Day 4 - 15th April 2018
Busan / Korea
We stayed for 3D2N in Busan and I guess it's enough to cover most things that we wanted to do in Busan, just minus the rainy day we had that we end up not being able to go to some places.
Anyway, we asked for a later check-out from our Airbnb host and our request were fulfilled to check-out late till 1pm. Thank God we didn't shop much, so our luggage wasn't that heavy. We walked a 15 mins walk to Haeundae station with our luggage. 3 days here and we found street ways to pull our luggage somewhat smoothly. Their road flooring are actually luggage-friendly, but then again, no elevator, so D had to carry the luggage here and there.
Thank God we will only have to carry our luggage at least 3 times - when heading to Busan, coming back from Busan to Seoul and going back home from Seoul to Incheon Airport, while the rest the luggage will be left in the apartment while we go out.
So we finally have to bid goodbye to our apartment.
We had lunch at Punjab Indian Restaurant at Haeundae area before taking the subway back to Busan. The only thing this restaurant is at the 3rd floor, so D had to carry our heavy luggage up the stairs. Tsk.
One thing about being in Busan, there isn't any Halal korean food (besides in Dusil) that I know off or stumble while googling unlike in Seoul. So we have to settle for mostly, Indian food which is Halal.
We had naan with Butter Chicken & Lamb Masala.
The food was nice but I guess the gravy was too thick for my liking, then I end up throwing up after that. Plus, I wasn't feeling well either. I guess I kene some sumpah or "curse" to travel. Each time when I travel, I always fall sick! And I have to really fight and force myself to be okay. Anyway, the weather in Busan was quite good too, I guess the spring season is almost over in Busan. No wonder we see lesser Cherry Blossom here.
View from the restaurant we were eating from.
While eating, we heard some ang mohs talking to each other about which KTX timing they want to take to go back to Seoul. Then, I start realizing, that we have to start checking our KTX timing and not just keep eating our hearts away.
We were aiming for the 2.20 or 2.40pm KTX from Busan to Seoul.
KTX
After lunch, we took the subway to Busan. There is this old man inside the train of Busan while Dand I were sitting on the reserved seat, talking to us and ask where we were from. Told them we were from Singapore and they always look up to us so "high", so "proudly". They always mistake us as China or Malaysian but their expression will change the moment they know we are from Singapore. The name of of Lee Kuan Yew are always easily remembered and mentioned at the tip of their tongue. The Koreans respected him, respected our country as well as our people for gaining our own independence. I've never been so proud to be a Singaporean, minus the high standards of living here though. Lol!
So...
Tips 6: Get and booked your KTX tickets the moment you reach Busan for the going home KTX ticket! Never wait to the last minute or on the day itself, especially buying KTX tickets on weekends is as good not getting any tickets at all, or you have to wait for hours just to get a STANDING ticket!
Yes! We end up not having tickets back to Seoul and I was panicky. The next STANDING KTX tickets require us to wait for almost 2 hours and it's not even sitting down ticket. Argh. I was restless and annoyed. I cannot imagine having to stand for 3 freaking hours inside the train. They offered us a seating ticket but that is at 9.15pm. Like 5 hours waiting time. NOPE! We had no choice. So, D and I took the standing tickets at 4.55pm.
Tips 7: Buy the KORAIL Flexible Days Pass (Saver Pass) and NOT the Korail Consecutive pass from Klook if you're travelling more than 2 person and not going back home from Busan the next following day. So you can choose one day to to redeem your KTX ticket and another different day (not the next consecutive day, up to 3 days from the first date of KTX ticket purchase). You save money that way.
If you're lucky, with a standing ticket, you get to sit at a folded chair nearby the train entrance. But you have to be fast to chope the place.
So yes, we had to stand all the way to Seoul. Well my husband did. I gave up and since I was smaller in size, I managed to squeeze myself inside the luggage compartment to sit inside. I initially thought we were not allowed to do that but when the ticket conductor walked past, she did not say anything. There were people who sat on the train floor as well, unlike in Singapore you cannot do that. Of course you can't, no train in Singapore takes 3 freaking hours to reach one place to another. Lol!
