CutiCuti: South Korea Day 6 - Eomoni Jib & Kona Beans (Super Junior)

Assalamualaikum. 안녕! 

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Day 4

Day 5 

Imjingak, DMZ (Third Tunnel), Dorasan Observatory & Dorasan Station

Lets continue where I last stopped the entry. As said earlier after the brief tour to DMZ, we went back to Seoul. Relying solely on our skill in reading map, we reached Myeongdong from City Hall by foot. Thanks to super fast wifi connection by olleh. Sempat promote! Langsung ndak hang navigation google map aku; walau cuma guna phone. Unlike...hmm! Sila jangan lupa diri Bie!

Anyway, because the suggested restaurant (Saffron) by our tour guide was quite over the top for a cheapskate like us...we opted to have our lunch elsewhere. And decided to search for the restaurant we were supposed to have dinner before Ms H went back to Malaysia. We went there on our first night in Seoul but unfortunately it was already closed. 

Looking for the restaurant from Saffron wasn't that hard as we were already quite familiar with the streets in Myeongdong. Kerlas! We've been there the most since we arrived South Korea; so yeah we can literally chew the map already. Bragger! 

Direction to Eomonijip or Eomoni Jib. 

• From Myeongdong Station (Line 4), walked straight from Exit 6. 
• Turn right onto the small alley between Frisbee (with an Apple Mac logo) & eSpair stores. 
• The restaurant will be the first on the right side. *I was excited upon arriving I totally forgot to snap a picture of the restaurant from the entrance*

This is a seafood restaurant suggested by the Korea Tourism Ogranization (KTO) in the Korean food Guide for Muslim (here). It's an ebook but not downloadable. What I did was I captured the screenshot of the restaurants suggested. And later search the location via the naver.map app. Being able to read Hangul does have lots of advantage specially in using naver; the South Korea search portal. 

The interior. Typical restaurant look. 

Banchan are free. So does the plain water. Luckily I have trained myself to consume plain water months before the trip. Else, memang akan membazir beli air manis/berwarna jak! Penyakit orang perasan-berada memang begitu. Colourless drink (plain water) is plain boring; regardless it being essential to the body. Sekian.

I ordered bibimbap; a Korean style of mixed rice. It is serves in a bowl that contains warmed rice topped with seasoned veggies, chili pepper or gochujang, fried egg & seaweed flakes. And that pajeun (veggie pancake) on the left side is FOC. Ahjumma is being extra kind to us three; nampak sangat muka kebulur. 

After lunch, we went back to the hostel. Took a quick nap before we went out again. 

Gangnam Station; the underground. Way too different than the other underground subway stations we've been before; in terms of both feeling & look. Highly portrays the opulence living of Gangnam people. Even the underground gives such a strong vibrant vibe to me if not everyone.

Fulfilling Ms G wish to step upon Gangnam soil. Eh? Ini semua poyo! Blame Psy oppa for this, please. It was such an enormous relief she didn't execute her insane plan. That is to do the horse-dance; made popular by the Gangnam Style song. Else, Ms Z & I would have to run away.

Sky scrappers building mushroomed in this posh neighbourhood. It was reported that the heavy wealth & high standard of living in Gangnam has been compared to cities such as Beverly Hills, California. Its expensive real estate is almost twice as high as Seoul as a whole. 

Finish with the awing session of Gangnam district...we went back to the subway station. Nothing much we could do at Gangnam unless we hit a jackpot prior going. Baru boleh shopping paling sakan. 

Next mission; was solely for my satisfaction. The two ladies had no choice but to follow order. I've been searching the direction to this cafe ever since I know about its existence few months back. Fyi, my interest towards Super Junior has just blossomed early this year. Hence explain why only during the recent trip did I go visit. 

Credit to source (here)

Thanks so much to the blog owner. There are few ELFs (Ever Lasting Friend) that wrote the direction to Kona Beans (Apgujeong) in the internet & I found hers the most accurate. And easy to follow. 

