Day 5 South Korea, Seoul, Bukchon Hanok Village, Dongdaemun, Hongdae, Stanford Seoul Hotel

After breakfast at the Welli Hilli Ski Resort, we packed up and headed back to Seoul. We were brought to a duty free shop selling cosmetic and beauty products from various Korea brands including The Face Shop. My tour guide strongly recommended Odbo so I bought some paper masks (which I am still too lazy to try). I also bought this liquid foundation applicator which vibrates and spreads the foundation evenly across your face and prevents patchy spots from accumulating. Most of the beauty products can be found in the respective standalone shops in Myeongdong except Odbo. I failed to spot Odbo anywhere else in Seoul except in that little duty free shop we were brought to.

The next stop was the Bukchon Hanok village which was a small residential area with traditional houses. These houses, with their wooden front doors, black traditional eaves, and tall brick walls, were preserved since the Joseon Dynasty and remained an important part of Korean cultural heritage. I was told that these houses were incredibly expensive to maintain. It baffles me as to why anyone would spend large amounts of money to live in a traditional house with hardly any peace nor privacy in the area. When I was there around noon, the Bukchon Hanok village was flooded with tourists, most speaking excitedly at the top of their voices. 

I desperately needed to use the washroom while we were in Bukchon Hanok Village so I slipped into this quaint little cafe along one of the streets and purchased a caramel macchiato. While the pretty lady behind the counter prepared my drink, I went to the washroom and snapped several pictures of the cafe. Seoul is dotted with numerous little cafes, each with its own distinctive character. The books and wooden shelves appealed to those into vintage designs and I would definitely have enjoyed nursing my caramel macchiato over a book if I were not in a rush.

Korean barbecued pork for lunch! Yums. I am always in love with barbecued pork and the restaurant we were brought to served pretty decent ones. It was definitely not spectacular but the marination was good, the pork was tender, and the side dishes were nice.

Dongdaemun next and I have to say I was very excited to reach this famous shopping district finally. Dongdaemun is separated into two districts, one catering mainly for wholesale purchasers (Section 2), and the other for retail customers (Section 1). The main road and the large Dongdaemun Stadium separated both sections. If you are a retail customer, Section 1 with Doosan Tower, Migliore, and Hello apm, would be a better choice. Clothes at Doota (Doosan Tower) were the most expensive but they also had the best designs and quality. If you are into more reasonably priced clothes and not too fussy about design and quality, head to Migliore and Hello apm. That said, I was still quoted a whooping 250,000 won for a faux leather jacket at Migliore which stunned me into silence. I stood rooted to the ground in the store, holding the leather jacket, my mouth wide open in disbelief. I forgot what happened next but I probably dropped the jacket and exited immediately. I did manage to buy a sweet navy blue wool skirt with red polka dots for 20,000 won. Not exactly the cheapest but still a good buy nonetheless. 

I am, however, deeply in love with the street snacks at Dongdaemun. There are two little carts between Migliore and Hello apm, one selling the best yoghurt macaroons ever, and the other hawking honey pancakes. Both were delicious. The honey pancakes were exceptionally unforgettable. I bit into the pancakes and hot honey oozed out, filling my mouth with its sweetness. It was such a happy moment in the cold. We also had the usual Korean street snacks like the corn dog which was pretty yummy too. 

Dinner was stewed chicken at a restaurant in Dongdaemun. The stew was way too oily but I have to admit that it was quite yummy. Being a fan of mushrooms, I had a great time fishing out bunches of golden mushroom soaked in delicious oily stew. 

We checked into Stanford Seoul Hotel. The hotel provides free shuttle service to and from the nearest subway station (Digital Media City) which was a very useful service, considering the fact that the hotel was literally in the middle of nowhere. We were surrounded by media companies with nothing much to shop or see in the near vicinity. There is a convenience shop across the road though. Exit from the hotel, turn left and cross the road. You will see a small lonely convenience shop in the darkness. The rooms at Stanford Seoul Hotel are really small and you can hardly navigate around the room after placing your luggage in the narrow walkway. 

As it was relatively early when we returned, we decided to check out Hongdae since it was Friday night. Hongdae is a university town, famous for its nightlife and some shopping. Alight at Hongik University Station (Line 2, Exit 9) and you will be greeted by colourful lights, an electrifying crowd, and lots of youngsters stumbling around in an alcohol-induced haze. There were small shops lining the streets and lots of makeshift carts along the road as well. I bought a leather jacket at Hongdae for 65,000 won, a fraction of the cost in Dongdaemun. 

For some reason, everyone was telling me about the Hello Kitty Cafe in Hongdae. I am not a fan of Hello Kitty but could not resist taking a photo in front of the cafe just for the sake of it. 

A crazy crowd in front of what must be the hottest club in Hongdae. Pounding music wafted out through the doors and the bouncers were busy trying to get everyone into a decent line. The ladies were immaculately dressed, wearing surprisingly little for a cold winter night. The temperature was definitely below zero yet I saw beautiful ladies clad in short tight dresses, stockings, and a normal jacket. I guess a large volume of alcohol does help to keep you warm. I was almost freezing after 2 hours out in the cold though. 

Read about Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 and Day 6!