Food Trippin' Korea: Twotwo Fried Chicken

Our first meal as we arrived at Seoul was near Myeongdong station (look for Pacific Hotel) and Namsan 3 Guesthouse where we stayed. It was the first food stop we saw and so we decided to give it a try. We had our late lunch at Twotwo Fried Chicken.

Twotwo Fried Chicken is known to be the best and original fried chicken in Korea. It has a branch here in the Philippine at Pearl Drive in Ortigas a few years back when I was still working at the area. I haven't got the chance to try it out there that is why I am also eager to get to have a taste of their fried chicken here. This is the only branch they have in Korea so we grabbed the opportunity to eat in this place.

Food Trippin' Korea: Lotteria

One of the most popular fast food chain in Korea is Lotteria which was from the Lotte Group. They are found almost everywhere as where ever we go, we can see a branch of them and a lot of customers are in queue at their counter.

One of their branches is at the underground walkway from the subway near our inn at Busan. We decided to stop by and order a takeout there for our dinner. Since it was something we haven't tried, we figured to give it a shot.

Backpacking Sagada: Echo Valley and Hanging Coffins

One of the must go to sites when in you're in Sagada is the Echo Valley which is located near the town proper. You should see this place whenever you are in Sagada because your trip will not be complete without the Echo Valley experience.

You can avail of a guided tour here from the Town Hall but since this tour is easy to do, you can opt te be more adventourous and go find your own trail. It is a five minute walk from the town hall. You will pass the St. Mary the Virgin Church and the newly installed zipline area before finding the path to Echo Valley.

Backpacking Korea: King Sejong Museum

On our first day in Seoul, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon going around teh city. After our failed attempt to get in Gyeongbokgung Palace, we proceeded at the park just infront of it. As we walked, we noticed a very big statue in the middle.

It is King Sejong the great, a known ruler in Korea and it has a museum underground which is free for all the tourists who wants to check it out. Since we're already there, we went in and checked out King Sejong Museum.

Backpacking Korea: Cheonggyecheon River Park

As we continuoe to tour around Seoul, we got to Cheonggyecheon River Park. This place is located at Seoul-si Jongno-gu Changsin1-dong just near the Gyeongbokgung Palace and you can actually walk to this place from there.

The stream has a park built on its side. Tourists can walk and enjoy nature in the middle of the city. There are some ducks on the stream and they are really nice to take pictures of. Also, they are so amazing that they could endure the coldness since most of the sides of the stream still are frozen.

Backpacking Korea: Gyeongbokgung Palace

After we arrive from Busan and had late lunch near Myongdong, we decided to spend the rest of teh afternoon walking around Seoul. We agreed to go to Gyeongbokgung Palace since my firends haven't entered it the first time they were there. And so, from Myongdong station, we took the subway to there.

We alight at Gyeongbokgung Station exit 5 and from there, walked to the entrance of the palace. You can also exit at Ganghwanmun Station but it is a longer walk going to the palace.

Birthday Weekend at Sagada

It was my birthday and I decided to celebrate it differently this year. Most of my birthdays are celebrated at home, even if sometimes I only got an hour for it, still, I'm always at home. This year, I wanted to be away. Somewhere far. Somewhere with limited access to everything. A place serene and calm. And that perfect place is Sagada in Mountain Province.

Getting to Sagada is not that easy. You need to endure a 5-6 hour bus ride going to Baguio and another 6 hours from there to Sagada Town Proper. A whooping half day only for travelling. There are other routes to get there, but this is the easiest and most popular among tourists. The long bus ride is nothing when you see the magnificent view of the mountains and cliffs. We were in clouds most of the time. A nice and calm feeling that you are one with the heavens. A nice way to celebrate your birth anniversary!

Dinner at Café Breton

When we watched the 3rd Philippine International Pyromusical Competition in the SM Mall of Asia, we decided to avail the promos of the restaurants that are facing the bay area. They have several promos for that day and we decided to avail Café Breton's since most of us wanted to taste their crepes there.

Located at G/F SM Mall of Asia, Entertainment Mall, SM Central Business Park, Bay City, the restaurant is facing the bay side area and is among those who has a nice view of the sky for the fireworks on this event.

Lunch at Kim n' Chi

After enduring three hours of our morning in Beauty Brick for our permed hair, we were so hungry and wanted a nice lunch somewhere comfortable and away from the heat of the noon sun. We decided to go to Glorietta to check on some stuff and also have our lunch there.

We ended up in Glorietta Food Choices and one of the food stalls that attracted us was Kim n' Chi which is a Korean fast food. We decided to give it a try since I am still craving for Korean dishes and we're so hungry that we decided right away.

Digi Perm at Beauty Brick Hair Art Studio

I was planning to try out a new look with my hair and Digi Perm sounds nice ever since I read about it on blogs. My friend wanted it too so we agreed to do it together.

We checked on blogs and some friend's recommendations and it seems like Beauty Brick Hair Art Studio is on high recommendation among bloggers and satisfied customers. We gave it a try and reserved a slot with them one saturday morning.