We took the bus as directed in the map; at the bus stop located just few steps from Exit 2; Apgujeong Station (Line 2).

Bus arrived soon after we reached the bus stop & we hop off at the next station. Journey took us less than two minutes! But the heartbeat? Unexplainable. Tu dia si Err sudah start. Fangirling is something I never thought I would do; at least not at this age. Hmm!

Map provided by naver is super up to date. In googlemap, the Black Smith restaurant doesn't exist YET. Therefore to get a clearer version of the route, I used naver instead. The bus stopped right in front the restaurant. Take the alley next to it (refer picture) & continue walking. 

There is NO WAY one will miss this building! It's just by the street; on the left side. Kona Beans (Apgujeong branch) is run by the beloved mothers of Lee Teuk, Sungmin & Kyuhyun. Every now & then, the members will come here. Specially during their free time because most of the time they're busy touring around the world; promoting new albums or having concerts. 

Taking picture right in front of the counter is not allowed, so I moved a bit to the side. This is mainly to avoid one from taking picture of the list of prices on the wall. Orang berbisnes, sila hormat please.

Still full from the scrumptious lunch, I ordered only this for dinner cum supper. My forever favourite; ice chocolate with whipped cream won't be replaced by any drink. Ever. Even when I'm abroad, I will choose this drink still. 

We sat next to the stack of gifts from ELFs to the Super Junior members. They came from all around the world. Expressing their love for the boys. If only one of the member was there during our visit. Not that I was expecting them to be there but who knows it could be my lucky day. Dreaming & hoping to meet them face to face is never a crime though. 

Having said that, we met Leader @ Lee Teuk's mother there. She walked up to our table & PERSONALLY handed each of us a fan that has Lee Teuk's face on it. Cartoon-ized. 

"Gidalyeo juseyo" she said. "Ye Eomoni, gidalibnida" I replied. Simple Korean bolehlah aku goreng, panjang sikit conversation...harus Ye Ye jak aku reply! 

Apart from Donghae-ssi & Kyuhyun-ssi, Sungmin-ssi has attract my attention as well. I was always distracted by his politeness & sweet smile. Not to forget his seriousness on stage. Too adorable for someone aged 28. 

More gifts displayed at the cafe center area. I wonder if the boys ever read or see each of these. 

Their fans are not only from South Korea; but from all over the world. For fans from Hawaii; for example. Their gifts are displayed at this shelf. 

The only thing I regretted the most is not having the gut to asked Leader's mother to take a picture with us. Why u so like to let precious moment slips by? Its not like everyday u got to visit the store; let alone meet her. For situation as such, put ur unnecessary shyness aside lah! No one will ever notice if u came out the store ablush. Aigoo! 

Wait, sejak bila kau develope rasa malu ndak bertempat ni ah? 

eryantierdabdulkarim

South Korea Day 6 - Imjingak, DMZ, Dora Observatory & Dora Station

Assalamualaikum. 안녕!

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Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5 

Curi masa update. While waiting for my work to finish; jangan jak leka & hangus. Memang masaklah kan. Right, continue with the content already. Pot pet pot pet nanti ntah apa yang siap. Harus bertangguh lagi lepas tu. 

Ms H went back to Malaysia early in the morning. And only us three ladies joined the tour to DMZ. For a half day tour; Imjingak, Third Tunnel, Dora Observatory & Dora Station are included in the itinerary. To join the full day tour that includes Joint Security Area (read: here); one have to make an early reservation. If I'm not mistaken; the booking has to be made at least three days prior the tour date. We booked ours a day before the tour at the hostel reception (Banana Backpackers) since it's a half day tour. 

Initially, we were quite hesitant to proceed with the plan. With the high tensions of a situation currently going on between the two Koreas at that time; I was advised by Lisa to put the plan on hold. She got most of the latest information from her friends back in South Korea. Also the embassy. 

