- http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/1011_Plan%20Your%20Trip.jsp This is the best website to look up information. If you go under the Attractions tab and then Events, you can find out what fest is currently happening.
- http://info.korail.com/2007/eng/eng_index.jsp You can book your train tickets online. You will need your passport to reserve the seat, and at the train station when you pick up the tickets. This site is in English and is very easy. A must if you are taking the train on a Saturday! You can book it on Friday and know you will have seats. Also, if you are a family of 4 you can sit together and turn the seats to face each other!
- It will always be crowded! It doesn't matter if you go on a weekday somewhere, it will be crowded! Just prepare yourself ahead of time to waiting in lines, traffic, and bumping into people. The only exception is if you are EARLY to places. If you are the first one there, you might have some room to move :)
- Nothing opens early. Korea is called land of the morning calm because you CAN'T do anything early in the morning. Most stores open around 10 or 11:00 am. However, they do stay open until 10:00 or 11:00 pm.
- Expect to be frustrated at some point during your trip. This may sound like a very pessimistic statement, and it doesn't mean you shouldn't travel. However, because we are like children here who can't read, things are very confusing! At some point you might be slightly lost, be within 1 block of the place you are looking for and can't find it, have a hard time finding something you can eat, or have someone be rude to you. If you expect these problems to arise, you are not surprised and can handle them better.
- BRING SNACKS. Take a small snack for each person travelling. There are a lot of places to eat in Korea, however at some point in our trip we always find ourselves hungry without anything around to eat. Throw some granola bars or apples or something in your purse or bag and it will please even the most savage beast! Sometimes it even provides you with food to feed fish at a koi pond at a palace.
- Buy a good Korean atlas, even if you have a GPS. The roads are changing here all the time. My GPS doesn't have some major interstates on it because it is about 4 years old. Nothing replaces a map when you are travelling here. When preparing to go somewhere new, sometimes we rely on the GPS, Korean atlas, subway maps, Google Earth maps, AND my husbands memory of the roads when he flew over them. Five different sources may seem excessive, but sometimes needed.
- If a Korean tries to befriend you, be excited! The Koreans love to talk to us. Teenage girls will shout out to my daughters about how beautiful they are and there are times my husband gets told he is very handsome and they love him! Men will tell men they are handsome. It is not a cultural taboo here, no one is being gay, they are just good at complimenting. They are a society that says what they think. Sometimes it goes the other way and they can seem rude. I've had to put some people in line when they rub my daughters rounded belly or point out blemishes on my face. However, some of our best experiences here have been with our Korean friends. Andrew, our friend who my husband met while skiing, speaks wonderful English and is very fun to hang out with. He just started talking to Matt while skiing, they exchanged numbers and now they are good friends. We met another friend Mr. Kim as he drove us home one night when we got stuck at a train station because it was late and the train just stopped, EVERYBODY got off the train, at a station 25 minutes from our town! Mr. Kim drives a taxi, speaks English, and has since then taken our whole family fishing, we've dined at his house, and he's been to ours. Koreans can be so kind and generous and getting to know their world is an amazing cultural experience.
Highlights from my mandatory vacation in Korea
Monday, November 21, 2011
Travel Tips
Korea Travel Tips
Friday, November 18, 2011
Trick Eye Museum, Hello Kitty Cafe, Cat Cafes near Hongik University, Seoul
We travelled to Seoul for the weekend and was looking for a cat cafe, since our daughters love animals! We went to the Hongik University area in Seoul and were so excited to find all the cool things there. There are pictures of the cat cafe, Trick Eye Museum, Hello Kitty Cafe, and a great burger place we ate at. This is a college area and at night it was really happening. There were all kinds of shopping and good food places in this area too! All essential information will be at the end of the blog, so if you want to skip the pictures and stories, just scroll to the end of this post! Have fun in Korea and get out and about!
We were staying at the Dragon so we went to the Discover Seoul desk and asked them about cat cafes. They wrote an address down in hongul for us to give to the taxi driver. So we hopped in a taxi and it dropped us off just across the street from Hongik University. We walked to Gio Cat where we visited with all the cats. This place is not for those allergic or pregnant! LOL! We had a great time playing with the cats. There is a fee to get in, and it includes a drink. If I remember right it was 7,000 Won.