Place to Stay in Seoul: Namsan Guest House

Since we're on a budget trip in Korea, we decided to stay in a backpacker's inn on our remaining two nights at Seoul. We booked online with Namsan Guest House which is located a few minutes walk from Myeong-dong station.

The inn has three branches. Namsan Guest House 1, 2 and 3. Namsan 2 and 3 are besides each other while Namsan 1 is a few more walk up hill. We stayed at Namsan 3 which is closer to the Subway station. It was their newest rooms and so all the rooms there are for twin sharing, unlike the other two which other room types.

Lighten Up the Sky: 3rd Philippine International Pyromusical Competition 2012

This year, the annual pyromusical competition in SM Mall of Asia is on its 3rd year. Just like the other years, people gather up at the bay side of MOA to witness this spectacular event. All eyes are in the sky as excited guests wait for the pretty fireworks in the 3rd Philippine International Pyromusical Competition.

The event can be viewed in the general viewing area near the bay and audience can choose to buy either the gold or silver ticket. They can also opt to buy the VIP where food is served and best viewing seats in the place. Also, restaurants nearby offer special offers to people who wants to watch the event. They give promos to them and seat the guests in the area over seeing the fireworks. We availed one of those and it doesn't give you the best view but it was much better than standing in the crowd of people in the main area.

Food Trippin' Korea: Dunkin' Donuts Cafe

As we walk around Busan, we got hungry in the afternoon. After hours of walking and taking photos, we decided to find a place to eat up and escape the cold weather for a while. We found a Dunkin Donuts Cafe at the end of the streets of Nampo-dong.

I was quite amazed that they have a Dunkin' Donuts coffee shop here and you can actually dine in and hang out. I was used to the small stalls of Dunkin' Donuts here and I was still very young when I was in a store but not an actual cafe. They serve different donuts and even coffee or hot choco. It was really cozy there and I really liked the place.

Backpacking Korea: Yongdusan Park and Busan Tower

Our last destination before dusk falls in Busan is at the Yongdusan Park and Busan Tower. It was our last stop on our day tour around Busan since we're already tired and it was freezing cold outside the streets.

Located at Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea, Busan Tower is found within Yongdusan Park. The tower is on top of a hill (or mountain) overlooking the town. It was a bit difficult to go there since you need to go up on a lot of stairs but they have escalators going up so it was quite convenient for people to visit the place.

Milk Tea Hunt: Brew-Kus

There are a lot of milk tea shops opening in the different parts of Makati but one restaurant stands out because they not only serve yummy milk tea, but also dishes that fills your tummy.

Found at the center of Makati Central Business District is a small restaurant called Brew-Kus. They are located at Unit G-02, 139 Corporate Center in Valero St. in Makati. It was a bit difficult to locate but thanks to the check-ins at Four Square of my friends, we easily found it.

Backpacking Korea: Shinsegae Department Store

After touring the Busan Aquarium in  Haeundae Beach, we all went to the subway all the way to Centum City to see the biggest department store which holds the Guinness World Record.

You can easily go there through the subway since the mall is already connected there. From there you can walk and explore the many floors and hundreds of stores inside. There are a thousand items to see, a shopping haven for those shopaholics out there!

Healthy Desserts at Golden Spoon

After a hearty meal, a yummy and healthy dessert is a must! We headed on Golden Spoon at the Ayala Triangle Gardens to have a scoop of this yummy cold treats in the heat of the noon sun.

They are located at the first stall from the MSE building entrance. They have a large interior with a lot of seating available for guests inside as well as outside. This place is seldom packed with people during the peak hours of dining. They usually have customers taking out the yummy yogurts they have that is why you can opt to enjoy your froyo in their store.

Team Lunch at BonChon Chicken

At long last, we had a team lunch again together with all the members of our team and all those who made our deployment successful. We all gathered at BonChon Chicken at Ayala Triangle Garden on hot weekday noon.

Among the array of restaurants in Ayala Triangle Gardens is BonChon. Their branch here is just small but we managed to reserve seats for the 20 plus people that dined in there. We usually eat here and orders their set meals. They are famous of their crispy chicken's outer layer. Thinking of it makes me want to go there and eat again. We ordered bundles of chicken this time, not the set meals that we usually had since today, a really big group will be dining together.

Backpacking Korea: Haeundae Beach and Busan Aquarium

One of the places we've been in Busan, South Korea is the Haeudae Beach. It was a sunny day that day but we are covered in thick winter clothes because it was freezing cold despite the warm sunshine that touches our skin. It was quite unusual to dress this way and be on a beach since I was used to the tropical weather in the beaches in my country.

Haeudae Beach is one of the places where tourists go to. There are a lot of events that happens here and also, there are also a lot places to go to from here like the Busan Aquarium where they house thousands of fishes and other underwater creatures.

Backpacking Korea: Haedong Yonggungsa Temple in Busan

Our first stop in our day tour around Busan was in Haedong Yunggungsa Temple. From our inn at Seomyeon, we met with my friend's friend to drive us around the the nice places in Busan.

This Buddhist temple is located at the north-eastern portion of Busan lying along the coastal area. Unlike other temples which are located at mountains, this one is at the shore which makes it quite unique. It was built centuries ago during the Goryeo Dynasty and most people come here on New Year's day to view the sun rise.