stephenandsparklesdokorea

[stephenandsparklesdokorea]

[stephenandsparklesdokorea]

Seoul | Cooking Class

Our final activity of the day was a Korean cooking class that Josh and Alexis generously booked for us! We took yet another metro ride to the Mangwon station and met our hostess for the night, Jomin, outside the market. She runs a cooking class, cookoreanclass.com, out of her home and was excited to be back up and running after Covid lock down. 

It was already dark out and was pouring rain so it was shaping up to be a perfect night for some shopping, cooking, and eating comforting food. Jomin walked us through the market, purchasing fresh vegetables and cuts of meat we’d be cooking with tonight. She pointed out different types of Banchan at shops offering endless varieties of the same, showed us which dried fish made the best stock for soup we’d be cooking vs where to buy premade broth,  and did a great job accommodating a kosher meal with extra mushrooms or tofu in place of pork for Josh. The fried chicken and rice cake desserts at the market looked increasingly delicious, so it was time to get cooking before I got too ravenous. 

Jomin’s apartment was small but tidy and her large kitchen island had a hot plate for each member of the class, with pre portioned ingredients set out. Before we started actually cooking, we mixed together a marinade for pork we’d use in the last dish. While most of the ingredients you could find at a typical grocery store, the asian pear and a specific chili powder would be harder to find, especially the chili because it was difficult to translate what specific type it was to achieve the desired flavor and heat profile. The first dish we made was Kimchi Jigae, a simple soup with tofu, pork shoulder and kimchi. She taught us how to de-head, gut, then toast the dried anchovies to make the umami rich soup base. Japchae was next, a stir fry of glass noodles with pork and vegetables. SaeRam makes this frequently for celebratory gatherings, and I had tried cooking it once before but it was fun to get a third try at a recipe for it and it turned out great. Finally we put our marinated pork to work in Jeyuk Bokkeum, or spicy stir-fried pork where it mingled with cabbage and onions. I love taking cooking classes abroad, and this one was no exception. It was a great time learning some new skills, the food was delicious, and I love that it came with an easy to read cookbook to recreate recipes from this and her banchan, tofu, and kimchi making classes at home. It was fun seeing how similar or different each of our dishes turned out as we interpreted the same instructions differently, and the Makgeolli we tried with dinner was much better than the cable car hooch in Busan. After saying goodbye we  made the soggy trip back to the subway in the rain and took it back to Myeongdong before calling it a night.

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Seoul Botanic Park

We walked from the metro stop through the outdoor gardens, ranging from more natural pond landscapes to themed flower gardens, before going inside the arboretum. The main attraction was the lush, two story indoor jungle filled with hanging mosses, giant fig and ficus trees, waterfalls and ponds, and broad-leaved monsteras and banana trees. My favorite part was the giant Victoria Waterlily in the pond. While beautiful, the lily pads are viscous to surrounding flora as their huge size and rapid growth makes it hard for other plants to compete for sunlight. Some of the other exhibits in the gardens included a dryer, cactus filled biome, and displays of plants native to Korea.

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[stephenandsparklesdokorea]

Seoul | Starfield Coex Mall

The rest of the day was planned by Josh and Alexis! It was nice to take a rest from being the chief trip planner and fun to see places and do activities I wouldn’t have necessarily planned for myself. Before leaving the Myeongdong area we got breakfast of overpriced bakery items and fancy hawaiian themed espresso drinks at minimalistic Luft Coffee next to the hotel. The front desk helped us get a taxi to the Starfield Coex mall in a completely different part of Seoul. This part of Seoul felt even more modern or western than the Myeongdong neighborhood. The area around the mall was being set up for a K-Pop music festival and we stopped to watch one of the groups rehearse before finding the Gang Nam Style statue. 

Much of the mall was underground, and we stopped in a toy store, a bookstore where I bought a cook book to bring home, and of course Starfield Library, a three story bookstore with sky high walls of decorative books. The mall was huge and home to a walking track, cinema, aquarium, hotels, and of course lots of food options. We got lunch at a small vegan restaurant and Josh could finally order off a menu to his heart’s content. The White Truffle Tteokbokki I got was simply divine - chewy rice noodles in a garlic potato and truffle sauce, with loads of enoki and oyster mushrooms on top. Alexis got the Tofu Katsu, and everything was presented so nicely, mine even had edible flowers on it. They had lemon kombucha too which was a welcome treat. It didn’t seem like there was much else to do or see around the mall so after a quick drone stop in a rare fly zone we took the subway to another part of town and our next destination: Seoul Botanic Park.

