Day 4 - 20 May 2011
Day 4 itinerary was a simple one, half of the day spend on travelling. An early woke up call to meet at 7 am as we will be leaving Jeju for Seoul. Before heading to the airport to catch a morning flight, we had breakfast at one of the local restaurant. Our breakfast was the famous Jeju Abalone Porridge!
Jeju Abalone Porridge (Jeonbokjuk)
Prior before that our tourguide already warned us not to expect or see any abalone slices in the porridge as it was chopped into fine bits. The Koreans love to eat the abalone internal organs more than the flesh as it was believed that all the nutrients of the abalone are in the organs. The more abalone internal organ added into the porridge, the more nutritious it was. Our tourguide chose the authentic Korean version that was filled with lots of internal organ for us to try, that's why the porridge looks so greenish. Since he said was so good, even it was rather bland tasting, most of us still finished it off. As for me I enjoyed the side dishes more than the porridge especially the fish.
Jeju Airport (Jeju - Seoul)
Checking in at Jeju Airport for an hour flight to Gimpo Airport.
Korean Restaurant Buffet
Upon arrival at Gimpo airport, we were transfer to coach to proceed to Mt Sorak National Park. Along the way we stopped by for lunch in a Korean buffet restaurant. We didn't enjoy the food as most of the dishes were cold and a bit too rustic for our palate. This was probably one of the lousiest lunch we had for the entire trip.
Seoraksan National Park / Kwon Kum Seong Fortress / Shinhungsa Temple
After few hours of coach ride, we finally arrived at the Seoraksan National Park. The park is beautiful, accented by ganite peaks, lush green valleys and dense forests. Cable car ride to the summit for a panoramic view of Mt Sorak. Then we trekked up to the impressive Kwon Kum Seong Fortress which commands an excellent view of the Outer Sorak region. Next was to Shinhungsa Temple which is just beside the park.
Snacking time - Ice Cream
Had some ice cream at the cable car station.
Dried Fish & Tofu Hotpot Soup
Dinner was another type of hotpot, with dried fish, tofu and vegetables. Simple and tasted refreshing. The side dishes were slightly different from the usual ones we had too.
Dragon Valley Hotel
After dinner, we took a leisure drive to Yongpyong Dragon Valley and check-in to the resort hotel for the night. This was also one of the filming site of the famous Korean Drama "Winter Sonata". Yongpyong is a popular skiing resort in Korea during the winter season. The hotel room was clean but a bit run down.
Stay tune for more updates for my day 5 itinerary ...
2 comments :
I feel the travel bug itching again when I look at your posts! I've been to Korea only once, and that time we only visited Seoul. I didn't have a good impression of the food, nor the tour guide who brought us around. I even told myself I never wanted to return! but I think soon, I'll have to eat my words ;)
Haha...I'm really please that my travelogue has changed your impression of Korea! Thanks!
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