After Gio Cat we walked through the town and took a right on the main crossroad that had shops on the right side, left side, and down the middle of the walkway. We crossed the road from this area and there was a tourism kiosk and to the right of that kiosk was The Joe's. (this is all very near the Trick Eye Museum) The owner speaks wonderful english and says he "builds his burgers" from great meat and fresh veges. This place was AWESOME! Prices were very reasonable and we were STUFFED! They have some non-alcohlic specialty drinks. The girls loved them, and we did too!
We were staying at the Dragon so we went to the Discover Seoul desk and asked them about cat cafes. They wrote an address down in hongul for us to give to the taxi driver. So we hopped in a taxi and it dropped us off just across the street from Hongik University. We walked to Gio Cat where we visited with all the cats. This place is not for those allergic or pregnant! LOL! We had a great time playing with the cats. There is a fee to get in, and it includes a drink. If I remember right it was 7,000 Won.
Gio Cat |
Sophie making friends |
Molly making friends |
We headed back after visiting The Joe that first time, but returned the next day to check out this area a little more. We went back to that little tourism kiosk and found out that the Trick Eye Museum was very close. We turned, crossed the street. Went up the pathway to the right of the middle row of shops. The museum was on the right. You head down the steps into a fun experience. Don't forget your camera, this is where it gets really fun! There are spots on the ground with a camera on it, that means if you stand on those you will get the best "trick eye" photo.
Giant Molly, itty bitty Sophie |
A cup of tea? |
What a stubborn pig! |
Holland on a pink scooter, just the way Molly likes it! |
Our little angel |
I'm in the money... |
The next place after all these laughs was the Hello Kitty Cafe. It was across the middle row of shops, and you walked up a small alley. It was a little expensive, but who can pass up Hello Kitty???
Where to next? Another cat cafe ofcourse! Just up the street from the hello kitty cafe is another cat cafe. We went when it opened at 1:00. We were the only ones in there. At this cat cafe they had some super friendly cats. They also had some "little cats". The place is called Cats Living on the second floor.
Don't adjust your screen, his legs are really this short! |
He looks grumpy, but he was very friendly! |
Essenitals:
Trick Eye Museum: http://visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1324865
The location below is connected to this address.
Admission / Participation Fees | |||||||||||||||
Adults: 13,000won (individual) / 10,000 won (group of 20) Youth: 11,000won (individual) / 8,000 won (group of 20) Children 3 years old and younger: FREE
|
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Muju Firefly Festival in June
MUJU FIREFLY FESTIVAL
BEGINNING OF JUNE
The muju firefly festival was a lot of fun. The information about it was very simple to find because we looked on http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_2.jsp This website is one of the greatest to find information. You can click the "location" at the bottom of the page for directions.
Handmade Traditional Natural Bridge |
Wooden boats you could ride for a fee |
Kimchi pots |
Giant bags of dried mushrooms |
Clic vendor. Pretty cool! |
Clics play area. We made great things! |
Funny Korenglish |
Traditional Natural Bridge in the background |
Map of Muju area |
Natural Bridge |
There was a fishing tournament you could sign up for. You use your hands to catch the stocked fish in the stream. A traditional bridge built out of logs and pine needles went across the river for you to be able to cross.
ESSENTIALS:
Besides the gas to get there and food, there isn't much money involved.
There are demonstrations and parades during the day.
If you want to participate in the fishing then you have to sign up early.
We did purchase some clics, they were just so irresistible.
There are treks into the mountain to see the fireflies. Fireflies are only located in this area of Korea.
Strollers will work great here.
It was a nice cultural fest.
DRIVING: Take HWY 1, to 35, to 30. There will be signs. Click on the blue address next to "location" and it will pull up a map.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Pyeongtaek Lakeside Resort
PYEONGTAEK LAKESIDE RESORT
This is a beautiful area only 20 minutes away from us! They have small swan paddle boats, playground, carriage rides, walking areas by the lake, bikes for rent, and in the summer they have Korean traditional entertainers @ 3:00.
Horse carriage ride. Horse's name is Poktori (lucky boy) |
Traditional dancers @ 3:00 |
The triangle building has local artist paintings |
The smaler kids can rent these vehicles |
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