And I realized as we were going back to Seoul, I met more rude people. There was this Korean lady who refused to put her luggage elsewhere even when there are many free luggage compartment. She just gave me that pissed look and made that pissed sound and slam her luggage right next to me. Bloody hell. I was so annoyed and I just gave her the daggers. People in Seoul are SOOOOO different from people in Busan. People in Busan are more polite and just so so so so so nice. And I realized, how much I love being in Busan.
I noticed the people in Seoul, don't really give up their seat that much even to the elderly, unlike some Singaporeans. If you think Singaporeans are worse because there often many whom get stomped for not giving up their seat to needy people, there nobody cares.
Again no lift, so D had to carry my luggage and his up down the stairs.
A korean old uncle who was nice asked us where we wanted to go because D and I was super lost. But he couldn't understand English but he was so eager to help us. D translate the English address in Korean and he showed our apartment but D and I were still afraid that it might be the wrong place because the uncle wasn't too sure as well. Then a teenage Korean girl approached us and spoke English. Phew! Thank God! Asking if she can help us. She sounded a bit slang in her English. I bet younger Korean kids can speak good English now due to better education. Alhamdulilah. She look at the address, speak to the uncle in Korea and they both figured out and pointed at our apartment building. We bow and thank them a lot and walked to our apartment.
We were so confused not knowing which floor was our building because of the way our host wrote - 1631. I thought that was the room number 1631 but no floor provided. Apparently, it was floor 16th, Unit 31.
When we enter our apartment, I was slightly disappointed. The one in Busan was bigger and breathable. The one in Seoul, feel so suffocating. The room is so small and stuffy and I just felt like I could not breathe. Plus the weather was so cold, the more I felt like I had shortness of breath. D and I took a shower and we rest. Sadly, the bed wasn't even comfortable. It was just a small mattress and you know how tall and long my husband is, so we had to squeeze for a good 7 days there.
The only happy thing, the place had Netflix. So D and I Netflix our nights all day, errday.Day 5 - 16th April 2018
Korea - Everland
Woke up earlier than expected as I wasn't feeling that well. I didn't feel comfortable and didn't get a proper sleep. So, I woke D up and we head out from our apartment at 9.30am for Everland.
Directions to Everland:-
1) Head to Gangnam Station (Line 2)
2) At Gangnam Station take Exit 10
3) And take the bus 5002
You can take bus 5700 from Jamsil Station too but D and I took bus 5002 from Gangnam.
While inside the bus, it's super pack but we were lucky we got a sit and NO STANDING on the 2nd level.
While in the bus, I saw dal.komm coffee cafe, made popular by the drama Descendant of the Sun but we didn't had time to even drop by or try. Lucky there's one in Singapore already.
Shuttle Bus to Everland. Yay.
So so proud of ourselves, more of myself, because I did all the googling and research. 😜 But of course with D's help in navigating too. I will never be able to do it alone without him.
The moment we reach Everland, it was really like a land of EVER....different? Lol! Like we are so far away from our apartment and this part of Korea here is like fresher/cooler and has a lot of cherry blossom! We finally get to see a good proper Cherry Blossom here. Thank you so much Everland!
Beautiful ain't it? I even get to touch it! A friend told me in Japan, the parks are taken care of security parks that will make sure no one shake or touch the cherry blossom tree. Of course I didn't shake the tree because it will just drop. So I get to touch the petals, those ones on the ground. So beautiful!
The outside entrance of Everland.
We have bought our tickets in advance at Klook, so we get to skip the tickets queue (which was so long already) and just scanned the printed Klook confirmation letter. Thank God! I was so happy the moment I enter, is like when you enter USS, you're like in a "different fantasy world". Hehe!
They had Tulips Festival season on that month and you can see all the tulips flower decorated and surrounding Everland. So beautiful, I just cannot handle it. I loveeee flowers. It felt like I was in USS + Gardens by the Bay at the same time. Hehe! I'm sure roses festival will be even splendid!
As we continue walking, we get to see more and more cherry blossoms. Glad we came here!