Being stubborn that I am, I insisted to go. Hence I sent Banana Hostel a private message in fb. Asking about the situation there. Much to my surprise, I got quite a positive reply from them. 

Either they're purposely did that for the sake of their business or that's what really happened there...I proceed with my plan; still. Instead of worrying, I looked forward for the trip. Betul kerja gila. 

Early that morning Mr Kim; our tour guide picked us up at the hostel. We left the hostel at 7a. After picking up the rest of the tour members from their respective hostels/hotels; off we went to Imjingak. Along the way, ndak sempat membuta Mr Kim told us a bit of introduction about the places we're gonna visit. Also the rules to be observed. And stories about the North; which I concluded most of them focused on the President. 

Having seen (Exhibition) the North Korean Communist's brutalities towards not only the South Koreans; but also their own people does change my judgement towards the President. In my point of view, rather than wanting to develop the country for his people; all he ever wanted is the power to rule. Oh great! Did u just say ur view about other country's president out loud? Since when kisah politik jadi makanan kau, Bie? Eh?

Anyways, we reached Imjingak Unification Park an hour later. This is where Mr Kim registered our name & passport number to the system. Only those registered can enter the DMZ area; the only divided state in the world. Alhamdulillah it was a smooth journey knowing the fact that we were in a war zone. A war can break at any time. 

Imjingak can also be reach via public transportation (subway, taxi) but here is as far as an individual tour can go. One still has to be in a tour or board buses for fee to venture closer to the border. 

Downside of joining a tour. Limited time to stroll around. Let alone taking picture of the monuments regarding the Korean War. We were given merely 15mins to 'enjoyed' the view. That is I reckoned depending on how long Mr Kim will be in queue to register our names. 

I was quite curious to climb the stairs...and see by myself what's there. Yet again, the time given was my only barrier. Pasrah! 

The De-Militarized Zone. Finally here. This is where the Third Infiltration Tunnel is. We were given an hour & a half to explore this area. That includes the return journey to the tunnel.

Korean DMZ is the most heavily militarized border in the world. It is 250kilometres long & approximately 4km wide. DMZ is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsular that serves as a buffer zone between the North & the South. (source wiki)

Unification sounds rather extreme for me. I would prefer for both side to be friendlier with each other first. The South had survived enough to be where they stands now. I think it is fair if the North is allowed to 'borrowed' the skills & knowledge from the South to improve & develop their country. Let the North catch up with what the South has achieved so far...and only then unification shall take place. 

We went down to see the Infiltration Tunnel. No bags nor camera or even handphone is allowed to bring inside the tunnel. We have to leave all of our belongings in the locker provided before proceeding to the walkway. 

A bit of info about the tunnel (source wiki):

Since November 15, 1974, the South has discovered that four tunnels crossing the DMZ have been dug by North Korea. This is indicated by the orientation of the blasting lines within each tunnel. Upon their discovery, North Korea claimed that the tunnels were for coal mining; however, no coal has been found in the tunnels, which are dug through granite, but some of the tunnel walls have been painted black to give the appearance ofanthracite.

The tunnels are believed to have been planned as a military invasion route by North Korea. Each shaft is large enough to permit the passage of an entire infantry division in one hour, though the tunnels are not wide enough for tanks or vehicles. All the tunnels run in a north-south direction and do not have branches. Following each discovery, engineering within the tunnels has become progressively more advanced. For example, the third tunnel sloped slightly upwards as it progressed southward, to prevent water stagnation. Today, visitors may visit the second, third and fourth tunnels through guided tours.

This is the closest point to be used as proof that I've been there. While Ms G & Ms Z are the witnesses that I survived the 716m journey. To & fro. I successfully overcame my fear factor for the second time. I did the first time at Black Country Museum; with Ernie. The picture above doesn't do enough justification. We were damn tired the moment we came out from the tunnel. The 358m route up was indeed exhausting! I almost fainted. Drama sungguh!

We then move to Dora Observatory. Built looks across the DMZ, this observatory is the closest to the North.

