Go Eat Wind: Myeongdong

8 Dec 2011 (Thurs)

Seoul / Namsan / Hangang River / Jamsil

We had a simple breakfast since it was not provided by the hotel package. It took me a long time to plan how to get to the Namsan Tower from our hotel as I couldn't find a comprehensive map (never mind, afterall we still got lost initially and took us slightly longer time). If I google, I found many options but all were rather brief.

OK in brief : Since our hotel was near to Myeongdong Station, we exit from Myeongdong Station Exit 4 and walked along (see blue line on map) till we reach Banporo road and continued till we reached the cable car station. Somehow along the Banporo road, we walked into a underground pass and exit to the opposite side which we realised that there was no need to do so. There was no need to go underpass and that wasted some of our time.

Again when you google, this Namsan Tower has many names. After the tower original owner merged with the CJ Corporation, it was renamed the N Seoul Tower (official name CJ Seoul Tower). It was also known as the Namsan Tower or Seoul Tower beforehand, and since then. I preferred to call it Namsan Tower.

This was where we walked towards the cable car station;

In fact from here if we walked straight, we would reach the lift to the cable car station, but somehow we walked into the underpass;

Even if we would to walk into the underpass, if we just went straight up it would be ok, but we turned right and ended up opposite;

Looking at the elevator to the Namsan Cable Car Station, we realised we were on the wrong side;

Walking back in the underpass;

Walked pass a fire station;

You can see that the elevator to the cable car station is just besides the entrance to the Namsan Tunnel 3 on the right;

The best way was to take the Namsan Oreumi (Korea first inclined outdoor elevator) to the cable car station. It elevator capacity is about 20 person. But on the board here the Oreumi was spelled as Ohreumi;

Just before the elevator came down;

Inside the elevator;

View from the elevator;

You can also take this type of yellow bus to Namsan Calbe Car station;

Yes, this is the Namsan Cable Car Station;

We were too early, it opened at 10am;

Wander about outside to pass time;

The locals;

The cable car;

The footpath leading to Namsan;

A Chinese Embassy and a ginseng company in the background;

The only store at the cable car station;

A guide map of Namsan;

The 10% discount coupons from KTO coupon booklets. You can get your infos from KTO in Singapore before going;

Getting bored;

Getting ready, going up the stairs;

At last inside the cable car;

Looking down;

Try walking up instead of cable car;

Namsan

I thought no more steps once we reached there?

Trying to "smoke" one another;

No, I didn't fall. Just trying to take the whole tower;

Should I called these Christmas Lock Tree?

Another Teddy Bear Museum in the background;

Looking down;

My daughter took the following 2 photos;

Look at the locks on the railing;

Changing guards at Namsan;

OK, it's time to go back;

We really loved to eat these eggs on cold Winter;

Taking a short break;

Hangang River Cruise

Our next destination is to take a Hangang River cruise (한강 유람선). We had to take a subway from Myeongdong Station to Yeouinaru Station (Line 5) and out at Exit 3. From there we should walked towards Yuksam Building (63 Building, 63 빌딩 or 육삼 빌딩) as the Yeouido Dock was adjacent (or opposite) to the building. Sound simple, but somehow the walk seemed never ending and liked lost along the way as we were not so sure which one was the 63 building (no landmark).

You may refer to this about the cruise or the main portal in Korean. Though the main portal is in Korean, you can see the map of the Yeouido Dock from Yeouinaru Station Exit 3 at the bottom of page. Or you can also refer to this map;

Though the walk to the Yeouido Dock was supposed to be around 7 mins, but we took more than that. If we could identify the 63 building earlier, we would be much faster and may had time to visit the 63 building as planned. We actually wanted to at least see the aquarium in the building but somehow we may not have enough time, as we had spent too much time at Namsan Tower.

The apartment in the background looked like our HDB right;

After a short walk, we came across this building that we mistaken for the place to book for the cruise;

Trying to read the map on the side of the building;

Electric car charging;

We were all feeling tired;

Finally wasn't that the 63 Building in the top right side of the photo;

OK now we could see clearer, the tall building was the 63 Building, world's tallest building outside North America;

No joke, that was the Ticketing Booth though I was expecting something more grand than that;

No idea what were inside those cubicles;

Buying our tickets from Yeouido to Jamsil (one way);

Ticket cost 11,700 won each and departure time was 2.20pm;

We were to board the ferry from this berth A;

You were never knew where these 2 ladies going;

I am surprised that my daughter still enjoyed playing at the playground;

She didn't seem to get enough from the adventure camp in primary school. Now trying out the mini flying fox here;

Time to get ready and had our quick lunch;

There was a group of kindergarten students going for the cruise too;

It's boarding time now;

Inside the ferry;

The cute little kindergarten kids;

And their kindergarten teachers;

Going outside the cabin;

The 63 Building and the shoreline;

The many bridges of Hangang;

Haha;

What were they seeing;

They were bird watching;

Plenty of seagulls flying around;

The Floating Islands of Hangang that we didn' got the time to go;

Almost reaching, we saw a number of people wind surfing around here;

Finally arrived;

Jamsil

The place where we disembarked from the ferry was the Hangang Park, Jamsil. We should be able to walk from there to Lottle World (롯데월드) located at the Jamsil Station. From the map (see the red arrow I drew), it looked simple but somehow over there, we couldn't find our way out of the park.

It was very windy and cold over there and had to put our masks on;

Oh I recogized that electric car on the left;

Secret Garden Restaurant;

Yes, we walked towards the wrong side. Should be the other side;

After walking past the swimming complex, we saw the entrance to the underground tunnel;

After crossing the tunnel, there was still quite a distance to walk (don't be fooled by the map haha);

Their Winter School Uniform;

Finally we had arrived at the Jamsil Station. The Jamsil Station is linked to the underground shopping, hotel and the Lotte Word. So we were quite lost inside;