18 May 2014

Escaping to Seoul (a photodiary, part 2 out of 2)

Ta-da! Here's the other half of my Seoul travel diary! In case you missed it, you can find the first part here. As promised, this post will be about Days 3 and 4 of my trip. Be prepared to coo and squeal over the cuteness of most of the animals pictured here-- unless you have a case of some related phobia, but in any case-- you have been warned.

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DAY 3 (May 11)

The day was spent mostly in Everland, another theme park in South Korea. Technically, it is not located in Seoul, but in another city called Yongin. We signed up for transfer from our hotel to the amusement park and back to save us the trouble of figuring out how to reach the place; however, it might have not been the best idea because our time was constrained in return. We arrived at Everland at around 10:30AM, and left at 3:30PM. Such a shame that we only had 5 hours to explore the place, given that it was amazing. It's like Korea's very own Walt Disney World, but owned by Samsung. It was smaller in terms of area, but the variety of attractions and the themes of each section were very reminiscent of Disney. Honestly, if you had to choose between Lotte World and Everland, choose Everland.



The first part of Everland we went to was Zoo-topia, the jungle/safari-themed park. (If you know Disneyland, it's like Animal Kingdom.) Our guide was very adamant about us getting into the Safari World ride, and she didn't let us go until we queued up for that lol. It was cool though, because the attraction provided us close (yet safe) encounters with the creatures of the wild.









 That's the special kind of tour, where you ride an SUV instead of the bus!

Is the lion smiling??? (photo taken with an iPhone, hence the quality)






Happy bear wants some more crackers.

We also got to experience Lost Valley, and a couple of other rides. The lines for many attractions were long because it was a Sunday.





















 THIS FOX IS SO ADORABLE!!! (For some reason, I remembered Andrew Garfield???)



Photos from other parts of the park:










Colorful brocolli!


After being dropped off at our hotel, we decided that it was already time for dinner. (We've been told by our tour guide that Koreans tend to eat dinner early, like 5 to 6 PM- ish.) For that day, as a celebration of Mothers' Day and a belated one of my father's birthday, we headed over to this unique sort of a seafood restaurant.


THE TOOLS.



Boiling Crab & Shrimp
Itaewon Area

The seafood shack is quite hard to spot because it's in one of those alleys. But the trouble of looking for it is worth it! I know, the food looks messy; but it tastes just as good as how messy it seems to be!! Don't worry, they provide gloves and wipes anyway. The cajun sauce totally nailed it for me. (You can choose the level of spice for the sauce, by the way.) It was quite a struggle for me to eat because I'm not exactly skilled in working with shellfish with my hands, but I soon got the hang of it. Definitely a great experience! (I forgot which bucket we ordered, but it had snow crabs, Korean crabs, mussels, scallops, shrimp, corn, and potato.)

After dinner, we took the subway to Dongdaemun in the hopes of immersing ourselves in the night market. However, the weather became a real bummer! It was raining so hard that we couldn't bring ourselves to leave the station and go out and about. So instead, we checked out this new mall, Lotte Fitin, and this shopping center called Goodmorning City. Being a Lotte mall, the former was full of branded establishments. The latter, on the other hand was like Greenhills of some sort, filled with small stalls that sold different kinds of clothes (haggling's allowed!).

We also checked out and marveled at this ultimately futuristic and artsy infrastructure, one of Dongdaemun's landmarks. It was the farthest we could go without being harassed by the downpour.




Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, Line 2/4/5

We went back to Itaewon, and my mom bought coffee from Paris Baguette Cafe. It came in a very cute cup!! And as if the weather just decided to pull our leg, the rain stopped when we were back at our hotel lol.


My outfit that day was perhaps the one that blended the most with the local crowd among the four I sported. Varsity jackets, among with other athletics-inspired pieces, were definitely a common sight on Koreans. (So I'm really glad I asked for this and it came with The Box! Been wanting one for myself.) Another trend: skirts and stockings. (Wearing sheer stockings here, but then my dark legs make them look like opaque ones creys)








(click photo to view on Instagram)

Crop top: Fab (available in Robinson's Department Store)
Varsity jacket: Forever 21 || Boots: Dr. Marten's

DAY 4 (May 12)

And so we reach the last day of our stay in Seoul. I wish we could have stayed for a day longer! We didn't have the whole of day 4 to spend, so we crammed everything we can. First, we went to Cheongnyangni, where we did some snacks-shopping at Lotte Mart, and some window-shopping at Lotte Young Plaza. They also have Toys R' Us there wherein my dad probably went all starry-eyed haha. At the food court section of Lotte Department Store, we happened to spot this stall which sold some interesting-looking foodstuff called "schneeballs" (I think). At first,  we thought they were like cream puffs. But when the salesperson offered to hammer it for us, and when we opened up the bag, we found out that it was crunchy. And good!