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Sunday October 2nd 2022 | Sunday Morning Stroll in Seoul

I woke up much earlier than the rest of our party and was able to enjoy another Sunday Morning Stroll, this time through the sleepy streets of Seoul. I got a closer look at Myeongdong Cathedral in the daylight, and tried to drone from the garden benches here before the church crowd arrived but most of Seoul is a no fly zone and it had started to drizzle a bit. Instead I set off walking towards Jogyesa Temple and found coffee somewhere along the way. ¾ of a mile later I found myself enjoying the immaculately landscaped gardens ofJogyesa Temple, its trees adorned with flowers and lanterns, sculptures made out of warm toned mums, and gardeners already at work watering and sculpting new topiaries in shapes of animals, cartoon characters, and deities. I’m glad I got here early because tour groups were already starting to arrive, and it was neat to see this vibrant temple contrasting the surrounding glassy modern buildings in relative solitude. 

The things that stood out to me on the next half mile were passing a lot of antique shops and walking along a road that went under a building, My next stop was quiet Unhyeongung Palace, a political building and residence that was simple and unassuming compared to Gyeongbokgung and Changgyonggung, but not somewhere I’d go out of the way to visit again. From there I walked through the Insadong shopping area, which is somewhere I actually had been to on our honeymoon. Most of the shops were still closed, and there were more utility and delivery vehicles on the streets than pedestrians, so it didn’t look much at all like the bustling walking streets I knew it would later in the day. I stopped to take a picture at a mural I vividly remembered from my first time here and then detoured across the street to walk past Tapgol Park on my way back to the hotel. I again crossed the creek at Cheonggyecheon, a block over from yesterday’s walking route, and in an area with more trees and foliage along the banks. By the time I got back to the cathedral near our house, a farmer’s market had been set up at its foot and I perused its offerings before meeting back up with Josh and Alexis. Devin had gone to the airport and from here on out I’d be the one third wheeling. 

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Seoul | Evening in Myeongdong

Back at the hotel, we ventured to the rooftop restaurant and bar with plans to have a drink but were turned away for not having a reservation. We could see Seoul tower from the bar, as well as the surrounding city scape, and after enjoying the view for a few moments I fell back on trying some new NA beers from the convenience store next to the hotel before we set off for dinner, deciding on an all you can eat sushi buffet called Qoo Qoo in the Myeongdong area. A quick google search tells me this location has since closed, but the buffet was reasonably priced, and with a seemingly endless offering of sushi, nigiri, sashimi, and hot bar foods. Although we all were diet restricted between vegetarian/occasionally pescatarian Devin, Kosher Josh, and pregnant Lauren, there was something for everyone and I gorged myself on plates of cooked sushis and hot bar foods, finishing with creme puffs and other small desserts before waddling home past the Myeongdong Cathedral. SaeRam had been trying to get Stephen and I to try a frankly unappetizing sounding Korean dish of marinated raw crab for some time and I happened to spot it at the sushi bar. Thankfully I could fall back on being pregnant as an excuse not to try it tonight!

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Seoul | Bukchon Hanok Village

We stopped for a bite to eat at a bakery called Wood and Brick on our way to Bukchon Hanok Village, a historical neighborhood that has been maintained in traditional architecture, and is now a touristy place to walk the hilly pedestrian streets and take photos in hanbok. At the bakery I tried milk bread, a custard filled pastry, that came highly recommended by our Korean friend SaeRam. While the tiled roof in the village were beautiful, the real eye-catchers were the elaborate wood doors. While walking the hilly streets and alleys we were able to enjoy some nice views over the roofs with the palace and city in the background. 

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Seoul | Gyeongbokgung Palace

We then toured Gyeongbokgung Palace, which until very recently I had thought STephen and I had visited on our brief Korea pit stop during our honeymoon in 2017. It turns out that was actually Changdeokgung Palace but cut me some slack: it was pouring rain then and everything we saw was from under the edge of an umbrella, and with the rain was rather deserted. Today the palace was sunny and teeming with tourists and countless girls and couples in Hanbok walking the grounds. While the painted surfaces didn’t seem as vibrant or detailed in comparison to my memory of Changdeokgung, I was able to appreciate Gyeongbokgung’s gardens more. My favorite part was the Ochon House, an example of a traditional dwelling built in 1848. The yard surrounding the small house was draped with pumpkin vines, and although the interior of the simple home was dark, many of its rooms were open to the air and connected with a central courtyard.

