SEOUL SEARCHING 2012 DAY 1 - A Whole New (Lotte) World

The room given to us at the hostel was less of my expectation.  But we had no choice.  At least the staff was pleasant and accommodating.  Anyways, we wouldn’t be staying at the hotel for long so no need to complain.  After we freshened up, our first stop would be Lotte World. 

Namdaemun and Myeongdong in the morning

My friend refused to be in charge of the itinerary so whatever I had put up in our list and wherever we went – lost or not – we had to enjoy every minute.

Since the winter just breezed in, the temperature dropped and our body is not used to it.  We had to buy gloves prompting us to go to the Namdaemun market and Myeongdong.  It is like Divisoria in our eyes minus the sticky grime. I’m not fluent conversing in Korean especially when it comes to figures.  I can read but it doesn’t mean I understand all of it.  I think I’m still a kindergarten when it comes to this language.  As I said I’m not fluent in Hangeul, so we ended up talking sometime in English with the Koreans though I tried hard to speak in their language.  Going back to our adventure, from our hostel, the markets and department stores are just a few minutes away.  We leisurely walked in the sidewalk, tried the underpass and even crossed big intersections to get to the market.  We passed by several foodcarts selling tteoki (?) and little pancakes with eggs or custard cakes which all looked yummy.  Then we stopped by Myeongdong and had some photos taken while the place remains cool and not crowded.  And since both of us collect the little cups of Starbucks whenever we visit a place, we decided to search for the branch selling them.  It did not take us long because every nook and corner of Seoul has Starbucks!

A Whole New World in Lotte

Among the first few things that a backpacker should remember in visiting Seoul is to understand the art of riding the train.  Aside from keeping your Tmoney loaded, travelers should comprehend the beauty and connection of the intertwined lines and dots of Korean subway within the city and from the city to different provinces to help you reach your destination in a short period. 

After we went to Myeongdong, we proceeded to Line 2 station since that is the line more convenient to use to get to Lotte World.

I got this brochure at the Incheon Airport tourist information desk.  It is also available at the Lotte World information center .

From Euljiro-il, we get off to Jamsil and walked towards the entrance of Lotte.  We were almost lost since there were a lot of people - mostly students – and we couldn’t see the signage going to the theme park.  Soon, we managed to get to an information center.  The female information assistant gave us the direction to the entrance of Lotte World and even advised us to take some brochures and pamphlets to get ticket discounts.   On our way to the theme park, we walked past a group of students setting up in front of a long presidential table.  It turned out, there would be an autograph signing with the Kpop group Beast.  There was a long queue in the ticket booth but it didn’t take that long before our turn. 

The Lotte World entrance.  Beside it is the ticket booth.

Showing the brochure and our passport, we received a good discount for the ticket with all free rides for the entire day.  But my company is not keen to have fun at these rides so we opted to tour around the Lotte World.  Lotte World is divided into different areas.

  I was amazed to see the grand carousel – the Camelot Carousel and I made sure to have my photos taken here because it is the symbolic and one of the most unforgettable scenes in the drama Stairway to Heaven.

Photo opportunity at the Camelot Carousel is a must!

The pictorial for the show was also held in this ride. We also had fun spending time in the 3D area and enjoyed touring the Folk Museum inside which showcase their old, rich history with miniature displays.  Another thing I enjoyed here was the chance to wear hanbok for just ten thousand won.  There, I transformed to a daebang mama even for less than an hour!  We also checked the other side of Lotte World which houses extreme rides.  With the long queue, we decided to just look around and take photos whenever possible.

Stars Collide in Star Avenue'

The Lotte complex in Jamsil – which houses the Lotte department store and Lotte World - has an attraction that is very inviting to Kpop and Kdrama lovers.  Another highlight of this place is the STAR AVENUE featuring a number of Korean celebrities’ personal favorites being displayed.  Here, we were "up close" with Hyun Bin, Jang Keun Seuk, Rain/Bi, Super Junior, 2PM, Choi Ji Woo and Kim Hyun Joong.  

Star Avenue is located in one of the wings of Lotte department store, outside the Lotte World. For foreigners who purchased a whole day ticket at the Lotte World, the entrance in Star Avenue is free!

This entertainment/activity center is a haven for some Kpop and Kdrama fans. It houses a number of standees of Korean superstars where fans can have a photo op.  It has several zodiac sign compatibility machines where Kpop and Kdrama lovers can find out if they have a good chemistry with their oppa. Fans can also experience to be part of a drama by doing some voice over of their favorite character of their favorite Korean drama.

 It was sure a nice experience.