Almost finished it all before I decided to take a photo lol sorry.

Schneeballen
B2 Lotte Department Store
Cheonyangni Station, Line 1

After Cheongnyangni, we decided to head over to Edae for some shopping! Being there made us realize that we should've headed there first before every other shopping place because the prices there are pocket-friendly! And there are lots of choices. However, the stuff there are mostly just for girls. After all, it's around the area of Ewha Women's University, an exclusive and prestigious university in Korea.

Taken at Line 1, City Hall Station (before transferring to Line 2).


The main road leading to Ewha (pronounced as YOO-wa)


Edae Shopping Neighborhood
Ewha Women's University Station, Line 2


Shopping in the area of Ewha Women's University is perfect for ladies who are into the sweet and feminine style. There are lots of shoes there, too. Some shops sell the same items, but here's a tip: the farther you are from the main road to the university, the lower the prices tend to get. Also, haggling is allowed in stores, except those that are "fixed-price stores". (I love my finds here, you should watch out for my Seoul haul post!)

For lunch, we ate a Japanese-Korean fusion restaurant. Roe rice seems to be famous in the area, so I got cheese roe rice. My parents, on the other hand, got pork cutlet sets which tasted just as good as Yabu's, if you asked me. The roe rice was kind of too cheesy for me, but I really loved the udon soup and the salad thing! The prices of the food are worth it though because they're meant to be student-friendly. Also, they have English menus, yay!





Albab
Near Ewha Womens' University

Oh, remember the hanbok photo studios I mentioned in my previous post? We found one in Edae too! We missed our chance to get our photos taken in Insadong, so we finally gave it a go here!





So Ewha was our last stop before heading to the airport. (We hoped to go to Hongdae too but ran out of time sigh) Since we're punctual flyers, we had around three hours to kill, and it didn't prove to be a problem because Incheon International Airport had a lot to offer.

Yongsan Art Hall

Some new terminal in Incheon, I think?


While waiting to board the plane, we bought some drinks to quench our thirst. My parents bought from Charlie Brown Cafe (near Gate 12) while I got a Banana in Berry smoothie from Smoothie King (near Gate 10). They had Jamba Juice in the airport too, but I decided to try Smoothie King because I've seen a lot of it in Seoul and I just had to try it.



Now to wrap up this photodiary, here's a look at my attire for my last day in South Korea!





Plaid skirt & varsity jacket: Forever 21 || Necklace: Envy || Boots: Dr. Marten's

Yep, wearing sheer stockings again in this one (they're a different pair, trust me). Also, the last photo is a sneak peek on one of my purchases in Edae!! Trench coats are definitely the "in" thing, so I thought of snagging one for myself (and mom, we'll share) too. My mother managed to pull down the price for this one, too! But you'll find out more about this on my Seoul haul post! That's all for my Seoul travel diary, I hope you guys picked up something useful from it haha! And if you'll ask me, yes, I would love to come back. Thanks for reading and dropping by!

x Erika Rosales

PS: Follow me on GFC, BloglovinLookbook, and Instagram! Thanks ♥

123 comments:

  1. great photos and places. love your jacket!
    xo tali
    www.thepisceswoman.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great post! Everything looks so beautiful there *u* I love your outfit too~ <3
    -Kiyomi xx
    kokorosasa.blogspot.com

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  3. These pictures are beautiful - everything looks absolutely gorgeous!!!! :)

    Layla xx

    www.sprinklesofstyle.co.uk
    www.bloglovin.com/sprinklesofstyle

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amazing images and outfits, I felt like I took the trip with you :) xoxo
    www.fashionphases.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice photos, looks fun. I wanna go to Seoul too.

    http://princessaudu.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sarah, it was fun indeed!! :)

      Delete
  6. Great post and nice pictures. Looks like you had much fun :) Would you like to follow each other to stay in touch? Let me know on my blog. That would be really awesome! :)

    Greetings :)
    a-fashionable-rendezvous.blogspot.de

    ReplyDelete
  7. Looks amazing, great photography skills!
    http://emhasrednails.blogspot.co.uk/
    x

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ooh my looks like you had such a lovely time! The photos from the zoo are so very cute! The smiling lion is definitely my all-time favorite photo! c: Thanks for sharing all of these great images with us! Love all of your outfits! xx

    <(') Hoda || JooJoo Azad ~ Free Bird

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Hoda!! I really find that photo adorable too :) You are too kind, thanks again!!