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Seoul | Myeongdong

We caught a cab from busy Central Station to our hotel, Ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul, in the Myeongdong neighborhood. I had booked Stephen and Devin in a nearby hotel called Henn na Hotel Seoul Myeongdong for their boys’ night because it had dinosaurs and robots in the lobby, and how could I not. While we were still in Busan, they visited Seoul tower, taking in the nighttime city views and fended for themselves with dinner from 7-11. Sigh. Although Stephen was leaving later in the afternoon as planned, Devin had some issues with flight cancellations and ended up staying one more night with us at the Ibis, so Alexis and I bunked together the first night. 

After getting checked into our hotel, we meandered down lively Myeongdong Walking Street and the surrounding area, taking ourselves on a self guided street food tour filled with candied yams, nutella and custard stuff pastries, fresh squeezed orange and pomegranate juices, and breaded cheese on stick. From here I kept walking, taking Seoul in by foot, passing through Cheonggyecheon park with its urban stream and seashell sculpture, then ending at Gwanghwamun Square at the foot of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Josh pointed out the American Embassy and Stephen and I walked through a museum at the foot of the statue of King Sejong, learning about his many inventions including the Hangul alphabet. Stephen soon departed for the airport, and we parted ways for the next few days.

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Saturday October 1st 2022 | Busan | Last Morning

Saturday morning started out leisurely. I walked the beach in the morning, finding more seashells than I had anticipated, and marveled at the publicly available sand blasting air compressor to clean your shoes off with as you exited the beach. We had our last hotel breakfast and then it was time to say bye to Davis and keumhee. From here on out I’d be third wheeling Josh and Alexis. We got a cab to Central Station in Busan to catch our 10:05 KTX train to Seoul. What started out as a relaxing morning quickly became stressful when we hit standstill traffic within sight of the train station and watched the minutes helplessly tick by from the taxi. We ended up barely making our train and arrived in Seoul two hours later.

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Busan | Haedong Yonggungsa

For lunch we ate at a Chinese restaurant in one of the buildings neighboring the hotel. We collectively ordered waaaaay too much as the portions were three times bigger than expected and definitely meant for sharing. We shared sweet and sour pork,  orange pork, spicy seafood noodles, tofu+shrimp over rice, plus the complimentary pickles, white rice, and eggdrop soup and tea. It was delicious but everything had a strong kick to it, and I couldn't keep the water coming fast enough. Poor Josh, his tofu meal ended up having shrimp in it. 

I was ready for a nap before lunch but definitely needed one after gorging on Chinese food, and slept until 4:30. I tried to recover with water and an ice cream bar but didn’t feel my best. After droning for a bit in front of the hotel we got a large taxi for the remaining five of us to visit Haedong Yonggungsa temple, which was somewhat removed from the city but on the water and something I wanted to make the extra effort to see. Hailing a taxi took two attempts because the first driver tried to get Keumhee to pay more but we ended up in a comfortable Hyundai van. 

We got to the temple at dusk. It was buggy with clouds of gnats, and still busy, but the pink and purple hues in the sky made for a pretty backdrop. We took a bus to the surrounding downtown area with the intent of visiting the crab market for dinner and although we walked through it, we ultimately ended up eating at a small udon place after a bit of a wait for a table in the chilly evening air. I still didn't feel great, so a light dinner of broth and a few gimbap pieces was perfect. I was very tired and after our taxi dropped us off at the hotel the other four got some drinks at a bar near the hotel, and I forced myself to do some night droning over the harbor because it was my last opportunity even though I would have rather headed straight to bed. The highlight was watching schools of minnows being hunted by three foot long fish, stirring up bioluminescence. 

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Busan | Geumgang Cable Car

At the cable car we got water, Pocari sweat, red bean filled  ice cream novelties shaped like fish (so good!!), alcoholic rice drink called Makgeolli, and snacks. I didn't really like the rice wine, I think it was very home made and retrospectively after tasting some more palatable store bought varieties, not well made. Everyone felt better after the nourishment and hydration while we waited for the cable car. 

With the exception of the employee, we had the car to ourselves. The panoramic views of Busan were breathtaking and reinforced how big the city is, even though I'm sure we could only see a fraction of it from our vantage point. The cable car ended at Geumgang Park, which we got to walk through before waiting for taxis back to our hotel on Gwangali Beach. Stephen and Devin packed up before a quick lunch as they were headed to Seoul a day early so they could spend some time there before their earlier flights home.

One of the things I loved about Busan is despite it being incomprehensibly huge and bustling, serene outdoor activities and nature were so accessible, whether it was the beach, a coastal trail, or spending the day in the mountains, so I never felt any urban claustrophobia.

