the airport and was also near our hotel, Best Western. By the way, this trip is arranged by a travel agency thus we were on tour (this is also a business trip) Nothing happened on the first day because we spent our day at the airport. After having dinner and settling down at the hotel, the group decided to have drinks at a bar and restaurant near the hotel.

The first destination for the trip was Nami Island. A famous tourist destination because of the Korean drama, Winter Sonata.

Nami Island is situated 63KM from Seoul and is at the heart of the Han River. They said that the structure of this island is like a moon. The island is named after General Nami, a Korean General. This General according to our tour guide, Alice, is a very good general and loved by his people. He died because he was falsely accused of treason. If I was not mistaken, a person of higher ranks was envious of him and that person accused him of treason.

Nami Island was not known to Koreans until a certain Minn ByeongDo bought this island after his retirement. Mr. Minn is a lover of nature and that is what he wanted to do after his resignation from work. After making the island beautiful, he created a company and developed the island to a resort place. Alice mentioned that the employees can work there even though they are of old age. The reason is that the elderly still wants to do something and be helpful to the society.

Since we went there by tour, this is a helpful link in order for you to reach Nami Island.

I’ve read somewhere that there is a passport and stamp to be bought before you enter the Nami Island. The brochure I got states that you need to pay KRW25,000 for it but it is good for 1 year. Also, you can opt to get a visa which costs KRW 8,000 which includes the round trip ferry fare. This is how the immigration looks like:

You need to take a ferry to reach the island. The ferry leaves every 30 minutes after the first ferry at 7:30 and every 10-20 minutes between 9:00-18:30.

We arrived at the island and since it was winter time and it was raining some of us stayed at this place for heat.

This is the “grave” of General Nami. There is a saying that if you take a stone from his grave you would be experiencing misfortune forever.

We ate at Seomhyanggi Restaurant. We had Kimchi Barbeque and it was delicious and definitely a must try while in Korea! The experience while eating eat is the best.

Some of the establishments and gardens we saw while walking

and an ostrich

We checked out Nami Historium. A museum about Nami Republic.

Since there were a lot of people inside the Winter Sonata Photo Gallery and we only had a small time to look around the place..

I took a shot of this sculpture probably from Winter Sonata too.

We arrived at Ginkgo Tree Lane which pretty much the best epitome of Winter Sonata. There are a lot of tree lanes (okay 3 only) for you to choose from but I took this shot at Metasequoia Tree Lane (right side).

Some shots near the tree lane.

and of course a statue of the Winter Sonata drama couple near those tree lanes..

This is where couples where supposed to take their kiss since at the end of this bridge. Also, this is the location of the Winter Sonata couple kiss.

We took the ferry back. Last ferry is at 21:45

Read more about my South Korean experience:

SEOUL:

• Olympic World Peace Gate
• Olympic Stadium
• Yeouido Park
• Handel and Gretel
• KBS Building (Super Junior’s Kiss the Radio)
• National Assembly Building
• National Palace Museum of Korea
• Gyeongbokgung Palace
• Gwanghwamun Square Part 1
• Gwanghwamun Sqaure Part 2
• Deoksugung Palace/Seoul Plaza
• N Seoul Tower’s Locks of Love
• N Seoul Tower’s Teddy Bear Museum
• N Seoul Tower
• Dongdaemun
• Myeongdong Cathedral
• Myeongdong
• Insadong
• SPAO, Myeongdong
• Lotte Department Store, Jamsil
• COEX Mall

BUSAN:

• Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
• Gwangan Bridge
• Gwanggali Beach

NAMI ISLAND

After struggling to walk 120 meters yesterday and earning corns as a reward, Yan and I still decided we should not waste the chance of donning something “fall-y” (Ugh. Sorry for the lack of better term.) So even with aching feet, we still donned our boots. (I was never one who chooses fashion over comfort but this was among the rare moments I have to do so. Hindi ba pwedeng fashion + comfort na lang all the time?)

Good morning, Beotigogae!

Being the adventurous spirits that we are, instead of purchasing the Nami Island bus package tour (which includes the bus ride to Gapyeong + Nami Island entrance fee), we opted to take the subway (I tell you, I’m the Seoul Metro expert! Just don’t include line 1 here,ok? Haha!)

Photo of Seoul Metro map - The opening of the Gyeongchun (경천) line made it easy for everyone to travel to and from Gapyeong without having to take line 1. LOL. I'm very averse with that line, I'm sorry.

It was such a breeze! With just three line transfers, we were at the Sangbong on our way to Gapyeong!

It was a long ride to Gapyeong – took us about an hour and a half so we (particularly I) took this opportunity to sleep (Well, I sleep almost everywhere. Sometimes I wonder if I have narcolepsy. Just kidding.)

Yan and I's subway photo and Gapyeong hello! - A kind ahjumma offered to take our photos after seeing us having hard time taking selcas. Hehe. 고마워요! The two photos beneath is taken outside the Gapyeong station.

I think we’re pretty blessed to meet people from the very beginning of the trip, and nice ones at that. This time we met a Thai (yes, another one) father and daughter team (Haha! Sounds Amazing Race?) whose names we didn’t manage to get (yet again). (We had a photo with the daughter, though, but it was on her camera! On how we could ever track them out, only heaven could lead us!) We traveled together until we reached Gapyeong and parted in the ferry since we don’t know what their plans are in Nami.

Two ways of getting to the island: zipline and ferry

I guess it's pretty obvious how we got there. Remember, I love everything that has to do with above the water. Hehe. Besides, the zipline would be less thrilling as per experience.

Nami Island is a place outside of Seoul. It’s oftentimes referred to as a republic – another territory, because it has a feel of another place – outside of South Korea, I guess.

Welcome top Nami Island!

The island was named after General Nami.

Though you can experience foliage in Seoul, it is an experience to see it in Nami; well, aside from the fact that the Korean drama Winter Sonata had some scenes shot here (and I havent watched that thing yet.) So let me take you to our little tour around Naminara.

The squirrels here are so hyper!

LOL I still look like I need more sleep.

K-BFFs!

:)

Awwww... ♥

Isn't this beautiful? ♥

Yes! There's wildlife in Nami. This one is too busy.

Lost in translation

Perfect place if you are a big fan of the drama

Lots of (cute) kids...

... And not so young kids.

We spent almost the whole day in this place. We had a lot of fun and photoshooting (errr… If this is an acceptable word)!

It was around 4pm when we decided to leave the island, go home, have supper, and mellow down on our footwear. But before we did such, we went to Hongdae first.

See you again, soon!

:)

How to go to Nami Island via the Seoul Metro Subway:

1. Ride the subway going to Taereung station (Line 7).

2. From Taereung, travel to Sangbong station (same line).

3. From Sangbong (line 7), transfer to the Gyeongchun line and take the train that will bring you to Gapyeong station.

4. Upon reaching the Gapyeong station, take a cab and tell the driver to bring you to Nami (this should cost around 3,000 to 5,000 KRW only). You will be dropped off to the parking lot where the ferry dock is near.

5. Purchase Nami Island visa (this includes a RT ferry ride, 8,000 KRW as of January 2012).

6. Fall in line on the ferry dock and prepare yourself to the journey to the island.

Oh how the gold coin shines! A cash token worth 500 won that can be used everywhere in Naminara. OR just keep it as a souvenir. Available at the Naminara Bank.

Mine? I returned it and got my 500 won. It’s too heavy for my pocket. Haha.

(May 29th, 2011)