SK 2012: Ah chuketta~!

South Korea is definitely one of those places you'll never get tired of coming back to. Free visa, promo fares, cheap accommodation, convenient public transport, beautiful tourist destinations, tasty local food, shopping paradise, and really helpful locals. What more can you ask for? Probably a longer stay, that's what!

Photo credits: PleasureTripping.com, Skyscanner, Google, SheKnowsCanada

Our last day in Seoul was all a blur after we started packing our stuff. It was so hard trying to fit all of our clothes AND purchases in our luggage. Honestly, our room looked more like a WWF ring rather than an all girls room. We were all trying to lock down our suitcases by sitting on top of them or just hugging them tight until they give up and finally choke close down. It was so exhausting, I literally passed out while packing. In my defense, I don't over-pack. But I do over-buy and I try to fit everything in one luggage. Thanks to compressor bags, I can fit 30kgs worth of stuff into a 20-25kgs luggage. >:)

On our way back from Mr. Pizza, Faye and I had this crazy idea to skip going to bed and just stay awake until our red-eye flight back to Manila. We wanted to go around Hongdae one last time and get our pictures taken at Psy's billboard. Obviously, that didn't happen. Haha I couldn't even remember lying down. Or even putting one sock on. The next thing I know, Vanie was shaking me to get up. She was already dressed in her outdoor clothes so that woke me up pretty well.

It turns out, I fell asleep while organizing stuff in my handbag. Thankfully, I managed to finish all my check-in luggage. I actually put on a sock to get ready for our mini adventure. Unfortunately, I passed out before I even put on my other sock! HAHA We were so bangag at 4:30 AM, we all had boo-boo's of our own. But as a true friend, I wouldn't disclose the other girls' Oops! moments here. Just know that I wasn't alone in my kasabawan. Hihi

So I woke up in a semi-trance and just started shoving everything onto my handbag and put my other sock on, my boots, and my coat. I was out the door with all my things when I realized we were actually leaving Seoul. :(

And as if the feeling's mutual, we were greeted by Seoul's bitter cold weather as we walked out the door. It was so cold, it's like the wind is telling us to just stay indoors. We had to leave though whether we like it or not. So after fitting all our stuff in the call-van, we said our goodbyes to Mr. Choi. And we were off to the airport!

Since we had time (and wons) to spare, Faye and I went shopping while the others had breakfast at Lotteria. Funny how we kept coming back to the counter with more and more stuff until we've used up all our T-money and wons. When we're done, we went back to Lotteria to have breakfast and eat some of the lovely cupcakes Karen gave us. :)

And then it was time to finally board the plane. Sure, leaving Seoul made me sad. But the good news is, I slept all throughout the flight so it wasn't so bad.

When I got home, I realized I got a lot of Kim Soo Hyun stuff. And most of them were freebies. 8D Apparently, he's really hot in SK right now. His standees are everywhere! How I wish I could have seen the real thing though.

Lots and lots of service!

Oh and I also brought home a lot of service as Koreans like to call it which is basically the same as freebies. They're mostly free samples of beauty products.

You know you've had a great time when your map ends up looking like this. Seoul, once again you've been too nice! I'll see you soon, promise. Hopefully, in spring. :)

SK 2012: Traditional Meets Modern Seoul

I woke up around 7:00 AM feeling recharged. Thanks to our hanok's ondol flooring, I slept like a baby. The heated floors were like hot compresses on my tired and hurting legs. So good~!

Complimentary traditional breakfast. Excuse our bangag faces.

Our host called us one by one for our free complimentary traditional breakfast around 8:00 AM. She told us that we should eat breakfast first before anything else (i.e. make-up). I later found out that she told Faye to wait for everyone to be seated at the table before she starts eating. Haha Low EQ kasi e! I guess they value meal times that much.

SK 2012: Hey Seoul Sisters!

Autumn in South Korea is hands-down our most-awaited trip of the year. The girls and I have been raving about it for the longest time, even our office mates can't help but get excited for us. Even though it'll be my second time there, I feel just as giddy as I was the first time simply because it was love at first sight for me and SK. It's definitely one of those places you'll never get tired of going back to.

We were lucky enough to book tickets during one of Cebu Pacific's crazy piso sale promos, so it's alright even if we ended up with red-eye flights. Not bad for Php 3,000+ yo! At least we get a breathtaking view of the city skyline during take-off and landing. Plus, we can easily sleep through the 4-hour flight. This trip was a year in the making and I spent grueling hours researching just to make the most out of our 6-day trip. All that effort was worth it though seeing them girls get excited by just looking at the itinerary and sample photos.

Waiting for airport limousine bus #6002

We arrived at Incheon International Airport (IIA) around 6 AM. After exchanging a few dollars to wons at the nearest Foreign Exchange booth for breakfast and transportation money, we bought/topped-up our Seoul City Pass Plus cards which is basically T-money with additional discounts for tourists. Tip#1: Do not exchange all your travel money at the airport. Wait until you get to Myeong-dong where you can find some of the best rates.