N Seoul Tower & Locks of Love

The place I was definitely most excited about visiting in Korea was the N Seoul Tower. Also known as the Namsan Tower, it is a communication and observation tower located on Namsan Mountain and marks the highest point in Seoul. It is a very popular landmark where you can see great panoramic views of the city.

We went there first thing in the morning and took the train to Myeongdong station. From there, it was about a 20 minute walk to the cable car platform which will take you to the tower. Warning though, it was an uphill climb with a couple of steep stairs. It was also hot that day (it was in the first week of September) so if you're like me who doesn't exercise, it was definitely tiring and I had to take a couple of breaks in between hehe. ;p

check HERE for more detailed directions on how to get to the cable car

We got the round-trip cable car tickets for 8,500 won each. There were quite a number of people in line and they really try to fit everyone inside the cable car. It would be ideal if you get to stay by the windows to really see the view, but we were unfortunately stuck somewhere in the middle. It was a bit claustrophobic since the car was really jam-packed and there was hardly even space to move. Good thing it was just for a few minutes...

And finally we were here! It was again more stairs and uphill walking to get to the actual tower, but it wasn't as bad anymore since we were just excited to finally get there. ;p

The first thing that we saw before getting to the tower was the Beacon Lighthouse. We actually caught a short program, which was sort of a changing of the guards ceremony.

We then noticed a small booth right across where you could wear traditional Korean outfits for free. Of course, we just had to try this out since it was one of my goals to do this on our trip. Luckily, there was a short line, but we had to wait a bit for hubby to get suited up since they only had 2 costumes for guys (and ang tagal mag picture nun mga lalaking nauna samin!). It was so fun playing dress up and I really loved wearing the hanbok which was so pretty. :)

We then quickly checked out the Pavilion and then the park grounds before finally entering the Seoul Tower.

Pavilion

park grounds right outside the tower

We got the Observation Deck Combo Package A which was 20,000 won for 2 adults and included a large bucket of popcorn and drinks. I think this was a good deal since price per person is 9,000 won so we would have paid 18,000 won anyway, which is just a small difference from the combo with snacks already. Plus, we were already starving since this was just about lunch time and the popcorn (which if I remember correctly was onion flavored) was soooo good!

We then took an elevator ride and within a few moments, we had finally reached the Observation Deck!

It was really breathtaking to see a 360-degree view of the city all the way from the top of the tower.

Each window panel had different world cities on them too. Of course, we had to find Manila! :)

souvenir shop where we bought some magnets

They also give you these tags where you can write messages and hang them on one side of the wall as a remembrance of your visit.

After leaving the tower, we headed to the Locks of Love area right outside, which was another place I was super excited to visit.

thousands of locks everywhere!

We actually forgot to bring a padlock from home, but good thing we bought one in the Daiso near our hotel for just 1,000 won. The locks they were selling at the tower were so much more expensive!

hope we can find our lock when we come back here again ;)

Our cute lock even had the word "LOVE" on the back. Awww! ;p

more locks on the other side, this time on trees

We really enjoyed our visit here in the N Seoul Tower. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip for me. :)

And before we left, we just had to leave our mark at the Beacon Lighthouse, overlooking the city. So maybe if you visit too, you can see it there. :)

N SEOUL TOWER
Website: www.nseoultower.co.kr

Dayrit's Burger & Roastbeef House, BF Paranaque

I remember Dayrit's from my childhood days because my family, especially my lola, loved this restaurant. We would frequent the branch in Buendia Ave. back then and I would always order the same thing, their hamburger steak.

This restaurant really brings back so many good memories for me, so imagine my surprise when we saw this sign while driving in BF one day. A new Dayrit's branch had opened right here in President's Ave!

Of course, we had to try it right away since we hadn't eaten in Dayrit's for a few years now. We had the whole place to ourselves since it was a weekday, or maybe since people in the area don't know about this place yet.

There were so many good things we wanted to try and order, but of course we had to have their Roast Beef and Hamburger Steak. Check out their menu below:

Special Iced Tea and Dalandan Juice

Roast Beef Plate

Hamburger Steak

coleslaw

They also have a frozen meat section...

and other Pinoy delicacies for sale.

 We also had to buy their famous Chorizo Macao (P420 per kilo). Can't wait to eat this!

I'm so happy Dayrit's is now here in the south! Now we can have ultimate comfort food so close to home. Everything was really good and we will definitely be back to try their other menu items.

DAYRIT'S BURGER & ROASTBEEF HOUSE
35 President's Ave. BF Homes, Paranaque
http://dayrits.ph/

Seoul, Korea: Exploring Dongdaemun

We decided to go to Dongdaemun on our 2nd day in Korea. Regarding how to get there, I  just left all the navigating to hubby since I was completely clueless and totally confused when it came to riding their subway. He downloaded this free app on his iPhone (Seoul Subway - Map & Route Planner) and it was a big help with letting us know where to go. But there were still times we got lost, especially since we had to transfer lines a couple of times. ;p

The first thing that we saw when we exited the train station was this structure called the Heunginjimun Gate. Usually called Dongdaemun, this gate was built in 1397 and is the East Gate of Seoul Fortress. I like how it was right in the middle of all these modern buildings and malls, which gives you a sense of history and a glimpse of the past.

Heunginjimun Gate

information about the gate

view from the other side

Just across the street was Dongdaemun Shopping Complex and Town. This place was really huge with 5 buildings in total.

However, this place only sold fabrics, textiles, accessories, wedding products, etc. If you notice the sign on the building, it says "Designers' Hub" which hubby and I thought meant designer labels haha! Un pala, for designers to buy their materials here! Toink! ;p

So off we went again, just walking around and checking out the different shopping markets and malls, which were everywhere! And of course, eating too. ;p

clothing market

Cheonggyecheon Stream

Frozen ice cream!

yummy street food

Doota (on the left side) is one of the many large fashion malls in the area

our Korean lunch in Doota Mall

We also checked out Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), which is the newest (officially inaugurated on March 2014) and most iconic landmark of the Korean design industry located at the center of the Dongdaemun area. The DDP, which was designed by Zaha Hadid, serves as a key venue for design-related shows and conferences, exhibitions, and other events and gatherings, which makes this like our very own Cultural Center of the Philippines.

the DDP in the middle of Dongdaemun

walking around the History and Culture Park

an outdoor exhibit featuring the Philippine Jeepney!

selfie :)

The DDP also has some restored parts of the Seoul Fortress like this Yigansumun Water Gate (floodgate channeling water from Namsan Mountain to Cheonggyecheon Stream and Seoul Fortress).

There were lots of interesting things inside the DDP, like this exhibit of chairs from different designers around the world.

Game of Thrones ang peg ;p

There was also a Transformers 30th Anniversary Exhibition, but there was an entrance fee of 15,000 won. I knew I wouldn't appreciate it as much as hubby, so I just waited for him outside hehe.

We then saw people lining up for another exhibit, so I asked the staff how much was the entrance fee. When she said it was free, hubby and I decided to check it out as well. Culture Chanel was an exhibit that traced the the creative landmarks in designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel's life. It was comprised of about 500 photographs, books, objects, manuscripts, archives and artworks, along with Chanel’s fashion, jewelry, watch and perfume creations.

Our day was super tiring with a mix of sightseeing, shopping, art and culture. But I definitely want to come back here because I feel bitin with the shopping part haha! I personally think I need a whole day just to properly check out all the malls and markets. :)