      Delete
  9. Super cool pics!
    Looks like you had a lot of fun :)

    Hugs
    Svetlana from Lavender Star // BlogLovin //
    Instagram // Faceboook

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ahhh, girl, I love seeing all of your Seoul pictures. If you are still here you need to try shabu shabu. It is my favorite Korean dish. And go the the Cheonggyecheon! It is the perfect lazy day relaxation/picnic locale. Have fun in your travels Erika!

    Bri
    herringboneheroine.com

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  11. Dang - I just read that last set was your last day in Seoul. Next time. ;)

    -Bri

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    Replies
    1. Aww yeah thanks still though Bri!! Will definitely go back to Korea but not anytime soon of course haha :)

      Delete
  12. What awesome pictures! Thank you for sharing <3

    Sweet Madame Blue

    ReplyDelete
  13. Beautiful pictures you captured of all those animals! Loving your outfit, chic and casual for a zoo day :)
    Thanks for the lovely comment on my blog. Would you like to follow each other?
    XOXO

    Milu
    www.hellolupi.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. your so cool and pretty
    Everland!!!! wanna go to Korea >__<
    Love your style, and the your Day#12 outfit just rock it!!!

    you may visit to my blog^^'' it's about doll and hobby just for entertain. it'll be many of beautiful pretty doll photo^^ you may follow if you'd like

    http://head-in-the-box.blogspot.com

    I love your post^^'' I follow you now on blogloving ^3^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much dear!! Your talent is amazing, I wish I had it!

      Delete
  15. Seems like you had an amazing time! I speacially like the pictures from the zoo.

    Alina à la Mode Blog

    ReplyDelete
  16. Annyeong :) Wonderful blog, wonderful impressions! Thanks for sharing!
    Dolce Kisses ♥

    www.dolcepetite.com
    Bloglovin | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

    ReplyDelete
  17. Want to see the white tiger too)!!!!

    Want to follow each other on GFC?
    Let me know!

    Greets from the EDELFABRIK
    Chrissie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Chrissie, followed your blog! x

      Delete
  18. Gorgeous outfit. You look so beautiful gal... Wonderful place
    Have a great day XOXO
    much love and keep n touch! :)))
    Thanks
    Richa
    www.yulookgorgeous.com
    www.instagram.com/ulukgorgeous
    www.facebook.com/ULGINDIA

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow beautiful pictures.
    http://tifi11.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Lovely outfit, lovely girl! I'm travelling with you through your great post :)

    xx
    Cécile
    http://sapetoibien.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. awww too jelly! Love the photos of the animals! Its too cute <3

    Visit my blog: www.sarahrizaga.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving such a nice comment. Following back on GFC #42
    Your photos are beautiful, the white tigers are gorgeous! Wow. Thx for sharing this wonderful trip with us.
    xox
    Lenya
    FashionDreams&Lifestyle

    ReplyDelete
  23. This post is amazing! Love every single pic, especially the white tiger! Love your bomber jacket :D

    http://glamcicci.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is absolutely fantastic! So many photos it looks like you had an amazing time xx

    Now following your blog and would be so happy if you could visit my blog and follow me too if you like it of course x

    Tia

    www.bellezzababe.blogspot.co.uk
    http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3459552

    ReplyDelete
  25. Can't get enough of your pictures! Wonderful images! <3
    http://www.weshopinheels.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Amazing pictures! Thanks for sharing <3

    Sweet Madame Blue

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oh, Seoul. I hope to visit that place someday. Everland is like a happy place.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should, it's great! Thanks for dropping by x

      Delete
  28. omg south korea! omg (again) white lion, bearT-T I should have them in my house (someday) nice trip! I envy you><

    xoxo
    http://heyitsekatheresia.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wow, such great photos!

    Would you like to follow? Let me know & I follow right back!

    Kiss,
    PERONALBLOG|G+|BLOGLOVIN’|FACEBOOK|INSTAGRAM

    ReplyDelete
  30. Beautiful place an dcute animal :D

    WWW.PUTRIVALENTINALIM.BLOGSPOT.COM

    ReplyDelete
  31. The pictures are wonderful!

    And thank you for your pleasant comment on my blog! I checked your blog and I like it <3 Of this cause I would like to follow you on gfc and/or bloglovin. It would be great if you come again to my blog to follow me – then I will follow you immediately back.

    xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena

    www.dressedwithsoul.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. love all of your photos, looks amazing!

    xx fameliquorlove

    ReplyDelete
  33. amazing pictures! and you got great ones of the animals too

    thanks for your comment, following you back <3

    xo

    Inspirations Have I None

    ReplyDelete
  34. thank you for following, dear :) I followed back :)

    So many great pictures <3

    ReplyDelete
  35. Everland looks like a magical place! I love your outfits! :)

    xoxo,
    SHAIRA
    www.missdream-girl.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  36. Loving all these photos! You make me want to go to Korea again! xx

    http://rosalindatj.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. these photos made me wanna go back to seoul again!