The yellow line is the farthest one can go to take picture at this area. 

This observatory is located atop Mount Dora. On a clear day, the propaganda village of North Korea can be seen from the observatory point. But that day wasn't our luck. It was hazy & all I could see is the Imjin river. Because of the limited time given (again), we didn't have the chance to discover the area more. I later found out that there is another observatory that overlooked North Kore; Odusan Observatory. It is reachable via train or city bus. Please refer here for more info. This might be of useful info for me next time. 

Last stop is the Dorasan Station. A functional train station; the last one in South Korea from the DMZ. And perhaps the first to North Korea. One day...

The station that connects the South & North. 700m from the Southern Boundary of the DMZ. 

The train line goes all the way to Pyeongyang. But no train run the track for now; of course. 

This modern & complete functional station is idle. Mr Kim told me, there will be only twice service from Seoul to this station in a day. If North Korea has somehow liberated, this station is going to service traffic between Seoul & the North Korea.

Who knows one day...the station is finally open to public. Untuk simpan that bit of a proud feeling that we've been there even before it started its operation to the North Korea...stamped the paper that has our name in Hangul with the stamp chop that stated "Pyeongyang".

The Trans-Korean railway is already built connecting the Trans-Siberia railway & Trans-China railway. Again, if one day the North Korea wants to 'freed' its country...this station will be the starting point of the transcontinental railroad. London is reachable via train from South Korea! Daebak! 

There are few people in our bus who booked the tour to JSA & they were sent to a restaurant near the DMZ. Lunch is provided for the tour that includes JSA. And they will continue their tour after lunch. As we only booked for the half day tour, we went straight back to Seoul.

I stumbled upon bloggers who hired taxi to go to Imjingak where they got the chance to step foot on the Bridge of Freedom & went up to Odusan Observatory. Their pictures are enough to make me envy their journey. I should visit the bridge one day. I was choked with emotion by just looking at the pictures for I want to experience it myself. 

Standing on the bridge...imagining the sorrow & grieve of the refugees (thousands of them) who escaped from the communist; left their family behind in North Korea knowing they will never be able to see them again. Insha Allah, I will pay that border another visit. But not during the upcoming trip for sure. 

Alas perut. Boiled guguma given by the Ahjumma; at the restaurant where we had our dinner the night before. I stopped after eating more than eight sweet potatoes. Lapar! I only had porridge for breakfast ok! And ouh, I left the fridge magnets & souvenirs I bought at the Third Tunnel in the bus. Brilliant! Sudahlah beli fridge magnet paling mahal. Why u so lucky eh, Bie?

The bus driver dropped us in front of a hotel situated opposite the City Hall. But before that, we made a stop at a ginseng outlet somewhere in Seoul. Thing tour agent will do in every organized tour & expect to pay sky high price when u decide to buy at this outlet. 

The hungry us paid little attention to the brief introduction about the ginseng. All we could think at that time was of course 'where to have our lunch'. Mr Kim suggested us an Arabian restaurant in Myeongdong. We were like "How to get there?". As usual, survival mode switch on automatically whenever I'm abroad. Choii!

We navigated the route to Myeongdong from City Hall using the google map in my phone. Pandai bah terus si Err baca map. Where got u say ur skill in reading map deteriorate leii! And of course Korean yang super helpful nampak kami macam lost, lead us to the stairs to the restaurant. Sekalinya, kedai banyak bintang! Harga standard lah kalau sudah banyak bintang. 

And laju jak kami decide untuk cari kedai makan lain. Eomoni Jib jadi pilihan; a seafood restaurant suggested by the Korean Muslim Federation. Found it in a blog. 

Had a scrumptious luncheon in Myeongdong before going back to our hostel. Will update more about that later. 

p/s How I really wish I snapped the pictures of the barb wires, fortified areas/river/hills. Everything that can  at least briefly explain that there are loads of 'unfinished business' between the two countries. How I wish...

eryantierdabdulkarim