Me posing with cherry blossom. Hehe!
We also didn't want to miss the scenic view of Everland too.
Sadly, this part here was closed.
Love lantern of rose garden, not sure how this works though. I guess you have to buy these bottles, each bottles have different colour representing different meaning and have to light it up. I guess the view will be nicer in the evening/night.
My palace? Hehe!
Cherry blossoms from across.
It's like as if we were in a foreign country than Korea.
After all the walks, we were so famished because we didn't had anything for breakfast either. Luckily, I did my research, so...
Food: There is no specific "halal" restaurants in Everland but you can go and buy the shrimp burger from their restaurants. Shown below is "Burger Cafe Europe" which is in the same area (European Adventure) of the prayer room in Everland. - By Muslim Backpacker Seoul
So we settled for the Shrimp Burger but I couldn't finish it because I didn't had any appetite and felt like vomiting, so D finished them instead. We felt recharged after that and continued walking in Everland again stumbling into more beautiful scenic area. Oh, we decided not to take the ride because both of us a scaredy cats. HAHAHA! We skipped the less frightening ones as well because the queue was craaaaaazy.
Finally an interesting place that we had an "interactive" activity with them birds. Hehe!
You have to actually purchase the birdies food from this particular machine, for tourists, you can use your T-Money card to purchase it for 2,500 Won if I'm not wrong, I can't remember. Hehe!
The little birds feeding on D's palm.
So cuteeee, so small.
I also wanted to try. Hehe! Can feel the birds pecking hard on the food, slightly ticklish feeling.
Our next stop was Baa Baa Black Sheep. Hmm...White Sheep.
Lemur the Madagascar sesat in Korea. LOL!
I actually had to confirm this with D because I thought this was a racoon and even thought this one was from Lion King. HAHAHA! Me and my asal boleh-ness. 
Zootopia - Another interesting activity we tried was to hop on to the Amphi-bus!
This bus can be ride both on land and sea. So cool!
Porcupine
So thrill with the amphi-bus that I actually forgot to take pictures, especially the picture of the giraffe which popped its head inside the bus to greet us. Hehe! Our backs were aching from the 6 hours walk in Everland that we decided to head back without catching the fireworks. I think there is a fireworks in the evening if I'm not mistaken.
More cherry blossom on our way back.
Even luckier to be able to touch it. As a nature lover, I didn't pluck this, it was already on the ground.
We took the Everland Shuttle Bus back to the empty space and then took bus 5002 back to Gangnam. Remember to look out for the same bus stop that you board the bus from.
We were so famished yet again for dinner and I check out my itinerary, the nearest Halal restaurant would be in Yeoksam (same Line 2) just 1 stop away from Gangnam - Yang Good (Halal Korean BBQ). I was afraid D was too tired to even take the train to drop at Yeoksam but he was cool with it. We use GPS to head to Yang Good, there were few uphills that you need to persevere through BUT trust me, the food is all worth all the climbs. Lol!
We were such a greedy bunch that we tried all - the Lamb Grilled skewer, Marinated Lamb and the Marinated Chicken. All were so DELICIOUS! We didn't really know how to BBQ, our meat almost turned black from over-cooking but the person there was nice, they keep coming to our table, helping us with the BBQ. It was so nice, D even had a second servings of rice.
I can't eat dry, so we bought Soybean Paste Stew soup.
I will definitely recommend this place to everyone out there. The meat is soooo nice, so tender and cheaper when we had food in Busan. Even as I'm blogging this, I wish I could just take the next plane to Korea. Lol! But minus the climbing up those hills but still trust me, those climbing uphills is definitely worth for Yang Good!
Yang Good Halal Korean BBQ
15, Nonhyeon-ro 95-gil, Gangnam-gu | Pyeonghwa Bldg.
1F, Seoul 06131, South Korea (Gangnam / Nonhyeon / Yeoksam)
+82 2-567-7060
So after dinner, D and I headed back to our apartment straight, showered, netflix and went to sleep.
Bought these cute pen for my girlfriends at Everland. Glad they like it! Hehehe!
XOXO,
Princess Azie Anni ♥
