Korea/Jeju Trip @ May 2011 - Day 4

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 ...