    xoxo
    mochaccinoland.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  38. Lovely post and blog! :) South Korea is beautiful! I want to go there soo bad :(

    Do you want to follow each other? :)
    FantasyFashioned
    xoxo ♥

    ReplyDelete
  39. That looks amazing, white tigers are such beauties :-)
    Hey, I wanted to know if you were interested in following each other on gfc & bloglovin, let me know and I'll follow you right back x

    http://colorfullightning.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Céline, would love to! :)

      Delete
  40. wonderful pictures and post. xo

    http://fleuryina.blogspot.de

    ReplyDelete
  41. Love picture-heavy posts like this one :) Your pictures are absolutely beautiful!

    Paula
    My beauty and lifestyle blog

    ReplyDelete
  42. Sooo awesome!


    wanna follow each other? i am already following you! ♥
    teenfashioncorner.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  43. Amazing photos <3
    Want to follow each other on GFC? and Can you also click on link to the shorts in our latest outfit post? <3 It means a lot to us! <3
    xoxo
    Fash Fab
    Instagram
    Facebook

    ReplyDelete
  44. following you back too <33 Korea looks amazing, and you looks had a fun trip!!! love your whole outfits :)

    keep in touch,
    www.liviapangdoko.com

    ReplyDelete
  45. Seems like you had an amazing trip
    And thank you for following me
    I already followed you too on GFC
    Keep in touch

    marliafransiska.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  46. Love those tigers!! Cute bears and awesome photos! Would love to go there someday! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  47. First of all, congrats 'cause your blog is AMAZING.
    This post is lovely and your pics are extremely cool!

    OF COURSE, we follow you! Waiting for your next post ^^

    ReplyDelete
  48. OOOOH, so beautiful :)
    I'm jealous!

    http://coco-colo.blogspot.de/

    ReplyDelete
  49. great photos! :)
    enjoooooy.

    April,
    http://beybiapril.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  50. such a good trip with your great outfit!
    http://girlonstreet.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  51. Wow, you had an amazing trip! Really beautiful photos, I loved the giraffes :D The outfits are gorgeous, my fav is the second one :) Great post!
    I invite you to visit my blog!

    Kisses, Kali
    http://kalisinspirationboard.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  52. Wow, amazing photos! I hope you've enjoyed yourself! ^-^
    Love your outfit, especially the top!
    Nice blog!

    http://www.caterina-m.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  53. Lucky you, you've been to Korea already! That's one of my dream destinations, hopefully, I'll get to experience SK, soon too.

    The photos are amazing. :) You look so chic, you actually blended well with the place. :D

    Xx
    http://ishmoi.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope so too!! It's wonderful :) And thanks!

      Delete
  54. beautiful pictures!! i can tell that you are having a fantastic time!
    http://sepatuholig.blogspot.com
    instagram.com/gracenjio

    ReplyDelete
  55. thank you for your lovely comment :) following u too

    you have an awesome blog

    xx

    http://bblluusshh.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  56. It must have been so great !! The tiger are all so cute <3 I love your first outfit :)

    http://mynameislaetitia.blogspot.fr/

    ReplyDelete
  57. Really nice pics :)
    I would love to travel to Seoul one day, it must really be a nice city :)

    Hugs
    Svetlana from Lavender Star // BlogLovin //
    Instagram // Faceboook

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is great! Thanks for dropping by :)

      Delete
  58. great pics! omg i've always wanted to go to Seoul...will definitely have to visit in the near future
    just followed you, feel free to follow back if you'd like!

    xx shirley
    http://classifiedcloset.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes totally! Thanks, just followed back x

      Delete
  59. lovely
    anyway, would you like to follow each other on gfc/bloglovin and instagram?

    SOMETHING REAL SERIOUS
    SOMETHING REAL SERIOUS PAGE
    INSTAGRAM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ollyvia, just followed ya ♥

      Delete
  60. Wow, South Korea seems to be so amazing - hope I can visit one day! Love all the outfits you wore and of course the pictures! Hope you had fun :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Tanja, I totally did!!

      Delete
  61. Awww it looks like you're having so much fun! I've always wanted to visit Korea :)

    Phoebe | Eat. Live. Love. Repeat.

    ReplyDelete
  62. SUPER LOVE THE OUTFIT AND LOVE YOUR PHOTO DIARY :)
    anyway, would you like to follow each other on gfc/bloglovin and instagram?

    SOMETHING REAL SERIOUS
    SOMETHING REAL SERIOUS PAGE
    INSTAGRAM

    ReplyDelete
  63. Hello there, thanks and just followed you x

    ReplyDelete