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Busan | Geumjeongsam

I had also hoped that Seokbulsa would serve as a starting point for a morning of hiking around the Geumjeongsan mountain/trail area, and thank God Kheumhee was with us because otherwise it would not have happened. She got directions from an old man for the hike to the cable car and we set off on a narrow unmarked trail with a lot of trepidation on whether or not we'd end up at our destination. 

The first part of our hike was a steep incline through the woods up to the top of the mountain. It required a lot of stopping, huffing, and complaining but finally we peaked and were rewarded with a flat surface, sunny skies, boulders to catch our breath on, and great views of the forested mountains overlooking Busan. We took some photos and droned from the top before continuing on, not another soul in sight. I think we even got Keumhee to admit that this was a hike, rather than a “trek” as she likes to call easier nature walks. 

As a control freak it was hard to blindly trust we were going the right way on an unmarked trail with no other hikers, banana spiders criss crossing the trail, and no trail map to follow after getting second hand directions in a language I don't speak. Having faith that we were going the general correct direction on Google and Naver Maps, we pressed on. The hike was lovely in the shaded forest, but hotter at the higher elevations where there wasn’t as much foliage. We traversed a lot of stairs, came across a helipad, and climbed up and down more stairs. We finally started to see more hikers who helped us out by reconfirming directions to the Geumjeong-sanseong Fortress South Gate via Keumhee. As we got closer, the trails started to have signage and I felt more relaxed, if not jelly legged - I think Alexis was right there with me. We stopped to rest and look around at the south gate and then it was another 1.2km to our final destination, the Geumgang Cable Car that would take us back down to Busan, but not before encountering more stairs and hills as we hiked along the old fortress wall and through the woods.

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Friday September 30th 2022 | Busan | Seokbulsa Temple

We had a full party this morning for an early start to the day, beginning with hotel breakfast at 7:30. It was good but the same options as the day before, a balance of sweet and savory and American and Korean foods. We hailed taxis around 8am to take us out of the hustle and bustle of Busan Proper to Seokbulsa Temple in the nearby mountains. Of course our taxi, filled with only English speakers, did us a dirty and dropped us at the bottom entrance while Keumhee Davis and Devin got a nice cushy ride to the top. Alexis and I stopped to use the hole in floor bathroom before starting the very steep 800m climb to the temple - not how I wanted to start the morning. We were sweating buckets by the time we reached the top. 

Seokbulsa is a small Buddhist temple popularized by its carvings in the mountainside cliffs surrounding its worship area. We quietly admired them, also laughing at the bald monk on the terrace videoing a tree being cut down on his phone. Modern religion. One thing that was interesting is that the symbol most of us will recognize as a swastika is also the symbol for “temple” in Korea, so many of the gates and signs were adorned with them.

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Busan | Nampo-Dong

We meandered towards the massive Lotte shopping center, detouring through the Nampo dong underground shopping center that led to the metro, then resurfacing and walking through the dried fish market before stopping at a lighthouse on the water to look around at Yongmi-gil Seaview Park. Stephen was getting rather grumpy at this point, so after a short drone break we walked around Lotte Mart and Lotte Mall long enough to catch the water and light show in the atrium.

We were all running out of energy so our last stop was the somewhat elevated Yongdusan Park, home to Busan Tower. After a short walk we entered through a side entrance…to find more stairs ugh. The park was home to lots of cats, all with clipped ears. Dusk was setting in so we found the entrance with escalators and exited that way, ending up on Gwangbok-ro Fashion Street, an upscale shopping and dining area. We found a large taxi van that took our group back to Gwangali - convenient but nauseating. 

The whole crew reunited for dinner at Clam Gwangali, where we had a really enjoyable family style meal of Fusion/Spanish dishes. There was something for everyone with plenty of veg options and seafood including the, mushroom linguini (my absolute fave), seafood paella, truffle pecorino fries, a cheese board with olives meats and tuna salad, a ham and egg dish, and a spicy shrimp dish served over baguettes. We feasted for about $20 a head, my only complaint that I couldn’t enjoy a Hoegaarden with dinner. Alas. Time for bed for me! 

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Busan | Nampo-Dong

Once we caught a bus back to Nampo-Dong we walked through the markets again, noting that it looked like vendors were setting up for a night market,  and walked the fish market a second time with Alexis and Josh. We tried to look around the indoor portion of the market, which boasts something like 7 floors of fresh seafood, but it but didn't go so well. I’m not sure if we were in the wrong area or the lady was just rude and territorial and didn't want us walking through her section, but quickly got waved back outside.